1) “You’ve got to be as original and authentic to your core as you can possibly be. When interviewers gets a sense of WHO you are as opposed to WHAT you are (from your résumé) they can better assess a plausible match between you and the company.”
– Nichole Bestman: SVMP 2010, Marketing Strategist at National Port Authority of Liberia
2) “Be able to answer “Tell Me About Yourself” in a clear and concise manner,
– At the end of the interview ask intelligent questions that show you’ve researched the company.
– Send a thank you note, but make sure it’s spelled correctly.
– Go to Networking events, get cards, follow-up, meet for coffee, and if/when you interview at that job, mention the person you know”
– Ravi Singh: SVMP 2010, JD Candidate at Northwestern Law School.
3) “Do your research, read their website and search online forums like GlassDoor.com. Also look for any resources online. One thing I did for my research into BCG was to Google a bunch of related topics and I stumbled across a PPT file from a recruiter with some very useful inside information.
– Shahin Shahrivar: SVMP 2010, College Campus Coordinator for Teach for America & high school Math Teacher Washington D.C. area
4) Posture. Most communication is non-verbal. Good posture is learned and can make the difference. For resources Google Amy Cuddy who teaches at HBS and has a lot of tips. Her article on HBR and her videos on TED are inspiring.”
– Shahin Shahrivar: SVMP 2010, College Campus Coordinator for Teach for America & high school Math Teacher Washington D.C. area
5) “Dress rehearse it! You really should make it a discipline to do mock interviews prior to an interview with a set of common behavioral questions like, ‘Tell me a time when you lead a group, took a risk, persuaded someone….’ Literally have 2-3 examples/stories you can tell because you may get nervous and forget if you only have one and if they like your first example it’s not uncommon for them to ask for another one or ask a similar question you can use your back up for!”
– Andrea Giraudo: SVMP 2010, Marketing Coordinator at IPPOLITA, New York City, NY
6) “The easiest way to get an interview is to have someone pass along your resume …which really goes to show the importance of networking and maintaining good relationships.”
– Long Phan: SVMP 2005, Investment Analyst, Seattle, Washington
7) “Develop a Wide Network
Networking does not mean “Hi, my name is Haytham, how can you get me the job I want?” Networking has a greater goal in mind than that. Take a genuine interest in the person you are meeting and speaking with. Learn about what they like, what keeps them busy, what excites them, and how they got to where they are. Let the connection be a genuine mutually-beneficial relationship where both persons receive something from the interactions. Also, reach out to each person in your network semi-regularly, not only when you need something from that person. Guaranteed, the person is more likely to help you if they know you and like you.”
– Haytham Zohny: SVMP 2008, Senior Market Analyst at The Travelers Companies
8) “Be You
Once you are in the interview, be yourself. Leave the nervousness at the door and break the formal mode. My most successful interviews have been those where I allowed both, my personality and skills to shine, and not those where I allowed only my skills to shine. People do not only want to hire people who have the right skill sets, but hire people who will be a great fit to the organization’s cultural. Some interviewers do an interview test, where they ask themselves, ‘if I were delayed for a long period of time in an airport, would I want to be stuck with this person too?’ ”
– Haytham Zohny: SVMP 2008, Senior Market Analyst at The Travelers Companies
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