Interview tips

Interviews can be pretty scary. But the more you're prepared, the less anxious you'll feel. We've listed eight top tips below to help you ace that interview and land your dream job.

Predict the future

You can anticipate 90% of the interview questions you’re going to get. “Why do you want this job?” “What’s a tough problem you’ve solved?”  

Plan

For every question on your list, write down your answer. That will help them stick in your brain, which is important because you want your answers to be automatic. 

Have a backup plan

Actually, for every question, write down a few answers. Why? You need to have a different, equally good answer for every question because the first interviewer might not like your story. You want the next interviewer to hear a different story and become your advocate. 

Explain

We want to understand how you think, so explain your thought process and decision making throughout the interview. Remember we’re not only evaluating your technical ability, but also how you approach problems and try to solve them. Explicitly state and check assumptions with your interviewer to ensure they are reasonable. 

Be data-driven

Every question should be answered with a story that demonstrates you can do what you’re being asked about. “How do you lead?” should be answered with “I’m a collaborative/decisive/whatever leader. Let me tell you about the time I … ” 

Clarify

Many of the questions will be deliberately open-ended. Be sure to talk through your thought process and feel free to ask specific questions if you need clarification. 

Practice

Everyone gets better with practice. Practice your interview answers (out loud), until you can tell each story clearly and concisely. 

Take a deep breath! 

We are all nice people and we hire nice people so don’t worry too much. Even if you are not successful you will have had a useful experience which will help you in your next application.