Interviewing & The Hiring Process
Interviewing 101:
Interviewing is an important skill in the job search process. Like most skills, you will only get better at interviewing with practice. If you have reached the interview step of the hiring process, that generally means that your resume and cover letter have been reviewed. This is the time to show you are the best candidate for the job.
Research the company, employees and industry. LinkedIn is a great resources for this.
Practice answering common interview questions. You can find a list below!
Prepare your own questions to ask the interviewer. Asking great questions will leave a lasting impact.
Ask about timelines and always follow up with a thank you.
Putting together references?
Whether interviewing for a job or for graduate school, you’ll likely be asked sometime in the process to provide references. You’ll usually be asked to provide three references, and you should choose these individuals carefully. References will speak on whether you are a good fit for a role or a company and can often make or break receiving a job offer.
Have a diverse pool of references. They shouldn’t be all coaches or peers.
They should be people who can speak to your work ethic or character.
Let people know you have put them down as a reference and provide information about the role. Include resume, cover letter and job description.
Always send a thank you note for their help! Small gestures like this go a long way.
Negotiating the final offer:
It’s exciting when an offer letter comes in the mail or your inbox. Don’t let your excitement overshadow that there is still one more piece to making the offer official. While an offer might look enticing there is always room to negotiate. So what is and is not negotiable?
Starting salaries are usually negotiable. Research on what others in a similar role make and see how it compares to your offer.
Benefits are generally set but you sometimes have different options to choose from.
In this day and age, remote work is becoming more common. You might be able to negotiate working from home.
Start dates are often negotiable. Be up front about plans or other things that impact you starting at your new role.