Part Four – Interviewing
Hello and welcome to the final installment in my four-part series on navigating a job search in 2025. If you missed the first three, you can find them here. This one will make the most sense if you’ve read the others first.
This series began with grounding your search in knowing who you are and what you want. In Part Two, we made sure your résumé and cover letter reflect that. In Part Three, we introduced AI as an accountability partner to help you evaluate opportunities against your criteria.
Now, in Part Four, let’s assume you’ve applied for a role you’re at least 80% qualified for, the working conditions align with your needs, and you’ve landed a first-round interview. This installment will help you prepare for that interview — and for future rounds with different audiences.
Screening vs. First-Round Interviews
Although the terms are often used interchangeably, they’re not the same:
Screening interview – usually led by HR. Focuses on eligibility: confirming you are who you say you are, you meet the basic requirements, and you understand salary, working conditions, and logistics.
First-round interview – usually with a hiring manager or search consultant. Focuses on alignment: how your skills and experience match the role’s needs.
If it’s not clear which one you are scheduled for, the time allotted is a big clue. As a search consultant in a “firm of one,” my first-round interviews often combine both. In 30 minutes, I’m assessing:
Eligibility – Have you reviewed salary, working conditions, and start date? Do they align with your criteria?
Preparedness – Have you researched the organization (website, social media, public documents, leadership team), and thoughtfully prepared how you want to present yourself?
Understanding – Do you grasp the scale and scope of the role? Can you read between the lines of the position profile?
Viability – Do you bring the skills and experiences needed to succeed?
Interest & sense-making – Does this move make sense for you at this time in your life and career? Do you know and can you articulate your “why”? And do I leave the conversation feeling your genuine enthusiasm about the role, the organization, and that you have a desire to learn more?
Five Areas of Preparation
With the above in mind, let’s go into a little more detail as to what to expect and how to prepare. I’ve divided your preparation into five areas:
The dreaded opener
Your five things
Demonstrating understanding and experience
Always be ready for…
Your questions for them
1. The Dreaded Opener
“What made you apply for this position?” “Why is this a good fit now?” “Tell us about yourself.”
No matter how it’s worded, this first question is brutal — and crucial. There are so many paths you can go down, and candidates often make the mistake of going down them all - and or, talking through their resume in narrative form. Many interviewers (myself included) admit we often make up our minds about viability from this opening response. Strategy: Choose three main points you want to make. State them up front, then circle back and expand. This keeps you structured and easy to follow. Common categories to consider:
Personal connection to the mission
Direct prior experience with the organization
Logical next step in your career
Alignment with responsibilities you enjoy most
Inspiration from the organization’s work
A career transition you’ve been preparing for
Desire to return to the workforce with intentionality
Working conditions that align with your criteria
A personal/family reason that makes the role timely
Sample response (focus on the structure here not the content):
“There are three main reasons I’m applying. First, it’s the logical next step in my career. Second, I’ve been committed to this mission area for most of my life. And third, this role would allow my family to relocate closer to loved ones. To expand on the first reason: for the past two years I’ve taken on more responsibility and leadership training to prepare for a senior role, and I feel ready. Regarding the mission, this position would allow me to continue [insert your “why”]. And finally, the relocation piece is meaningful for us personally — my partner’s family lives in the area, and this would bring us closer together.”
If this question makes you freeze, check out this helpful HBR article for more approaches.
2. Your Five Things
Beyond the opener, decide: What five things must the interviewer know about me before this call ends? Scan the job posting and circle the areas where you think, “That’s totally me” or “That’s my zone of genius.” Then craft short, adaptable stories to weave those points into your answers. Example: If the posting emphasizes website migration, managing competing priorities, collaborative work, building from scratch, and being well-networked — prepare stories that prove you can deliver each.
3. Demonstrating Understanding and Experience
Most job descriptions group responsibilities into “buckets”: team management, operations, finance, fundraising, community engagement etc. Prepare at least one story for each. Here’s an example for team management:
“In my last two roles I’ve managed teams of 4–6. It’s work I enjoy and want to deepen in my next role. Currently, I manage a multigenerational team of 5, ages 23 to 67. Recognizing our different needs, I organized an offsite retreat to learn from one another. That investment laid a strong foundation for navigating challenges together.”
Notice the structure: context, demonstration of investment, and a success story.
4. Always Be Ready For…
Some questions almost always appear at some point in the interview process. Be ready to answer:
Greatest professional success or proudest moment
Biggest failure — and what you learned
A risk you took and its outcome
Surprising feedback you’ve received
Your leadership/management style
What kind of supervisor helps you do your best work
How your views on diversity and inclusion have evolved
A time you helped create a more inclusive environment
Also, expect direct questions about compensation and working conditions. Be honest:
“The range listed works for me, though I’d be looking toward the top end.”
“I see the role is one day remote; I’d need two for childcare. Is that negotiable?”
Review your working conditions prioritization exercise from the first blog - don’t be afraid to be clear about what you need and want. If what you need and want is far away from what’s offered, then don’t apply.
5. Your Questions for Them
Early-round interviews don’t always leave much room for your questions, but when they do, make them count. Avoid asking about next steps (they should tell you that). Instead, prepare three thoughtful options and choose based on the conversation. And, if you don’t have any questions, that’s fine. “I think I have all the information I need at this stage to know that I remain interested and am eager to learn more if I move forward.” Ideas:
“Why is this position open now?”
“What do you view as the key priorities for this role?”
“How would you describe the moment the organization is in right now?”
“What would success look like for this role one year in?”
“What is one quality the successful candidate must bring?”
If you’re speaking with a search consultant, you can also ask:
“Based on your work with the organization in preparing this search, what stands out to you as critical for the next leader?”
In Summary
My final words on interviewing are also my final words for this series: Know you. Be you.
We spend so much of our lives at work. You deserve to show up as yourself — in service not only of your financial needs, but also your wellbeing and happiness. Trust, or at least assume, that the hiring manager knows their culture and wants someone who can thrive there. If you show up authentically and don’t get the job, maybe you wouldn’t have been happy there anyway. If you find yourself contorting to fit what you’re hearing in the interview, pay attention to that. It’s data.
I hope this series has offered useful tools and encouragement as you navigate your job search in 2025. If you’d like deeper support — from material review to interview prep to offer negotiation — I offer flexible, affordable coaching. The first step is a free 20-minute consultation. Reach out via my website.
I’ll close with the Richard Bolles quote that has guided this series, from What Color Is Your Parachute?:
“No employer wants to know what you have in common with everyone else. He or she wants to know what makes you unique and individual.”
Even if that hasn’t been your experience, hold on to that belief. By doing so, you increase your chances of finding meaningful work where you can be truly successful.
Good luck.
P.S. - Yes, send a thank you note.