How to get an interview with any company you want
Your goal is to work for “Company X.” Everyone knows it. You’ve dreamt about working for his company forever! You read about them in the news, you know what their stock price is, and you know everything about them. There’s one thing in between you and your dream company; getting an interview. You need to secure an interview before you even THINK about working there!
The thought of not being invited for an interview frightens you. You love “Company X.” You’d do anything to have the opportunity to work there. All you need to do is get this interview! But how?
Like you, I had a dream company. My dream was to work for Deloitte. I was terrified that I wouldn’t get an interview. I had told all my friends that my goal was to work for Deloitte. If I didn’t get an interview, it would’ve crushed me.
After four years of college, I’m happy to say I received an offer to work full time at Deloitte Consulting. However, I wouldn’t have gotten the offer had I not taken the necessary steps to ENSURE that I got an interview. I broke these steps down into small manageable pieces.
Here are the steps to guarantee an interview wherever you want.
Step 1: Identify your mission
Your mission is to get an interview with your dream company. But first, you need to identify your dream company!
You need to know which company you want to work for before you can guarantee you get an interview there. Everyone falls in love with companies in different ways. For some, their peers tell them, “you’d be a great fit at “Company X.” For others, they must do some research. If you are uncertain about your dream company, here are two ways to find it.
- Google “best companies to work for “X” majors” or “best companies in the “X” industry.” This step will point you in the right direction. After browsing some of the webpages, you’ll start to notice trends in the companies that are showing up
- Search LinkedIn for your desired role. For example, if you want to be a “system engineer,” search for “systems engineer.” By doing this, you will get a list of different companies hiring for “system engineers.” Great! Now you have a list of companies who are hiring for your desired position.
For additional information about finding your dream company/job, read this HOW TO FIND YOUR DREAM JOB WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT.
Step 2: Build an army
Now that you have a company in mind, you need to build an army at that company. Your army is your network at “Company X.” They are your number one asset. They will go to war for you. The bigger and stronger your army, the greater your chances of getting an interview. So how do you build an army?
Connect with the recruiter
Recruiters are your first point of contact with the company. Connecting with the recruiter is critical. But how do you meet them? Where do you meet them?
- Career fairs
- On-campus events
- Information sessions
- Case competitions
- Email — Although it is easier to email recruiters, I highly advise you to connect with them in person, at least for the first time you are meeting them. Here’re the steps to introducing yourself to a recruiter in person: (1) Introduce yourself — “Hi my name is ___” (2) Shake their hand — * shakes hand* (3) Maintain eye contact — *maintain eye contact* (4) Give your elevator pitch — Deliver your elevator pitch.
- Follow-up later — Send a follow-up email. MAKE SURE YOU GET THEIR CONTACT INFORMATION SO YOU CAN FOLLOW-UP! If you need help writing a follow email, click here.
Connect with employees
Employees are the voice of the company. Yes, the recruiter knows the company very well, but the employee can give you first-hand experience of what it is like to work for the company. So, how do you connect with employees?
Search for the company on LinkedIn, and you’ll be able to see everyone who works there. LinkedIn is a powerful tool. Try to find someone who went to your school or has a mutual connection with you. That way, you have common ground, and your introduction won’t be as awkward. Here’s a video that shows you how to search for people on LinkedIn.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk10kLpdsAg
Cold emailing
If you have an employee’s email, shoot them an email!
Sample message
After you find an employee you want to connect with, send them a short message. Here’s an example.
My name is ___, and I am a senior at ___ studying ___. I am applying for ___, and I would like to learn more about the position and “Company X”! Do you have 15 minutes to chat next week? I am available *enter dates and times*. I look forward to hearing from you!
RINSE AND REPEAT! One employee is not enough! You are building an ARMY! You’re not going to win a war with 1–2 soldiers. Your goal is to connect with the recruiter and 3–5 employees. Remember, the bigger your army, the bigger your chances of getting an interview.
Step 3: Sell your army on the mission
You’ve contacted your army. You’ve set up times to chat. It’s time to sell them on your mission.
Your mission is to get an interview. It’s your job to sell yourself. Here’re three steps to sell everyone on your mission.
- Build rapport. Rapport is a close and harmonious relationship in which the people understand each other’s feelings or ideas and communicate well. Build rapport with the recruiter or employee.
- Let them know they are number one. If you don’t love them then they won’t love you! You need to let them know you LOVE the company! Tell them how great they are and how happy you’d be to work there. Give them what they want to hear.
- Prove that you are the candidate for the job. In your conversation, subtly allude to your skills. If you ask, “what’re three skills that are critical to excelling in this role?” After they answer, throw in a few of your experiences that show proof that you have those skills.
Step 4: Follow up with your army
After selling 3–5 employees on your mission, you need to follow-up with them. Similarly, you need to follow up with the recruiter (don’t forget about them). For details on how to follow up, click here.
Step 5: Submit your application
After establishing 3–5 connections at “Company X,” it’s time to apply. This part is simple.
- Apply-Submit your application through career service, LinkedIn, or the company’s job board
- Contact your army-Let your army know that you have submitted your application! And, thank them for the time they spent helping you throughout the recruitment process. Here is a sample message you can send.
I hope all is well! I just submitted my application for ___. I am very excited about the opportunity to work at “Company X”!
l look forward to the next steps in the application process and I will keep you posted!
Thanks for your help.
Step 6: Get the interview
You’ve built your army, gone to war, and now you’ve got the interview. Good job! Now you need to inform your army about your win! You’ve achieved your mission! Here’s an example of a message you can send.
I hope you are doing well. I just wanted to let you know I recently was invited for an interview! I’m looking forward to the remainder of the application process and am very excited about the opportunity to work at Company “X”.
Conclusion
Congratulations on making it to the end.
To summarize, here are the steps to getting an interview with any company
Here’re some key takeaways
- Your network is everything. It will be the primary reason you get an interview. Although your experience and your grades matter your network is the most important. Your network is going to be what gets you the interview, not your resume.
- Communication is key. Did you see how many sample emails I included? KEEP PEOPLE UPDATED. You always need to be at the front of your army’s’ mind. Constant communication is key. After you crush your interview, what’re you going to do? INFORM YOUR ARMY!
