Interviewing
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Interview for all relevant positions you see, even those that do not seem ideal.
Interviewing for non-dream jobs is easier and helps build skills; the job you least expected to like might turn out to be great.
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Treat the interview as a mutual evaluation where you judge whether you want to deal with the employer's problems daily.
You are trading your most valuable resource, time, for the role.
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- Consider interviews as a reciprocal exchange where you work out whether the position suits you.3
Ask the interviewer and potential peers about their least favorite parts of the job.
To get a balanced view.
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Record every question you recall from an interview so you can practice for future ones.
Similar questions often recur over time, letting you refine your answers.
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Conduct mock interviews with friends or colleagues to refine answers and receive feedback.
It helps you work out answers without reading from a sheet and learn from mistakes or boring answers others give.
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Write down notes and questions during the interview to demonstrate engagement and organization.
This makes you a standout in the interviewer's memory and helps you feel less like you are being interrogated.
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Study the organization ahead of time and integrate those insights naturally into your answers to avoid sounding rehearsed.
This approach can help you seem more genuine and professional rather than just checking boxes.
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Be punctual for phone interviews and provide prior warning if you will be late.
Showing up late without warning can result in the interviewer tossing your resume after the interview.
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If you are interviewing with the same company over a long period, ask previous hiring managers to share their notes with current ones.
It may signal that you are persistent and serious about joining.
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View claims of being 'like family' or a 'community' as potential red flags for exploitation.
These terms are often used when employers want free time and labor, while reverting to 'business' logic when taking things away from employees.
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Observe the physical conditions and the demeanor of current employees during the interview.
Seeing miserable employees or a manager who cannot define the position can reveal that earning the money would be torture.
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Do not rant about failing an interview or assume you didn't get the job after performing adequately.
It ruins the impression; passing does not require perfection.
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Eat a meal at the restaurant before interviewing for a position there to judge service quality, food taste, and cleanliness.
If the service is bad, food tastes horrible, or takes forever, you probably won't want to work there; it reveals the level of standards you would be expected to keep.
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Ask extensive questions about your potential direct supervisor during the interview.
Most people leave their jobs because of their boss.
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Write down what the interviewer emphasized or pushed back on to understand the real culture.
This reveals actual culture more than the official job description.
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Research the workplace environment ('case the joint') before the interview instead of asking employees during it.
Asking around before is a better tack than during.
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Prepare thoroughly for interviews to potentially overcome a lack of prior experience.
One candidate was told they gave the best interview ever seen, which helped them beat out internal candidates despite lacking experience.
- This is based on one person's experience.
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Send a thank-you letter after the interview to reiterate interest and elaborate on resume details.
It allows you to address highlights and add details you forgot during the interview.
- It may not help your chances.
- It is not common in Norway.
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If unemployed, indicate immediate availability rather than waiting a month to appear proper.
You cannot afford to wait.
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If you have a negative gut feeling about a potential boss, do not ignore it just because they appear nice on the surface.
- One person noted their current job was still better than their old one despite ignoring their gut.
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Ask interviewers to describe your daily responsibilities and what a typical day looks like.
Job descriptions are often written to sound more complicated and high-profile than the work actually is.
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When interviewing for a job, ask specific questions about the role's challenges and daily routines.
It shows you have researched the position.
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Ask about employee churn rates; if the answer is confidently low, it implies employees are relatively happy.
High turnover often indicates problems with the company or management.
- They might give a vague answer.
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Prepare specific stories for the common behavioral scenarios that recur across companies.
Behavioral questions often circle through the same situations, allowing you to steer answers to your prepared stories.
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Mention if you were referred by a current employee during the interview.
The employer may not realize you were specifically referred.
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Treat a received business card with visible appreciation instead of putting it away immediately.
It shows respect for what the person gave you.
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Use past high-stress experiences as proof of capability during interviews.
Handling extreme stress demonstrates you can manage other challenges.
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Be cautious if interviewers express excessive interest in skills unrelated to the job description.
They may expect you to perform those additional duties.
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Use corporate language to honestly communicate that you seek financial security and stability, rather than claiming loyalty.
Saying otherwise is dishonest.
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Recognize that hiring decisions can be arbitrary, influenced by factors like the interviewer's mood, sleep, or timing.
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Avoid acting like you are doing the interviewer a favor by attending the interview.
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Ask detailed questions about how unlimited PTO works in practice, because implementation varies widely between companies.
Not all companies use unlimited PTO policies well.
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Arrive early for your interview, but avoid showing up excessively early (such as 45 minutes prior) to respect the interviewer's schedule and avoid disrupting meetings.
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