Tips for Multi-Round Interviews

Tips for Multi-Round Interviews

Interviewing is a skill! We are now in the times of multiple rounds of interviews. The common mistake...treating each round exactly the same.

Below are some tips on the different Rounds of Interviews and what to be aware of or how to best prepare.

Most Common Interview Types

• Screening/Recruiter/1st Interview – Typically these interviews are approximately 10-15 minutes and are action packed. This is a high-level assessment to check the boxes on the list of criteria for the role in order to decide if to move you forward to the next round. Questions will be direct and to the point and will be highly focused on your skills. It is key to be able to concisely emphasize the skills you possess that are most important to the role you are pursuing.

Surprises: Be prepared to answer salary requirement questions. This is now a more common ask.

• Behavioral Interview – These interviews are usually 30-45+ minutes and include behavioral style questions. You should prepare to have at least 2-3 different past experiences where you have completed tasks most relevant to the role you are interviewing for.

Surprises: IF by chance you are asked a question about something that you have not done, be transparent, and still provide the information we are looking for by walking us through what you would do if presented with the task.

• Technical/Testing Interview – Technical interviews can be found in many forms. For Technology, where it is most prevalent, it could be a test of your skills in completing a task provided, i.e. coding. However, this can still be found in other fields in forms of simulations i.e. Marketing Proposal or Presentation, etc. The key here is talk it out. Communication is key. Walk your audience through your thought process as you go.

Surprises: Getting something wrong or not knowing how to complete the task does not automatically mean that you are out the running for the job. Show how you would go about completing a new task or something you have not done before. Be detailed with resources you would go to or outreach you would make, timeline on completions, etc. After your interview, you can still show your determination and continue to solve it and within a reasonable amount of time (1-2 days or less) include your solution in your thank you note.

• Executive Interview – Executive interviews are usually the last or final step to an interview process. This would be it. These interviews are all about fit management. Rarely will you find questions that are behavioral or in depth on skills. At this stage the Executive is looking to make sure that you would be a good fit within the organization. One of the biggest misses in these interviews are interview questions asked. Executives are the visionaries of the organization. Your questions should be relative to impacting the organization as a whole and not just tasks for the role or yourself.

Surprises: Executives are people too and put their pants on one leg at a time just like everyone else. Don't forget the power of simply having conversation and building rapport. i.e. location, weather, accomplishments of the organization or themselves they are most proud of.

Happy Interviewing.

Hope this helps!

Coach Olivia