Interviews and OCIs | Fit
If there was one word that we could banish forever from interview prep, it would be “fit”. What does this even mean?
Rather than worrying about what ‘fit’ means or then pretending to be someone that you are not, let’s talk about going into interviews with the right approach.
What fit means is your ability to build a relationship with the interviewer in front of you. That’s it. No need to pretend to be a hockey player or be interested in fine art when this isn’t you. Firms will see right through this.
Rather, I would suggest that you approach your interviews with a relationship-focused mindset. Who is the person across from you? How did they end up in their career? What are some commonalities between the both of you? At the end of the day, students who approach interviews with a relationship-focused mindset will thrive and succeed.
So what does this mean, practically speaking?
Have you acknowledged how their day is going when the camera turns on?
Are you asking questions out of a genuine position of curiosity or are you trying to sound smart?
How do you come across when answering questions? Are you reading off a script? Are you trying to recite everything off your CV (like a school exam)?
Are you fully present and engaging in dialogue?
How is your tone? Do you come across as desperate (please hire me!) or are you coming from a place of warmth and confidence (I’m excited to meet you today and see if we’re a good match for each other)?
There is a lot to unpack here. Rather than thinking about fit, let’s think about building that relationship with the person in front of you.
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Given the sensitivity of the topic, we are always open to further conversation about it. Email us at info@beyondthea.co and someone from our team will get back to you.