Nine top tips for your second interview

By Karalyn | No Comments

Second job interview tips

 

We all know the interview process can be lengthy these days. Given the economic uncertainty, we can confirm that our clients are taking their time to make their hiring decisions, particularly the big ones.

 

We don’t blame them.

 

In any economic time, hiring people is risky. If you’re looking for a job you may well find that you’ll go through an interview with us, and most likely at least two interviews with a client.

 

So why do clients do second or third interviews?

 

Clients do second interviews for many reasons. Hiring is not an exact science. Apart from testing your skills, employers will want to see how well you fit their team and their company culture. Culture we all know is difficult to define. So for your fit alone, a few perspectives are useful.

 

Second Interview Tips #1

 

Treat each interview as if it is the first.

 

Prepare to sell yourself each and every time you are interviewed. Do not assume that the interviewer knows much about you, even if they have your resume and our briefing. You would be surprised by how little communication can happen between internal parties in large organizations, pre-interview. Sometimes, if employer’s interview processes are sophisticated, they do what’s called a “data-integration process.”

 

This means each interviewer will gather separate data on you. They rate it, and come together to a mutual conclusion post interviews. But they won’t speak to each other about you prior to your interview. So our biggest tip here – is to prepare for each interview as thoroughly as if it was your first. Plus be prepared to go over old ground if the interviewer requests it.

 

Second Interview Tips #2 Use your first interview to ask as many questions as you can about the role, the employer, their expectations, possible career-paths, challenges, priorities etc. Use this information, not just for making up your mind about a role, but to think more deeply about relevant examples you can present in your next interview to highlight your skills.

 

Second Interview Tips #3

 

Preface your answers in the second interview, with the insights you have gathered from the first interview. That way you show you have listened and understood.

 

For example, you could answer a question this way: “I understand from my first discussion with so and so, that one of the challenges in this role is abc – I have actually worked on something similar in a previous role…”

 

Second Interview Tips #4

 

Be patient.

 

We know this is hard when you are anxious about a role, but for everyone’s sake, including yours, you want you and your future employer to make the right decision. It’s better to get things wrong at this stage, than when you start a role. Please don’t ever say to a second interviewer “we’ve already discussed that!” or “I told so and so that.” Respecting the interview process and showing some flexibility will take you a long way towards securing a role.

 

Second Interview Tips #5

 

An interview is always an interview, even if it doesn’t feel like one.

 

You’d be amazed at how people make hiring decisions, and some of the tricks of the trade interviewers use to try and make you feel relaxed.

 

One of our clients assesses your small talk in the reception and lift. She says that’s because her current team are “people-people” who need to quickly build rapport with almost anyone. So she asks a few random type questions about current affairs or the news as she is bringing people up to the interview meeting room.

 

Another employer we know shuffles his interview papers at the end of the interview as if to say the interview is over. Then he slips in a few questions when the interviewee is off-guard. He thinks he’s more likely to get an honest answer that way.

 

In coffee interviews, we’ve heard of people looking at the way you speak to waiters as an indication of your people skills and how you might treat people who report to you in your team.

 

Second Interview Tips #6

 

Sometimes with a second interview, you will find that the interviewer does all the talking, but asks no questions. They tell you about the company structure, the future direction, who is in the team, the challenges and priorities of the role and so on and on.

 

With this kind of “interview” go back to point 5. It is still an interview. We suggest you take this opportunity to learn as much as you can, and if the interviewer appears in for a chat, seize the opportunity.

 

Remember, not all interviewers are trained in interviewing. They may think they are interviewing you, even if they are just giving their information. However you may be being judged on the quality of the questions you ask, so fire away.

 

Second Interview Tips #7

 

Ask to see where you may be working. While talk is talk, we much more absorb by looking, feeling and visualizing. If you can actually see yourself at the desk, in the role and in the working environment, you’d be surprised how much more real it feels.

 

Second Interview Tips #8

 

If you really want the job, then tell the interviewer that – and why.

 

When it comes down to it, it might come down to a choice between you and someone with exactly the same skills. If that’s the case the person who wants the role the most, who shows the most enthusiasm, is the person who will get it.

 

Second Interview Tips #9

 

Remember you can always ask us what you can expect from a second interview. That’s actually what we are here for.

 

Does any of this sound familiar? We’re keen to hear what you have experienced or any of your questions.

 

Please feel free to comment below.

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