Paid Content

How To Nail The Interview

Expert advice on what it takes to get the job.
Paid for by vitaminwater
What's this?

This content was paid for by an advertiser. It was produced by our commercial team and did not involve HuffPost editorial staff.

You’ve submitted your résumé, written the cover letter and, finally, you’ve been selected for a job interview! Way to go, you charming and qualified candidate, you.

But now the pressure’s on. The majority of recruiters say they know within the first five minutes of an interview whether a candidate is suitable—and some even know within the first minute.

To help you navigate these high-stakes meetings, we spoke with Kim Rohrer, Vice President of People at Stride Health, to get her inside perspective on what it takes to get the job. With a little strategy, you will undoubtedly make a better impression than Brandon, the networking virtuoso who paid to put his phone number on the side of a vitaminwater® bottle—all in the name of self-promotion. Take these tips from a real pro and get ready to update your social networks about your sweet new gig!

Anchor Point Animation

Pro Tips On How To Nail The Interview

  • Dress the part: Stalk the company’s website for dress code hints, then dress slightly nicer.
  • Shake it: A good handshake should be like giving their hand a hug. A nice medium “hi it’s good to see you, friend” kind of hug. But with your hands.
  • Sock it to me: Don’t be afraid to show some personality in your outfit, while still keeping it professional.
  • Stash it: Always keep your cell phone out of sight and on airplane mode.
  • Take note: Bring a pad and paper and take notes. It shows you’re engaged.
  • Old school: Always have printouts of your rĂ©sumĂ© on hand, even if you already emailed it. It shows you’re prepared and professional.
  • At attention: mind your posture and eye contact. “You may be tired, but stand up straight when you’re shaking my hand.”
  • Know a guy: If you know someone in the company, bring it up—perhaps when they ask why you want to work there: “My friend Brandon is always raving about how great it is to work here.”
  • Common ground: If you have something in common with your interviewer — you went to the same university, for example — work it in.
  • Beat the buzzwords: Don’t cram keywords like “detail-oriented” and “synergy” into one sentence when talking about yourself. Humblebrag, yes, but don’t sound like a douche.
  • Mission driven: It’s not impressive to quote the company’s mission statement at your interviewer — instead, tell them why it excites you and how you relate to it.

Scoring the right job is a hard task – even for those people who make it look easy, like Brandon. He might not be a real guy, but you know him – he has that job that sounds great...but what is it that he does? No one seems to know - still, he’s very, very busy. Maybe that’s because he’s so busy self-promoting and doling out advice on his LinkedIn profile.

So, grab a vitaminwater and catch up on Brandon’s daily #3PMotivation. His inane career advice probably won’t help you get the job, but his blind confidence is something we can all learn from.

Close