What Makes a Good Job Interview?

So you sent your application, moved on to the next one… and here it comes, the invitation to an interview. Now what?

Well, now is not the time to do the happy dance and get over-confident. You do not have the job yet. But it is not the time to get over-anxious either. You have a good shot at it. Get prepared.

In a similar vein to your job application, remember this: this is not about you. This is about you AND the organization. The hiring process is there to find a good match to meet the current need(s) of that business. Obviously, this goes both ways: your aim is to find a good match to meet your own current needs. It is up to you to define what these needs are, beyond paying your bills.

In other words, your preparation must include these two aspects: What do they need from me? as well as: What do I want from them? Keeping this in mind will guide you in your technical preparation and will help you find questions to ask.

There is quite a lot to say to young graduates regarding job search, applications and interviews. As always, I am not a HR specialist and I write here in a personal capacity. But I know what I look for in a candidate and I noted that most early-career applicants fall in the same two populations: the well-prepared and the ill-prepared. If you wish to read more thoughts on the topic, please get in touch!