It's gratifying to be called for a second or subsequent interview
because you are another step closer to the job. Don't blow it now!
Read our second-interview do's and don'ts.
Do take a practice run to the location where you are having the interview -- or be sure you know
exactly where it is and how long it takes to get there.
Do pat yourself on the back for being called for a second interview.
While some career experts say your chances are 1 in 4 to get the job
at this point, others say you have as much as a 50 percent chance.
Even with the field narrowing, it's important to distinguish yourself
and ensure that you stand out above your competition.
Do remember these three words: More, More, More. Compared to the
first interview, a second interview will likely involve more
preparation, more people, more questions, more intensity, and more
pressure -- in addition to more likelihood that you will land the job.
Don't neglect to review your performance from your first interview.
Note any questions or situations that caused you difficulty and plan
how you will handle those aspects better in the second interview.
Derive confidence from knowing that if you hadn't performed well in
the first interview, you wouldn't have landed the second. Think about
what made you shine in the first interview, and plan to do more of
the same. Further, brainstorm new information you can bring into the
second interview -- new accomplishments, new examples, new evidence
of how much you know about the employer.
Do prepare -- even more than you did for the first interview.
Presumably you researched the company before the first interview. Now
it's time to delve even deeper into that research using our
Guide to
Researching Companies, Industries, and Countries. Some experts
suggest that talking with company insiders is one of the most
productive ways to prepare for a second interview. Before your second
interview, consider conducting informational interviews with company
folks who aren't the ones who'll be interviewing you. Consult our
Informational
Interviewing Tutorial to learn
more. If you are a college student, particularly seek out alumni from
your school or sorority/fraternity who work for the employer. Also be
sure you're up to date on developments in your field or industry by
reviewing trade publications.
Don't be surprised if the second interview is actually a series of
interviews -- in both individual and group/panel formats -- making
for a long day. You may interview with managers, senior executives,
department heads, and prospective team members. You may also get a
tour of the workplace and be taken out to eat. For college students,
this second-interview day may represent the first time the student
has been interviewed in the employer's workplace. Plan to bring ample
copies of your resume for all the people you may be meeting with.
Read more in our article,
Mastering
the On-Site Interview: A Guide to Company Visits.
Do try to find out in advance exactly what the agenda will be and
whom you can expect to interview with. If you aren't given this
information when the interview is set up, contact the assistant of
the main person with whom you'll be meeting to see what you can find
out. If you see that a workplace tour is not included on the agenda,
ask if someone can show you around as time permits.
Don't forget the cardinal rule of panel interviews: As you respond to
a question, maintain eye contact with everyone on the panel -- not
just the panelist who asked the question.
Do be up on business dining etiquette if you are asked to dine with
representatives of the prospective employer. Check out our
Job-Hunting &
Business Etiquette Resources.
Do get a good night's sleep the night before this potentially
grueling day. Also look for opportunities to refresh yourself during
the interview day. If there's a break in the action, splash some
water on your face or take a brisk walk to rejuvenate. You might want
to take along a pocket- or purse-sized snack in case there is no
lunch break. Breath spray or a mini-bottle of mouthwash is also not a
bad idea. Be careful not to run out of steam toward the end of the
day. Maintain your energy, confidence, and enthusiasm.
Do be aware that you might be asked to complete psychometric tests
dealing with such things as skills, intelligence, and personality.
There's not a lot you can do to prepare for them -- but that good
night's sleep will help.
Don't slack off with your interview attire. A second interview
generally doesn't denote a more casual interview. The former Andersen
Consulting (now Accenture) had a protocol for the three on-campus
interviews it conducted with college students that called for skirted
suits for women for the first two interviews. Female candidates were
permitted to wear pantsuits to the third interview. Check with
company insiders to see what attire is expected for each interview.
Do remember these three more words: Fit, Fit, and Fit. A major reason
for the second interview is so the employer can see how well you fit
in with the company culture. Put yourself inside the employer's head
and realize that the interviewers at your second interview want to
learn how well you will get along with other team members with whom
you'll be interacting with every day. Deploy your very best
interpersonal communication skills. Keep in mind the idea of showing
your fit -- but remember that it's OK not to fit. If you aren't a
good fit with the employer, you probably wouldn't be happy working
there anyway. And remember, that this interview is also your
opportunity to determine whether the company is a good fit for
you. Think about whether you would accept if the employer
extended an offer. Read more about fit with company culture in our
article, Uncovering
a Company's Corporate Culture is a Critical Task for Job-Seekers.
