Once you’ve gotten through the application portals, cover letters, and perfectly-tailored resumes, it’s time to attack the next job search hurdle: the interview.

Interview expert Valerie Sutton – the instructor behind the popular LinkedIn Learning Course Master Common Interview Questions, and Director of Career Services at Harvard School of Education – joins Andrew to dispel some interview myths and dig into key best practices for nailing the job interview.

Prepare for Your Interviewer

In most organizations, the first person you’ll talk to is an HR professional. This person will check your basic qualifications and experience before sending your application to the hiring manager, or decision-maker. The second round is typically with that hiring manager, or with someone who will be your colleague. Valerie says to tailor your questions and preparation for who you’ll be interviewing with – and it’s absolutely fine to ask the organization for clarification on how you should prepare.

Anticipate the Questions

There are three types of questions that interviewers typically ask. The first type are behavioral questions, or asking how you have handled a situation in the past. The second type are resume questions, where the interviewer will ask about a point on your resume. The final type are situational questions, which ask you to extrapolate how you would handle something in the future. Valerie’s tip for nailing these? “[Go] down to the responsibilities in the job description and [put] situation action result of where you have demonstrated this experience in your past, and that will actually give you the content for answering any of those types of questions.”

Use the Company’s Stated Values as A Guide

Typically, a company’s values or mission statement can be found on its website. Hiring managers are looking to hire people who align with those values; so make sure you’ve looked into them before your interview, and speak to them in your answers.

Don’t Play Hard to Get

Companies want to hire people who are excited to join the team and take on the project – so don’t be afraid to express your interest loudly! 

Always Send a Followup

Always send a thank-you email or message after an interview. Bonus points if you can include a link to something you and the interviewer talked about!

Follow Valerie on LinkedIn

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