The following is a checklist to help you prepare for your job interviews. We encourage you to work through these items prior to each interview to become a more successful candidate and get the job you want.
Know the company
- Review the company’s LinkedIn page and website, paying particular attention to the way they describe the company and its mission, values, culture, and people.
- Search for any recent press releases about the company.
Know the job
- Go through the job description in detail and think through each bullet point. Be ready to describe your experience in each item listed and to give examples.
- Consider doing a “job deconstruction” such as the ones we provide in chapters 1 and 12.
Learn about the interviewer
- Review the LinkedIn profiles of all interviewers to learn about their backgrounds and how they describe themselves.
- Identify anything you have in common that you can use to build rapport during the interview.
Know yourself
- Go through each line on your resume and be able to describe your projects, duties, and results, including how each example pertains to this organization and the position for which you’re interviewing.
- Identify your most relevant and compelling stories to share in the interview based on the areas of experience and/or competencies listed in the job description. You may wish to put together a prep chart such as the following one.
Interview prep chart
| Competency |
Story including actions and results |