Advice For Those Going On Their First Job Interview
The goal of an interview is to determine if the candidate and the position are compatible. If the emphasis is put on that goal rather than sizing up others both parties usually end up being happier about the process.
It was Hugo Desrosiers then CTO of Zingy who had given me what was probably the most pleasant interview ever. After getting the job in question I had the chance to interview other candidates with him. It was an eye opener to be able to listen quietly without having to worry about the questions. I was able to determine what I liked about his interview style.
The Interviewer
You want to give the candidate the best chance at the job. Tell him everything you can about the position and inform him specifically about the technologies and frameworks you plan to use. Give him a chronological view of things, tell him how many employees there are in the team and each department, tell him about working hours and long term company goals. A career oriented candidate might also be interesting in knowing the speed at which things move within the company.
Whatever information you provide it will help remove some of the stress associated with stage fright. You want dialogue and there is no better way to get that then by breaking the ice when you hold the reins.
The Candidate
I will go with the assumption that you’ve answered the job offer because you believe you are capable of fulfilling the position. You should head to the meeting to confirm that the position is right for you.
Having a few questions to ask about the company is always good. Don’t arrive without knowing anything about them but in a pinch you can always arrive and say “I was wondering if you could give me a little background on the company and where it is heading?” the interviewer will like that initiative. Often they know little of what direction to take in an interview.
If you know you will arrive late don’t worry about it. A quick phone call to warn of your late arrival is perfectly fine.
The most important part of an interview is the thank you note afterwards. The thank you note has three goals. The first is to thanking them for their time, the second is confirming your interest and the third is getting a deadline for the next action. Make the note short and sweet and finish with a question so it leads to a quick answer.
Hello *name*,
I’d like to thank you for the interview we had on Monday. Now that I know more about the company and the people I’m even more excited about the position.
Any idea on when I should hear news?