Proven Steps to Prepare & Ace Your Next Interview

Read time: 4 minutes

Hey there 👋 - it's Abbhi

Welcome to Career Confidence 🤝 

👋 to everyone reading this newsletter and gaining confidence in your career.

Today I'll be discussing proven methods on how prepare for your interviews and become unforgettable.

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My Weekly Spotlight: 

This week I flew from NYC to India. I'll be here for the next 8 days. Enjoying the warm weather while I have it. This past weekend I celebrated a friends birthday and next week I'll be celebrating a family wedding. Let me know if you're in Chennai and wanna meet up!

Well... I got you. 

Most applicants are forgettable. They don't prepare enough for interviews. 

And they don't practice. 

So how do you stand out? 

You do both. 

Wanna learn how? 

Let's dive in: 

👊 Actionable Steps 

1/ Study the Job Like a Test

Focus on the...

• Interviewer (background, role at firm)

• Role (job description, networking calls)

• Company (website, blogs, social media)

Most people under-prepare for interviews.

Here's what you should be looking for...

2/ Study the Job Description 

Write down the skills you need.

And integrate them into your answers...

Need product launch experience?

Create stories to show you have it.

What else do you need to research?

3/ Research the Company Using Their Website, Blog, and 10K 

Company websites provide info on values, core services, company size etc.

Integrate their values into your answers.

And understand their business model.

How do they make money? Do they sell to consumers or businesses? What are their profits like?

4/ Leverage Online Resources to Find Your Answers

If the company’s public, use their 10K.

If private, use their website and Google searches to find recent news.

Any recent acquisitions?

Any recent issues in the market?

Have they launched any new products?

5/ Find Problems and Create Solutions 

I’ve interviewed 100s of people.

Wanna know when I’m most impressed?

When applicants identified problems we're facing... AND brought potential solutions.

If you wanna stand out… This is the best way to do it.

6/ Use LinkedIn to Study the Interviewer

Look them up on Google & LinkedIn.

What are their hobbies? Where did they go to school? How long have they worked there? What’s their past work experience?What position are they? How senior?

See if you can find these answers…

7/ Try to Relate to Them

People remember who they relate to.

For example…

If they volunteered as a tennis coach (like I did), and you like tennis, then work it into conversation.

This is a missed opportunities for most jobseekers.

8/ Keep Practicing Outloud

Best ways to practice your interview answers?

• Do mock interviews with people at the company

• Record yourself and give feedback

You’re probably scared to do both...

But this is the best way to practice.

9/ Schedule Networking Calls with People in the Role 

Most people are willing to help out.

Reach out and tell them you have an interview for their company / position.

Ask for a mock interview...

You’ll get all the insider details of the company, role, and team.

Steal These Questions to Ask During Your Mock Interview 

(1) What was your interview like?

(2) What’s your team’s culture like?

(3) What’s your biggest interview advice?

(4) What are your biggest challenges in the role?

(5) What’s one question I should ask during the interview?

(6) If you were me, what skills would you learn before starting?

10/ Be Confident in Your Interview 

If you can’t believe in yourself, who will?

Show confidence by…

• Dressing well

• Being friendly

• Using eye contact

• Preparing answers

• Having great posture

11/ Prepare 8-10 Killer Questions Ahead of Time 

Use your research to create questions.

Questions that can’t be found online…

Questions that you REALLY wanna know about…

Questions about their challenges, projects, culture.

Steal These Questions 

What are the biggest challenges of the job? How have you approached them?

Can you walk through a current project and what my role would be?

What is something you wish you knew before starting the role?

>>> Make it a two-way conversation.

12/ Ask Questions During Your Interview

Listen to the interviewer...

Then ask follow up questions.

This shows you're actively listening and learning in the interview.

And is the easiest way to make it a two-way conversation.

13/ Create Your List of Practice Questions

Google 'common interview questions' to find a list of 50+ questions.

Use Glassdoor for role & company specific questions.

Create outline answers for these questions.

Then create your stories...

14/ Use SCARL to Create Your Stories 

We all love stories…

Create 1-2 stories per job qualification.

E.g., Qualifications are Go-to-market strategy and competitive analysis.

We’ll create 1-2 stories for each.

In the format of Situation, Complication, Action, Result, and Learning (SCARL)

15/ Send a Follow Up After the Interview 

A thank you note goes a long way…

Get their email in the interview (if you don’t have it).

Steal this message for after...

Steal My Thank You Email

It was great chatting today about [specific interview topic]. I learned a lot of [role] and am even more excited about potentially joining [company]. 

I feel my [strengths] would be a great fit for the team. Excited to hear back soon and keep in touch.

>>> Keep in touch even if you DON’T get the job.

It's an easy way to expand your network.

TL;DR

• Send Follow Ups

• Prepare Questions

• Do Mock Interviews

• Study Job Descriptions

• Find Problems & Solutions

• Review Company Websites

🙌 Abbhi's Aces: 

Content to consume, Tools to use. Best finds of the week.

📚 This post shares proven steps on how to engage on LinkedIn  

🔗 This post shares 3 must-do resume tips  

And if you missed it, check out how to use ChatGPT to build your network: 

👉 Looking Ahead to Next Thursday 

I'll be going over a case study on how one of my clients landed a 70K raise AND switched industries to land a role at Microsoft 🤯 And how you can do the same. 

Keep an eye out. See you next Thursday ✌️ 

Abbhi 🤝

P.S.

If you’d like more help, I’ve got your back:

1. Start getting interviews with my new exclusive networking strategy sessions: I've used these exact tactics to get multiple referrals, interviews, and job offers (at places like Deloitte, Google, and Adobe).

2. Optimize your LinkedIn with my 20 page guide: It's gotten jobseekers 10-15 DMs per week from recruiters & hiring managers.

Picture of the week: 

Snapshot from celebrating my girlfriend's birthday this weekend :) 

And if you've got a moment, I'd love to hear what you thought of this edition of Career Confidence. Send me a quick message - I reply to every email!