You can search “interview tips” on Google and get about 188,000,000 results in .29 seconds. Or, maybe .48 seconds, depending on the speed of your internet connection. The point is, interview tips are all over the place. You can find them online, at a professional development center, from your mom or a brochure in the public library. Presumably, if you’ve had to go to any sort of interview, you’ve looked for these tips. And, I’m sure you’ve learned from them. Things like dressing for success, researching the position you’re applying for and having questions prepared-- which is all great information that I hope you internalize and practice. I’m not denying the value of those tips or saying that my tip is better or more important than all the rest, only that it’s the one tip you’ve most likely never come across.
After every interview, you should take a few minutes by yourself to reflect on how the interview went. We kind of do this already, but it’s important to write down our thoughts rather than just thinking of them in passing. It doesn’t have to be an extensive amount of time, but you should take a few moments with a pen and paper to physically write down how you feel about the interview. Ask yourself questions like:
What is my initial reaction to the interview?
What went really well?
If I could go back, is there anything that I would’ve done differently?
What were some of the hardest questions that I was asked?
How was this interview different from other interviews I’ve had?
Do I have any questions about the interviewers, the selection process, the company or the position?
Has my opinion of this company/organization/position changed in light of what was talked about during the interview?
Not every question will apply to every interview, and that’s okay. The point isn’t to sit there and answer all of these questions one by one like it’s a homework assignment; the point is to get yourself thinking about the interview and take something away from it. Taking a minute to think critically and write down your thoughts after an interview helps you to...
Focus your thoughts
If I asked you if you ever thought about your interview after you left, I’m sure most of you would think well of course I do. But I’d be willing to bet that you actually don’t-- not the way you should at least. It’s all too common to walk out of an interview, check our phones, hop into our car or walk down the street and know that we were just at an interview but not ever spend time to really think about it.
If you dedicate even just five minutes of time to yourself and to your interview, it can mean all the difference in the world. Those little details that would’ve otherwise left your memory will suddenly stand out and become valuable information to you. Maybe you’ll realize that you did a really great job answering every question thoughtfully and completely but at the end of your answer you kind of just trailed off because you didn’t know how to stop talking. Or, maybe after the interview was over it was super awkward walking out of the room because you didn’t quite know how to say goodbye. Discovering these tendencies allows us to learn about ourselves in a way that provides a basis for self-improvement.
Remember key information
It’s very important that you remember the name of whoever interviewed you not only during the interview but after as well. If you need to get ahold of the company for any reason: questions, clarification, etc - it sounds a lot better to say, “I interviewed with Sarah last Friday, and I was wondering…” than, “Hi, I had an interview at your company last Friday” and not knowing the answer when the person who’s on the phone asks you who it was with. Also, it’s nice to write down the date when you can expect to hear back about the decision (Did you ask when you'd hear back? That’s something you should’ve learned from other interview tips). If someone isn’t in contact with you by that date, you can call and ask about it-- another reason why you should write down your interviewer’s name!
You can actually answer the question, “How’d it go?”
So many times when people ask me how my interview went, I answer with “good,” but I don't ever know why I think it was good. The conversation ends with that one line answer because I’m not able to explain anything about what happened. Dedicating time to reflect on the interview helps you decide whether or not the interview was actually good, and provides you with reasons for one side or the other. If you can learn to take a minute after your interview and think about it, you will have a more clear opinion about how it went. This time, when someone asks how your interview was, your new answer could be something like: “It went really well! I struggled a little bit with xyz, but overall I feel confident about it. I’m supposed to hear back by Wednesday!”
Keep track of Qs that are hard for you
If you have an “interview” section in your journal or keep the sheets of paper you write on, you can look back at them and see what type of questions are generally difficult for you. Is there a theme? Maybe you struggle with answering scenario-type questions, or maybe you have a hard time talking about how your previous experience would be helpful in the position you’re applying for. If you can identify these tricky questions, you can seek help for ways to improve your answers to them and do better at interviews in the future.