Don't neglect to talk to other people beyond those you are
interviewing with. Chatting up -- not too excessively -- the
receptionist and prospective co-workers serves the dual purpose of
giving you a better feel for how much you'd like to be part of this
workplace culture, as well as making a positive impression on as many
people as possible.
Do expect to be asked some of the same questions you were asked in
the first interview, but some new ones as well. Second-interview
questions may delve more into your personality, or they may be more
targeted toward specific technical skills -- or both. Plan to keep
your responses fresh yet consistent for each person you meet with
during the second-interview, and don't worry about repeating yourself
since you will likely have a different audience every time you give
roughly the same response. If you've followed the advice above to
obtain the full list of interviewers, a good way to keep your answers
fresh is to try to find out something about each interviewer and
tailor your response specifically to that person. You can also vary
your delivery to freshen your responses. Interviewing expert
Carole
Martin suggests that a good way for the
interviewer to get to know about your personality is through the
quotes of others; for example, tell the interviewer what your boss
would say about you if asked.
Do expect behavioral questions, which are commonly asked in second
interviews, even if they haven't been in asked in the first
interview. See our article,
Behavioral
Interviewing Strategies. Watch out
also for off-the-wall questions. Prepare for those with our article,
Don't
Get Stumped by Off-the-Wall Job Interview Questions. The
second interview is also a likely venue for case questions,
especially in consulting firms. See our article,
Mastering the Case
Interview for how to handle this genre.
Do listen for clues that get at the heart of what the employer seeks
in the person hired for this position and key into the needs,
concerns, issues, and problems that you would be expected to handle.
Do prepare for as many kinds of questions as possible. You've already
interviewed with this employer, but it wouldn't hurt to do a mock
interview with a friend, family member, or career counselor/coach to
prepare for the second interview. You may also want to prep with our
Practice Interviews.
Don't be shocked if some of the people you meet with aren't very
competent interviewers. While managers trained in interviewing often
conduct first interviewers, the array of people who might talk with
you during the second-interview experience may include people lacking
skills and training in how to conduct an interview.
Do be prepared with lots of questions to ask. You will likely
have more opportunity to ask questions in the second interview and
will be expected to make more sophisticated inquiries than you did in
the first interview. Although these
questions are designed
for informational interviews, many of them also work in a
second-interview situation in which you are attempting to make a
personal connection.
Don't necessarily give an answer immediately if the employer makes an
offer. Ask for a few days to think about it.
Do ask about the next step in the process if you don't receive an
offer. How soon will a decision be made, and how will they let you
know?
Do try to collect the business card of everyone you meet with. Keep a
small notepad handy to write down names in case there's someone from
whom you can't get a card.
Don't forget the send a thank-you note or e-mail to everyone you meet
with. That's right -- every single person. Aren't you glad you
collected those business cards? You can write the same basic message
to all, but vary it a bit in case they compare notes.
Do realize that you have some degree of control if the interview
process drags on. A job-seeker who had gone on six interviews with
one employer and still had not heard a decision recently sought
advice from Ask the Headhunter
columnist Nick Corcodilos. Corcodilos's first-choice response was to
simply ignore the indecisive company and pursue other opportunities.
But he also noted that the job-seeker could offer a polite ultimatum:
"I appreciate that you have internal reasons for this taking so long.
However, I need to make decisions about some other commitments I'm
facing. I'd like to set a deadline for us both, say, two weeks? If
your team can't make a decision by that point, I need to withdraw my
candidacy for the job and move on. I want you to know how much I've
looked forward to working with you. I know I can do this job
profitably for you, and I want to join your team."
Do remember that most of the guidelines that apply to first
interviews also relate to second interviews. Consult our
Guide to Job
Interviewing Resources.
Questions about some of the terminology used in this article? Get more information (definitions and links) on key college, career, and job-search
terms by going to our Job-Seeker's Glossary of Job-Hunting Terms.
Katharine Hansen, Ph.D., creative director and associate
publisher of Quintessential Careers, is an educator, author,
and blogger who provides content for Quintessential Careers,
edits QuintZine,
an electronic newsletter for jobseekers, and blogs about storytelling
in the job search at A Storied
Career. Katharine, who earned her PhD in organizational behavior
from Union Institute & University, Cincinnati, OH, is author of Dynamic
Cover Letters for New Graduates and A Foot in the Door: Networking
Your Way into the Hidden Job Market (both published by Ten Speed Press),
as well as Top Notch Executive Resumes (Career Press); and with
Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., Dynamic Cover Letters, Write Your
Way to a Higher GPA (Ten Speed), and The Complete Idiot's Guide
to Study Skills (Alpha). Visit her
personal Website
or reach her by e-mail at
kathy(at)quintcareers.com.
