I recently spoke with someone who told me she had gone on at least 10 interviews in the past three months, and she had not been called back for a single second interview. With her strong work history and many professional accomplishments, it clearly wasn’t her experience that was holding her back.
She felt she wasn’t interviewing well, and she asked if I could give her some ideas that would help her hone her interview skills.
Maybe you find yourself in a similar situation. Even if you don’t, everyone can benefit from some new or rediscovered interview techniques and some self-evaluation.
Making a post-interview checklist is a good way to evaluate an interview and find areas for improvement. Here are some things to consider:
The questions you were asked and what your responses were.
If you immediately addressed any interviewer concerns.
The quality of your answers. Were they results-oriented, and did you quantify and qualify those results?
How well you built rapport with the interviewer.
Did you ask open-ended questions?
Are you ready to follow up with a thank-you note? If you asked for a business card, you have the interviewer’s contact information.
Were the reporting relationships and expectations of the position clearly outlined? If they weren’t, did you ask about them?
You should know what the next steps in the hiring process are. It’s fine to ask what they will be before the close of the interview.
This process will help you see where you may be able to improve your interview strategy. Another really helpful technique involves practicing your responses to interview questions. You can practice with a friend, face-to-face, or you can make a video of this process, and review it with someone whose opinion you value.
One final suggestion: Use visualization to improve your interviewing skills. Before the interview, visualize yourself as relaxed and take deep breaths. Begin seeing yourself as answering all the questions with confidence and building a good rapport with your interviewer. Picture yourself smiling and asking for the job.
