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Acing an interview demands a lot of preparation and practice but more importantly we need to structure our preparation so that our energy is channelized efficiently. Inspired by 4 P’s of Marketing Mix, I created 4 P’s of Interview Management.
4 P's
Ponder
I think we focus too much on interview preparation but the real process starts much earlier, when you chose to a job. Dig deeper into the job description and make sure it aligns with your potential and fits your short/long term goals. Choosing the right job especially for those with experience is half job done. Spend enough time here because getting into a misfit is more harmful and time hogging then getting a good fit 2 months later.
Prepare
Preparation is the key. Prepare a master resume and get it reviewed by at least 5 people, ideally 3 that you know and who knows about you (peer, professor, seniors, and ex-managers) and 2 someone who knows nothing/least about your background (a new friend, acquaintance, family friend). Master resume will help to come up with versions that suits the job description (keywords, relevant projects, skill set) and will help in getting shortlisted. Research about the company and role, this always help during the interview (use LinkedIn to study profile of few people in same function).
Practice
Before you start to practice a good hygiene is to think about yourself from a 360 degree perspective and do a SWOT analysis, it helped me immensely. Next, do as many mock sessions as possible, technical and behavioral both. Take candid feedback (one point of improvement is more than useful as compared 10 points about your strength) and improvise and practice again with the same person. Familiarize yourself with the interviewer’s background (if possible), as that will help to ask relevant questions when you're given a chance.
Project
“Insist on yourself. Never imitate.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson“Before job interviews, I think: What color tie best represents me as a person this company would be interested in?” Jarod Kintz
Finally, on the D-day project yourself well. Sound and look confident. Control your gestures and body language (avoid closed form shapes like crossed hands). Remember that Interviewers are reading you every second in that room, they only have 30 odd minutes to make a judgement and you have only first 5 minutes to make an impression. Remember that elevator pitch describing you and your experience in 2 minutes matters a lot. In addition to judging your technical skills and management experience, they also test you behaviorally Read more about behavioral interview here.
Vinay Solanki is technology professional with 8 years’ experience working for Goldman Sachs, New York (Investment Bank). Currently pursuing one year MBA program (PGPX) at IIM Ahmedabad, India. Disclaimer I do not represent an HR or placement agency, I’m a student at IIM-Ahmedabad PGPX program and writing on this topic is out of personal interest
