Interview tips and tricks

I used whiteboard paper to brainstorm and capture notes so that I could practice interview answers — the more I practiced, the less I needed the notes.

I have done a few interviews recently and wanted to reflect and capture some tips/advice for anyone job hunting or going through the process. These things helped me, I hope others find them helpful too. Interviews are ripe for self-improvement but they can also be anxiety inducing and exhausting. If anyone wants a chat — happy to.

Pre interview:

1. Always reach out to the recruiting manager for a chat — its a good to chance to probe areas of focus and hear direct from them what they are looking for.. Job descriptions especially in the NHS can be full of ‘fluff’ so it’s not always easy to ascertain top priorities. I focus on my biggest fears or deal breakers and try and probe those for example.. a lack of autonomy in the role, an inclusive and safe culture etc
2. Ask ahead what will be covered in the interview — some people are willing to be open about this and some less so. I found this to be a great help for prepping but if they’re not willing to divulge this info make sure you have prepped for as many of the core items in the JD as poss.
3. Practice high level answers to questions — I have a tendency to talk a lot but a general rule is to aim for 5 minutes per question. I usually write an answer on paper then try and practice verbally after that. Some people are good off the cuff but I get nervous and can go off on tangents. The focus should be on the outcomes of your actions and what you did and maybe a bit of context .. i have been guilty of giving too much context and then running out of time for the other more crucial bits of the answer. Dont do this!
4. If you’re going for a leadership role then your answers need to be ‘strategic’ as much as possible. This was challenging for me as I have been very delivery focused for a long time and I’ve been leading product teams to deliver stuff. Always. So I needed to forget the ‘stuff’ and focus on the whys/ the hows/ the process etc.. Practicing this shift was absolutely essential.

On the day:

1. I did an interview the day after I moved house. Don’t do this. It did not go well. I was not in the right headspace and I fluffed it. Make sure you have time before and after the interview to get into the headspace.. moving house is not ideal. If you need to move the time of the interview — be open about this and do this early.. this should be ok — don’t sacrifice your mental health for the sake of this.
2. At the start of the interview I usually make sure I’m clear how many questions are going to be asked — this is because i like to know how much time i’ve got. 6 questions in 45 mins is ideal — any more then its usually crammed and a rush. 5 mins per question is roughly 30 mins allowing buffer time for probes/follow-ups/deeper-dives. 8 questions in 45 mins is just too many. Especially annoying if the questions have about 10 parts!
3. If its a virtual interview then I like the questions to be added to the chat function so I can see them on the screen and make sure I don’t miss any parts. I request this at the start, but most seem to be doing this be default which is good.
4. When answering questions — if you are not sure which example to use, it can be helpful to offer the panel a choice, so say something like, “i have a couple of examples to use for this answer.. a and b — i will focus on a unless you would like me to do focus on b?” Allows them to guide the discussion and can be helpful if you’re unsure and nerves are at play.
5. Always follow up on feedback — especially if you don’t get the role and make sure you can learn and build on that feedback.
6. Don’t take the rejection to heart and don’t let it knock your confidence — easy to say, hard to do, especially if you are keen to leave a toxic place. Having a mentor, or coach can also be helpful, someone to support you.

And please if you’re a recruiter don’t ever ghost anyone. It’s just rude.