The second-round job interview is when you actually get to meet your potential managers, possible the team and the people who will have the final say on hiring you. Unlike the first meeting with the recruiters, the second job interview will check your technical skills, competences, and also career goals and motivations.
Potential employer checklist: what will they be looking at?
Think of all the questions that you were probably not asked in the first interview and get ready with some possible answers. Interviewers will probably want to know more about your motivation, your skills, career plans, ambitions and values. And here are a few tips to help you stand out.
Your interest in the position and the company
One of the important things that an employer is highly likely to discuss with you in your second job interview is whether you are still interested in the advertised position and the company as a whole after the first interview brief. Your enthusiasm at this second meeting will be viewed as a sign of your future commitment and involvement in various projects and tasks. Therefore, if you still want this job, make sure this is clear to all interviewers.
Necessary skills
You may be asked to tell more your current job; how you use your skills, how you have dealt with a particular situation. The reason – the interviewer wants to understand how you will act and behave as part of the company. This interview is also called a “competency-based interview”. When you make arrangements for the second-round job interview, ask whether you should bring some physical proof of your projects – a portfolio, a presentation, or a use case solution.
How well you fit into the employer’s value
A significant part of the second interview may be dedicated to checking whether you share a company’s values. You may be asked to walk around the office and meet your future fellow-workers. You may also hear some questions about your hobbies and favourite pastime.
To find out whether the company will be a good fit for your, prepare some questions about its values, team members, DNA, and corporate culture. Ask about the team and the qualities that are highly valued by the interviewers and why they like working in the company.
Dispelling doubts
Your potential employer may use this second interview as an opportunity to dispel some doubts you may have left after the first interview. How can you indentify such doubts? Remember whether you heard some repeating questions that had similar meaning but were formulated differently. Such questions may be an indicator that your employer has some doubts and is trying to resolve their hesitation.
Financial expectations and starting date
Pretty often, the second interview is when an employer discusses your financial expectations and possible date of starting the new job. You should get ready for this part in advance – you will be asked to share some well-grounded financial expectations and you should be confident and convincing in your statement.
Next steps
When the meeting is over, your employer will share their next steps and your next steps. If this does not happen, ask them to confirm the agreements you have reached. Once again, make sure you show how important and interesting this opportunity is for you, and tell them why.
A little bit about the obvious
To make it successfully through the second-round job interview, you should know some life hacks. However, knowing some of the mistakes that job candidates often make is also very useful. So, let’s make sure you know what you should not do:
- Don’t wear jeans and T-shirts, unless of course this has been agreed with the interviewer in advance
- Don’t deviate from the topic;
- Don’t just keep quiet
- Don’t arrive at the interview without a clue about the company where you are applying
- Don’t speak negatively about your previous employers
- Don’t demonstrate you are not interested in the position, the team or the company; make sure you ask the right questions
Hopefully, you have already sent a thank-you message to the people who interviewed you in the first-round job interview. After the second interview, make sure you do the same with everyone you met. Don’t forget to reiterate your interest in the position and the company. And keep your fingers crossed or not, because success will be on your side if you follow the list of tips in this article!
If you still have doubts and needs a boost of your confidence and job interview skills, call us and one of our awesome HR experts will tell you how to make it.
And don’t forget to drop by often on our open positions page, where your dream job may be awaiting you!
