How to Prepare for a Second Interviewv

You made it through the first round of job interviews, which is a great sign that the job-poster is seriously considering hiring you.

Now, your second interview is looming – and the pressure’s on. How can you go in prepared for success and to land that job offer you’re hoping for?

We’ve got some great tips to help you out.

1. Remember first impressions matter

Even if you know the company culture is pretty casual around dress codes, you may be meeting with upper management and other key movers’n’shakers for your second interview. For this reason, push the boat out to look as smart as possible.

If it’s a face-to-face interview, have your outfit laid out the night before. For Zoom or remote interviews, make sure you set up in a quiet area without distractions, test the internet and sound before the interview, and use a professional virtual background if possible, to save stress on the day.

2. Find out who’ll be interviewing you

While your first interview may have been with HR, the second is often when they bring in the person or team you’ll be working with – so having this info up front is very useful.

A little online stalking may be in order if you’re given the names of the people who’ll be at the second interview. That way, you can check them out on LinkedIn or on the company team page, assess what they might ask you and plan your answers accordingly.

3. Think about what you didn’t say the first time

If you were asked a question that you feel you messed up or didn’t enlarge on enough, this interview can be a second chance to ensure you get it right.

For example, you might say, ‘You previously asked me about working under pressure, and while I did mention that retail can be a stressful environment, I wanted to add that I use the following strategies to keep things streamlined and ensure customers are dealt with in a timely manner…’

4. Do as much prep as you can

If the first interview focused very much on your technical skills and experience, the second might drill down into other areas such as your soft skills, and figuring out if you’d be a good cultural fit. So preparing ahead for what you might say and having examples ready to demonstrate your aptitude for the role is a great idea.

You can also ask the interviewer if there’s anything specific you need to prepare so you’re not caught out on the day.

5. Go in with your own targeted questions

The second interview can be a great opportunity for you to delve into the nitty gritty of the role, the team and the company overall. You might want to ask questions like, ‘What’s a typical day like in this role?’ or ‘What are the expectations for this role in the next year?’ Hopefully, the answers will give you a good insight into how hard the company is going to work you.

Asking ‘What’s the biggest challenge for someone in this role?’ may also give you some idea of whether your skills align with the job spec – if you feel nervous at the answer, you may want to consider if the job is too far out of your wheelhouse to be a good fit.

6. Let them bring up the salary

Naturally you want to know about money – and you should have clear expectations of what the role pays before getting to this point, otherwise you’re just wasting your time. This will normally be discussed with the recruiter or by doing your research beforehand by plugging the job title into a website like Glassdoor or Payscale. Both of these will give you a rough estimate of the salary for that role in Australia.

However, when it comes to talking money, let the interviewer bring it up – and don’t initiate the conversation unless you’re asked specifically for your salary expectations. It might be that the company process is to make a decision after the second interview, then make you an offer.

7. Ensure you’re remembered afterwards.

If you’re being interviewed in person, bringing extra copies of your CV to hand out to all the interviewers is always a nice touch and shows you’re organised and on the ball.

After the interview’s over, don’t forget to send a thank-you email to everyone who interviewed you on the day, to ensure you’re top of mind.

Good luck in getting the job!