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Christina Nguyen

So, you have a big interview coming up. You’re trying to prepare for your interview, but every video or course you’ve looked at so far keeps telling you the same kind of things; be prepared, be confident, be yourself, be polite, and have a certain body language. And now you’re here wondering, what does all that mean and how do I put those into practice?

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So, you have a big interview coming up. You’re trying to prepare for your interview, but every video or course you’ve looked at so far keeps telling you the same kind of things; be prepared, be confident, be yourself, be polite, and have a certain body language. And now you’re here wondering, what does all that mean and how do I put those into practice?

My name is Christina Nguyen, and I’m a New York City-based professional recruiter and career coach. I’ve spent my career placing my clients at top Fortune 500 companies such as Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, J.P. Morgan, Ralph Lauren, Disney, and many other top employers in New York City, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, and several other competitive markets. I’ve gathered all my insights and tips that I’ve learned over the years of working with hiring managers and preparing my candidates for some of the toughest interviews of their lives. I’ve put them into this course to help people like you land your next dream job.

What’s going to be different about this course is that I’m not just going to tell you to be confident and prepared, but I’m going to show you how to do it using research techniques and interview templates that will help you put your best foot forward. I’m going to prepare you to showcase your talents, tackle your interview, and answer those tricky questions like, “What’s your biggest weakness?”

If you are ready to take your career to the next level, this course if for you.

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Create a successful interview preparation strategy
  • Be able to thoroughly research the company/job you are interviewing for
  • Prepare to answer most common interview questions
  • Be able to organize your thoughts and highlight the most relevant information
  • Be able to successfully answer behavioral and "tricky" questions
  • Know how to follow up after the interview to get timely feedback

Syllabus

Introduction
Preparation
Preparation Part 1: Research
Preparation Part 2: Telling your story
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Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Teaches research techniques and interview templates, which will help learners put their best foot forward and showcase their talents to potential employers
Taught by a professional recruiter and career coach, who has experience placing candidates at top Fortune 500 companies in competitive markets
Explores how to answer behavioral and tricky questions, which are often the most challenging part of the interview process for many candidates
Covers how to follow up after the interview to get timely feedback, which is a crucial step that many candidates often overlook

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Reviews summary

Recruiter-led job interview prep

According to students, this course is a highly valuable resource for anyone preparing for job interviews. Learners particularly praise the unique insights provided by the professional recruiter instructor, offering a perspective often missing in other preparation materials. Students found the techniques taught to be practical and actionable, especially for navigating behavioral and tricky questions and developing a solid interview preparation strategy. The course is seen as well-structured and clear, equipping learners with the confidence and tools needed for success.
Logically organized and easy to follow.
"The course is well-structured, making it easy to follow along and implement the steps."
"Content flows nicely and builds upon previous lessons."
"Appreciated the clear breakdown of the preparation process into manageable parts."
Significantly increases confidence before interviews.
"After taking this course, I felt much more confident walking into my interviews."
"It helped me organize my thoughts and feel truly prepared, reducing my anxiety."
"The preparation methods gave me a significant boost in self-assurance."
Effective strategies for challenging interview questions.
"The sections on behavioral and 'tricky' questions were particularly helpful."
"Finally, I feel prepared to answer questions like 'What's your biggest weakness?' confidently."
"Gave me a solid method for structuring answers to behavioral questions."
Provides concrete tools and strategies to implement immediately.
"The course gives practical, step-by-step guidance, not just generic advice."
"I loved the templates and frameworks provided; they were immediately useful for my preparation."
"Gave me actionable techniques I could apply right away to feel more prepared."
Offers unique and invaluable insights from the hiring side.
"Getting the perspective from a real recruiter was incredibly insightful and changed my approach."
"Understanding what hiring managers and recruiters actually look for was the most valuable part for me."
"This course gives you the inside scoop from the other side of the interview table."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Job Interview Preparation by a Professional Recruiter with these activities:
Review Common Interview Questions
Refresh your memory of common interview questions and practice answering them to build confidence and fluency.
Browse courses on Interview Questions
Show steps
  • Find a list of common interview questions online.
  • Write down your answers to each question.
  • Practice saying your answers out loud.
Read 'What Color Is Your Parachute?'
Gain a deeper understanding of career planning and job searching strategies to enhance your interview preparation.
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of 'What Color Is Your Parachute?'
  • Read the sections on self-assessment and skills identification.
  • Complete the exercises to identify your strengths and weaknesses.
Create a STAR Method Story Bank
Develop a collection of compelling stories using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to effectively answer behavioral interview questions.
Show steps
  • Identify key skills and experiences relevant to your target jobs.
  • For each skill, brainstorm situations where you demonstrated it.
  • Write out each story using the STAR method.
  • Practice telling your stories out loud.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Mock Interview Practice
Practice your interview skills with a friend or colleague to receive feedback and improve your performance.
Show steps
  • Find a partner to conduct mock interviews with.
  • Take turns interviewing each other using common interview questions.
  • Provide constructive feedback to each other.
Record a Video Mock Interview
Record yourself answering common interview questions to identify areas for improvement in your delivery and content.
Show steps
  • Set up a camera and recording equipment.
  • Choose a set of common interview questions.
  • Record yourself answering each question.
  • Review the recording and identify areas for improvement.
Read 'Cracking the Coding Interview'
For technical roles, this book will help you prepare for the coding and algorithm portions of the interview.
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of 'Cracking the Coding Interview'.
  • Review the chapters on data structures and algorithms.
  • Practice solving the interview questions in the book.
Attend Industry Networking Events
Connect with professionals in your field to learn about job opportunities and gain insights into the interview process.
Show steps
  • Research industry networking events in your area.
  • Prepare an elevator pitch to introduce yourself.
  • Attend the event and network with other attendees.
  • Follow up with people you met after the event.

