Home

Blog

Case Studies

Services

Contact

Post-Lockdown job interviews look much different than the previous traditional interview. With a large portion of companies remaining remote, most interview processes have moved to phone and video interviews. Along with an environmental change, the workforce has also seen a change in gender dynamics as of September 2022. According to a study done by Pew Research Center in the United States, women now account for 50.7% of the college-educated labor force. With more college-educated women in the running for open positions, it's more important than ever to instill self-confidence and interview best practices in women everywhere.  

Today our experts bring to you some of the best tips and tricks for nailing your next interview. Searching and applying to jobs can feel endless. We're here to help make the interview process a little easier and hopefully, more successful. Let’s get started. 

2. Get To Know The Company 

So, you finally got an interview. Now what? Our experts suggest getting to know the company first. Some of the best places to get to know a company is its website, its blog, and its social media. When going over a website, take note of what the company’s about page, careers page, and vision/mission page say. What are the company’s core values? Do they care for their employees? Do they value transparency? You can also use the website to try and get to know the department you’ll be working with. Look for relevant areas of the website that might be representing what your position will be focusing on.

Next, visit their blog. If they have one, what are some of the topics they highlight? Do they have blogs about company culture? Blogs can help you gauge what topics a company deems as important. Finally, visit their social media. Check out what kind of social media presence they have. What kind of companies, influencers, or people do they follow? Who follows them? What does their social media say about their brand? 

2. Get To Know Yourself

Our CEO Yousef suggests that everyone should go into an interview knowing their own wants, needs, and expectations. So, how do you get to know yourself in time for your next interview? Ask yourself these five questions:

• Why am I looking for a new opportunity?
• What are some of my non-negotiables when it comes to accepting a new opportunity?
• What is my work ethic and skillset worth?
• Where do I want my career to be in the future?

Write down these questions and what your honest answers are to them. Get into detail and really work out what it is you’re wanting out of your next opportunity. Knowing exactly what you want, need, and deserve will better help you to assess a company's compatibility with you. 

3. Gather Your Questions

In every interview, you’ll receive the question “Do you have any questions for us?”. This is a critical part of your interview and a good way to separate yourself from other candidates. What questions you ask can say a lot about your interest in the company and dedication to your career. So, what do you ask? Here are a few excellent questions to prepare with:

• What does a typical day or week look like in this role?
• What are the biggest challenges that someone in this position would face?
• Do you expect the main responsibilities for this position to change in the next six months to a year?
• What learning and professional development opportunities are available to your employees?
• Are there opportunities for advancement within the company?
• What is the performance review process like here? How often would I be formally reviewed?
• What can you tell me about the company culture? 
• What are the management styles like?

4. Gather Yourself

Feeling nervous or anxious before an interview is completely normal. The job hunt can be stressful and everyone experiences different emotions through this time. One way to help ease your pre-interview stress is by writing down your most important talking points. Write out some of your most relevant experience, top skills, and interesting career points to help you stay on track while describing yourself. Write down any questions you want to ask the interviewer. This will help mitigate any pause when it comes time to ask your own questions and help you not forget any important things you want to know.

Another good practice is breathwork. While this may seem silly, taking slow and calculated breaths while you wait for an interview to begin can help calm your heart rate and mind. You can also take a few minutes to write down positive affirmations before going into an interview. The better you think about yourself, the more confident you’ll appear to others.

As women continue to expand their presence in the workforce, in leadership positions, and in STEM, it is critical that we take the time to instill confidence in each other. One great way to work on self-confidence is by learning how to take control of your job interview. Getting to know who you are, what you want, and what you deserve as a professional is crucial to success and development. Take the time you need to figure out what you want out of your career and then commit yourself to never settling for less. Learn more about women in leadership and engineering positions here at Integrant by checking out more of our blog!