Please review this information for assistance with preparing for your job interview. Once you’ve consulted the document, you can go through any questions or role-specific advice with your recruiter.
Good luck and thank you for representing VRS!
Before The Interview
Preparation and Research
ELEVATOR SPEECH
Be prepared to summarize your professional background in less than a minute
PAST JOBS AND EDUCATION
Refamiliarize yourself with your background and resume and be prepared to walk the interviewer through your past job/education experiences:
- What were the responsibilities of your previous positions?
- How did your previous roles prepare you for the job you are interviewing for?
- Why did you transition from one role to another?
- If you have job transitions or resume gaps that are difficult to explain, please consult your recruiter about how to best approach a discussion around these scenarios
- Avoid any negative comments about previous or current employers; be honest but maintain a positive outlook on job transitions
- Keep a primary focus on why the opportunity you are interviewing for is a good fit for your skills, interest, and career growth
DO YOUR RESEARCH
The following materials should be reviewed before the interview:
- Official job description
- Hiring manager and/or interviewer LinkedIn profiles
- Company website
- Any “About Us” or mission statement pages
- Content about their relevant services, products, and/or applications
- YouTube, Wikipedia, and related websites are great resources for introductions to technologies or instruments that you need a refresher on
- Note how the company describes and markets their services/products
Based on your research about the interviewer(s), position, and company, prepare for potential Questions to Answer and compile a list of Questions To Ask during the interview [see Reference Sections]
Interview Setting
BEFORE ALL INTERVIEW TYPES
Ensure that you have confirmed the interview time (don’t forget to check the time zone!) and accepted the email invite (if applicable)
Update your recruiter with the interview times for any meetings that are not organized through them and discuss interview preparation with your recruiter
Give yourself 5-10 minutes before the interview so you are not running late and allot a 30 minute window at the end of the interview in case it runs overtime
Get a good night’s sleep and have water available
Have a copy of your resume and the job description accessible and make sure you have a way to takenotes
For interviews involving presentations: presentation slides should be sent to your recruiter prior to the interview for feedback. Additionally, please make sure you have practiced your presentation, answered the brief, and are prepared to meet the requested time limit