A job interview is the perfect place to showcase your brilliant improvisation skills. Sound counter-intuitive? Hear me out.

A candidate in the current tech job market and a stand-up comedian have one thing in common: to be successful, they’re prepared to jump on an opportunity. They work hard to find their lucky breaks.

Deliberate effort goes into crafting a comedy routine. It takes a lot of work to make it look easy. If you’re an applicant, the same is true of preparing for an interview. The hiring process is an opportunity to present the best version of yourself to the hiring manager. But too many candidates show up to interviews woefully unprepared, with the intention of ‘winging it’. And they bomb. It’s a terrible first impression, from which they may not recover.

To truly slay an interview, candidates in the tech job market could take four tips from comedians.

1. The best comedians are over-prepared.

David Nihill puts it this way: “Overpreparation will help you be ready for anything and give you the knowledge and confidence that you can handle whatever comes your way.”

Candidates need to come into the interview process as thoroughly prepared as possible. Look up the company. Check out their website. Read their reviews on crunchbase and Glassdoor. Do a little research on who is interviewing you by looking up their LinkedIn profiles. Be familiar with their background, such as the companies they’ve worked for. It doesn’t take more than 15-20 minutes.

2. The answer is YES.

According to Tina Fey’s Rules of Improvisation That Will Change Your Life and Reduce Belly Fat*, the first rule of improvisation is to agree. When you’re working with a partner, a positive response communicates that you’re listening, and you respect your partner’s contribution.

Candidates, make sure you read through the job description and understand the job requirements. Be prepared to communicate how your experience specifically relates to the skills they’re looking for.  

Do you have these job skills? YES. Yes, you do.

3. The answer is YES, AND.

Tina Fey’s second rule of improvisation is not only to say yes, but YES, AND. A good skit builds off the give-and-take of a good team. When you add new material, you’re assuring your partners that you’re not afraid to contribute. You can be depended on to pull your own weight when that curtain goes up and the audience is watching.  

The interview is the perfect place to talk about your accomplishments. What do you add to the role? If you don’t tell the interviewer how your experience and skillset combo contribute to the company’s mission, they’re not going to know. They’re listening to the information you offer, to determine whether you’d be a good fit for their team.

4. In improvisation, you’re exploring opportunities as you create with your partner.

When you’re interviewing, it’s your chance to ask questions to learn as much as you can about the job opportunity. Nothing is off the table- ask about the corporate culture, the team you’ll be working on, and the role. What does diversity look like? Are there opportunities for advancement? Does the company offer mentorships and ongoing career training? You want to come out of the interview with a clear understanding of how you fit on the team, and how your role contributes to the company’s mission. You’re determining whether this role, on this team, and at this company, is a good fit for you.

You’re also watching for red flags. Is the interviewer asking personal questions that you’re not comfortable discussing? Were you unable to find a website or a LinkedIn profile for key leaders in the company? No job is perfect, but determining a bad fit is just as important as discovering a great fit.

A lack of preparation in a job interview is no laughing matter. If you have an interview coming up and you need some practice, reach out! We would love to be a resource.

Photo by Aleksandra Sapozhnikova on Unsplash