How To Conduct An Effective Job Interview
The virtual stack of resumes in your inbox is winnowed and certain candidates have passed the phone screen. Next step: in-person interviews. How should you use the relatively brief time to get to know and assess a near stranger? How many people at your firm should be involved? How can you tell if a candidate will be a good fit? And finally, should you really ask questions like: Whats your greatest weakness?
What the Experts Say As the employment market improves and candidates have more options, hiring the right person for the job has become increasingly difficult. Pipelines are depleted and more companies are competing for top talent, says Claudio Fernández-Aráoz, a senior adviser at global executive search firm Egon Zehnder and author of Its Not the How or the What but the Who: Succeed by Surrounding Yourself with the Best. Applicants also have more information about each companys selection process than ever before. Career websites like Glassdoor have taken the mystique and mystery out of interviews, says John Sullivan, an HR expert, professor of management at San Francisco State University, and author of 1000 Ways to Recruit Top Talent. If your organizations interview process turns candidates off, they will roll their eyes and find other opportunities, he warns. Your job is to assess candidates but also to convince the best ones to stay. Heres how to make the interview process work for you and for them.
Further Reading
Dont:
Avoid Getting Too Personal In Interviews
Turns out, some of the answers you think are appropriate to shareâlike your favorite childhood memory when asked question, âTell me about yourselfââare actually a turnoff to recruiters, and in some cases, can cost you the job. So just like youâll practice what to say in the interview, you should also research what not to say to a potential employer.
Read More: 40 Interview Questions You Should Be Prepared to Ask & Answer
Get Your Interview Clothes Ready
Don’t wait until the last minute to make sure your interview clothes are ready. Have an interview outfit ready to wear at all times, so you don’t have to think about what you’re going to wear while you’re scrambling to get ready for a job interview.
Regardless of the type of job you’re interviewing for, that first impression should be a great one. When dressing for an interview for a professional position, dress accordingly in business attire.
If you’re applying for a job in a more casual environment, such as a store or restaurant, it’s still important to be neat, tidy, and well-groomed, and to present a positive image to the employer.
It is also important to think about your makeup and accessories when dressing for an interview.
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Find Out The Type Of Interview You Will Be Going On:
There are several common types of interviews such as one on one, group, and behavioral. You shouldnt assume you will get a certain one. Dont be afraid to ask your recruiter what kind of interview will have if you dont know the interview will be more beneficial to both parties if you are prepared.
READ MORE: 6 Interview Types You Must Know as a Candidate
Stryker Career Opportunities: Job Titles And Descriptions
Many health care and manufacturing professionals want the opportunity to work at a well-established institution such as Stryker. The companys reputation as a great place to work further fuels the number of applications that pour in for each job.
Below are some of the highest-paid positions currently available at the medical tech corporation.
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Maintain A Detailed Contact Log
If you have applied in multiple companies, then it is best to maintain a contact log wherein you can specify the contact details of each HRs. Along with the details, you can even jot down a schedule for follow up.
Heres what you can include in the contact log:
- Details of the Hiring Manager
- Details of any other existing employee, in case, you couldnt connect with the HR.
- Job details and how it matches your skillset
- Last date of the job application
- The follow-up schedule
If you have included the above details in your contact log, you can easily follow up without referring the job request email now and then.
Develop A Connection With The Interviewer
In addition to indicating what you know about the company, you should also try to develop a connection with your interviewer. Know the interviewer’s name, and use it during the job interview. If you’re not sure of the name, call and ask prior to the interview. And, listen very carefully during introductions.
If youre prone to forgetting names, jot it down somewhere discreet, like in small letters at the bottom of your notepad.
Ultimately, building rapport and making a personal connection with your interviewer can up your chances of getting hired. People tend to hire candidates they like and who seems to be a good fit for the company’s culture. Here’s how to get the hiring manager on your side.
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Tips For Before The Interview
In the days before your job interview, set aside time to do the following:
1. Start by researching the company and your interviewers. Understanding key information about the company youre interviewing with can help you go into your interview with confidence. Using the companys website, social media posts and recent press releases will provide a solid understanding of the companys goals and how your background makes you a great fit. Review our Complete Guide to Researching a Company.
