How to Interview in a Hard Economy

And the three tactics that work consistently

Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash

The current economic climate makes it hard for job seekers to secure stability as there is more competition and uncertainty than before. With fewer job positions yet so many applicants, preparing well and adapting well to the current job market is important.

In this article, we (Cornellius and Matt)  will provide you with tips from experience on preparing for the interview process. We will ensure you get all the required preparation to stand out as a top candidate. 

We’ll cover: 

• How to prepare for interviews

• What to do in interviews

• What to do after the interview

Harder economic times require more planning and preparation. This means you really need to lean into your strengths early. Interview performance improves when you know your strengths and are confident in them. 

So what should you focus on? 

1. Assess Your Strengths. They’re a big step. 

Everyone is unique, but only some know how to present their strengths as a selling point to the company. We need to show only some of what we have and shove it during the interview but assess our strengths that are suitable for the job we are applying for.

Try to reflect on what you have done before, such as your achievements and work experience, while confidently articulating your unique value to the employers.

Tip 1: Practice to get out of nervousness.

Think about ways to reduce it. Nervousness helps keep you sharp. But you need the right amount. Here’s how we look at it.

Cornellius 

I am often nervous during my interviews, initially taking a toll on me.

Over time, I learned that nervousness is natural and that practice could help alleviate it. Practicing with a mentor and friends would help us respond properly.

Especially if we practice with people who understand the interview process. Just keep practicing, and you will become more comfortable in no time.

Matt 

I still struggle with this. Your nervousness in interviews is normal. You need it to do well - my best interviews, I was nervous about the outcome.

Throw that outcome away - treat it as a two-way conversation. That helps reduce it quite a bit. Also, practice in a mirror - it's far easier to talk if you see another person. 

Tip 2: Expect gotcha questions - they’re normal now. 

Gotcha questions are part of the game now. With many applications, employers are looking for ways to narrow candidates. Expect trivia questions, unexpected assessments, and testing your thinking process.

Cornellius  

Sometimes, the interviewers would throw challenging or unexpected questions to understand the candidate's abilities.

While it could be surprising, we need to stay calm and take a moment to structure our response. It is also fine to ask for time to structure your answer, as these questions can be hard. 

Matt 

Gotcha questions are part of the process. I’ve gotten many in my time - and they can feel very intimidating. They don’t have to be.

If one comes out of the blue, slow down. Think about the answer and ask follow up questions. Write down main points, then answer. 

Reasonable interviewers like this - it shows you’re deliberate and try to understand. Structuring your answer makes you calmer. Being calmer and structured helps the interviewer understand your value. 

When you look at your strengths, create a list before you interview. There’s limited time in an interview. Align your strengths with the job description. Resumes have limited info. Interview time is too.

So, you need to lean into your strengths.  List your top 5 and have quantifiable accomplishments tied to those strengths. You need to give compelling facts and even more compelling confidence. 

Wondering what hiring managers look for in potential data scientists?

Check out the article below:

What Hiring Manager Look from The Data Scientist Applicant

2. What should you do in the interview?

You got the interview!  Excellent work. But do you know what’s next? Interviews aren’t memorization games. There are frameworks you can use to increase your success.

Tip 1: Use STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result).

Yes, you’ve probably heard about it. Everyone talks about it. But it’s not if you know STAR. It’s how you do it.

Cornellius:

The STAR method is a great framework during the interview process.

Remember to describe the context of a situation, the task you needed to accomplish, the actions you took, and the results you achieved.

By following this framework, you can clearly show your problem-solving skills and experience.

Matt 

The STAR method is classic advice by this point. But what gets missed is how we can frame it. You need to be compelling, have a story, and know the metrics for your success. Don't just list your actions and outcomes—bring your story to life.

Make it a flowing narrative - with you as the driving character of results. Describing the context as a story - set the stage, the pain points, and the stakes involved.

Then explain how your role changed it. The more compelling you can frame a STAR interview, the more compelling your value as a candidate. 

Tip 2: Keep your resume in front of you.

Keep your resume in front of you - build a compelling case with context.  Interviewers have it in front of them. You can too.

Cornelius 

Don’t forget to have a printed resume during the interview.

Interviewers sometimes want to refer to something specific about your experience, so the resume could help you stay aligned with all the information you have provided.

It could also help you to focus better, as unconsciously, you would remember the content of your resume.

Matt 

Keeping with Cornelius here.

Having the resume to refer to helps if your interviewer asks about specifics. You can miss minor details that interviewers will catch. Or even more painful, opportunities to explain your accomplishments.

Alignment is critical. The resume is a reference sheet if you forget specific skills, accomplishments or job duties. We all forget - so keep it handy. 

Tip 3: Ask Questions - it's a two-way conversation. 

Conversations make your interview memorable. Memorability needs a two-way conversation. Ask questions to make it stick.

1. Cornellius 

The interview is a conversation between you and the employer.