Career center

Learners who complete Job Interview Preparation by a Professional Recruiter will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Career Coach
A career coach guides individuals in their career development, helping them with job searches, interview skills, and career transitions. The instructor, a career coach herself, details the kind of preparation job seekers need. This course, which helps students develop effective interview preparation strategies, helps those who want to become career coaches. It emphasizes research techniques, telling your story, and tackling tricky questions. These are important elements of coaching and will help someone become an effective career coach. It addresses what a job seeker needs to do in order to land their dream job. This can be extremely helpful information for anyone who wants to become a career coach.
University Career Counselor
A university career counselor advises students on their career paths, including interview preparation. The course, which offers concrete advice on interview strategies based upon research and templates, helps a career counselor understand the process. The course covers important topics such as how to research a company, tell your story, and answer tricky questions. Career counselors can use this knowledge to better advise students on successful interviewing strategies. The course can help a future university career counselor give more specific guidance. These skills can be applied directly to a university setting. This course may help a future university career counselor become more effective at their job.
Recruiter
A recruiter identifies, interviews, and places candidates in open job positions. This course, taught by a professional recruiter, helps you understand the recruiting process from an insider's perspective. The course focuses on interview preparation strategies, including how to research a company and prepare for common and tricky interview questions. This knowledge helps anyone hoping to work in talent acquisition to better assess candidates, understand their motivations, and anticipate their needs. The course’s focus on research and preparation techniques provides a solid foundation for anyone hoping to make a successful hire. This is valuable as a recruiter needs to assess candidates effectively.
Talent Acquisition Specialist
A talent acquisition specialist focuses on attracting and recruiting qualified candidates to fill job openings. This course, taught by a professional recruiter, covers critical aspects of the hiring process from the perspective of the hiring side. This helps anyone in talent acquisition better understand what candidates should focus on during an interview. The course's emphasis on preparation, storytelling, and tackling tricky questions will help any talent acquisition specialist assess candidates with deeper insight. The course also covers follow up, which is an important part of the talent acquisition process. This course may be particularly useful for someone new to talent acquisition.
Human Resources Specialist
Human resources specialists manage various aspects of the employee lifecycle including recruitment and hiring. This course, which focuses on interview preparation strategies from the perspective of a professional recruiter, provides a deeper understanding of the hiring process. This exposure helps anyone hoping to work in human resources better understand how to evaluate candidates. The course covers important topics such as company research, answering behavioral and tricky interview questions, and post interview follow up. This is critical for anyone who wishes to make hiring decisions. The emphasis on preparation and follow-up will prove essential for a future human resources specialist.
Academic Advisor
An academic advisor counsels students regarding course selection and academic progress. The course, which offers concrete advice on interview strategies based upon research and templates, may help an academic advisor. The course covers important topics such as how to research a company, tell your story, and answer tricky questions. This is relevant because the process of applying for an interview is similar to the process of applying to programs and schools. The course can help a future academic advisor give more specific guidance. These skills can be applied directly to an academic advising setting. This course may help an academic advisor improve their ability to guide students.
Training and Development Specialist
Training and development specialists design and implement programs to improve employee skills and performance, including interview skills. This course offers insights into interview preparation from the perspective of a professional recruiter. It helps future training specialists understand the most important aspects of the interview process. The course's lessons on research, storytelling, and answering difficult questions can be used to develop training programs for job seekers and for employees looking to advance. The lessons on preparation and follow up are important components of an effective training program. The material covered in this course may help a future training specialist design a successful program.
Sales Representative
A sales representative persuades potential customers to purchase products or services. This course which guides students on how to tell their story will help a salesperson. The course covers interview preparation including how to research a company, how to organize your thoughts, and how to answer tricky questions. These techniques can be applied directly to sales situations. The ability to present oneself effectively, a key focus of the course, is essential for a sales representative. The course also emphasizes the importance of follow up which can be applied directly to building and maintaining client relationships. The skills learned in this course may be useful for a sales person.
