Welcome to Edition #17 of Ask Gorick Anything. This AMA is part of Gorick's Newsletter, where Harvard career advisor and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Gorick Ng shares what they don't teach you in school about how to succeed in your career.
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→ Read time: 5 min
ASK GORICK ANYTHING
“How do I get past the interview stage?”
Have a career question? Ask me here.
Subscriber’s question:
“I’ve been applying to jobs for several months now and gotten a handful of interviews that I was excited about. But even though I got past the phone screenings and first round interviews, I haven’t gotten any offers. This is super frustrating because I have evidence to believe that I’m a strong candidate but also don’t see a clear way forward or to show that to my interviewers more than I do. Maybe it is something about how I answer questions or show up on Zoom.
What do I do to get past this stage and actually get the job? It feels terrible to come so close in comparison to some jobs that just never get back to me. Thank you.”
— “Sera” from San Antonio, TX, USA
Gorick’s response:
Hi Sera,
Thanks so much for writing in—I think we can all relate to the feeling of getting our hopes up about a job or promotion (or really anything!) and then finding it slip away.
I want to talk about 2 parts to your question: Getting the interview + passing the interview. Even though it sounds like you’re mostly struggling with the second part, let’s diagnose your problem from the beginning.
The 2 parts to every job search
There are 2 steps to every job search:
1. Getting an interview… which comes down to 4 things:
- picking the right positions,
- networking,
- your resume, and
- your cover letter.
2. Passing the interview(s)… which comes down to 3 things:
- the “fit” interview,
- the “technical” or role-specific interview, and
- how put-together you are at the interview.
So, if you’re struggling with your job search, your first step is to ask yourself, “Which step [of the above] am I getting stuck at?”
Can’t get an interview?
If you’re not getting many (or any) interviews, then you’re stuck on step 1—and it’s time to do 4 things:
1. Look at positions that would recognize your qualifications more by skimming the LinkedIn profiles of people who were previously in your role, looking at where they ended up afterwards, and applying for those same positions.
2. Do more—and more relevant—networking by contacting the people you just found, sharing your story, and asking for advice.
3. Update your resume to better match the job descriptions you’re looking at by adding nouns, verbs, and numbers that insiders would recognize and reward you for.
4. Update your cover letter to reinforce your Three C’s by explaining how your prior role translates to your current role and why you’re interested in this role, team, and organization specifically.
Can’t get past the interview?
If you’re getting interviews but not getting past those interviews, then you’re stuck on step 2—and it’s time to do 4 things:
Step 1: Polish your response to the following “fit” questions:
- “Tell me about yourself”*
- “Why this role?”
- “Why our company?”
- “Where do you see yourself in the future?”
- “Tell me about a time when… (you demonstrated leadership / disagreed with a coworker / made a mistake / received negative feedback).”
*Listen to the audio!
Came here from my newsletter email? See below to listen to my audio on how to answer the interview question, "Tell me about yourself."
Found this walkthrough helpful? I’ve got plenty more like it → www.gorick.com/flashcards
Every card comes with a video tutorial—what you heard here is just the audio.
Spring sale going on now: Get one flashcard deck, get 50% off your second deck.
Step 2: Google for “interview questions” + “[your role]” + “[your company]” + Glassdoor or Reddit or Blind or Fishbowl—and rehearse your answers to the most common role-specific questions you find (or ask Perplexity or ChatGPT).
Step 3: Practice your answers live with a friend in person / over Zoom and ask them to give you feedback.
Step 4: (If any of your interviews are via video chat) Make sure you look and sound polished via a fast and stable internet connection, good lighting, quality audio, and an organized background. (Want to invest in a better home work setup? Here’s a list of what I use at home and on the road.)
Most people won’t tell you why they didn’t pick you, but it’s still worthwhile to ask for feedback from your interview if you don’t get picked.
Simply ask: “Are you able to share the top deciding factor
that separated me from the successful candidate?”
Hang in there. The job search is hard, but it’s not impossible—especially if you put some of these unspoken rules and their techniques into practice.
See you next Tuesday!
Gorick
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