Before Your interview

Do your research

Visit Nova’s website, google us, check out Nova Taiwan Facebook page, and learn about our culture, mission, and values. If you have a friend at Nova, talk to them to learn more. It’s vital that you understand our main business, our industry, our products and services, and who are our clients and competitors. The more knowledgeable you become, the more prepared you will be for the interview.

Demonstrate interest in the position

Review the job description, make sure you understand what it entails and how your skills, capabilities, and qualifications make you the right person for the job. If there are criteria you don’t directly meet, think about other skills or capabilities that you do have that you can apply instead. Yet, be realistic about any gaps in your knowledge and/or skills.

Get to know your interviewer

Ask who is going to interview you and then use LinkedIn to find out more about your interviewer’s professional interests and experience.

Prepare and practice

Ask a friend to do a mock-interview and help you prepare on a professional and technical level. Try to simulate situations with customers or tech issues you might need to resolve. Then prepare answers for the interview, how would you address these issues based on previous experience.

Here are some practice questions you can use: 

• Why are you interested in this job opportunity?
• What is your specific expertise?
• Why do you want to join Nova?
• Give us an example of a situation where you had to face a challenge with a customer/colleague?, how did you deal with it? What did you learn from it about yourself?
• Give us an example of a stressful situation with a customer? What did you take from this experience about your abilities to deal with pressure?
• Why did you leave/are you leaving your current position?
• What would your ex-manager miss most about you when you leave?
• How would your coworkers describe you?
• What other companies have you interviewed with Is there a position you really wanted to go to and were not accepted? Why?
• What is your current salary, and salary expectation? 

Be prepared to answer more challenging questions like:

• Why is there a gap in your employment history?
• Why have you changed jobs so frequently?

What to bring with you?

Make sure to bring 2 copies of your resume and other documents and materials you may want to present.

Relax. You got this.

Get a good night’s sleep the night before. Try to think about the interview as a conversation in which you’re coming to learn about the company. Thinking about it in this way can help your curiosity and listening skills shine through.

The day has arrived- What to do on the interview day? 

Arrive 5-10 minutes early

First impressions matter. Arriving on time means arriving 5-10 minutes early. Remember your interview begins when you arrive at the reception desk. Be courteous and attentive.

Verbal and nonverbal communication is key

During the interview, answer with confidence, and stay positive. Be sure to smile and maintain eye contact as much as possible. Eye contact is an important part of nonverbal communication

Good listening skills go a long way

Making a good impression can be easy enough with a smile and a friendly greeting. Good listening skills can also go a long way in helping you to build rapport with the interviewer. Show that you are paying attention, listen more than you talk, and provide on-point responses.

Be curious 

Asking questions can show that you are curious, engaged and have great listening skills. It’s one more opportunity to create a great impression. Here are some questions you can ask:

• What are the day-to-day responsibilities of the position?
• What is your favorite part about working at Nova?
• What does success look like in this position? How do you measure it?
• Are there opportunities for professional development? If so, what do they look like?
• What do you see as the most challenging aspect of this job?
• How was my interview performance? Was I missing anything or is there something I need to clarify?
• What does the interview process looks like? What should I expect?

Saying goodbye

Say thank you with a firm handshake and a smile. You can even mention something that you enjoyed about the interview. This can help you be more memorable. You may also want to ask for the hiring manager’s business card, this will be useful for sending a follow-up email.

After the interview 

Following up

It’s a good idea to follow up while your name is still fresh in the interviewer’s mind. In your email, consider including one or two things you were excited to learn about, and any remaining questions you may have.