Everyone knows that making a good impression at a job interview involves a lot more than just dressing appropriately and being on time. Still, many candidates fall into one of these three traps, which often ruins their chances of getting hired. Avoid them at all costs. Adapted from a Fast Company article by Judith Humphrey.
You’ve written your resume and gotten a job interview. But your nerves set in as you wonder how you’ll perform in that encounter, what the interviewer will ask you, and how you’ll answer. Thinking about these things makes you nervous.
But you don’t have to feel overwhelmed. There is a way out — a way to make yourself feel that you’re coming to the interview from a position of strength. The answer is to do your research.
Prepare for that crucial meeting by deepening your knowledge of the company, its culture and the job. You’ll look and sound smart. You’ll be able to ask great questions. And you’ll have the insights you need to make the right decision.
Research the company
Studying the company not only shows respect, but it will elevate your interview to another level of discussion.
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Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, spoke about this on the Stanford Graduate School of Business podcast, “View From The Top.”
When talking about job interviews, Dimon said, “Some people walk into your office, and they say, ‘Gee, I’d like to know about the strategy of your company.’ They didn’t bother to read the chairman’s letter I wrote, which is about 30 or 40 pages long.” In contrast, he notes, “Other people walk in, and they know everything (about the company).”
If you want a job with a certain company, study everything about that firm that’s in the public domain: annual reports, executive speeches and presentations, media interviews and social media sites, including the firm’s website.
Wrap your mind around what its leaders are saying — what their vision is and what the company’s position in the marketplace is. It’s also a good opportunity to see if that company’s goals impress you.
Once you’ve completed this analysis, you will be able to tell the interviewer, “I’m impressed with the direction your company is taking,” or “I was inspired by the chairman’s speech to shareholders.” And you’ll be able to ask good probing questions.
Research the culture
Next, make sure you understand the company culture, which has become more important than ever for job seekers.
Examine the company’s back-to-work protocols to gain insight to the cultural fabric. Do they encourage a return to the office, allow working from home, or support a hybrid approach? Having this knowledge will impress the interviewer and allow you to discuss your fit within these options.
Look into other aspects of the company’s culture. The MIT Sloan Management Review examined the things employees look for, most important of which was an environment in which “employees feel respected,” plus leaders who are supportive and exemplify core values.
These priorities have become increasingly important and can make all the difference to your happiness at work.
Talk to people who have worked for the company. Search LinkedIn for recent news releases, and check out Glassdoor for employee reviews.
Study the firm’s website for cultural cues, too. If, for example, the website shows only senior executives, you can presume it’s a top-down company. And if everybody on the leadership team looks the same, that should also be a warning sign.
When you have your interview, express your understanding of the company’s culture.
If you are impressed, say so. If there’s a good fit, emphasize that. If you have questions, ask them — and make sure you get the answers you need.
Research the job
Finally, doing due diligence about the job itself will be key in explaining why you’re the ideal candidate for that position. Knowing the challenges you’re likely to face will allow you to pitch yourself successfully.
Look at the job description and ask yourself,“How would I perform in this role during the first few months?”
Chris Kowalewski, the chief growth officer for Compass Group, a company that employs more than 500,000 people, says, “If someone comes through the door and says, ‘I’ve done my research, here’s what I know about Compass, here’s what I know about the job, here’s how I would approach the first 30, 60, 90 days,’ they’d probably get the job.”
And there’s no right answer, Kowalewski says. “It’s based on the research the candidate has done. Can they articulate a plan?”
If you’re in sales, the first three months might involve building good relationships with clients, partners and teammates, and mastering the sales platform. If you’re in IT, it might mean building similarly strong relationships and getting to know — and leading — others in the IT environment.
The point is to fully understand the job and its challenges. Even if you’re not asked about the first 30, 60 and 90 days, take the lead and provide those insights.
Your due diligence in these areas will ensure that your interview is a deeper conversation and shows that you’ve done your homework. It will also show the interviewer you’re a strong, confident candidate who is ready to contribute from day one.
