Interviewing can be nerve racking.  You want or need the job, You want to make a good impression.  There are some things to keep in mind as you go through this exercise. 

Prior to the interview: 

Do your homework on the company.  Have they been in the news?  If publicly traded what is the stock price that day? Company history.  Who is the CEO?  Key products?  How the products work?  Basics about how the company works, locations, what they do at those locations… 

Do you use the products?  (for example: if applying for a job at Google, have a gmail email address on your resume) 

Interview: 

Be on time – enough said. 

If you are doing a phone or zoom interview, minimize distractions and background noise. 

Answer their questions in a concise manner.  It is better for the interviewer to ask you to elaborate or provide more detail, than to ramble on for too long. 

If the interviewer is being quiet, don’t take that as a que to keep talking.  Answer the question and wait for a response or ask if they heard you, if they would like more information. 

If you don’t know the answer, it is ok to admit it.  But follow it up with how you would find the answer.  If you have not experienced the situation they asked you, again, ok to admit it, but you can say how you would handle it if it came up. 

If you don’t know the answer and try to talk your way around it, ramble, talk at a 30K foot level…the interviewer will know it. 

Come with questions.  A good interviewer will ask you if you have any questions for them.  It is recommended you have some ready. This is your opportunity to learn more about the role, company, culture… you can ask why the interviewer works there, what they like about the company… 

Examples: 

Why is the role open? (is it a new position or a backfill?) 

What would make someone successful in this role? 

What are the top needs the hiring manager has for the person in this role. 

What is the target salary for this role? 

Salary is viewed as a touchy subject, however, it is entirely reasonable to understand the salary prior to moving forward to be respectful of everyone’s time.   

While the company is interviewing you to assess if you are the right fit for the role, you are interviewing them too.  You need to be sure the company is the right fit for you.  What do you want to know to be able to make that decision?