What you have to get right in a job interview

If it wasn’t already tough enough, the job market world-wide has just become increasingly more competitive. The number of qualified professionals that have lost their jobs during the pandemic and are back in the job market has soared. According to a CNN report, a shocking 36.5 million Americans have filed for unemployment since mid-March. Having a polished resume, showing 10 minutes earlier before the interview and answering all questions with diligence is simply not enough anymore to place a job. So, what should be your strategy?

Above all, do your research. And by research, I mean not just looking at the company’s page to see what they are selling and where their headquarters are. The real goal is to understand what their organizational culture is because if you don’t fit in, you are out regardless of how great your resume looks.

Here’s an example to consider. I have extensive experience hiring and interviewing for managerial positions in for-profit education in the USA. Of course, every company is slightly different, but 99% of the time the secret to producing the best impression in the interview is showing that you have strong people skills. One explanation is that education providers overall choose a holistic approach, both towards a student and towards an employee. Another reason is typical managerial challenges that a candidate would encounter should he/she get the job. From my own experience and conversations with other managers, I would say that you are bound to have at least one challenging staff member in this sector. While in companies with stricter vertical hierarchy in the workplace, letting someone go if they don’t perform well or are being damaging towards the business is an option on the table, this is not something commonly happening in the for-profit education world. As a manager, you are expected to work with the employee to bring them back on track, no matter how resistant they are to change or how long it may take. Your managerial focus would most likely be building rapport and developing the team.

As a sharp contrast, look at the leadership principles of a bigger tech or an e-commerce company, for example Amazon. This approach is all about being efficient and high-performing, as well as leading efficient and high-performing teams. While having developed people skills is definitely a strength in any managerial role, you are also expected to be able to make tough data-driven decisions when needed, like letting someone go if they are under-performing. The time you have to develop an employee would be much shorter than in the example above. There is a strong focus on achieving results and the way you manage needs to reflect that.

Sounding misaligned to the company’s philosophy will cost you a lost job opportunity. I have a friend who did a great interview for a director’s position but felt that she came across as not determined enough. In her follow-up email, she reinforced that she is totally ready to make hard HR decisions when it comes to achieving the department’s goals. Well, you probably have already guessed that she did not get the job.

To conclude: the story can look the same on paper but can be told many different ways. A lot of managers have a wealth of experience showcasing both people skills and data-driven efficient management. You just need to decide how to tell the story.