If you're currently in the interview process, and you have been asked to go into a meet the
team interview. Well, congratulations. You're just about across that finish line. As a former hiring
manager, I can tell you, it takes a lot of effort and resources to pull everybody of their projects,
to sit down and meet with a potential team member, even if it's for 20 or 30 minutes. And so, this is
not something that hiring managers will do with every applicant out there. It's usually reserved
for the final one or two applicants. My name is Bill Benoist. I'm a certified professional career
coach here, Silicon valley. And in today's video, what I want to share with you are six tips that
are gonna help you cross the finish line for that meet the team interview. So, the first tip really
is going to be based upon whether this is a zoom interview or a video interview, uh, with the team
members or if it's gonna be in person, because nowadays you never know what's gonna happen.
As far as you know the process, there are some companies they're bringing all their
employees back. Other companies they're working from home still. So, if this is a video interview,
see a zoom interview, want you to keep in mind that you need to a camera to be at eye level.
You don't want to be looking down at the camera because that means that they're gonna be looking
up at your nose. Number two, keep that camera about 18 to 24 inches from you. You don't want to
be sitting so far back that you are creating this impression that you're not really approachable
and you don't want to be too close to the camera because wow, that's just kind of weird.
And then finally, I want to make sure that you're smiling, especially this is so especially
important when you're first connecting with that group. So as everybody is connecting,
what you can do is give a nice smile and even a wave and just sit there and say, hello, everyone.
It's great to meet you. Okay. It's just, it's really going to bring that connectedness into
the picture right away, because keep in mind connection or not connections, but keep in mind,
first impressions are being made within the first couple of seconds of meeting in an individual. So,
let's move on to, if this is an in person, uh, interview, meet the team interview again,
you're walking in, be very conscious of how you're holding your body. You don't want to be holding
yourself tight. You want to be loose and open going in. It's very important that you are smiling
as you're first approaching in. And again, what I want you to do is just sit there and say a simple,
hello. It's great to meet you. I'm so excited about being here. I'm excited about meeting you
guys. Okay. Do you just need to create that first impression within those first couple of seconds
now second tip and that is make sure that you're doing your research, if this is at all possible?
And I really encourage you to try and get this, um, information beforehand that hiring manager
says, “Hey, I'm gonna schedule you with meet the team, come back and say, Hey, that's
great. Can you give me, um, some information as to who it will be, that I'm meeting with,
take those names and bring them up on LinkedIn?” See if there's any connections that you have,
anything in common that you have with those individuals out there. So maybe it's the
school that you both attended, or maybe there's another connection out there. And this is a great,
another way of bonding with that individual. Hey Joe, it's great to meet you. You know,
I was looking at your LinkedIn profile and I noticed that we both went to,
uh, San Jose state university, or we both know. So and so out there and talk about a small world.
It's a really great way of connecting with that individual. Now there's another part of
what I mean by researching. And that is well researching. What is it that you're gonna be
asking? What kind of questions? Research those questions out there. So, some good questions
to be asking is, you know, talk about or ask about what kind of software are in applications
that they may be using on the team. Uh, how do they communicate with other departments?
What is the management style of the organization? What is the management style of the department?
What is it that they like about working for this company? These are all great
questions out there. So that's tip number two. Do your research, do your planning
tip number three is you want to talk about some of your accomplishments when they ask you
any type of behavioral type of questions, but this is really important.
I think this is where some people will really make the mistake. You do. Don't want to go over
the top. These are your, these are gonna be your workmates. And by the way don't ever call em,
you know, workmates or something like that during the interview process. You haven't been hired yet,
but they are going to be the team members that you work with and you don't want to
alienate them by coming across superior. But you do want to talk about some of your
accomplishment it's out there. So, watch that line because I think a lot of people,
they do overdo it when they're talking about their accomplishments. All right, tip number
four is you've gotta listen really carefully to what they're saying, what they're asking about.
And this is where I think it's super important to make sure that you're using their names.
You're listening to what they're saying. And then when you're coming back to ask them
further questions about this, you're using their name. You're looking at them direct eye contact,
whether it's through that video camera or in person, but I want you to go back to 'em and say,
well, Joe, let me ask you, what do you think about this then? Or Sue? What do you think about that?
Make sure that you listening, active listening, don't be forming that next question in your mind,
listen to what they have to say and then use their names to respond back to 'em it's really, again,
it's going to bring that connection closer and this what you want to do. You wanted this, this
bonding that yeah, this person will definitely be a great fit on the team. And then finally
remember to always be a professional. When the cats away the mice will play.
I think, you know, the cat being the boss there, and sometimes people will go ahead and relax,
but you gotta be careful that you don't fall into this trap and get too relaxed with them as well,
because that could be actually deployed to see how you are, you know, outside of the element with the
boss. So really what you want to convey is this, that you are a professional, that you have no
problems that you're gonna create no problems and you're gonna help them solve their problems. That
is what you want to portray out there. So don't get caught in that trap that sometimes can happen
when the boss is away. And it becomes a little bit, uh, too relaxed in that meeting. So anyway,
six tips there to help you cross that finish line. Congratulations. If you've gotten this far,
I'm really excited for you. If you haven't already subscribed this channel, make sure that you do so
get that bill notification as I do. You upload new career tips and strategies every Tuesday, and I'd
hate for you to miss anything. Thanks for stopping by. And I look forward to seeing you next week.