First Person: Interviewing

While the world of work has changed a lot over the last decade, job interviews are still an inevitability. As we all know, the format of an interview can vary — from one-on-one interactions, to panel discussions, to speaking at a camera with question prompts as you’re being recorded for someone to view later (not a favorite).

Whether you are applying for an employee role or looking to land your next project as a consultant, interviews are a two-way street. What we mean is that it doesn’t (and perhaps shouldn’t) have to be a one-way conversation — one participant asking questions and the other answering them.

An interview is an opportunity:

·      To establish a human connection

·      For the interviewer to learn about the interviewee and share about what would be expected in the role, insights into the team culture, and current challenges

·      For the interviewee to learn about the project or role and share about how their experience could be a good fit for the culture, challenges, and expectations

·      For both parties to come away feeling whether there is a strong likelihood of success in an engagement

 Kari Bassett is one of our star project managers at Collabry, and we recently asked her to share her experiences as a consultant — specifically when it comes to interviewing. Here is Kari’s First-Person response.  

There are two questions I get asked most often about life as a consultant:

1. Do you have to interview every single time?

2. Isn’t that stressful?

The answer to the first question is YES! As consultants, we interview for each and every project. The answer to the second question is YES, but an hour or so of preparation can make interviewing less nerve-wracking.

Any time I’m interviewing for a new role, my first step is to get on LinkedIn and find the interviewers’ profiles, taking note of their titles, location, schools attended, career highlights, and any recent posts that might serve as good conversation starters.  

Next, I reread the job description, highlighting key words and skills, and noting any details that need clarification. Always come prepared with at least one question — preferably more. 

The third step is the most important: I create a grid with three columns: Project Name, Stakeholders (who I worked with), and Accomplishments. Then I go raid my résumé to populate the grid with details that are relevant to the new role. This allows me to study and quickly recall success stories in an organized manner, without  reading or regurgitating my résumé.

These three steps have helped me to show how my skills apply to what is being asked — and also set the groundwork for a dynamic interview. I hope they help you on your next interview opportunity!