Situation: You have been interviewing with a recruiter, and now you are preparing to interview with the hiring committee. At this step, it may seem like the recruiter has done her job (she got you in front of the hiring team), but you should know there is more she can do for you.
At plum, we always prep our candidates for interviews, so if you are being represented by us, you can be sure we will follow these steps. However, if you are working with another recruiter you will want to make sure they help you prepare for your interview.
If you are hesitant to ask the recruiter for interview advice, let me help you understand what the recruiter can and should assist with pre-interview so you go in to the interview with insight and, in turn, increased confidence.
Strengths/Weaknesses
Your recruiter has spoken to you about the job and how your background/experience aligns with the position. They have a great understanding of your strengths and weaknesses in relation to the position for which you are interviewing. Find out what they think your strengths are – and why? Ask the same question with your weaknesses, and ask for recommendations on how to mitigate your weaknesses, and how to turn them in to opportunities for growth.
You know, when you are interviewing, that you are competing against other candidates. But this is one competition where you can’t necessarily research your opponents – you can’t watch a tape of their last game to see how they perform. But you can - and should - ask your recruiter how you stack up against the competition. This can help you generate a game plan for the interview.
Personality
There is a lot you can do to research a company‘s culture prior to an interview – and we highly recommend you learn as much as you can about the company before your interview. Your recruiter also will give you the names of the interviewing team so you can research them online (linkedin.com is a great resource) to learn about their backgrounds. In addition, she can help you get a gauge on the team’s personality. Why does that matter? Some teams have people who prefer to work autonomously – that’s good to know when you go into an interview, right? This way, when you are interviewing, you can talk about your experience working in this fashion and how you still remain a productive member of a team.
Attire
Ah, the dreaded interview dress code. This is different for every industry and for every position in a company. You should always ask your recruiter - what attire is appropriate for the interview. She will tell you what is acceptable, and what isn’t. Always keep in mind the brand for whom you are interviewing – and make sure you don’t sport any competitor’s brands to your interview.
