For many, the interview process is daunting and scary. At Platinum Resumes, it’s our goal to help you feel prepped and ready for the Interview Process. The more you know and understand how the process works, the better prepared you will be. The first thing you need to prepare is your resume and cover letter. Our experienced and certified resume writers will assist you in putting together a top-notch professional profile to assist you with the first step. Second, you will need to start applying to jobs for which you qualify. You can use several career search websites in addition to visiting Career Fairs and finding recruiters on LinkedIn.
Interview Process- phone screening, in-person and panel interview
The next step in the interview process is phone screening. This first step is usually the recruiter or hiring manager’s way of weeding out unqualified or unprepared candidates. Make sure you are prepared, on time, and likable in order to pass the first step in the screening process. Usually, it takes a week or two to receive a call back for the next step in the interview process which is the in-person interview.
For the in-person interview, you will need to dress the part, be prepared to answer difficult interview questions, think on your feet, and be able to build rapport with the hiring manager. At Platinum Resumes, we offer interview coaching to help you get ready for this step in the interview process. Next, there will usually be a panel interview.
The panel interview usually includes at least one or two managers, sometimes an associate from the team, and a member of executive leadership. This interview is usually the most nerve-racking because all eyes will be on you. But, don’t worry, we are here to help you prepare for this step too!
Then, a couple of weeks later, after the hiring manager finishes all of the final interviews you can expect a call for the job offer or in some cases, denial. If you do receive the job offer, you should be prepared to negotiate your salary. If you do not receive the job offer, then you should thank the hiring manager for the opportunity, you can also ask for feedback, and ask them to keep you in mind for any future openings. You never know what doors can open when one closes.