So, you have finally got the application done. Ooooohh jefa, I see you! Now that that’s been done, the next step awaits. Si, that means there’s more! Aunque you haven’t heard back; it is critical that you take advantage of this waiting period to prepare for the next possible step: the interview.
Your interview may come in the form of a phone call or in an in-person meetup. Whatever way it comes, you should know what to expect and how to approach it. Having said that, aqui tenemos a few interview tips to help a sistah out.
1. Research
Otra ves! Research. Utilize this time to refresh and expand your mind on the information you’ve gathered for your tailored resume or cover letter. LinkedIn is a great tool to navigate job descriptions and a great way to stumble upon the “career” tab of the company’s website for any specifications or visual insight. Browsing through these pieces will permit you to work on arranging your responses to what is being searched for. For instance, if customer service is a necessary skill – look up typical interview questions that would prepare you for this interview and also what kind of relevant customer service experience you have and could deliver to help you prepare.
If you can, go above and beyond! Research the company, department, and even, the recruiter. This process will ease your nerves and make you a determined, ambition and stand-out candidate, which is what you should always aim to be. The research for the interviewing process isn’t just homework for the interviewer. So future interviewee, get to it chica
2. Predict & Formulate Q’s
Predict
Mira, with the help of your research — you’ll be able to breeze through this step easily! When it comes to the interview, the uncertainty of ‘what will occur?’ is likely to impose anxiety upon you. And that’s normal. Respira y escucha, take the time to think about what topic the company could pose their questions around. In doing this, you can closely or accurately predict the questions that may be asked.
Forever expect the common questions, but always prepare for the new and specifics. For example, just like with your resume, look out for keywords and consider: Could they pose hypothetical questions? Behavioral-based questions? Recruiters tend to ask these kinds of questions to discern your plan-of-action toward a predicament — so figure it out carefully.
Formulate
Of course, be prepared to ask questions of your own. If you don’t have any, piensalo! If you showed up for the interview (or answered the call), it is obvious you have an interest in the company or role… so be extra vocal about it! Make your questions unique and interesting — take inspiration from the following:
- What do you like most about working for this company?
- What does success look like in this position, and how do you measure it?
- What does a typical day look like?
- How would you describe the work environment here? Is it collaborative or independent?
- What are the current goals of the company? And how does this team/role work to support hitting those goals?
- What are the key characteristics you think a person needs to be a great cultural fit at your company?
- What is the company culture like and how would the ideal candidate thrive in it?
- Is there a growth plan for this role?
Note: These questions are open-ended. Open-ended questions are questions that cannot be answered with just a “yes” or “no” — that is what you want, you want a detailed response!
“Forever expect the common questions, but always prepare for the new and specifics.”
3. Practice
Girl, just like with anything else, practice makes perfect (well not perfect but makes you so much more prepared). Find a friend and practice with them. Go over answering your predicted questions. When answering them, be precise and include numbers, stories, analogies, or concepts for a ‘lil’ spice. But be sure to keep it brief!
Naturally, you want your friend to be experienced in the interviewing process. That way, they can share about their own experience, help expand your ideas and genuinely judge you. Es muy importante that you catch the truth so that you can understand what improvements to make.
Practice with friends, family, or anyone else in your circle that you are comfortable with but with no more than three people! Or if you don’t have anyone to rely on, practice with the mirror — it works just as well, use that alter ego, Sasha Fierce, who is going to slay the interview day! Just don’t skip this step! It is apparent to an employer if you did not practice.
4. All-Around Prepare
Oye! Research is one thing but attire, resume, and timeliness are another. Most interviews call for professionally-formal or professionally-casual attire. But it really is dependent on the role and company. While most traditional companies may make you dress with typical “business attire” the start-up culture has broken a lot of that old school mentality and really allow you to dress just as you normally do to express yourself. Think Mark Zuckerberg, from Facebook, a billionaire who runs one of the most popular social platforms wears jeans, flip flops and a hoodie and nobody questions him. Now, I know you’re thinking so wait can I wear my fave hoodie? Mija, the answer is probably not unless you own and run your own start up. Just be mindful of the type of company you are interviewing for.
Before the interview, you should already have a resume. Take this chance to review it, as they could ask questions regarding your experience — if what you have to say doesn’t match up then that could harm your loyalty. Also, try to bring extra copies, there is always a chance an employer could ask for one. No te olvides to arrive on time, actually girl always arrive at least 10min early. This means head to bed early! Set an alarm and leave enough time for you to practice one last time, dress up, and commute to the location, remember that you should add buffer time, there could be a coffee spill accident, traffic, or difficulty finding the room/building and prevent it 🙂
5. Engage
Keep in mind in at the start of the interview, the recruiter will attempt to build rapport with you in order to gather a first impression. Rapport-building is the process of small talk — with the intent of establishing goodwill and trust. Take this opportunity to break the ice and secure comfort for yourself by finding something you have in common, as it eases the nerves.
Además, an interview is a one-on-one conversation intended for finding a candidate that would be a match to their culture. The interaction goes both ways so there is no excuse for you to not contribute. Asi que listen and try to engage as much as you can but keep it mild.
6. Ten Confianza
Look, you’ll do great. Think positive and maintain it. Ten confianza! After practicing and gathering your things, unplug! You’ve worked hard preparing so turn on your favorite cancion from Bad Bunny, yo perreo sola, and drink some tea. Do not spend time dwelling on the negativity, that’ll only affect your mindset and mold you into a jumbly mess. There are ways to prevent your nerves and that is by practicing + faking it until you make it. Pero cuidado, you don’t want to come off as cocky…
7. Send Thank You
Send a thank you letter. Research has shown that sending a personalized thank you note sets an impression that speaks to your good work ethic and courtesy. Always leave a positive impression. Even if you don’t get the job — you’ll never know what could arise from your gratitude. Therefore, get crafty with your words or card design (virtual or paper, however you choose to go about it)! If virtual, consider using Canva for creative templates.
Now go and slay your interview girl!! You got this!!
This story was originally published on March 24th, 2020, and has since been updated
