The Generalyst Recruiting Guide to Nailing Your Next Job Interview

I’ve seen ~1.200 job interviews in my career so far, and have done many of them myself as the evaluator. Here’s what the best candidates do, regardless of their CV: 

[1] They keep answers concise

A surefire way to derail an interview is to answer with long-winded, rambling stories. A good interviewer will give you a few cues that it’s enough (such as “interesting, but let’s move on”), but you have to take them.

Recently had a candidate in a 30-minute interview that took up a solid 19 minutes to tell her CV despite several cues from me (“could you take 2-3 minutes to quickly walk me through your backstory?”). That left little room for the meat of the interview, leading to less data and ultimately, a rejection.

Time constraints for managers are real. Would you want to be in meetings with someone that hijacks them in tangential monologues? 

[2] They answer the f**king question

You’d be surprised how often that happens. When I ask, “tell me about one startup that you admire”, then I want to hear about one, not two or three or four. 

Again, this is a solid indicator for future collaboration: at the office, you’d also want someone that can follow precise instructions. 

[3] They weave a storyline 

Humans tend to respond positively to stories. And every human has their own story. So tell yours – and ideally in a way that follows a story arc, like the Hero’s Journey. Don’t overdo it, of course, but frameworks like this help a lot in order to keep an interviewer’s attention. 

And if you have unique stories, share them! Within the first three weeks of Generalyst alone, I had candidates who made their money as teenager by selling home-farmed hyper-organic eggs, who went above and beyond to get the make the perfect cup of coffee, and who barely missed getting into the Norwegian Army’s Intelligence Services. These stories are sticky (I’m writing about them right now). 

[4] They’re honest and transparent 

Nobody has the “perfect” CV – everybody has ups and downs. I strongly appreciate transparency when things didn’t go as well; making mistakes is normal. What you learn from them is what matters. 

Oh, and: please don’t lie. I had a candidate that I generally perceived as good, but when I fact-checked one of the statements he made several times (being a member of the founding team of a very big company), it turned out to be false. He was just a regular IC that joined 5 (!) years after the company was founded.

That, of course, is an instant no. 

Bear in mind that many hiring managers will reference check, and some will check with references that you have not provided. 

[5] They have good sound quality and internet connection

This is so basic it hurts to write. But it happens too often, unfortunately. 

Make sure your setup is decent. You don’t have to have a content creator setup, but make sure you have: 

1. Headphones (otherwise, the feedback is super annoying sometimes)
2. A decent microphone (most built-in mics from MacBooks are fine, but double check whether one can hear you clearly)
3. A good, reliable internet connection 

Humans naturally want to avoid hard work. When only 70% of the information comes through, the interview becomes exhausting, and as humans, we don’t like exhausting things. 
I always like to joke that my biggest bias is against people with a bad internet connection. 

[6] They ask thoughtful questions

The interview isn't over until it's over.

Many candidates breathe a sigh of relief when the interviewer says "that's all from my side – is there anything you'd like to know from me?"

Most will say, "maybe one thing – what are the next steps?". That's par for the course.

Exceptional candidates will do their research and ask thoughtful questions about the person, the business, or about an opinion on a relevant topic.

Spend the 5 minutes before the interview and think this through.

That’s it. 

Best of luck to you in your next job interview – whether that’s with Generalyst or another employer. I’m rooting for you. :) 

PS: If looking to become a Founder's Associate or similar inside the EU, Generalyst might be for you. Apply here.

PPS: If you're hiring for business generalists like Founder's Associates, Generalyst might also be for you. Learn more here.

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