TORI DUNLAP: Hi Harvard Business Review, my name is Tori Dunlap.
I'm a founder of Her First $100K and the host of the Financial
Feminist Podcast.
And today, I'm here with tips and tricks
on how to succeed in your next job interview.
Now, job interviews can be super daunting,
but your prep work happens before you even
walk in the door.
My first tip is to take a look at the job description
and go line by line thinking of statistics, narratives,
or other stories about how you're qualified.
You know that section of the job description where
they have all of those bullets of requirements like
must be a self-starter.
Must be organized.
You're going to prep for the interview
by thinking of particular stories
from previous experience that show that you are organized.
You are a self-starter.
Anytime you can tie your experience to specific outcomes
is a great thing.
So I was organized with this project,
and it made the company $50,000.
That's a great example of how you
can use a specific statistic, a specific story
to show that you're qualified for this particular job.
One of my friends did this in the past,
and it worked out really well for her.
She was trying to move from being a hostess at a restaurant
into recruiting.
And she didn't have any recruiting experience on paper,
but she could cite particular instances
where she had the skills needed to be a recruiter.
So again, things like organized, self-starter,
was able to work well with people.
She could use stories or particular instances
where she exemplified those skills in the foodservice
industry and could transition those
into working as a recruiter.
So she got the job.
Most hiring managers are going to ask you questions
based on this job description.
So if you prep with the job description,
you already have your answers.
You know what to say.
Number two, you're going to get asked
about either your current salary or your salary expectations,
and this always trips people up.
It's the hardest job interview question.
The what are your salary requirements?
And I'm going to tell you exactly how to answer it.
The first question, what is your current salary?
It's actually a question that's illegal in over 20 states.
I'm based in Washington State.
I know it's illegal here, and you
can do a quick Google search.
It's a question that's used by folks to get you
for as cheap as possible.
So, obviously, we want to avoid answering that question.
If it is illegal in your state, you
can tell them it's actually illegal to answer that question
here in the state of X. But happy to talk
about my qualifications.
And you can say the same thing if it, unfortunately,
isn't illegal in your state.
That's not something I'm comfortable answering,
but I'm happy to talk about my qualifications for this role.
The what are your salary expectations,
or what are your salary requirements question
is one that's more common.
And it typically is the company's way
of trying to see if their budget aligns with yours.
But, they already know your budget, so ask.
You can say something like, I actually
don't understand the full scope of the role
at this point in the process to accurately price myself,
but I would love to know your budget.
When I've been on job interviews, that has worked.
Nine times out of 10, they will tell you their budget,
and then you can say if that aligns with you or not.
The reason we don't want to give a number first
in either scenario is we don't want
them having power in that way.
I've seen many a client go into an interview,
give a number first, and end up quoting the number that's
$10,000, $20,000, $50,000 under what the job was actually
going to pay.
And we don't want you losing out on that money.
My third and final tip, always, always ask questions
at the end of a job interview.
There is nothing worse than when the interviewer turns the table
and says do you have any questions for me
and the candidate says no.
It shows you're not prepared.
It shows you're not interested.
And frankly, job interviews are as much for you
as they are for the company.
You are trying to figure out if this organization,
if this particular boss if this career move
is something that's actually going to be beneficial for you.
So by denying yourself a chance to get more information,
it's not only a huge red flag to the company,
but you want this information.
You want to see if this company is
going to be a good fit for you.
Here are some of my favorite questions to ask.
How do you measure success, particularly for this position?
This is a great way to get a plan together
for your first 30, 60, 90 days.
You know exactly what you need to succeed in order
to stand out.
And in order to eventually get a raise or get promoted.
You will also then know if these metrics are realistic.
I've been on job interviews where
the description of the job was very different than what
my boss or potential boss was actually expecting me to do.
Do you have to stay late every night?
Do you have to make the company millions
and millions of dollars, right?
Having an outline of what these expectations are,
is going to be your best toolkit for success.
My second favorite question.
How do you help your team grow professionally?
This is a great opportunity to see
if this company is committed to developing you as an employee.
Plenty of companies offer what they call education statements.
They'll give you maybe a couple thousand dollars
to take a course or attend a conference.
These are great ways, of course, to not only benefit the company
but also benefit you.
You can take these skills into your career
if you don't stay at this position forever.
And the third and final question.
What is the salary and performance review process?
You want to know that there is a process.
One of my previous jobs did not have a process whatsoever,
which meant having to constantly advocate for myself
and constantly ask for feedback.
We want to know that the structures in place for you
to get good and consistent feedback.
We don't want you having to email your boss every other day
and ask if you're doing a good job.
It's also going to be more likely that you get a raise
or get promotions if that salary review process is already
in place.
Ultimately, I want to remind you again.
Job interviews are, yes, to figure out
if you are equipped to do a job and to do it well.
You're also, though, on a job interview
to figure out if this position is right for you.
Don't forget that.