There are 3 things I did differently to get hired by 3 multi-billion dollar tech companies.
I used the same 3 things to stand out in the 1st interview.
And the last one is the most important.
I came with a Point of View
Based on things like the specifics of the job description, their headcount growth on LinkedIn, their reps’ quota attainment & company news.
This sounds like:
“Taylor, I’m excited to be talking with you about this opening today. It looks like your org announced earlier this year they’re focused on moving upmarket & just launched an enterprise-level product.
I think that probably means you’re looking for AEs with prior Enterprise experience. And who are used to hunting/prospecting for new logos.
That’s what many companies in your position seem to be prioritizing, but what did I miss that you’re focused on?”
I researched 1 specific on the recruiter
I always wrote down the first & last name of who was doing the phone screen. And did both LinkedIn & Google searches on them.
I looked for 1 thing we had in common – college major, past company, volunteer interests
Or 1 interesting fact – unique career path, unusual skill, or non-traditional background.
People LOVE to talk about themselves. (Everyone’s favorite subject.)
When we kick off the interview with a question that shows we did deep research, it shows we’re prepared AND we make them feel good. Win/win.
“Taylor, I was doing my homework on LinkedIn and saw you majored in music. (I may have even watched a couple of YouTube videos to see your guitar solos.)
There has to be a good story on how you went from music to recruiting? [Let them tell the story.]
I’m so encouraged that XYZ company seems to be looking for the right people – rather than just checking boxes.”
I asked the same 3 questions at the end of the call.
Almost every recruiter ends the phone screen interviews by asking “What questions do you have for me?”
This is not the time to go deep. They’ve only scheduled this for 15-30 min, and it will irritate them if you make them late. (Plus the hiring manager will have specifics anyway.)
I asked these every time:
- “Taylor, I’m intrigued by what caught your attention about this company. What made you want to work here?” Gets them talking about their favorite subject again.
- “Sounds like a great place to be! And also, no place is perfect. If you could wave a magic wand & fix 1 thing about this place, curious what it would be?” This is where you start to ID red flags.
- “One last thing: what’s the best thing about working here?” Ends the call on a positive & back on their fav subject.
Forbes says 98% of people fail the interview.