So you’ve made it through the first round of interviews, now what?
There are a few things you need to know to feel confident going into the second round.
First, they liked you enough or you met the minimum qualifications to get through to the second round, so that should give you a boost of confidence knowing you have at least some of what they are looking for!
You will probably meet with different people this time or maybe just more. Sometimes the first round was a recruiter or just a smaller group of people. The second round could include someone more senior in the company or more people from the team/department you would be working with.
If the first round is on the phone or zoom there’s a chance they want to meet you in person this time. However, if you are far away they may stick with zoom, phone or even fly you to their location. If you are flying to the location be aware that every interaction around your possible future employer is part of the interview. They will always be forming opinions about you that could sway their decision. Remember to stay professional and follow the cues of your host.
Hopefully you gained more information about the position at your first interview; use that information to help you better prepare for the types of questions they may ask or any other extra things they may have you do. Research the new information thoroughly to help you prepare. They may have you develop a short presentation or pitch for their organization if that would be something you would do in the new role. They will give you some guidelines for what this should be like, but don’t be afraid to ask questions when given the “assignment.” If possible you can research the interviewers and their roles.
Now, the important part-WHAT QUESTIONS WILL THEY ASK?? They might ask you more job specific questions like: Do you have any new ideas for this role? Why should we hire you? What do you have that other candidates don’t? There’s also a good chance that they will ask what you wish you would have answered differently last time. To help with that last question it’s a good practice to write down notes about the first interview directly after. Make sure to review the job description and think of specific examples of how you’ve utilized those skills. You may be asked similar questions to the first round for the benefit of the new interviewers that may be involved, so make sure you have those down pat as well.
The last thing to be aware of is that you may be given a tour or meet other organization members before or after your interview. As mentioned above, be sure to be friendly and professional because those people could be your future coworkers AND you’re still being evaluated.
Another option to help you prepare for interviews is an Interview Prep Appointment. This is not a Mock Interview, but an opportunity to meet with a career coach in our office and talk through what you're nervous about or discuss possible questions you may have about the interview process. Visit Handshake to sign up for an appointment.
For information on upcoming Events and Webinars, click here. Head over to our YouTube channel to find previous workshops and employer information sessions.