Top 5 Job Interview Tips (Culled from a Huge List!)

Get ready for employers to awake from summer slumber to focus on hiring again! The post 12 Surprising Job Interview Tips breaks down interviewing and includes helpful sample language over what it calls a 12 minute read.

I’ll help you busy lawyers by summarizing the 5 best ones below. I’ve skipped the ones that don’t apply to lawyers, like to clean up your Facebook and Twitter accounts (most lawyers undershare anyway) or to ask at the end of the interview if there’s anything that causes the interviewer to doubt you’re right for the job (too much like a weird deposition question!). 

1. Research SEC filings, earnings calls, and the company blog. Work your knowledge into the answers to show your interest and preparation. Sample good answer to “What’s Google’s biggest opportunity in the next 5 years?”: “I was listening to Google’s quarterly earnings call and was blown away by the fact that …, so I think that …”
2.  Sign up for Google alerts so you get breaking news on the employer. (I also think it’s worth checking out the LinkedIn page for private companies to get stats that can be hard to find like number of employees, and to review press releases on the company’s website for the latest.)
3. Craft your story. Most people answer “tell me about yourself” in a boring, factual way (“I studied [major X] because I really care about making a difference in [industry Y] as you can see through my last job at [company Z]…”). Instead, explain your life story, including what gives you meaning, why the job resonates with you, and how the job is the natural next step.
4. Prepare examples of how you solve problems. If the interviewer asks the classic “what is your greatest weakness” question, you must address how you overcame that weakness in your answer. Additionally, think of a few anecdotes where (i) a problem is presented, (ii) what action you took, (iii), and the result, and sprinkle those stories throughout the interview.
5. For analytical questions, walk the interviewer through your thought process, and explain your assumptions. (I’ve seen employers ask questions without clear answers to assess your thinking process and your composure.)