When you get to a second interview, you’re in a positive position to make an impact and secure the job you want. It’s evidence that you’ve passed the first hurdles for the role and the organization sees potential in you. But while it’s cause for celebration, it’s also cause for continued effort, intention and determination.
It’s a tight job market and there is plenty of competition—so your ability to demonstrate your commitment, current skills and future growth will be essential to setting yourself apart and putting yourself ahead of other candidates for the role.
What A Second Interview (Really) Means
When you get a second interview, it means the company sees something in you that they find interesting and see you as a possible match to the job and their culture. It’s an indicator you’re being seriously considered—so you’ll want to make the most of it.
Depending on the job, the second interview could be the final stage of the process, but you’re wise to keep your expectations realistic since there could also be additional rounds of interviews. For any job, there are significant numbers of applicants, so the interviewing process is designed to obtain increasing amounts of information and be increasingly selective—narrowing toward the most ideal person for the job and the organization.
As the pool of candidates is reduced, the number of people you meet with will typically increase. You’re likely to be interviewed by team members and senior leaders as well as HR and your hiring manager. And second interviews are usually longer. They can range in length from an hour to even a full day—as the company seeks to learn as much as they can about you from multiple perspectives.
In the second interview, you’ll be asked to respond to more specific questions which go deeper, are more specific and which are typically tougher.
The bottom line: You’ll have the opportunity to shine with a variety of interviewers, and the process will increasingly seek to dig into who you are and what you’re able to contribute to the organization. You’ll want to research, prepare and plan for the process in order to demonstrate your best.
This is what you’ll likely be asked—and how to respond.
Your Interest in the Role and the Company
You will certainly be asked more about what interests you about the role and the company. Interviewers may ask you questions like these.
- What interests you about this role and about this company?
- Why do you think this role is a good match to your skills?
- Tell me more about what draws you to this job.
You’ll want to be specific about elements of the job that match your skills as well as aspects of the company that attract you—especially based on what you’ve learned in the process so far. Be sure to balance your enthusiasm for the role and the organization. If you overemphasize the company over the job, the hiring leader may be concerned you just want to get your foot in the door of the organization and lack commitment to the job itself.
You’ll also be wise to demonstrate the research you’ve done on the position and the employer, but balance it with an understanding that you will have more to learn. If you come across as presumptuous in what you know about the job or the company, that can be a turn off.
Your Strengths, Weaknesses and Impacts
You’ll also be asked about yourself—in multiple ways. The interviewers will be seeking to learn about your strengths, weaknesses and the impacts you’ve had. Examples of interview questions include:
- In which parts of your last job did you excel? Which were challenging for you?
- What did you enjoy more or less in your last job and why?
- Tell me about a time when you failed or struggled and how you handled it?
- What is your greatest weakness?
- What have you done to impact or improve your previous job or company?
- Tell me about an achievement you’re most proud of.
You’ll want to answer these questions with plenty of detail and examples of your impacts, rather than generalities about your skills. This is the time to provide specifics about what you encountered, how you handled things and the outcomes. Interviewers will be looking for details and they’ll be turned off if you are too superficial in your answers.
Your Relationships
Companies are also especially interested in learning about how you interact with others. They may ask questions like the following.
- What actions have you taken to build and maintain strong relationships with team members and others in your organization?
- Tell me about a time you had a conflict or difficult situation with a co-worker and how you handled it?
- Can you provide examples of your communication skills or interpersonal skills?
- What role do you typically take on a team?
In this case, be sure to talk about how you build and maintain relationships. Employers won’t be looking for perfection in your work relationships or sailing that is always smooth, but they’ll want to hear about how you worked through disagreements constructively or handled differences of opinions for positive project outcomes.
Be sure to share information about how you work on a team, the ways you collaborate successfully and the constructive influence you have on others.
Your Judgement
At this stage, you’ll likely also get questions about your judgement. You may be asked:
- Tell me about a time when you were asked to do something you considered to be wrong or unethical and how you handled it.
- Tell me about a time when you had to make an especially tough decision and how you handled it.
Here, you’ll want to share examples that show your integrity as well as your ability to reflect, consider and take the best action in a situation. You’ll also need to talk about the impact of your actions and choices.
Your Expectations
Another line of questioning in a second interview is typically related to what you want and need from the experience. Interviewers may ask questions like these.
- What is your preferred salary?
- In what ways do you work best (alone, with others, etc.)?
- What is your preferred working model (remote, hybrid, in the office)?
- What aspects of the organization culture are most important to you?
- In which kinds of cultures are you most likely to thrive?
- What do you need from a leader to be successful?
Obviously, you’ll want to tailor your responses to your preferences, but also to what the job offers. If you expect a salary that is much higher than what the job offers or you expect to work remotely from an island paradise when the job is onsite, the employer won’t see a match—so be sure you’re realistic about your expectations and that you balance your desires with the options the job provides.
Also be authentic and clear about what you need from a culture and a leader. When people are happiest in jobs and companies, it’s typically because there is a good match between what’s most important and what the organization offers—so being real about your needs puts you in the best position to land something that will satisfy you.
Your Previous Organization
You may also receive questions which seek your opinions on your last company or job. Be careful in answering these questions, ensuring you’re constructive and diplomatic in your answers. Interviewers will be turned off if you disparage a previous employer or job.
Your Future Potential
Interviewers will also ask you questions to determine how you’ll contribute immediately and to determine your future potential with the organization. They may ask:
- In what ways would you plan to establish yourself and your credibility during your first 6 months on the job?
- What are your career goals?
- Where do you see yourself in three years?
- What motivates you?
For these questions, you’ll want to share specific ways you plan to hit the ground running—how you’ll ask questions, seek learning, build relationships and make contributions—based on what you know about the job and the company. And you’ll want to share your interest in contributing to the company over time, demonstrating your enthusiasm for today’s role and your future growth.
Here, you’ll want to balance your answers as well—showing you’re interested in the current role and also that you’ve given thought to your future, your goals and your desire for growth.
Prepare to Succeed
Overall, your preparation for a second interview should be as much or even greater than for your first interview. Research the job and the company, and learn as much as you can about who will be interviewing you.
Be ready with examples, stories, specifics and the themes that you want to emphasize. Consider what the organization wants in a candidate, and prepare your content with that lens in mind—talking about aspects of your experience which is most relevant to this particular role.
And prepare questions as well—since these will send a message about your priorities, interests and commitment.
Be Confident and Authentic
Also be confident as well as authentic. You are more likely to be evaluated more positively when you’re self-assured and demonstrate you’re capable. Candidates who spoke more—and more quickly—and who gestured more and complimented others, were perceived as more confident. As a result they tended to be rated more highly by interviewers, based on research from the University of Nebraska.
At the same time you’re confident, also be yourself. Interviewers will be more likely to evaluate you positively when you’re both honest and authentic. If you’re overly polished, they may perceive you as inauthentic or misrepresenting yourself and rate you more negatively, according to research published in the Journal of Applied Psychology.
Embrace the Future
With the strong job market, your opportunities are both plentiful and positive—so prepare yourself thoroughly and put your best foot forward through your second interview and throughout the selection process.
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