7 Tips to prepare for an interview
Interviewing is a skill—and as I always say, you may be great at your job but not great at interviewing; And that’s natural.
If this is you, you aren’t alone. Honestly, most people aren’t great interviewers or great interviewees for that matter.
Interviewing can be stressful. During an interview, you might only have 30 minutes to:
walk through your experience
answer specific questions (most of which by the way follow common themes)
showcase how skilled, AWESOME and passionate you are
ask thoughtful questions that show you’ve done your research
The biggest mistake I see people make during interviews, well there are a lot of mistakes, but one is being so busy selling themselves that they forget the interview process is also an opportunity for them to get to know the team, the company, and learn more about the position.
I’ve interviewed a lot of people in my lifetime and the best interviewers are calm. They answer questions clearly and confidently. They don’t use company jargon, they answer questions by talking about the problem, what they did and the result. And most of them smile.
I know that’s a lot to do in 30 minutes but don’t worry I’ve got tips and advice for you.
Being nervous during an interview is natural. The goal here is that you prepare ahead of time so you are ready to shine. preparing for an interview shouldn’t be like cramming for a test 30 minutes before.
To do that, you need a few things before the interview:
Research the interviewer: Check out any posts they may have written. Who are they? What’s their work history? How long ago did they join the agency?
Research the company: Look at their LinkedIn page. What are they posting about? What do they care about? What’s it like to work at the company?
Review their website: Who are their biggest clients? Get familiar with their work. Check out their company values.
See if you’re connected to anyone who works or has worked at the company: Ask for a 15-minute call to gather intel on the company and the people you’ll be interviewing with.
If you’re working with a staffing agency or Talent Acquisition professional: Get as much information as possible. What kind of questions does the interviewer tend to ask? Is there anything from your conversation with them that should be highlighted during the interview?
Your goal is to gather as much information as possible before the interview.
All of this prep will help you practice for the actual interview, because practice makes perfect.
Interviewing is a muscle that most creative professionals haven’t had to flex. Ad agency professionals used to get jobs easily. We would apply to a couple of jobs or we would ask a friend to pass our resume to someone in HR. But times have changed, and these days you need to be prepared to interview.
But don’t worry—I’ve got some tips that will help you.
Here’s a critical step to help you prepare for your interview:
Practice makes perfect.
Prepare for your interview by writing out answers to commonly asked questions. Then, read the answers. Practice saying them out loud several times. Practice while doing the dishes. Practice while putting on your makeup. Practice interviewing with a friend. Record yourself answering the questions — yikes I know.
The idea is simple: the more you practice, the more natural answering questions will feel in the interview. You want your answers to flow and you want to spark your brain to get it ready for the interview.
It’s just like when you’re working on a creative idea, you think of one idea and then that leads to another, and another and then your brain is in thinking mode. You want to activate your brain into interview mode.
Remember you are really good at your job—but you may not be good at interviewing. So, you need to practice.
Next: relax.
Yup that’s right. 30 minutes before your interview do something you enjoy that calms your brain. Play music, color, go for a walk, do your nails, water your plants. Whatever it is that makes you happy and relaxed do it before the interview. The time for prep is over. Now it’s about letting your brain and your nerves relax.
And remember a smile goes a long way!
If you want to improve your interview skills, work with a coach who knows the advertising space. Someone who has interviewed thousands of creative advertising professionals. Someone who knows what hiring managers are looking for and someone who understands the work you do and the world you live in.
If you aren’t sure if you’re interviewing well, chances are you aren’t.
To learn how to interview better book a 90-minute session with me. We’ll review your work experience, prepare great answers to commonly asked questions, and get you ready to rock your interview.
