So you've got a job interview in your near future. Congrats! Prepared as you may be to deliver all the right answers, sometimes it's just good to get a sense of the rules. Having been through the horror of the job search process as both an applicant and as a recruiter, analyst Elisabeth Fosslien offers these helpful visual guidelines.


I was recently asked for interview advice.

These are guidelines and examples. Don't repeat them verbatim. Do I have to say this? Maybe. Contrary to what a lot of people seem to believe, interviews are not a time to spew a bunch of jargon and formulaic crap. Be smart, be honest, and be yourself, because those BS answers you think I (the interviewer) can't see through? Surprise! I can. I am not going to cover industry specific questions. For example, consulting likes to ask additional questionss like how many NOUNs are VERBed in GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION per UNIT OF TIME. iBanking likes to throw out letters like DCF and WACC, etc. For those of you "interviewing" at "hip" firms with "startup" cultures, be prepared to answer "out-of-the-box" questions like "What food would you suggest our in-house chef prepare for lunch today?"****


Have I disclaimered myself enough? Probably not.

Interview Objective: Join the 180° Club

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What You Hopefully Did Months Ago


Because I GUARANTEE This Will Happen Before Your Interview


What You Should Do Leading Up to the Interview


What You Should Bring


The Suit


This is Not a Party


"Fashionably Late" Does Not Exist


The Handshake


How Enthusiastic You Should Appear


Question Category Overview: What I (the Interviewer) am Really Trying to Figure Out



Tell Me About Yourself


What are Your Strengths?


What are Your Weaknesses?


Your Phone


Describe a Time You Had Difficulty Working with a Coworker.


What Was Your Biggest Mistake?


Describe Your Ideal Workplace


What Do You Know About this Company?


Why do You Want this Job?


Do You Have Any Questions for Me?


Lunch: Price Considerations


Lunch: Limit Your Pickiness


Lunch: Appropriate BAC Level


Lunch: Very Important Additional Consideration


What to Remember Regarding a Thank You Email


****Dear hip firms/startups, the sarcastic quotes are merely jealousy. For the record, I apologize. Also for the record, I like grilled cheese sandwiches and banana strawberry smoothies.

Get Hired | Fosslien

Elisabeth Fosslien, an analyst at the ad agency Leo Burnett, turns data into art and observations into charts on her website fosslien.com.


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