I have participated in several job interviews over my career. I want to advise you every job interview is the same, but that would be misleading. It is my experience that no two interviews, even with the same person for the same role, are never the same.
Early in my career, I did not understand that an interview was a two-way process. An example is when I decided that I was ready to get a medical office job. I was so nervous and had no idea what to expect. On the day of the interview, I answered all of the questions asked with short positive statements. I was honest about my abilities, but I did not expound on any answer. I kept it short and sweet. I did not know how ineffective my first interviews were. When I think about conducting interviews now, I am so embarrassed by my lack of understanding of the process.
I can honestly say the best interviews have been the ones that feel like you are having a free-flowing conversation with both the applicant and the recruiter. The interviews that I took the time to prepare for were typically the most effective. I was able to participate in the discussion and refrained from stumbling over myself when answering tough questions. When you are well prepared for an interview, you present yourself in the best light.
Interviews for most companies have become more of a mutual discussion. The goal is not to find the best fit, not just the highest-ranked candidate. If I could go back and improve my first interview, I would tell myself to offer concrete examples of my abilities and how the company would benefit from hiring me. I would stress the importance of asking questions and understanding the company, not just the position. I would recommend the recruiter ask behavioral and situational questions. The recruiter should get the applicant talking and find out about the applicate as a person. The recruiter needs to get enough information to decide whether the applicant is a good fit for both the role and the company.
