So you’ve made it to the second interview. This only implies that you did wonderful in your initial interview with the recruiter. You’re now mere steps away from bagging that position you’re eyeing for. You only need to ace the second round by preparing what to answer to the second interview questions.
In your second interview, expect to have more in-depth questions about your skills, experience, and work ethics. Usually, second interviews include an executive or manager in the team you’ll be joining. They’ll be there to assess how fitting you are to join the department in terms of responsibilities, culture, and personality.
What is a second interview?
A second interview is the second screening you get as you pass the first interview. While there’s still uncertainty on landing the role, getting into the second interview implies that you have the potential to land the role. You’ll meet with the higher-ups to discuss your experience, work ethics, and career goals in this round.
Expect this interview to be more serious—more inquisitive about your personal and career objectives. After all, you will meet with higher-ups who could be your next manager. You want to impress them as much as you can, so you must prepare for the second interview questions that may or may not have been asked during the first interview.
How to prepare for the second interview
Here are some handy tips on how you can nail the second round of interview:
1. Reflect on your first interview.
The first thing to do is recalling what happened during your first interview. Think of any loopholes you want to save and try to remember any mistakes that could use improvements. Say you notice how much you overused using filler words. Then, you may improve this by practicing more how you speak spontaneously.
Looking at the mistakes will help you fill in the gaps. It makes you polish your interview to appear well-prepared.
2. Practice your answers to the potential questions.
You did it in your first interview. You are more inclined to do so the second time around. That is because the second interview will consist of more role-specific questions. You will be asked a different set of questions from the first one. Thus, you need to prepare and anticipate more complex questions. You’ll know more of these in the latter part of this guide.
3. Research more about the company.
You’re meeting with the recruiters for the second time. They are inclined to expect that you know more about them, which they will test through some questions. So, as a preparation, conduct another research about the organization and the specific role you are applying for.
For example, you are interviewing for the graphic designer role, take a look at their current design methods. Give feedback and provide constructive suggestions. This lets them know you are aware of their current marketing methods.
4. Recall the names of the people you met in the first interview.
It counts to remember the names of the people you met last time. As much as you can, remember and address them by name during your next meeting. They will highly appreciate the gesture.
5. Prepare the questions you want to ask them.
To appear more invested in landing the role, you must always shoot questions in return. These questions should be different from the ones you already asked. Think of any queries that specifically address the role or the company. Here are some questions you may ask:
- What is the one thing you love the most about the company culture here?
- How do you measure the job performance for this role?
- What is the most essential quality that the qualified person for this role should have?
- What does the career growth trajectory look like for this role?
- Can you tell me more about the leadership style you are using in the organization?
- How do you track success for your employees?
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The second interview questions you must prepare for
Here is a list of the most important interview questions and how you can nail them.
1. What are the strengths you’ll bring to the role?
This question begs for the strengths that set you apart from other applicants. The right way to prove these strengths is by citing previous experiences that demonstrate the skills mentioned. Align the to the company goals and prove success rates by highlighting metrics met. Be specific as much as possible and always relate to what the job requires.
2. Can you tell me about the first things you would do in this role?
This question wants to know your ideas in performing the role. The recruiters want to know your concrete plans and your action steps in securing success. After all, they want to know your goals in taking on the role. It counts to review their current strategies and provide resolutions in making necessary improvements or maintaining success. Thus, you need to cite some impactful ideas that the company will benefit from.
3. What kind of management style do you thrive in?
Management styles impact how an employee works. The recruiters ask about this to know your compatibility with their current management style. They want to know which management style types make you thrive on assessing how you’ll succeed with the team. In answering this question, be honest in your preference and share that you are adaptable to any style.
4. Tell me about a time when you didn’t get along with a coworker.
This is a behavioral question that seeks how you manage conflicts. Conflict resolution is one of those universal skills that demonstrate good collaboration. It illustrates how adaptable you are to your environment. You can learn more about nailing conflict resolution here.
In giving an acceptable answer, mention any experiences that required you to work with a difficult coworker. Share how you overcame it and prove how you didn’t let the differences get in the way of completing common goals.
5. What are your career goals?
Recruiters want to know your career goals because they want to take a glimpse of your long-term plans. They want proof that you align your goals to the role and the company. If they don’t see your interest in growing with their company, they have no business hiring you. Thus, your answer should always involve the company in your career plans. This is to prove your interest in growing with them.
Here is a list of other questions that may come up in your second interview:
- Describe your ideal work environment.
- What is it that you like the most about this job?
- Do you like working in teams or independently?
- How do you cope with stressful work situations?
- Is there anything you want to revisit in your first interview?
- What was the biggest challenge in your current or previous role? How did you handle it?
- Have you ever made an unpopular decision that brought good results?
- How do you deal with both internal and external stakeholders?
- Are you good with task delegation? Or do you prefer working on tasks by yourself?
- Describe yourself in one sentence.
- What skills make you an ideal candidate for the role?
Those are the questions you should prepare for in your second interview. Don’t forget to do the post-interview practices that show your appreciation to the interviewers. Let them know how much it means to you to be invited for a second interview. And most of all, remember to nail your interview by giving answers that align with the company goals and the role you are applying for. To help you secure a successful interview, this online course will help you big time.
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