Second Interview Questions: What you can expect to be asked

If it wasn’t hard enough composing the best resume, cover letter and meeting all of the selection criteria, you have your first interview, and then you hear you are called back for a second interview.

If you are called back for a second interview, it does mean the company is interested in hiring you, but what does a second interview mean after giving it your all in the first one?

Here we’ll take a look at all you need to know to help you prepare and be ready for that all important second interview.

second interview preparationWhat exactly is a Second Interview?

It used to be that companies would hold one round of interviews and then make their selection, however, things are very different now. More often than not, they will conduct a second interview, and in some cases a third.

Nowadays, the first interview is purely used as a screening process, and in this one, they determine if the applicants fulfil all their needs without delving into the nitty-gritty.

The second round of interviews aims to get to know the applicant better and to find out more of their background and skills to see if they do actually fit the role.

However, all is not one-sided, you will be given a chance, and you will need to know what questions to ask in a second interview.

second interview questionsPreparing for Your Second Interview

Here we will take a look at how to prepare for an interview, it is more homework to be fully prepared.

At this stage, all the applicants who remain will be serious contenders for the job, and you do need to know what to expect in the second interview.

Get Hold of the Agenda

Where a first interview might have been a thirty minute to an hour-long meeting, a second interview can be spread over a few hours.

Depending on the position and the company, you might meet management, members of the staff, and other various company employees.

Some companies show the applicants around and have them meet people from different groups. With meeting these people, it can give a good idea of what it’s like to work for the company, and also if you can see yourself working with such people.

Research before interviewResearch like Never Before

At this stage, any hiring company will expect you to know about them. For a second interview, you should know as much as you can. If they have a website scour, the ‘About Us’ pages, or use Google to find out all you can about them.

If you know anyone in the company, try and use their insider knowledge to give you an advantage, and to find out more of the company and the staff, and the management you might be facing in your second interview.

Interview Questions and Answers – Review

Common job interview questions might be asked again in your second interview, but differently and requiring more in-depth responses.

You should run over these questions again and see if there is any way you could have answered them better than the first time.

You should also review any other additional questions which might be asked, and also, come up with your own questions you want to ask when you are given a chance.

This can be a faltering step in many applicants because they are not sure what to ask, and then stumble when a potential employer says, “so, do you have any questions?”.

Thinking About What Wasn’t Said

One second interview tip is to think about things that weren’t said. This can be from you, or from the interviewers. It could be a question you found hard to answer in its fullest, and you left some information out of your response.

Review any notes you made from the first interview and see if there was anything which was missed.

Tips For Second InterviewTop Tips For Second Interview Success

Here is a list of second round interview tips you can run through to help in preparation for your big day.

  1. Maintain energy and enthusiasm – Job hunting is never easy, and you might have waited a while before your second interview date. Think positive no matter how long the day takes.
  2. Be sure when discussing your qualifications – After your qualifications were briefly addressed in your first interview, be ready, and be sure on what you say when you explain them in greater depth.
  3. Expect group interviews – The first interview might have been with one person, and on many occasions, a second interview can be in front of a panel. This can appear intimidating to many applicants, so be prepared and not alarmed if you walk in and see four people. In most cases, you will be told beforehand anyway.
  4. Maintain eye contact with all of them, and try to build a rapport with them all, because each will have the final say if you have the job or not.
  5. You are always being evaluated – If you are being given a tour, you might not be asked questions, however, the people you meet might be asked of your approach while you were speaking to them.
  6. Be sure to ask questions – Show an interest in everyone who you meet on the day. Ask what they enjoy most of their position and a rough summary of how they have progressed within the company.
  7. Follow up communications – You should follow up with as many people as you can, whom you met.
  8. Ask for their business cards, or ask the relevant person if you can have their contact details. Try and make any response, individual to each person.
  9. If the results are going to be a while, you should make occasional communication with the prospective employer after your second interview. On most occasions, this is to check in and show your continued interest in the position.
  10. If you finally receive a job offer, it could either be on the spot or via a phone call a little later down the track. Rather than rushing and saying yes on impulse, have time to think about what they are offering and if it is the job you really want.
  11. Be calm, and then ask yourself the most important question out of all of them, “Why do you want to work for this company?”

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