One of the most important things that happen during an interview is the so called cultural fit. Cultural Fit is defined as the individual’s attitudes, values, and beliefs being in line with the core values and culture of an organization.
To achieve this cultural fit between an organization and yourself, first of all, you need to know your own values and what do you stand for above anything else. If you have trouble knowing your values I recommend listening to the episode “handling difficult emotions” in the podcast Empty Inside by Jennette McCurdy. The Harvard Psychology professor (from the Podcast) suggests that the key to knowing yourself is by acknowledging what makes you feel happy, angry, or deeply sad.
This week I was part of an activity called Interviewmania, where I got to do the role of the person being interviewed with Computer Science, Software Engineering, and Javascript questions. Also, I participated in a seminar on Interview Best Practices where I learned more about the cultural fit.
How do I know if the company shares the same values as I do?
Research is important when knowing if you are right for the company, and the company is right for you. The company got your CV, and maybe a cover letter. You can research the company by going on its job posts, LinkedIn profile, or other social media. Usually, every company has an “about” on their website. So take advantage of every resource to find out if you belong there.
How do I need to prepare?
A really good opportunity the internship in Encora has given me is to have many mock interviews to know the strengths in my knowledge, and things where I need to improve myself. If you lack this opportunity, find some friends or coworkers to help you improve your interview skills.
Hopefully, after gaining some feedback you would find yourself in a less vulnerable position. You would know how to manage your emotions better next time, and try practicing these breathing exercises (to calm yourself just a little, don't fall asleep while you are being interviewed though)!
What happens after the interview?
This part I don't know that much, I do not have that much practice between the tech community on how to handle expectations from recruiters at the moment. But one thing I can assure is that thanking everyone for their time is always a must. Usually, they need to see many candidates and take to many hours reviewing CVs, so respectfully thank the interviewers for taking the time for getting to know you better, and maybe ask when can you hear back from them.
So…
This week I would take part in another mock interview, and also I will play the role of the interviewer next week to assess a partner. Hopefully, everything goes as expected.
