Congratulations! You have made it through the first round of interviews and now have been invited back for a second interview or company visit. Now what do you do?
Second interviews are typically different from screening interviews or on-campus interviews in that they are longer. Most company visits will consist of several hours, to a half a-day, to a whole day or even a day and a half of interviews. You will be meeting with a lot of different people including your hiring manager, someone from HR, Senior VP level staff, co-workers/teammates, individuals from other departments and even sometimes other candidates in consideration for the same opportunity. Needless to say, the second interview can seem a little daunting. Below are some basic tips to help you prepare and take the stress out of second interviews.
Ask for an agenda in advance of the interview: This will allow you to not only see the schedule to determine when you might have breaks or if you are expected to prepare to give a presentation or prepare for a skills test but will also allow you to learn more about the people that will be interviewing you. Use this information to research their background to learn more about them. Helpful information such as previous positions or schools attended could help you create small talk and break the ice. Plus it really shows the interviewer that you have done your homework and taken the time to get to know more about them.
Plan to dress professionally but wear comfortable professional shoes: Plan to wear a professional suit in neutral colors (charcoal grays, navy or black). However avoid the blisters and sore feet by choosing comfortable professional shoes as you will be walking quite a bit and/or touring facilities. It is best not to use the second interview to try out a brand new pair of shoes but rather rely on a pair of professionally polished older shoes that are in good condition.
Confirm travel arrangements: Some companies are prepared to make all travel arrangements on behalf of the candidate including prepaying for the flight (if needed), hotel arrangements and ground transportation. In some cases, the employer will expect you to make the arrangements and send a travel itinerary with estimated costs in advance. In these cases, you may be expected to prepay for all travel and seek reimbursement, if offered. In some cases, you as the candidate might be expected to cover all travel expenditures and no reimbursement is offered. Check with your contact that extended the invitation to confirm all details regarding travel in advance.
Research! Research! Research!: Go beyond just what is on the company’s website and dig a little deeper. Research the organization similar to preparing a research paper for class. Use multiple sources to find out more about their history, structure, values, products/services, customers, competitors, financial records, the particular department that you would be working in and position. You will be asked a lot more detailed questions about your interest in the company, position and how you feel that you are the best candidate for the role. So the more research that you do on the organization and reflection on how your skills and experiences match up, it will be easier for you to answer these questions. Plus nothing impresses the interviewers more than candidates that have done their research and can really answer questions that get at the heart of why they should hire you.
Prepare for Behavioral Questions: You may have already experienced these during the screening interview. However, you will likely experience them again and more frequently during the second interview. Come prepared with specific examples that highlight your work specific skills (AutoCAD, etc.), functional/transferable skills (communication, leadership, etc.) and adaptability/self-management skills (ability to deal with change, interpersonal skills, etc.). Be sure that your examples reference the situation/task that you were involved in, the action that you took and the result or outcome. For more information on behavioral interviewing, please check out the Career Services Interview Guide available online at http://career.utk.edu/resumeinterviewing.php or schedule a mock interview with a Career Services staff member to practice.
Brush up on your meal-time etiquette: At some point during the second interview, you will be scheduled for a meal-time interview which may include an evening networking event the night prior, a breakfast interview, a lunch interview or any combination of the above. It is important that you follow business professional meal-time etiquette during these times and follow the lead of your host as you will be evaluated on your ability to handle these social but professional events. Candidates are generally advised to dress for a social dinner (if the evening prior), eat moderately, avoid alcoholic beverages (or limit to 1 glass of wine or beer) and ask good well-developed questions related to the conversation at hand.
Prepare a list of well-developed questions: Similar to the screening interview, use this interview time to gauge if this is the right opportunity for you by asking questions that will tell you more about the company, the culture, the leadership style and the position. Before leaving the interview for the day, be sure to ask about next steps so you know when to follow-up.
Tracking expenses and seeking reimbursement: Be sure to keep receipts for all your personal expenditures while traveling for the interview and promptly return these to the person coordinating your interview, if reimbursement has been offered by the company. Examples of major expenses incurred and reimbursed by the company might include: airline tickets, hotel room, ground transportation, parking, cab fares, business phone calls (in conjunction with the interview), meals enroute and tips. Additional expenses incurred by the candidate such as after dinner snacks, newspapers/books for travel, personal phone calls, etc. are not typically covered by the employer, and the candidate should expect to cover these costs.
Follow-up after the visit: Within 48 hours, be sure to send a personal letter or e-mail of thanks to all the people that you met during the interview. If you do not have the contact information or names of everyone that you met, then as a standard you should send a personal letter of thanks to the main contact. This letter serves as the final opportunity to show that you are the right person for the position and really show them that you are interested in the opportunity.
Students with questions or needing more information are encouraged to contact Career Services at 865-974-5435 to schedule an appointment or check out the resources on our website at http://career.utk.edu
Author: April Gonzalez- Consultant, College of Engineering
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