Tips & Tricks: Preparing for an Onsite Interview

from the perspective of a recent grad and early career recruiter

Finding a job can be a long and time consuming process. Before every interview you want to make sure that you take the time to prepare appropriately. As you get ready for your next onsite interview, here are a few ways to make sure you are all set to leave the best impression as possible.

1.     Research the industry:

·        Are current events affecting the industry? Read the latest news to find out.

·        Network with anyone you know in the industry so that you can talk to them about it.

·        Reach out to career services and see if they can provide you any insight into the company or industry as a whole.

·        Ask professors if they have any information that they can share regarding the industry.

2.     Research the company and be familiar with:

·        History

·        Services

·        Industry

·        Locations

·        Awards

·        Culture

·        Current events

Sources: Company website, LinkedIn, Twitter, Glassdoor, Business Insider, etc.

3.     Research the job:

·        Read the job description again to remind yourself about the company’s expectations for the role.

·        If any responsibilities are unclear to you, use your recruiter as a resource and ask them to clarify before the interview with the hiring manager. 

·        Network with anyone you know who is in a similar job function at the company and even if they are at a different company.

·        Use LinkedIn to look at current employees from the company with the same or similar job titles. Read about their experiences and look at their current projects. 

4.     Research who you will be speaking with:

·        Your recruiter should provide you with your list of interviewers. If not, ask!

·        Check out who you will be speaking with by looking up their LinkedIn profiles.

·        Make a note if you have something in common with your interviewers, as that could be a helpful talking point during the interview.

5.     Anticipate questions:

·        Glassdoor has a whole section where you can see reviews of past interviews and interview questions. If you see that the reviews frequently mention a specific question, definitely prepare an answer for it.

·        Do you know anyone in your network who has recently been interviewed or hired by the company? If so, reach out and ask about their experience.

·        See if career services can provide you with any insight into the recruitment process.

6.     Rely on your recruiter as a source of information:

·        Once your recruiter has conducted a screening interview over the phone, moved you forward in the recruiting process, and passed your information on to the hiring manager, the recruiter is now your advocate in the hiring process!

·        Use the recruiter to help you prepare for the onsite interview. Ask questions to clarify details or provide missing information (who you will be speaking with, any suggestions or tips to prepare, questions the hiring manager likes to ask, etc.).

7.     Prepare a list of questions:

·        From your research, try to prepare a list of 10-12 quality questions. These questions can be for specific individuals or for multiple people throughout your interview. While 10-12 may seem like a lot, some questions will be answered during your conversations, and this will leave you with a few that you can still ask during the interview.

·        Ask at least 1-2 questions per person or group.

8.     Prepare for your trip to the office:

·        Make sure that you have looked at your best options for getting to the office location, including public transit, driving/parking, ride shares, etc.

·        If your schedule allows it, arrive at the area around the office 45 minutes before the interview. During this time, you can find the correct building, grab a coffee, see the surrounding area, check out places to grab lunch, take a walk, etc. This extra time also allows you to calm any potential nerves. Interviewers can tell when a candidate is running up from the parking lot and is visibly stressed about potentially being late. And then it takes the candidate a while to settle down during the interview.

·        Enter the office building 15 minutes before the scheduled start time of your interview. This allows you to check in with building security, take the elevator to the appropriate floor, talk to the receptionist, etc.

Good luck with your next interview!