The US cities with the largest growth in high-paying jobs
Cities With the Largest Growth in High-Paying Jobs
Photo Credit: El Nariz / Shutterstock
One of the COVID-19 pandemic’s most significant long-term effects on the economy could be rising wages. With widespread shortages in the labor market reported this summer, many employers—particularly those with lower-wage employees—have tried to entice workers with improved compensation and benefits. These trends have led to the fastest rates of wage growth since the Great Recession, especially among the lowest earners.
But lower-wage professions still have a long way to go to match the strong rates of wage growth for higher-income jobs over the last few decades. According to data from the Economic Policy Institute, inflation-adjusted wage growth from 1979 to 2019 for a worker at the 10th percentile of wages was a mere 3.3%. For the median earner, wages grew 15.1% over that span, while for 95th percentile earners, wages were up 63.2%.
These divergent trends have driven up the share of Americans in high-earning professions and created larger gaps between higher and lower ends of the income spectrum. Twenty years ago, only 0.7% of American workers were in jobs that typically paid more than $100,000 per year. By 2015, that share was 3.8%. And in the last five years alone, the percentage of American workers in six-figure jobs more than doubled to 7.9% in 2020.
The percentage of American workers in 6 figure jobs has risen sharply
One field that may be contributing to the growth rate of high-paying jobs nationwide is tech: software developers and computer and information systems managers—both of which have faster growth rates than most other professions—currently combine for more than 1.9 million high-paying jobs. But while fast-growing tech jobs and more specialized fields like law, health, or finance often get the attention, the most common six-figure profession is general and operations managers. More than 2.3 million U.S. workers fill this role, which is common in organizations of all types across the public and private sector, and it has a median annual income of $103,650.
General managers are the most popular 6 figure jobs
In addition to being concentrated in certain fields, high-paying jobs are also geographically concentrated. Six-figure salaries are most common in coastal states including California, Massachusetts, Maryland, and New York, where the population tends to have greater educational attainment, cost of living is higher, and high-paying industries like tech, business, law, and health and life sciences are more prevalent. But even many parts of the country where these jobs are less common are seeing growth. Six-figure jobs more than tripled in Hawaii from 2015 to 2020, and ten other states—mostly in the Mountain West and upper Midwest—had a growth rate for six-figure jobs of more than 100% over the same span. Many of these states are proving more attractive to employers and professionals seeking lower-cost locales.
Coastal states have the highest share of employment in 6 figure jobs
At the local level, low costs can also be a major draw for companies looking to grow or expand, along with access to a strong labor supply or top universities. These factors have boosted the growth of high-paying jobs in metros like Nashville, Phoenix, and others as they have emerged as viable alternatives to established centers like New York or the Bay Area.
To determine the locations with the largest growth in high-paying jobs, researchers at Stessa calculated the percentage change in employment in six-figure jobs from 2015 to 2020 using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In the event of a tie, the location with the greater percentage of total employment in six-figure jobs for 2020 was ranked higher. For the purpose of this analysis, employment in six-figure jobs was defined as total employment in occupations with a median annual wage of $100,000 or more.
Here are the metros with the largest growth in high-paying jobs.
