Your Progress
Week 8: Charming Your Audience
Video Time: 13 Minutes Action Time: Around 10 Minutes
The interview process can seem one-sided. Interviewers will ask you many questions to gauge your experience, communication skills, and educational background. They’ll also try to determine how well you would fit in with the company culture. Some employers will bring you back in for additional interviews or have you take tests. The whole process can be daunting, but you can use it to your advantage!
Before an interview, you should prepare questions about the company’s values and what you can expect from them as an employee. By asking smart questions, you’ll learn if the position and company are a good fit for you. You’ll also show your prospective employer that you’re envisioning a future with them, which will help them envision a future with you.
Utilizing Your New Connections to Get an Interview:
After you’ve had your “First Date,” with a representative from the company, you can begin to prepare for a more formal meeting or interview. Here are some things that will happen if you’ve been diligent in keeping up with your connection! Because you’ve developed an actual connection with not only a representative from the company but also someone who shares a similar background or career goals with you…
- … Your name will be the most likely to be remembered when your new connection’s company is hiring or when they find out about another job opening. This is where you would get your employee referral.
- … You have a much higher chance of landing an interview than people who apply online due to the time it takes to filter through thousands of applications. Do they use robots for that, or what?
- … You will go directly to the source by utilizing your newly created network. Cue the scene where you get into the nightclub without having to wait in line because the bouncer’s got you on the VIP list.
- More than 85% of all new hires are filled via networking.
- Over 40% of new hires are from employee referrals.
It is much more valuable to have a direct connection to an employer than submitting online applications. for more information, check out this article on why employee referrals are the best source of hire.