Section 14: Interviewing
During the Interview
The interview day can bring a mixed bag of emotions and feelings. The most common you're likely to experience are excitement and nervousness.
Spend the final hours before the interview conducting a final review of your notes, rereading the job description, and refreshing on the questions you plan to ask. It can be helpful to bring a notebook and pen to the interview for notes and to reference the questions you plan to ask.
Mindset Principle #4
You are your biggest advocate
In the military, we often attribute our accomplishments to the greater team. While teamwork is important, interviewers want to know about YOUR accomplishments. Don't be afraid to take credit for the work you did!
In a way, interviewing is like being a salesperson for yourself. You're selling your experience, skills, and accomplishments in exchange for all the benefits the job offers. It can feel like bragging at times, but remember the company is interesting in hiring YOU, not your entire team.
Mindset Principle #5
Great interviewers are storytellers
Think of your favorite movie or book. What makes it so captivating and memorable? Chances are it involves great storytelling. The characters and storyline immerse you in another world. This is the goal when it comes to interviewing. Immerse the interviewer in your story.
One way to structure interview answers, particularly behavioral "Tell me about a time when..." questions, is to use the STAR Method.
Standing for Situation, Task, Action, Result, this technique follows the natural storytelling progression. You share background context of the Situation, the Task at hand, the Action needed, and finally the Result of that action.
The STAR Method
Situation
What background information would set the scene for the scenario?
What events led up to the situation you faced?
Task
What problem were you solving?
What roadblocks or obstacles stood in your way?
Action
What steps did you take to solve the problem?
Reminder: Focus on what YOU did, not your entire team.
Result
What was the outcome of the action you took?
How was the team, department, or company better off because of the outcome?
Going into your interview, have at least 5-7 rehearsed stories that follow the STAR Method.
Consider different stories that focus on overcoming a challenge, dealing with a difficult co-worker, learning something new, adapting to a change in plans, and bouncing back from a defeat. These are all common scenarios interview questions are often based around.
Mindset Principle #6
Interviewing is a 2-way conversation
You're assessing the company for a potential fit as much as they're assessing you. Creating a back-and-forth conversation, even while answering interview questions, mimics how problems are solved in the real world.
Instead of a 10-minute one-sided answer to an interview question, loop the interviewer back into the conversation. This can start by restating the question to ensure you understood it correctly and asking any clarifying questions.
As you dive deeper into your answer, take deliberate pauses to check in with the interviewer to address any questions they have. At the end of your answer, summarize the key points and again ask if they have any follow-up questions.
The final 5-10 minutes of the interview are often reserved to ask any questions you have. This is a opportunity to learn more about the team, the company, challenges they're facing, and next steps in the process. Prepare at least 3 thoughtful questions you plan to ask.