By now you know about our recent move from Chicago to SF but what I kept pretty quiet about was the fact that I left my job before the move without having anything else lined up. Slightly terrifying? Yes. Super liberating? Yes. There will be many times in your career where the stars align and you move seamlessly from one role to another opportunity but sometimes you just have to take matters into your own hands, make the leap and trust that things will all work out.

Leaving my job before moving meant that I have spent a lot of time networking, job hunting and interviewing over the past few months. It was really important to me to find a role that I felt genuinely excited about instead of being focused on rushing to get an offer and jump into a new job. So I interviewed a lot, around 50 times over the past few months if we’re counting, and throughout the ups and downs of the interviewing process I learned a ton and wanted to share a few tips with you in case you’re prepping for a job hunt anytime soon.

1. Prep but don’t practice: This may seem obvious but be sure to take the time and do your homework. Know the basics on the background of the company. Spend time on their websites and social channels to get a feel for what they have going on now and the type of marketing the brand is doing. Do a quick search of their name on Twitter and get a feel for the conversation that’s happening organically and a general understanding of their audience. Be armed with information and don’t waste any of your interview time covering the basics, but don’t rehearse or plan out exactly what you’re going to say. Prepping and practicing is great, and yes, you’ll come across very polished but it will also likely feel fake. Business is about making split second decisions and working well under pressure and deadlines, which means that there’s not always time to plan, prep and practice. Be confident in your knowledge and skillset and have a clear understanding of why you want to work there, but don’t over rehearse it. Keep it real!
2. Make ’em like you: Listen, at the end of the day, people want to work with people they like. No one wants to work with someone who is boring or who doesn’t mesh with the broader company culture and absolutely no one wants to work with an asshole. Compatibility with your boss and broader team is really important and while your resume and skills are extremely important, it’s also critical that they like you as a person and would enjoy spending their hours at the office around you. Don’t be afraid to make smalltalk, show off the unique aspects of your personality or use storytelling to get your point across and showcase who you really are as a person, even beyond the working world.
3. Have questions back pocket: Interviews typically go like this: you give them an overview of your experience, they give you an overview of the company and their role within it, they’ll ask you questions directly related to the role they’re hiring for and then once that’s all wrapped up, they’ll turn it over to you to ask questions. There is nothing worse than getting to the end of the interview, turning it over to the other person and having them say, “no, I don’t think so!”. Have smart questions prepared (this is the one area where it’s fine to really plan and prep!) – I tend to have a few go to’s: something related to the company’s culture (So why XX company? What do you love about working here and what sets this company apart from its competition?), something related to what it takes to be successful in the role you’re interviewing for (What key traits do you think are most important in this hire?) and something to get a feel for how that success will be measured (How can someone in this role make an immediate impact? What do you see being the key milestones within 30, 60 or 90 days in this role?)
4. Them vs. you: Yes, getting a new job is great for us as individuals. We advance in our careers, we get a change of scenery, we get to make more money. All good things and all things to be excited about but when you’re interviewing, always remember it’s about them. Don’t focus on the learning opportunity that this role would give you and instead focus on how you can add value to their company. The company’s success should be more important than yours and it should be clear that you’re interested in helping support their larger goals versus your individual agenda.
5. Always say thank you: The little things really matter within the interview process! I had the recruiting lead at a social network tell me that several candidates were eliminated from the hiring process because they did not send thank you emails. Take a moment post interview and shoot everyone you met with (including the HR and recruiting team) an email to thank them for the time spent with you and reference something unique you spoke about with each of them. If you didn’t get their business card during your meeting or had a phone interview, ask the recruiter or HR for the team’s contact information to send a thank you note. I’ve heard plenty of people swear by a handwritten thank you note as a way to set yourself apart but in my opinion, it’s too risky in an interview situation. Eliminate the risk of your thank you being delayed or lost in the mail and stick with email.

Do you have any interview tips of your own? Anyone have any crazy interview horror stories? Are there any interview mistakes you’ve made that have taught you a valuable lesson?