The Ideal Interview Prep Guide

Some of my friends here enjoy reading my articles and they've requested me to post more frequently. I was a regular blogger back in school and college and although I haven't blogged as frequently I'm trying to get back to the blogosphere and make my presence felt.

A lot of my readers are young professionals who have recently (in the last 5 years or less) stepped into the corporate world and are looking to maximize their interviews. So I thought of writing today to provide some realistic tips around interviewing. Please remember that these pointers are to be considered only during ideal scenarios - realistically speaking, unless we base our assumptions on ideal situations, there can be no one-size-fits-all answer to this problem. Anyway, let's begin writing bullet points.

Know the company you're interviewing with

Always know the company that you're interviewing with. You may not have the time to read about or go through the company details but trust me, it really helps if you're well-read about the company profile, its management, products, pay scale, benefits, work culture, etc. You may want to visit Glassdoor to know more about the company reviews and understand the pay scale for the role that you're interviewing for or related roles. During the interview, it really helps if you're able to connect with the interviewer on topics that pertain to his/her company and a well-informed and curious mind always offers a great impression on the mind of the interviewer. Never walk into an interview uninformed about the product or service that you'd be hired for.

Ask pertinent questions about the role or position you're being hired for

A well-informed person is definitely valued for a job but a curious mind is valued for life. Always remember to ask questions during your interview. These questions may have to do with the work culture, hierarchical structure, HR policies, your reporting manager, etc. The more interest you show in the company, the more interest the interviewer shall show in your profile. This of course is subject to the fact that your technical interviews have gone well.

Assignment or Case Study - to do or not to do?

I have been given case studies to solve many a time as part of the evaluation. There have been many occasions where the panel has liked my assignment and it has worked for me. However, there have been way too many times that the panel has rejected my application basis my submission. Also, I later realized that there was no 'real vacancy' with a few companies that had asked for submission. This was validated a few months after interviewing with the companies, working on assignment submission and then presenting it, and then realizing that they hadn't hired anyone for that role even after six months. Sometimes companies just create fictional roles out of the blue to hunt for ideas from candidates. The more ideas they get through such assignments, submissions, and discussions - the better and easier it gets for them. But as a trend, most companies would want you to work on some case study or the other if it is an entry-level role - so I would recommend that you ask for a neutral case study on a topic that has nothing to do with the interviewer's business. However, if the interviewer asks you to solve a problem statement that is directly related to a problem they're facing with their existing business, then chuck it. In all likelihood, they are just looking for ways to eliminate you basis the massive understanding of their own business and creating an uneven playing field where you're forced to work on something for their benefit without getting paid for it. If you're a senior executive with over a decade's experience, an assignment is certainly not what you should be doing to prove your mettle. I think it is an insult on the recruiter's part to be giving an assignment to someone senior and such requests should just be politely declined.

Know more about the interviewer

Please remember that an interview is mostly a mental battle and that you should know the opponent's strengths and weaknesses. Like it is important to study the battlefield first before a battle, you should understand the market that the interviewer operates in. Please do some background research on the target market that the interviewer is operating in and be prepared to talk about competition, trends, and future growth of the industry that s/he is operating in. You may be asked questions such as - 'What do you like most about the company?' or 'Why do you want to join this company?'. Those are times when such knowledge comes in handy. Also, knowing your interviewer better would give you a fair understanding of what to expect in terms of his mindset, and understanding his work better could help solve some of your doubts around what you'd have to expect at work, so you could remain better prepared.

Always dress well for an interview and be polite to everyone

You may be working with a FAANG or be a management consultant with MBB but that doesn't mean you take an interview lightly. In all likelihood, if you're a management consultant you would be well dressed up for the interview anyway but just in case you aren't, please ensure to put on formal clothes and be on your best behavior during the interview. You should respect the interviewer's time and be nice to him/her regardless of whether you're serious about the vacancy or not. It is best not to go for test drives in interview conditions just to test the waters or understand a bit more about a certain company because then it not only makes you complacent but also makes it difficult for you to make inroads into the company at a later time if you've been rejected once.

Ask for feedback once your interviews are over

Always ask for feedback once your interviews are over - it helps you understand how others perceive you and the more you understand how others feel around you helps you avoid a certain kind of show in similar circumstances in the future. You could politely ask the recruiter for feedback or request your hiring manager for feedback on your performance. I have personally seen some amazing feedback from promising leaders and it has certainly helped me understand where my pitch went wrong the first time. Infact there have been times when I have been rehired by them just because I had shown interest in self-improvement and was motivated to perform better the next time. Also, leave a kind note for such panelists because they've devoted extra time to send you valuable feedback. That's not what everyone does, so they deserve a fitting mention.

Lastly, and more importantly - do not take rejection personally

An interview doesn't speak volumes or even a fraction about your worth. It only helps a certain set of people understand whether you're a fit for the role that they're hiring for. If you're the CEO of a company and have a team reporting to you, then you're certainly not the right fit for an IC role. If a recruiter still shortlists your profile and if you get through to subsequent rounds, I think it speaks volumes about how desperately a company would want to fill a position. Similarly, rejections are not to be taken personally. An interview just tests whether you're an ideal candidate for a particular role. You may be overqualified for a role and the feedback that the company gives to you may just be erroneous because they don't want to be truthful but that doesn't take anything away from you - you have a job already and you know that you do it the best. Please remember that there is a place for everyone in this universe and the more you get rejected at other places, the closer you get to finding your own destined place in this world. Think of it as a positive and don't lose your sleep over it.

I hope these tips would be useful for the younger audience that reads my blogs sometimes. What have your interview experiences been like? Do you have any interesting experiences to share? Please share in the comments.