Small and midsize metros with the most growth in high paying jobs
15. Austin-Round Rock, TX
Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
- Percentage change in six-figure jobs (2015–2020): +101.1%
- Percentage of total employment in six-figure jobs (2020): 7.6%
- Total employment in six-figure jobs (2020): 80,560
- Total employment in six-figure jobs (2015): 40,060
- Median annual wage across all occupations (2020): $44,020
13. Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA
Photo Credit: Andrew Zarivny / Shutterstock
- Percentage change in six-figure jobs (2015–2020): +107.7%
- Percentage of total employment in six-figure jobs (2020): 12.9%
- Total employment in six-figure jobs (2020): 124,480
- Total employment in six-figure jobs (2015): 59,930
- Median annual wage across all occupations (2020): $48,070
12. Raleigh, NC
Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
- Percentage change in six-figure jobs (2015–2020): +109.2%
- Percentage of total employment in six-figure jobs (2020): 9.9%
- Total employment in six-figure jobs (2020): 61,470
- Total employment in six-figure jobs (2015): 29,380
- Median annual wage across all occupations (2020): $43,500
11. Salt Lake City, UT
Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
- Percentage change in six-figure jobs (2015–2020): +122.3%
- Percentage of total employment in six-figure jobs (2020): 6.2%
- Total employment in six-figure jobs (2020): 45,090
- Total employment in six-figure jobs (2015): 20,280
- Median annual wage across all occupations (2020): $42,280
10. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
Photo Credit: Jon Bilous / Shutterstock
- Percentage change in six-figure jobs (2015–2020): +124.7%
- Percentage of total employment in six-figure jobs (2020): 10.1%
- Total employment in six-figure jobs (2020): 115,080
- Total employment in six-figure jobs (2015): 51,220
- Median annual wage across all occupations (2020): $48,050
9. Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY
Photo Credit: Sergey Novikov / Shutterstock
- Percentage change in six-figure jobs (2015–2020): +143.0%
- Percentage of total employment in six-figure jobs (2020): 5.0%
- Total employment in six-figure jobs (2020): 24,590
- Total employment in six-figure jobs (2015): 10,120
- Median annual wage across all occupations (2020): $42,040
8. Tucson, AZ
Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
- Percentage change in six-figure jobs (2015–2020): +156.2%
- Percentage of total employment in six-figure jobs (2020): 3.7%
- Total employment in six-figure jobs (2020): 13,730
- Total employment in six-figure jobs (2015): 5,360
- Median annual wage across all occupations (2020): $38,900
7. San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX
Photo Credit: f11photo / Shutterstock
- Percentage change in six-figure jobs (2015–2020): +163.0%
- Percentage of total employment in six-figure jobs (2020): 5.7%
- Total employment in six-figure jobs (2020): 56,780
- Total employment in six-figure jobs (2015): 21,590
- Median annual wage across all occupations (2020): $37,920
6. Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI
Photo Credit: Henryk Sadura / Shutterstock
- Percentage change in six-figure jobs (2015–2020): +175.2%
- Percentage of total employment in six-figure jobs (2020): 4.2%
- Total employment in six-figure jobs (2020): 21,630
- Total employment in six-figure jobs (2015): 7,860
- Median annual wage across all occupations (2020): $39,430
5. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
Photo Credit: Steve Minkler / Shutterstock
- Percentage change in six-figure jobs (2015–2020): +181.3%
- Percentage of total employment in six-figure jobs (2020): 6.3%
- Total employment in six-figure jobs (2020): 93,620
- Total employment in six-figure jobs (2015): 33,280
- Median annual wage across all occupations (2020): $39,630
4. New Orleans-Metairie, LA
Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
- Percentage change in six-figure jobs (2015–2020): +204.8%
- Percentage of total employment in six-figure jobs (2020): 6.5%
- Total employment in six-figure jobs (2020): 33,310
- Total employment in six-figure jobs (2015): 10,930
- Median annual wage across all occupations (2020): $38,280
3. Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV
Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
- Percentage change in six-figure jobs (2015–2020): +216.1%
- Percentage of total employment in six-figure jobs (2020): 4.8%
- Total employment in six-figure jobs (2020): 43,690
- Total employment in six-figure jobs (2015): 13,820
- Median annual wage across all occupations (2020): $37,690
2. Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ
Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
- Percentage change in six-figure jobs (2015–2020): +217.1%
- Percentage of total employment in six-figure jobs (2020): 8.6%
- Total employment in six-figure jobs (2020): 180,740
- Total employment in six-figure jobs (2015): 57,000
- Median annual wage across all occupations (2020): $41,300
1. Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN
Photo Credit: Mihai_Andritoiu / Shutterstock
- Percentage change in six-figure jobs (2015–2020): +270.9%
- Percentage of total employment in six-figure jobs (2020): 5.6%
- Total employment in six-figure jobs (2020): 53,820
- Total employment in six-figure jobs (2015): 14,510
- Median annual wage across all occupations (2020): $40,650