Interview Roundtable

According to this article, sending a thank you note after an interview is polite and indicates that someone wants the job. Sending a short note says that the applicant not only have good manners but also resourceful enough to find the email address for the interviewer, something they likely weren’t given. Taking this initiative can be helpful in ensuring an applicant is remembered in a positive way. They suggest sending a short note 24-48 hours after your interview thanking the interviewer for taking the time to talk and briefly reminding them why the applicant would be a good fit for the job.

The S.T.AR. interview method allows an applicant to organize important data points about their strengths into a series of tiny stories that accentuate how good they are at their job. The author suggests that using this method allows an applicant to show the interviewer “far more data to work with than a line on a resume”. The method and its advice is outlined for applicants below:

Situation: Relate a previous experience to the interview question. For example, one could say “I was on a tight deadline for a project a year ago — we had to get X project out before X time.”

Task: Explain in detail what needed to get done. For example, “I had to put together X number of slides or make X number of phone calls.”

Action: Explain how you solved that problem.

Result: Now, mention all the good things that happened because you took action.

This article lists some fashion pitfalls applicants should avoid during their interview. Clothing that is too flashy, bright, or busy can draw negative attention. Showing too much skin is another mistake, so applicants should lean towards slightly conservative outfits to leave a good impression on the interviewer. Wearing heavy perfume or cologne can be distracting and even change the mood of the interview. Striking a balance between very casual or ill-fitting clothes and overly sophisticated is important for making a good first impression. The author suggests that applicants should use makeup strategically, aiming to look natural and smart without heavy makeup and jewelry. Finally, dirty or wrinkled clothing is inappropriate and should always be avoided.

Our class had the opportunity to join in on an Interviewing Roundtable with Don Rescigno of Insight Advance and Elana Leoni, CEO of Leoni Consulting Group. I took the following notes on our discussion. I chose to focus on how I can present the best version of myself in interviews.