You’re waiting outside the dreadful interview room thinking
How on earth are you going to make yourself standout from the crowd?
This is probably one of the hardest skills to master and when you do, possibly the most rewarding skill of all when it comes to getting a job.
In my opinion, I feel as if there are two types of interviews that require extremely different preparation. The first segment of interviews are behavioral interviews. These behavioral interviews are mainly composed of questions asking about your personality and testing your creative and analytical thinking. The second type of interview is the technical interview. The technical interview is extremely different than the behavioral interview in the sense that the questions are created with the purpose of giving the interviewers a better understanding of your knowledge in the specific sector you’re applying for. In other words, there is a right answer to the questions. So now that you know the two types of interviews, let’s explore further on how to successfully master both types of interviews.
The Behavioral Interview
The behavioral interview is a chance for the interviewer to get to know you a little better and test your situational behavior. The interviewers are looking for your thought process and the logical reasoning behind your decisions. In these interviews, it’s always a good opportunity to showcase your unique personality and really differentiate yourself from other candidates.
How to prepare for the Behavioral Interview
I find that there are two ways that one can approach preparing for this interview. Firstly, the method I lean towards, but by no means is the only correct method, is the less structured approach. When I personally prep for these interviews, I focus on reviewing my resume and my personal experiences. I concentrate on how I can adapt my experiences to talk about different subjects that could arise from a question. By reviewing my resume, I am confident in using my previous experiences to respond to any question. Personally, this method requires me to think on my feet when asked a question but I am able to resort to one of my experiences to back up my answer. The benefits I receive from this approach is the ability to be able to better carry on a conversation as I do not have any planned answers, and therefore I feel the conversation flows smoother. If you feel the same way, this may be the best way to approach this type of interview. If not, the alternative option is to gather a list of potential questions and go over and practice various answers to them. This method is extremely effective in giving the interviewer a clear and consistent answer and if done effectively, can also lead to an intriguing conversation. Often people will combine the methods I have described and find a middle ground where they feel comfortable answering some questions after rehearsing while also attempting to carry a conversation through responding to some questions while thinking on the spot. No matter what method you choose, it is essential to use your own experience to reinforce the ideas you are presenting in your answer.
The Technical Interview
The technical interview is based on testing the candidate’s knowledge in the specific field. This type of interview is almost like a verbal test, the interviewers want to see how you think about a problem and if you can present relevant knowledge. With this in mind, there is generally a right answer or a correct way of thinking that is expected by the interviewers.
How to prepare for the Technical Interview
With this type of interview, because there is always a right answer, preparing is relatively straight forward. You read the job description, anticipate the nature of work you’ll be doing, and study the content of questions that could be asked. This can be done through numerous online resources as well as speaking to other individuals in a similar industry. However, you may get the odd question that you’re unfamiliar with and that’s okay. Often these questions, which you cannot prepare for, are logic based and are expected to be resolved on the spot. For instance, you may be asked, “Approximate the number of dice in Las Vegas.” The goal of the interviewer here is to understand your logic and the way you think of the solution to a near impossible question. You want to lead them through step by step of how you would solve the problem. So, here’s my challenge to you: How many dice are in Las Vegas? And no, you cannot use the internet! *
Overall, between the behavioral and technical interview, it comes down to being a well-rounded candidate who is able to express his or her personality as well as present a strong background knowledge of the relevant subject. Ultimately, like any other skill, mastering the interview comes with practice!
*How to get through the market sizing question: How many dice are in Las Vegas?
- Think about one hotel and estimate the number of dice at one table.
- Think about how many dice tables there are in one hotel.
- Think about the number of casinos/hotels there are in Las Vegas.
- Add all the steps up and arrive at the answer.
- You’ll probably be wrong but don’t worry the question wants to know how you think not if you can guess the right answer.