Landing that dream job: The dos and don’ts of interviewing

A job interview can be a nerve-wrecking experience for the most seasoned job seeker, let alone new graduates looking to enter the workforce for the first time.

What then, can new graduates do to improve their chances of getting the job by acing their interviews? HRM Asia asked Tim Sackett, President, HRU Technical Resources for his comprehensive list of dos and don’ts of interviewing.

1.  Do some research beforehand: It is critical that you understand what the company does and recent news. You want to seem informed about the company to those you are interviewing with.

2.  Look up those interviewing you on LinkedIn: Get to know a little about who will be interviewing you. How long have they been at the organisation? Where did they go to school? Maybe they might be connected to someone I know.

3.  Ask whoever is setting up your interview what the corporate dress code is: They will actually expect you to ask this question, and the last thing you want to do is show up and look out of place.

4.  Never bring up compensation in an interview: An interview is about fit, skills, and putting your best foot forward. You should be asking about compensation during the initial screening call, or you can ask after the interview in a follow-up email or call. However, you should also be prepared to answer the compensation question if the interviewer brings it up.

5.  Have some insightful questions ready to ask in your interview: Prepare two or three questions before the interview but the best questions often come from being an active listener during the interview and asking during the conversation. The best interview turns into a back-and-forth conversation.

6.  Mirror the language being used by those interviewing you to a point: Use language your grandmother would be comfortable hearing you use, unless your grandmother has the vocabulary of a drunken sailor! If your interviewers are using inappropriate language, this is not an invitation for you to use the same language. Keep it safe.

7.  Use everything at your disposal to land the job: If you have a good friend or one of your parent’s friends who works at the company you are interviewing with, make sure you make that connection to those interviewing you. “Hey, my good friend, Tim, actually works here, and he loves it!” This gives the interviewers a chance to follow up with Tim for an informal reference check.

8.  Share your work ethic: At the end of the day, most executives are really looking for people willing to work hard. Share examples of your work ethic or, at the very least, your desire to work hard. Most interviewees have very little difference in experience and skills, so your work ethic stands out!

9.  Ask for the job: Before you leave, if you want the job, make sure the interviewer knows your desire. So often, the interviewer is not even sure if the interviewee wants the job.

READ MORE: Five ways organisations can use AI to supercharge interview scheduling

Sackett added, “Interviewing is hard. We tend to get nervous. Most of us don’t interview that much, so we don’t have great experience doing it. Also, most people don’t like bragging about themselves. If you get the chance, ask friends and family to do mock interviews with you. Or ask yourself questions out loud and reply out loud with your answer. And remember, an interview is just a conversation with a person you’ve never met, but they are trying to get to know you better.”