Entry Level Or C-Suite: How To Ace Your Next Job Interview

No matter what anyone might tell you, first impressions do matter, especially when it comes to job interviews. So the first thing to do is to make sure you dress the part. You can tell the vibe of an office when you apply for a role, and so if it is extremely corporate, make sure you're in your favourite formal fit, something that makes you feel good and confident. If the vibe is more semi-formal, you can wear a more relaxed fit, but I would suggest that you still play it safe. If your interview is happening over video call, find a quiet room or corner where you can take the call and blur your background. If you're taking the call somewhere outside, best to scout locations beforehand and do it in a relatively quiet cafe or corner. 

Make sure you keep a hold of what your hands are doing while you're talking, and keep eye contact with your interviewer. 

Pro-Tip: If you're looking to get the perfect interview outfit, check out our workwear fits list. 

There is nothing more off-putting to an interviewer than an unprepared candidate. Do your research on the company and the interviewer. For example, mention specific projects and/or clients that the company works on/with that excite you and why you think those are good examples of why you would be a great fit. I promise you will score extra brownie points if you plug in your interviewer's previous roles and experience, or the projects they are heading to align what you see for yourself in your professional growth. Make sure you brush up your basics for all the technical questions that might come your way and take a fresh look at your LinkedIn profile and resume in order to prepare points that you would like to highlight. I would suggest you categorise these in to what was most challenging for you, what was most fun for you and what you think you would definitely like to do more of or would expand (obviously there can be an overlap between these things). 

A good interviewer will always be able to tell if you're bullshitting them. Stay authentic and honest and if you're claiming something, there has to be evidence to back it up. If they ask you something that catches you off guard, it is perfectly okay, in fact a good practice, to ask for a minute before you respond. If you do not know the answer, be honest about it and get back to them about it after the interview (I did this in an interview and my manager later told me it was one of the most impressive things about my interview). When asked about what you think your weaknesses are, give genuine answers. Bring up concrete examples from your experience where you felt challenged and follow it up with how you rectified and overcame that situation. 

The first question in any interview will invariably be 'tell me a little bit about yourself', and most hiring managers will tell you that this is where they know if they are going to hire this person or not. Tell a story about your professional journey so far, and make it anecdotal—the interviewer has read your resume and knows the basic details. Tell them things that you cannot find out from a piece of paper, add in personal details about what value each experience added to your life and how it has culminated in you being in that room and makes you perfect for that role. Do not go on a rant (even a tiny one) about a bad experience, just say that that was not the right fit, and detail the things that you learnt from the experience and move on. Your introduction should hold the interviewer's attention and should be so well structured that the follow up question they ask you should be one you wanted them to ask.

Have specific question related to the role, the JD, the organisational structure, the growth path available to you and more. Some questions will come to you during the interview, make a note of them. It shows the interviewer your interest and thoroughness, so the answer to 'do you have any questions' should always be yes. Thank them for their time, comment on the quality of the conversation and say you're excited about the role and the company and are looking forward to hearing from them. You are not giving up any leverage by showing your enthusiasm and interest in the role. 

I spoke to Manya Ahuja, AGM, Content Operations, to get an insider view on what stands out for hiring managers. Here's what she had to say: 
1. Clarity of thought

I make it a point to ask follow up questions about the ideas we discuss during an interview and details on execution of the projects they've worked on in the past. If the interviewee is confident enough to think out loud with me and develop an idea in a high pressure situation, it's always a good sign. But ideas aren't proof of work, so I also make it a point to dig in to details about the projects they've worked on or led. Clarity on what metrics they were working to move, and what the measurable impact of their project was is something I especially look for.

2. Response to pressure

Specific to where I work, but the job doesn't come without the pressure of always being on. If an interviewee knows how to accept feedback but also has a sense of what about their idea/thought process they need to defend in an interview, that's a quality I highly appreciate. No one wants to be surrounded by 'Yes Men' at work, and neither do we want to hear push back on everything because the candidate is so married to their own ideas. Balance is key.

Other than that, I like to see signs of having a bias for action in their style of working. Strategists wouldn't get anything done without people who actually get down and dirty and get stuff done. Getting stuff done is underrated.