Public Relations Specialist
A public relations specialist manages an organization's public image and communication, including press releases and interviews. This course emphasizes the importance of how to present oneself, including how to organize thoughts and answer tricky questions. These skills are directly applicable to a public relations specialist who needs to present the company in the best possible light. The course also covers research, which is important for understanding the media landscape. While the course is not specifically about public relations, the skills it teaches may be helpful. The ability to tell a compelling story is essential for a public relations specialist.
Management Consultant
A management consultant provides strategic advice to organizations, often requiring strong presentation and communication skills. This course focuses on preparing for interviews, including researching the company, presenting one’s story, and tackling tough questions. These skills can be directly applied to client interactions, presentations, and interviews for consulting roles. The ability to organize one’s thoughts and highlight relevant information, emphasized in the course, is a core skill for a management consultant. The practice of follow up that this course teaches will be useful for a management consultant. While this course might not be specific to working as a consultant, it provides skills that are vital for success in this role.
Communications Specialist
A communications specialist develops and implements communication strategies for an organization. The course focuses on interview preparation strategies, including how to prepare to answer common and tricky questions. These skills help any communications specialist who may need to present information in a clear and concise manner. The lessons in this course, covering research, story telling, and follow up may be helpful to a communications specialist. The course’s focus on crafting a narrative and delivering it effectively may be valuable to a communications specialist. While this course is not directly focused on communications, the skills may transfer well.
Business Development Manager
A business development manager seeks out new opportunities and partnerships to grow a business. This course focuses on interview preparation and it teaches students how to tell their story effectively. This skill may be useful when trying to cultivate a new relationship with a client. The course's focus on research will also be useful when looking into new opportunities. The ability to organize one’s thoughts, highlighted in the course, is a core skill for a business development manager. While this course may not have a direct impact, the skills taught will be helpful. These skills may help business development managers improve their ability to present and communicate.
Project Manager
A project manager oversees the planning, execution, and completion of projects, requiring strong organizational and communication skills. This course covers preparation for interviews, including how to organize your thoughts and highlight the most relevant information. These skills can help a project manager communicate effectively and lead a team. The course also discusses research, which is important for understanding the project landscape. The ability to answer tricky questions will help a team lead address difficult situations. While the skills of the course do not directly apply to project management, this may be helpful.
Technical Writer
A technical writer creates documentation that explains complex technical information. This course focuses extensively on the art of presenting information clearly, including how to organize one’s thoughts. This may provide helpful advice to a technical writer who may be looking for new ways to present information. The ability to highlight the most relevant information is also a key skill for a technical writer. While this course may not be directly applicable, the skills may be helpful. The course also covers preparation, which may be useful for organizing a work effort. The course may be useful because of its approach to organizing information.
Instructional Designer
An instructional designer creates educational materials, typically for adults in corporate settings. The structure of this course, which emphasizes research, preparation, and follow up, may provide some insight for an aspiring instructional designer. The course's focus on how to tell your story may provide value to the instructional designer. The techniques on answering tricky questions may teach new ways to guide others in their learning. While this course may not be specific to instructional design, some of the skills may be helpful. It is useful to see how an instructional designer is able to structure a course.

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Job Interview Preparation by a Professional Recruiter.
Comprehensive guide to job hunting and career change. It provides valuable insights into self-assessment, skills identification, and job market research. It is particularly useful for understanding your strengths and weaknesses, which is crucial for answering tricky interview questions. This book is commonly used as a reference for job seekers.
Must-read for anyone interviewing for a software engineering role. It provides a comprehensive overview of data structures, algorithms, and problem-solving techniques. It also includes hundreds of practice interview questions with detailed solutions. This book is commonly used by students and professionals preparing for technical interviews.

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