Second Interviews

Second Interviews

Second Interviews

In a circumstance where there is more than one interview involved in the candidate selection process, a second interview is the next step you will need to take on your journey to finish first ahead of the rest and secure the job you’re trying so hard to attain

A second interview is the next stage in the selection process following on from your initial interview. As an interview candidate, the first thing you should expect is that there will usually be a big difference between the first and second interviews.
Whereas in a multistage interview process consisting of 1 or more interviews, the first interview is usually used as a screening process designed to look for certain qualities and specific experiences that are either used to qualify candidates or filter them out, a second interview is designed with the express purpose of trying to determine if you are the person who is best suited for the role. For that reason, you can expect the interviewer to go more in-depth with the types of questions they ask. Not only will they try to get a better feel for you as a person, but you can expect probing questions regarding career aspirations, skill-specific questions, competency, situational, and behavioural based questions, as well as possible questions based on answers you have given in the first interview, and also possibly based around answers you have given on the application form itself

When dealing with second interviews, a good piece of advice to remember is that…
You have successfully traversed one interview already! At this point, while you will still be nervous, and while you may still have doubts about how the next interview will go, when preparing for your second interview, try and focus exclusively on this overwhelmingly positive facet above all else!
For instance, what went well in your first interview? Was there an answer or moment that stood out for you? Focus on the success you had in the first interview as a way to mentally prepare, using this success to adopt a positive mental attitude going into the second interview

The whole purpose of any interview is to get as good a feel for the candidate as possible. Much is made of the second interview, and while it is impossible to predict the specific composition of the questions asked in any interview, there are certainly some things you can expect to anticipate when it comes to second interviews.
To begin with, many times a second interview will include some type of skills assessment on top of the actual interview itself. This can be both a good and a bad thing because while it can be difficult to rehearse for a skills assessment, many times, if you are skilled at the role you are interviewing for, the initiative-based style of a skills assessment can work in your favour. Also, if a salary is to be negotiated, this will normally be done during the second interview as well.
When it comes to any sort of multistage interview process involving a second interview, you can usually (although not always) expect its format to be different from that of the first. For example, if the first interview was a group interview, you might expect a structured one-on-one interview combined with a skills assessment in the second interview. If the first interview was a one-on-one interview, then the second could well be a panel interview combined with a skills assessment on top.
Irrespective of the format, one of the best tactics you can use when going into a second interview is to play off of the success you have had after making it through your first interview. Try to do this by establishing a connection between the role or company and how much you’ve enjoyed the first interview. If the interviewer picks up on this and feels it reflected in the conversation they’re having with you, it will greatly increase your chances in the second interview.
Normally it’s best to emphasize a particularly effective point (ideally something relevant to the role), a positive moment, or something that was said that went over particularly well. To extenuate on this further, try and link specific high points from the 1st interview into the conversation of your second. This tactic, combined with proper interview preparation, will maximize the chances you have of success going into a second interview

A second interview is always going to be more in-depth, and to this end, the insights you can take away here are that not only will the interviewer be looking to go more in-depth and gain a better understanding of your specific skill set, but they will also be looking to ask questions that help them more thoroughly evaluate what makes you a better fit for the role over the rest of the other candidates. That’s why, when it comes to the exact composition of the questions asked, you can expect them to include assessment-based questions, skill-specific and technically based questions, competency, situational, and behavioural based questions, as well as probing questions designed to gain insight into your career goals and into the underlying motivations you have for performing that role. For this reason, when it comes to the second interview, you should prepare by doing the following:

Main points

Start by ensuring you are following all of the main points on our guide – Recommended Preparation Steps For Your Next Interview
It is recommended you review STEP 5 in particular – What can you do that other candidates can’t…
Expect to give in-depth examples of times you have performed specific tasks, solved problems, or dealt with challenging situations. (For this you should prepare by reviewing STEP 9 – Compose and practice your answers to competency and behavioural-based examples)
Review the notes from your first interview
When talking with the interviewer, try and establish how much you have enjoyed the first interview
Try and link answers or highpoints from the 1st interview into the second interview
Do this by playing off of the success you have had after making it through the first interview – as this is one of the most effective tactics you can utilise
Try to participate in a practice interview before your second interview

Main takeaways

• Review the notes from your previous interviews
• Establish how much you enjoyed the last interview
• Try and link answers or highpoints from the 1st interview in the second
• And last remember, you’ve already successfully traversed one interview – there’s every chance you can succeed in the next one too!!!