7 Tips for Landing and Crushing Your Interviews

How can you increase your chances of landing a job interview? Then, what does it take to crush the interview itself? I have put together this list of seven tips to help you achieve both of these goals:

Item #1—Mindset

Your mindset is the most critical aspect of having success in this process. It is the foundation for everything, from finding the right job to having great interviews. All the data backs up the simple fact that if you believe you are going to get the job, the likelihood of getting it goes up dramatically. 

I talk with many candidates who are already planning to fail or looking ahead if and when they don’t get the job. This mindset is an easy way to ensure failure. You have to think positively about the entire process. Get your mind right first because nothing else will matter if you do not believe in yourself.

Item #2—LinkedIn

It’s easy to get bored talking about LinkedIn or overlook its importance. It is absolutely necessary to have a strong and up-to-date LinkedIn profile as it is a top tool all Recruiters use to find good candidates. I would never have gotten my job at Google without my LinkedIn profile. 

Why should you keep your LinkedIn profile updated? It is a keyword search tool. The more keywords and relevant data you include in your profile, the more likely people are to find you and hire you. Make sure you copy and paste your resume bullets into your experience section. Highlight both accomplishments and day-to-day work duties. These will be critical to show up in keyword searches. Make sure you have a good, smiling picture (shoulders and above), as well. 

Item #3—Networking

Only 10% of people worldwide get jobs by applying online. You shouldn’t be so hung up on submitting applications. Networking is a much better approach. Don’t network with Recruiters. Network with the key decision makers, including people who are in like roles or in hiring manager positions (you won’t always know who is hiring, but reach out anyway). Those are the best people to connect with when networking.

Follow a give-first model. Share interesting articles with them on LinkedIn. Even if they respond, ask for nothing in return. Let them make the first move when it comes to bringing up any job opportunities.

You should also respond to other people’s activity on LinkedIn. Like posts and provide comments frequently. Get involved as much as you can, and doors will start opening up. You might be shocked at how effective it is to network this way.

Item #4—S.O.D.

S.O.D. stands for Structure. Organization. Detail. These are the three most important interviewing tips I work on with my clients. For structure, you can follow the S.T.A.R. method (Situation. Task. Actions. Result.) for the behavioral side and the C.F.A.S. method (Clarify. Framework. Assumptions. Solution.) for the open-ended questions. 

How to organize the data within that structure is very important. Keep things in order and focus on the length of time used for each section. Lastly, the details are crucial. You don’t want to share too much or too little. Find the balance with just the right amount of details to support your answer. Click here to learn more about the S.O.D. method.

Item #5—Human Practice

If you are not practicing your interviews with other human beings, you are missing out on so much. Practicing by yourself will never give you the proper experience. Interacting with another real person can help you pick up on body language and other details that enable you to improve your interview skills. Human practice allows you to work out some of the kinks. Even if your practice partner isn’t the best stand-in for a real interviewer you might encounter, this process will be extremely beneficial.

Item #6—Taking Your Time

When I first start working with clients, 99% of them begin answering interview questions within one second. To me, this shows they aren’t taking enough time. They aren’t writing questions down. They are not asking clarifying questions, focusing on the pivot point or using frameworks. They aren’t using the necessary space to understand the question being asked or walk through the C.F.A.S. or S.T.A.R. structures. It’s critical to take your time at the beginning and set yourself up for a better interview answer. 

Item #7—Connectivity Through Details

The last tip is to build connectivity through details. Oftentimes, you aren’t setting the scene nearly enough. This is where details are crucial. Set up the context at the beginning of the answer and this will help keep the interviewer engaged. Be specific with your actions on the behavioral side and paint a good picture for your interviewer.

On the open-ended side, the assumptions are most important. If your assumptions are  vague, your interviewer won’t have a clear picture of what you are talking about. Staying too high-level and leaving out key details are risky approaches. 

To learn more about these seven tips, please check out my full video below:

For more resources visit my website -  Practice Interviews and check out our AI Practice Interview App.