2. Practice your answers to common interview questions. Prepare your answer to the common question: Tell me about yourself, and why are you interested in this role with our company? The idea is to quickly communicate who you are and what value you will bring to the company and the roleits your personal elevator pitch. Review our guide to answering Top Interview Questions.
Tip: You should come prepared to discuss your salary expectations. If youre unsure what salary is appropriate to ask for, visit Indeed’s Salary Calculator for a free, personalized pay range based on your location, industry and experience.
Tips on responding to “Tell me about yourself:1. Start by discussing your current situation2. Work backwards by hitting key points along your professional journey3. Connect your background, interests and qualifications back to the job
Make Sure You Know What The Job Entails
If you’ve sent out a lot of resumes, you should make sure you’ve analyzed the job description.
Write down the reasons why you are interested in the position, memorize what the company is looking for in the candidate and write a list of your qualities, skills, strengths, and weaknesses.
Above all, focus on the roles you have already performed in similar positions or on the virtues that make you the ideal person for the vacancy.
During the interview, you should link your skills with the requirements of the position.
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Listen And Ask Questions
During a job interview, listening is just as important as answering questions. If you’re not paying attention, you’re not going to be able to give a good response.
It’s important to listen to the interviewer, pay attention, and take time, if you need it, to compose an appropriate answer. It’s also important to discuss your qualifications in a way that will impress the interviewer.
Also, be ready to engage the interviewer. You want there to be a give and take in the conversation, so you’re building a relationship with the interviewer rather than just providing rote responses to questions. Have questions of your own ready to ask the interviewer.
Toward the end of the interview, let the recruiter know that you believe the job is an excellent fit and that you are highly interested.
You’ll know if the interview went well if it runs longer than 30 minutes, you discuss salary, or you get an invitation to a second interview.
Save Something To Be Revealed In The Interview
When Im hiring, I want to see key responsibilities and top-level results in an application. Save the detailed situations, tasks and actions you took for the interview. Jotting these down separately usually makes for a nice basis for preparation that will answer almost any behavioral question that could come up in an interview. When an applicant includes an overly detailed biography with their job application, it suggests an inability to present concisely.
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How To Get An Interview And Secure A Job Offer
When you apply for an open position, you are often one of many qualified applicants. A job interview is critical for advancing through the hiring process, positioning yourself as a strong candidate and accepting a job offer. It is essential to create a strategy that best demonstrates your qualifications and elevates you above your competition. In this article, we explore the ways you can improve your ability to get an interview and secure a job offer.
Attach Your Previous Works
Instead of stuffing the job request email with accolades and accomplishments, attach some of your previous works.
If you are a writer, then attaching a blog post that has got thousands of views and likes will take you a long way than an accomplishment that dates back a year or two. Along with the work, mention how you used your skills to achieve the feat.
If you dont readily have a previous work to attach, then tell them you are open to a short assignment, and how your skills will be utilized for the successful completion of the same.
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What To Do After The Interview
After your job interview, its in your best interest to ensure that your interviewer remembers you by following up and thanking them for the opportunity.
Follow up
Be sure to get the contact information of your interviewer at the end of the interview and follow up with a brief message expressing your interest and gratitude for the interview opportunity in following days.
Say thank you in a personal way
Saying thank you in a meaningful way makes a huge impression, especially on busy interviewers.
Should I Bring My Resume To An Interview
A strong resume is typically the first stage in applying for a job, but it can also support you during the rest of the hiring process. There are several items that are important for you to bring to an interview, including your resume. Understanding whether to bring your resume to an interview can help you feel more confident and prepared when going in to the meeting. In this article, discuss the answer to the question “Should I bring my resume to an interview?”, explore other items you can bring to your job interview, and provide tips to help you prepare.
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If The Interviewer Uses Your Name Number Of Times:
Experts say that if the interviewer makes use of your name, number of times during the interview, then it means they are picturing you as an employee in their organization. Also if someone is using your name it means they are making a connection with you.
So, it indicates they are already envisioning working with your vision and ideas in the company.
