Aaron Wang graduated with a bachelors in Finance and MIS and has had his share of interviews on his fast paced career path in Management and IT Consulting. He constantly looks for growth opportunities and often lands interviews to accelerate his career. He has modified and perfected his interview strategies over time on everything from body language to impressing in person.
The biggest lesson he has learned is “you’ve got to put yourself in the shoes of the interviewer and identify the key “competence” triggers they are looking for.” Once you’ve identified competence triggers such as “specific work experiences, hard and soft skills, difficult situations you’ve handled, speaking the industry jargon or lingo” then “make sure you tailor all of your responses to hit upon those key triggers wherever possible.”
A way to demonstrate your experience is to “ask smart questions that someone less qualified or inexperienced would not have thought of.”
When approached with the question about salary, Aaron says, “be honest about what you want but make sure to emphasize you value the fit, experience, and growth opportunity of the position above all else.”
Aaron recommends several tactics to prepare for interviews. To combat nervousness, he suggests, “Create a document with written out responses to various behavioral interview questions and memorize 3–5 of them. For the 30 minutes leading up to the interview, review your answers by practicing them out loud as if you were speaking to the interviewer.”
There’s an added benefit if the interview takes place over the phone because “you have the advantage of creating and using a “cheat sheet” with your interview responses if you are having trouble memorizing them (or talking about them).” Body language for both Skype, video, or in-person interviews should include “sitting straight, leaning forward when making a key point, appropriate hand gestures, making direct eye contact and flashing a confident, winning smile.”
Lastly, follow up after interviews with “a thank you email detailing out exactly why you are a great fit for the position.”
What is one takeaway you will use from Aaron's advice during your Job Search Journey?