Congratulations, you’ve made it to the second round of interviews. You’re almost at the end of your job search journey, now it’s time to nail the next step. You may be thinking, “what else do they need to know?” The short answer is there are always more questions to ask during the job interviewing process. But not to worry, we’ve done the heavy lifting and have narrowed down some of the most commonly asked questions during the second round of interviews. So let’s get into it!
1. How would you enhance the company in this role?
This is where you can highlight what makes you, you! What characteristics and skills do you possess that they will not be able to find in other candidates? It’s beneficial that you highlight your previous roles and how you enhanced the business (e.g. projects or career highlights). This is also an opportunity to touch on their company culture and how you’d be an excellent addition. Do you work well in group settings? Why is a community environment in the workplace important to you? These are some questions to think about before your interview. Although you may automatically think enhancing a company may mean increasing the bottom line, it also can be what you’re doing behind the scenes to create and promote a healthy and productive workspace. This is especially great talk about if you’re applying for a leadership position.
Another direction you can take when asked this question is focusing on how you’d grow your department or the company as a whole. Are there any potential gaps you see in the market that the company could really take advantage of? You want to market yourself as a forward thinker who is eager to share your ideas. For example, if you’re applying for a role at a creative marketing agency, look at their roster of clients. Who do you think would be a great addition to the list? How would you approach them to represent their brand? Creating a short elevator pitch with mock designs, brand collaborations, etc. is not only a great way to show initiative but to also demonstrate your skills and understanding of the company.
2. What was your biggest hurdle at your last positions and how did you navigate it?
How did you respond when you faced adversity? This question is such a great opportunity to talk about personal growth and development. Also, this is not a trick question! Employers want to know how you react when the goings get tough. A sample answer for this question could be talking about a performance review you had as a social media coordinator. You could discuss how your former employer mentioned that your Photoshop and After Effects were sufficient, but they could be improved on. During your interview highlight the fact that you took your former employer’s feedback and really worked on these skills and, as a result, building these skills brought you to where you’re today.
3. Describe a work-related achievement you’re the most proud of?
When asked this question it’s critical that you pick a moment that showcases your skills as well as the attributes they are looking for. Was there a project you spearheaded? A client you retained? A contract you sealed? It’s essential that you go just beyond naming what you’re proud of, but also create a roadmap for the interviewer on how you got there. What strategies did you implement? What contacts did you use? Create a story to really draw the interviewer in.
4. What are your goals within the first few months?
Where do you see the company improving and how would you implement change? This is where you can give insight on strategies you would use if given the role. Try giving three strong examples with metrics to back it up. This ensures that your examples aren’t vague—be as specific as possible so it shows that you’ve done your research.
For example, you’re applying to be a social media coordinator and the brand is trying to reach a younger audience but hasn’t been successful yet. After doing research, you notice that they’re mostly using Facebook and Twitter to draw in engagement. A great strategy to pitch is targeting users on TikTok or Instagram instead. To take this a step further, do research on the ages of users of Facebook and Twitter to emphasize the fact that younger audiences aren’t using these platforms as much as they once were.
5. What are your salary expectations?
Talking about money can be uncomfortable, but it’s inevitable that this question will come up during the interview process. Before your interview, use websites like Glassdoor to get an insight into what this company usually offers for your desired role. It’s also key to look into similar roles at other companies to see if the salary is comparable.
Before going into your interview, you should have a salary range in mind—this demonstrates that you have a clear understanding of the value you’re bringing to the role as well as the fact that you’ve done your research.
Interviews can be nerve-wracking for everyone. But when you’ve made it to the second round, you’ve done this dance before and they clearly were impressed with you the last time! It’s important to keep this mindset in the second round of interviews—they brought you back for a reason. Be confident in your skills and abilities and you’ll nail this!
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Demetra Maragos – Demetra is a Master of Arts candidate at New York University, who loves thinking outside of conventional lines to combine her passions of everything culture, fashion and lifestyle.
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