Share Your Story And Experiences
While in the interview, its important to back up your skills and experience with concrete examples. Share stories about successes and learning experiences, and give examples of projects and situations at work that really made your skills stand out. Show how your skills helped benefit your last company with numbers, like the number of leads closed, tickets resolved, or products made. Use jargon and language that shows your level of expertise in your field.
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Answering The Question: Should I Bring My Resume To An Interview
When asking “Should I bring my resume to an interview?” the short answer is yes. The organization you’re applying to likely has a copy of your resume, and you may have discussed some details over the phone with a recruiting manager. It’s also possible that the interviewer may not have a printed copy of your resume, so it’s advisable to bring one to make the best impression in any scenario. Carrying copies of your resume printed on high-quality paper is a good decision.
Another helpful tip is to carry one resume for each person you expect to be interviewed by, along with a few more copies in case additional interviewers attend the meeting. Try to bring about five to seven copies of your resume and put them in a separate folder to avoid bending or wrinkles and to make them easily accessible.
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Invited To The Round Two:
Not all interviews end up with the first round. Many interviews end up after 2 or 3 rounds. So, if you are told to join in the next round, means you have qualified for the first round and there are many chances to get selected for the job.
Now, if you are asked to join in the next round, then itâs time to chill and do not ever think about what you answered or how they reacted. Just be happy and join the company when they ask you to do so.
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Senior Software Design Quality Engineer
- Salary: $80,000 to $100,000
- Benefits: Tuition reimbursement, 401, learning opportunities
- Level: N/A
- Required education: Bachelors in engineering
In this role, you will be responsible for defining users needs on behalf of the design team. You will conduct product and cyber security evaluations and help create software that can be used to check for defects and resolve issues in Strykers products. You will continuously review the code that is being used in each product.
The person in this position will also work with other software engineers to ensure all software is being seamlessly integrated.
To get this role, you will need to have extensive experience in product design and development. Experience in the programming languages C, C++, or C# will be essential during the debugging process.
Prepare For Common Questions
Before you set foot in your interview, you should prepare by testing yourself with interview questions that are commonly asked in the companys industry or, better yet, commonly asked in the companys interviews.
Use Glassdoor to search interview questions that are asked at the company youre interviewing with to get insights into the exact questions recruiters and hiring managers will ask.
You can also check out these articles:
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Notes From Previous Contacts
It’s worth the effort to keep track of who you’ve spoken with and what they’ve said throughout your previous interactions. You may save these notes on some index cards with the name and department of the organization written on the top and a few important topics from your conversation written below. Keeping these on hand during the interview may assist you when referring to the information you have collected, such as pay, working hours, or details about a specific policy.
Get Ready Ahead Of Time
Don’t wait until the last minute to pick out an interview outfit, print extra copies of your resume, or find a notepad and pen. Have one good interview outfit ready, so you can interview on short notice without having to worry about what to wear.
When you have an interview lined up, get everything ready the night before.
Not only will planning out everything buy you time in the morning, it can help reduce job search anxiety, and it will also save you from having to make decisions, which means you can use that brainpower for your interview.
Make sure your interview attire is neat, tidy, and appropriate for the type of firm you are interviewing with. Bring a nice portfolio with extra copies of your resume. Include a pen and paper for note-taking.
If you’re interviewing virtually, have all the technology set and ready in advance. Do a trial run to be sure everything is working properly, and you’re comfortable with it.
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Dont Settle For An Imperfect Fit
Dont compromise on what you value most when it comes to where you want to work. A job posting may sound like a great fit for your skills, but the company culture needs to be a fit for you, too. Research employer brands online, read employee reviews and discuss culture fit in phone screens to be sure that both the positions and the companies you consider fit your work values and needs.
Before starting your research, try compiling a list of what makes a company a great fit for you: its mission, vision, and values location or remote work options company-hosted events a collaborative environment and any other important traits.
Catch Your Resume Mistakes
Itâs not enough to run a simple spell check on your resume. Youâll need to employ some special editing tacticsâsuch as reading your resume backward and asking a friend to proofread for youâin order to catch every mistake on the page. Thereâs even editing software specifically for resumes. If you allow an error to sneak in, you are sending the employer an unintended and incorrect message that you are sloppy and donât care about your work.
Read More: 6 Resume Mistakes To Avoid At All Costs
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