We’ve come a long way from the interviews of yore! While the interview process has evolved differently across industries, there are a few undeniable changes that have impacted all professionals in the job market. Learn how the digital age has affected how employers and potential employees go about preparing for a job interview.

Social Media

How did we live before social media? Personal usage aside, social media has gained a pivotal role in the pre-interview process for both recruiters and applicants. From a recruiter’s perspective, the resume is no longer the first and only touchpoint with you prior to the interview. From skimming your LinkedIn endorsements to analyzing your industry tweets, recruiters and hiring managers come to today’s interviews fully equipped with more knowledge about you than ever. This means keeping your public social personna professional, current, and growing is an essential first step to nailing the interview.

From an applicant’s viewpoint, you have more resources at your disposal to prepare for the interview. If you have social connections with current or former company employees, this can potentially give you more insight into the company prior to the interview. Also, if you know who you will be interviewing with ahead of time, you can research them as well across their social networks to find commonalities and be well-versed in their professional backgrounds. So before your next interview, flex your social media muscles and strongly leverage the insights this community has to offer.

Digital Interviews

With Skype, Google Hangouts, HireVue, and other video conferencing applications, interviews have taken on a new form. While they can’t replace the intimacy of an in-person interview, digital interviews offer many benefits including increased time flexibility and efficiency. However, if you’re not accustomed to video conferencing or digital meetings, the different environment could negatively impact your interview skills.

If you’re new to video conferencing, request details prior to the interview and hold a mock interview using the application your interview will be conducted on. This will reduce the risk of technical difficulties before or during the interview, in addition to making you more comfortable throughout the entire process. Otherwise, be sure to prepare for the job interview the same way you would for every interview.

Online Research Tools

Social media aside, online career resources are also key to preparing for a job interview. For example, salary range is a common topic that arises during an interview. Online salary calculators on Glassdoor or Salary.com can give you a leg up in anticipating salary ranges for specific positions in your region. This will help ensure you are prepared to address any salary questions that come your way.

Additionally, hiring companies want you to come prepared with questions in your interview. Aside from the basic role and company questions, it’s important to get a feel for the company’s culture and inner-workings. Online company reviews on sites like Glassdoor can give you granular insight into a company’s pros and cons from the mouths of their current and former employees. This can inform your questions about the broader company and its culture. A word of caution: take online reviews with a grain of salt and use as directional guidance, as opposed to concrete truth.

These are only a few ways the interview landscape has evolved in the age of technology. How have you seen the process of preparing for a job interview change since you’ve been in the job market?

Burchard & Associates is an executive search firm specialized in accounting and finance recruiting across all business sectors, including manufacturing, retail, wholesale/distribution, healthcare, financial services, and more.

If you’re searching for executive positions in the accounting or finance industries, be sure to check out the latest job postings on our website and LinkedIn!