Week 39 | Interviewing

Print. Prep. Practice. Passion.

Two things to know about me.

First, I’m not naturally good at interviewing. I get nervous. If I’m forced to speak on the fly, I tend to truncate answers instead of expand on them.

Second, I’m a damn good interviewee.

With internship season almost here I am sharing my secrets, so you can go and ace interviews too.

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1 SKILL TO LEARN

Disclaimer: this takes work. There’s no easy button to interviewing (unless you’re one of the lucky few who’s naturally great at it).

The good news is preparation works. I’ve used these techniques for years with great success. So, here’s how you do it.

Step One: Print

Print out the job description so you can review it by hand (not on your screen). Printing makes you focus and helps the information stick.

Grab three highlighters (yellow, pink, green) and a pen. Then go through it line by line using this system:

• Yellow: examples
  Highlight anything you have a relevant story or experience for top-of-mind.

• Pink: potential gaps
  Highlight anything where you’re not sure you have an example.

• Green: questions
  Highlight anything that makes you curious. These may become questions for the interviewer.

In the margins, jot quick notes next to each highlight:

• Yellow: What story comes to mind?

• Pink: Why don’t I have an example? What experience could fit?

• Green: What exactly do I want to ask? Does it benefit me to ask this in the interview or should I figure out the answer myself?

Your goal: Every important line in the job description should connect to a story you can tell OR should clue you in to a story you need to think of.

Step Two: Prep

Open a Google Doc. This will be your interview prep sheet.

Start by writing down a few common interview questions, like:

• Tell me about yourself

• Why do you want to work here?

• What interests you about this role?

You will always get the “Tell me about yourself” question. Know your answer by heart. It should be a layup that gets your interview off to a great start. Make sure it is under two minutes.

Then return to the job description you printed earlier. For everything you highlighted in pink or yellow, write a question that the interviewer might ask about it.

For example, if the job description says that want, “Someone who can lead global campaigns,” then they might ask you, “Tell me about a global campaign you led?”

Finally, write out your answers in long form in the Google Doc under all the questions you wrote. If you have more than 15 questions, then comb through it again and look where questions are repetitive, could be combined, or where a story can work for multiple questions.

Step Three: Practice

Memorize your introduction and the key points of your core stories.

I like using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) because it keeps answers clear, concise, and impactful.

Your goal is to know your stories well enough that you’re no longer relying on your prep document. If you can, practice with someone else. Have them ask the questions and run through your answers out loud.

Your responses don’t need to be word-for-word what you wrote, but they should hit the key beats of the story.

Once you’ve practiced enough, something important happens: you become confident. And confidence changes everything.

Instead of worrying about what to say next, you can focus on the conversation and actually connect with the interviewer.

Step Four: Passion

When it comes to interviews, bring passion to the conversation. Passion is the magic dust that helps you stand out.

Hiring someone who is both sharp and passionate is like finding a unicorn in a sea of horses.

Passion shows up in simple ways: enthusiasm in your answers, gratitude toward the people interviewing you, and thoughtful questions at the end of the conversation.

The number of people I’ve interviewed who don’t ask any questions is shocking. And it’s a missed opportunity. Great questions don’t just show curiosity. They help the interviewer start to picture you already working there. And of course, always send a great “thank you” note after.

⭐ Paid subscribers get a list of questions to ask in an interview to stand out ⭐

1 ACTION TO TAKE

The best time to start preparing for an interview is before you even know if one is coming.

There are a handful of common interview questions you should always have strong answers to. Write them out and make time to practice them.

You can take this a step further: if you’re eyeing a company but there isn’t an opening yet, search for past job postings or open roles at other offices (even international ones).

This will give you a sense of what they’re looking for so you can start drafting the questions they’re likely to ask and the answers you’ll give.

1 QUOTE TO INSPIRE

“Confidence comes from preparation.” — John Wooden

Next week, Joe Burns will have a guest post about creating more good shit, less bull shit. See you then!

⭐ Paid subscribers get a list of questions to ask in an interview to stand out ⭐