Interview
I will split this post into two sectsions:
Job Interviews: being on interviewee
Podcast Interviews: being the interviewer
First up, no shit, it’s…
JOB INTERVIEWS
You have an interview? Sick. But also that sucks cause who doesn’t hate interviews? Wait, actually, I don’t. Why, you ask? Because, oddly enough, bragging about how great I am and then questioning the fuck out of the interviewer about why I should invest my time at their company is actually pretty entertaining for me. We’re on a spinning rock floating in space, so don’t let interviews seem like some deep shit. And that’s the energy I want to pass on to you. Let’s begin…
Preparation
Research the company is for suuuure step 1 because you will tie in what you learn about the company into the answers you will prepare to share with them. What does “researching the company mean?” Glad you asked. Let’s break it down.
Find the mission statement on company website’s “About Us” section.
Kiss-their-ass example: “I’m looking to transfer out of the lighting industry to a more holistic industry where I feel like I’m making a difference. That’s why Calm’s mission of “make the world happier and healthier” struck a chord with me because I believe that true healing starts individually before it can ripple out to affect communities worldwide. This industry transition represents not just a career move for me, but a step towards being part of a larger movement dedicated to improving lives, which I believe is the key to transforming societies and cultures, ultimately leading to global change.”
Find the CEO’s or COO’s or some C-suite level hot shot’s twitter account and scroll through to see what they’re writing about. Also good to go to the company’s twitter. (I will never call it X cause that name is stupid.)
Look-how-smart-I-am example: “I saw on the marketing executive’s Twitter that she’s really interested in the intersection between AI and digital marketing strategies. This intersection fascinates me as well, especially how AI can personalize customer experiences and automate data analysis to drive marketing decisions more effectively. How else is the company integrating AI into their marketing initiatives and what are your thoughts on the future of AI in shaping marketing trends?”
Find the interviewer’s LinkedIn and see what this history is so you can bring it up.
I’m-obsessed-with-you example: “I saw you used to work in operations, then moved to over to marketing, just like what I want to do. I’m know I have the soft skills necessary to make this adjustment, and the hard skills I do have I acquired by being _____. What allowed you to see so much sucess in this transition
THIS WILL MAKE YOU STAND OUT: Message people in your 2nd and 3rd degree connections that work in a similar role to the one you’re interviewing for to get their input/guidance/advice. I recently interviewed with Calm (the meditation app) for a role in Operations where I’d be working with RFPs (Request for Proposals). Don’t know what that is? Me either. So I literally searched “RFP” on LinkedIn, filtered it by my connections, then sent a message to 20 strangers asking to hop on a call. I ended up hopping on a call with SIX of them and they gave me the low down. In my interview, I said “I don’t have experience with RFPs, so I’ve reached out to connections on linked in and spoke with six people. I learned that I actually have a lot of transferrable soft and hard skills.” Then I preceded to spend time explaining exactly what I learned and how it relates to what I’ve done in my last positions. The interviewer called me a bad bitch. No she didn’t literally but I could hear it in her tone.
Linked In message to send to strangers: “I stumbled upon your profile during a little LinkedIn adventure, searching specifically for RFP gurus within my second-degree connections. I'm super excited about an interview next Wednesday for an Operations Specialist role at Calm. Part of the gig involves responding to RFPs and RFIs. I've learned about these documents during a Project Management Course through Google Certificates, but let's be honest, there's nothing like wisdom from someone who's been in the trenches. Would you be up for a quick 15-minute chat over the next few days? I'd love to soak up any advice or insights you're willing to share to help me nail this interview. Thank you very much for considering my request. I look forward to the possibility of speaking with you.”
Now this is a little ballsy, but SUCH A GOOD IDEA. Go the company’s LinkedIn. Click “People.” Message people at the company in a similar field for the job you’re interviewing for and send them this message: “Hi person’s name. I’m currently in the interview process for company x and I’m looking to get some insider perspective about the company culture. Are you willing to hop on a quick 15 minute call so I can ask you a few questions?” ARE YOU KIDDING ME? SO GOOD! It doesn’t matter if you haven’t even had your first interview yet, you are technically in the interview process so you’re not lying.
What to lie about?
Why you’re looking?
Where you see yourself in 5 years?
How you feel about your boss/coworkers?
Your hobbies
Questions to ask the interviewer
What’s the last change you implemented based on employee feedback?
Can you tell me about a time you flagged a concern to upper management and how it was handled?
What is the most unexpected thing you’ve learned while working here?
Why is the role open?
What goals has your manager set for you over the next 6 months? How can this hire help you achieve them?
Can you tell me about a time when someone was encouraged to step outside the confines of their job description?
After reviewing my application and getting a chance to talk with me, do you have any apprehension about my ability to perform this role?
Before the Interview
Superman Pose
Next up, no shit, it’s…
PODCAST INTERVIEWS
Resources to check out:
