Congratulations! You’ve made it past the first stage of the hiring process and a hiring manager has reached out to you to let you know that they want to schedule an interview.
The good news is you’ve shown that on paper you have skills and experiences that your potential future employer values. The next step is to demonstrate that not only are you a good candidate for the job, you are also the best candidate for the job. The interview is your opportunity to demonstrate this. Interviews are also a great space to learn more about the role, the team, and will allow you to reflect on the experience to determine if the role is right for you.
Here are three key steps that will prepare you to share your best self at any interview.
Think creatively about your skills
First, you should review the requirements listed in the job posting. Then, reflect on how your experiences map onto the skills needed to perform the job requirements. As a PhD student you’ve become an expert in a subject-area and developed deep research skills (among many others!) Even if your background isn’t an exact match, you may be able to pull experiences from other areas and apply them creatively to this new opportunity.
Practice your answers
Practicing answering potential interview questions is a great way to prepare for a successful interview. Did you know that the Greene Center offers mock interviews with expert career advisors? You can sign up for 30 or 60-minute sessions to practice tailored interview questions. To sign up, simply log into Handshake, click on “appointments”, and then click “schedule a new appointment”. You’ll be able to select the kind of appointment you want (you want the interview prep option, probably). Then, you can schedule a time that works for you directly on the website.
Prepare questions to ask
Asking questions at the end of the interview about the position demonstrates that you are highly interested in the position and that you are a thoughtful, detail-oriented person. It’s a good idea to prepare at least five questions in advance and plan to ask at least two questions at the end of the interview. Preparing five or more questions in advance ensures that even if some of your questions are answered during the interview, you’ll still likely have a couple left to bring up at the end. For example, you might want to ask what the working environment is like (the “workplace culture”), how the workplace supports diversity, equity, and inclusion, and what opportunities there are for your professional growth.
Do the interview!
Now that you’ve thoroughly prepared for your interview, all that’s left is to dazzle your future employer!
