[Replay] Six Interviewing Tips

Last week we replayed our post on resume writing tips for those looking for new jobs. This week we’ll follow up that post and replay our post on interviewing tips! If you’re interested in learning more and attending a free resume writing and interview techniques workshop, check out our flyer below for our workshop in partnership with Virginia Career Works – Hampton Center

1. Don’t show up unprepared with little knowledge of the organization and their initiatives. Learn as much as you can about the company; at minimum, researching some of their history, their focus areas, and their organizational mission.
2. Show an interest in the job first. In most situations, it’s not a good idea to ask about salary, benefits, and perks right off the bat, and avoid talking about future aspirations, especially if they don’t involve that company.
3. Don’t turn the weakness question into a cliche positive. Avoid answers like “my greatest weakness is I work too hard” or “my greatest weakness is I care too much about my job,” most interviewers have heard it before, and they’re not buying it. Instead, think about aspect of your resume that may be weaker than other job candidates, particularly things the interviewers probably already know about, like limited experience, lapse in time working in that field, different educational background than that position, etc. Discuss that weaknesses and how you would overcome it, that way you’re not admitting a new weakness and have the opportunity to address it with your interviewers.
4. Be conscious of your body language. Even if you’re not interviewing in person, if you’re interviewing over video-conferencing, like Zoom, professional body language is still important. Be sure you have good posture, positive facial expressions, and avoid playing with hair, adjusting your clothes, or biting your nails.
5. Give specific examples when answering questions, but be concise. Avoid answering too many questions with a simple yes or no, but don’t rattle on for 15 minutes with each answer.
6. At the end of most interviews, your interviewer will ask if you have any questions for them. The worst thing to do is say “no.” This is your opportunity to ask more questions about the position and the company. Not only does this show interest from your end, this also gives you a chance to evaluate the company and the position. Remember, interviewing isn’t just about convincing the interviewer that you would be a good fit for them, it’s also about figuring out if they would be a good fit for you!