Bite of Advice: The art of the search ... part 2
Suggestion Kittty says ….
Yesterday, I advised you on how to expect and deal with recruiters or hiring managers
searching for your name on the internet. Today, I offer you this:If you have an upcoming interview and you know the name of your interviewer, search for that person.
Just as the recruiter or hiring manager’s intent is to build rapport with you or find out more about your interests, you should take advantage of readily available information to do the same. Not only can this information allow you to connect with your interviewer ("I read in your bio that you grew up in Boston and moved to Seattle when you got a job at Microsoft. I, too, will have to make a long move if I consider Microsoft. What advice can you give me for making the leap?") but it will also impress the heck out of the interviewer that you took the time to look him or her up. (Just don’t come across as too creepy / stalker-ish.) :)
Doing your homework can also help you better prepare for the type of questions you might encounter during the inteview. Interviewers typically ask questions that are in their own comfort zone so if you find out, for instance, that your interviewer is an expert in UI design and development, you might expect some questions in this vein. Who knows what gems you’ll uncover.
Give it a try, meow!
Suggestion Kitty
1 Comment
Glenn said:
I knew of and used this method during my Microsoft interviews (which took place a bit before Suggestion Kitty posted this blog entry) and it definitely helped me, since I'm now working for Microsoft. I can't say that I can attribute anything in particular to having the info in advance, but it did give me fodder for an extra question or two, and a bit more confidence, going into the interviews.