There are a LOT of articles out there that will tell you what to do in an interview to ensure you wow them and get hired. I am sure these articles all have great things to say. Read them.
In the year since I started at Meridian Cooperative (fka SEDC), we have interviewed quite a few IDs to fill newly added and vacated seats on our team. Every company has its own interview process. I don't know anything about those, but typically our interview process happens like this:
Person applies to job posting.
HR screens resumes and hands them over to hiring manager (HM)
HM picks the ones she wants to move forward with
HR Schedules interview
HM meets with candidate for about an hour and asks questions.
As long as there are no glaring reasons NOT to move forward, generally, the HM asks the candidate if they would be open to a team interview
Unless the candidate knows they don't want the job, they generally agree
HR schedules Team interview with the candidate, HM, and the rest of the team (this is the first time I am involved in the process)
HM shares resume with team
Team prepares questions
Team interviews candidate
Candidate is excused
Team and HM discuss candidate
These are the things we talk about as a team:
Do we think this person will be a good fit with our team?
What concerns do we have?
What did we like about this person?
What skills does this person have that we lack on our team?
Does this person lack any skills that can be supported by someone on the team?
Then the HM takes all our feedback and either offers the job or doesn't - ultimately the decision is made by the HM.
So how do you make sure that you nail steps 5, and 11? Well, it actually starts with step 1.
Step 1: Apply for the Job
One thing that I did differently for the job that I got, that I didn't do for all the ones I didn't get, was I reached out to the job poster BEFORE I even applied.
I read the job description and it was perfect for me. I researched the company and thought, "Wow, I think I would really like to work here." Only problem was, the job posting didn't say remote, and it was in Atlanta and I am in South Carolina. Bummer. But I really wanted this job. So I asked.
Here's the actual message I sent to the job poster. On a side note - December 8, 2020 was my 40th birthday. Maybe it was all fate. But it turns out that this was the first step in a series of steps that changed my life 1000%:
So this message isn't very profound - I didn't give an "elevator pitch" and I didn't blow and smoke up anyone's hindquarters. I just asked about a job. We went back a few times and she told me that the job was 100% remote and then gave me some advice about applying to make sure that my application was reviewed. This all happened BEFORE I even applied.
As it turned out, the "job poster" I messaged was the hiring manager. Now I don't know if me reaching out to her changed her mind about me - but it certainly didn't hurt. This does not mean that this is going to happen for you, but it might. You never know who you may end up talking to. So if you see a job you want, go after it.
When the HM and I were finally able to interview, we hit it off like we had known each other forever, and she has been one of my strongest supporters since I was hired. Maybe that was because I reached out to her, maybe it was because we are just kindred spirits. Either way, it all started with a message.
Now - let's talk about the interview. I had 5 failed interviews before this one - so, eh - take this with a grain of salt. But I am not writing this as an interviewee - I am writing this as a person who has been in a bunch of interviews with a bunch of IDs ranging in age from early 20s to early 60s. I am going to tell you the things that turned our heads, and the things that left us scratching them.
In no particular order:
Be yourself. Don't put on airs, don't lie, and don't tell them what you think they want to hear. We can sense when someone isn't being truthful and that's a red flag. If you just started with Storyline, be honest. Learning the tools is the easy part. What we're really looking for in an interview is personality and fit.
Make eye contact. This is really hard for some people to do on a video call, but it is so important. Looking down can be a sign of a lack of confidence. Looking over the interviewer's head can show as a sign of arrogance. So make eye contact. Schedule a zoom call with a friend and get into the habit of looking into the camera and not at your own face. But don't be creepy and try to look through their soul. Just act like the person is sitting in front of you.
Have stories to tell. If you just answer questions that are asked and don't elaborate, it will seem like you're not very interesting, and boring people are hard to work with. So here's my trick. Think of three or four of your strengths. Not things that you "can" do - but the things that people come to you to do for them because you're so good at it. For me, it was organization, formatting documents, troubleshooting technology, even decorating their classrooms. Then think of stories that showcase those strengths. Write them down. Study them. Then as you are answering questions, find ways to weave them into the conversation. If you have something prepared then you will be able to pivot the conversation back to something that highlights your skills. But be careful, you don't want to go too far off-topic or the interviewer may think you're avoiding the question.
Here is some specific advice For Teachers:
Don't talk about the classroom, or how much you love kids, or how your life revolves around the "aha moment." No one cares and this is irrelevant to ID. If they ask you what you love about teaching, or why you became a teacher talk about something that relates to ID. They are trying to find where your motivation lies. There are no kids in ID, so if you crave the interaction with other small human beings, that is a red flag that this person may not thrive in a WFH or office environment.
Don't be negative. Even if you hate your job, your boss, and your commute - don't talk about it. Find another reason why you're leaving because you WILL be asked this question. My answer was that I wanted to see a bigger ROI (Return on Investment). While not the only reason I was leaving, it was my biggest motivator and it allowed me to talk about my drive and perseverance. I could have talked about how my mother had just had her third heart attack and I wanted to be home in case she had a fourth. Or I could have talked about how tired I was of defending myself and my professional choices to people who had no business making decisions about them. But none of that applied and didn't make me look very good.
Don't talk about how you just want to be remote. This is like a slap in the face and won't get you the job. Now, if the HM and you are getting along great and you feel comfortable opening up to them feel free to bring up how life-changing his job will be for you. This was true for me and my HM and she saw how appreciative I would be for the opportunity and it was one reason I was offered the job. As it turns out, grateful employees are hard workers. However, some companies have strict WFH policies. Make sure your goals align with company guidelines.
What should you do to prepare for the interview?
Know the company. Research it so you know what kind of company you're interviewing with. You may get lucky and learn about their culture and know whether or not you're personality agrees with it. This step really should be done BEFORE you apply rather than waiting until you finally get an interview. Believe it or not, you may not be happier in a company whose profile is a total 180 from yours. And that would suck.
Know the terminology and be able to have intelligent conversations about it. How do you use ADDIE in your daily lesson planning? How would it look different if you to a SAM approach? If you are applying to a software company, you should have a general understanding of the Agile Methodology and SCRUM. You don't have to get certified, but you should at least understand the lingo. As an ID you have to work with SMEs and they are going to use their terminology, not yours.
Google "Interview Questions for Instructional Designers" and prepare answers to as many questions as you can. You don't have to read your answers in the interview, that would be weird, but you should at least have an idea of how you would answer them so you don't divert to your safe place and give teacher answers. Teachers are not IDs (in the eyes of many people). And I agree that its not the same job, even though teachers really are IDs. You have to learn how to SHOW the interviewer that you do know what you're doing. Be confident. And the best way to be confident is to be prepared.
The interview is a crack in the door and someone peeking out at you asking you for the secret password. The only thing is, the only person keeping you outside is you. The other guy doesn't know what the secret password is any more than you do, he's just looking to see if you have the balls to give an answer or if you'll turn tail and find another door.
You need to trust your skills and abilities and be confident. If you don't think you can do this job, then no one else will either.
You got this!
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