As much as the employer assesses you, you can also evaluate the company by preparing questions about the company, role, growth, etc.

This could show that you are interested in joining the company and also help you understand if the company suits you.

2. Matt 

Two way conversations make interviews memorable. Make sure to research the employer, the position, their current struggles in the economy, and their current goals. Try to align them with your work experience.

With the economy being tougher, being able to have a conversation about your value is important. And being able to ask about the value they need is too.

Two way conversations help get you there - any make it a two way understanding. ‘‘

What you do in the interview makes the interview. If you’re an interviewer, you remember candidates. We’ve remember several who stuck with us after many years. The best one were a conversation - even a discussion.

Prepeparing the right skills for interviews are challenging. Here’s an article from the Pragmatic Data Scientist that can help:

Handling knowledge overload as a data scientist

3. What to do after the interview? 

After the interview, think about the factors that went into it. If you think about what went right and wrong, it helps prepare for next interview.

Tip 1: Reflect - do postmortems

Reflections make the difference. They help you see wheat you can improve. See all interviews (even if you didn’t get the job) as a lesson. Framing it that way can help.

Cornellius 

Every interview process is a learning chance. Try to reflect on what went well and what could be improved.

By reflecting on your interview process, you could assess areas for growth and prepare for future interviews.

For example, maybe you are having difficulty answering certain technical questions, so you will need to learn more about it in the future.

Matt 

Reflect to do better. Each interview is a learning experience - if you’re systematic. 

I like to do post mortems -  they’re a great way to review and analyze what happened. Focus and write down the challenges you faced.

Figure out their connection to the big picture issues you struggle with.

Then write down next steps. While no two interviews are alike (or perfect) post mortems help smooth down larger issues.

They teach your limitations - and give you confidence in your strengths. That's important for a compelling and memorable interview. 

Tip 2: Track Progress 

Reflections make the difference. They help you see wheat you can improve. See all interviews (even if you didn’t get the job) as a lesson. Framing it that way can help.

Cornellius 

Not everyone does this, as many just randomly apply for the job position, but keeping a detailed record of our job applications can be beneficial.

Track the information about the job position, interviewers, dates, and discussion points.

It would allow you to keep organized and follow up appropriately in the future.

Matt 

Echoing Cornelius here. Not everyone does it. It's a great way to log wins, see progress, and see patterns of what worked.

You’ll find out what great resumes, roles you interview well in, recruiter response times, etc.

You can see your successes - which is important for morale. Morale is the biggest motivator in your job search - and seeing your progress can boost it. 

Tip 3: How to handle being ghosted

Ghosting is an unfortunate reality now. But with so many applications, it can be hard for HR to keep track. Know when to follow up, and when to move on.

Cornellius 

Not everyone does this, as many just randomly apply for the job position, but keeping a detailed record of our job applications can be beneficial.

Track the information about the job position, interviewers, dates, and discussion points. It would allow you to keep organized and follow up appropriately in the future.

Matt 

Potential employers have ghosted me many times, which can be frustrating. For many of my experiences, I would consider it a learning experience and try to move on fast to the other opportunities.

But, you can sometimes send polite follow-up emails to remind them that you are interested in the position. It’s fine both ways if you want to move on or to contact them for the last time, but always prepare for the next interview.

Don’t dwell on why you got ghosted - it will sap your morale. Morale affects confidence, and you need both to get momentum into the next interview. 

Keep in mind that while these are no guarantee to get you a role? They’ll significantly up your chances. Job searching is probability - and you need tactics to increase your chances. Knowledge and experience is important.

Building a structured and compelling narrative for your interview is better. Knowing what you’ll face and how to mentally approach it is critical. Prepare early. 

Takeaways

Job searching is tough right now. And its very uncertain. In our experience preparation, good approach, and mental game makes the difference. It's a crowded field and you get a stronger edge the more you have these. 

Here’s our key takeaways: 

• Lean into your strengths. List them down and tie them to job. They don’t have to be perfect - just enough. You need confidence. Confidence and morale is decisive in an interview. It gives you strength. Strength to keep going through multiple rounds. And morale to keep going even when it doesn’t go your way. 

• Make the conversation dynamic. Great interviews feel like conversations. Asking questions, making it a two way discussion makes you stand out. Context makes it dynamic - have your resume. STAR gives a framework to make it dynamic. Make your interview memorable to them. 

• Reflect, reflect, reflect. This is the most important step for any interview. You will have bad days. You will also have good ones. Those all contain lessons to improve for the next one. Focusing on results or performance is great - but also focus on the big picture. Interviews can give you hints to your strengths, accomplishments to emphasize, or your fit for the job role. 

And that’s it. We hope you found this useful. Thanks for reading!

If you found this useful, be sure to follow us here on substack: 

Cornellius

• LinkedIn.

• Cornellius (@CornelliusYW) / Twitter

Matt:

• LinkedIn.

• Matt Blasa (@blazamatt) / Twitter