There are plenty of lists about how to prepare, how to have a successful interview and even sites that give you sample interview of Business Analyst Questions and Responses.
Some of this seems like common sense and good practice, however time and time again I see poor behavior during interviews.
Here are my top 10 to-do.
1. Have confidence.
You’ve made it this far! Be confident about your abilities and what you’ve accomplished. That’s not to say you should be overly aggressive and pushy. But having confidence in what you do will show.
2. Be on time.
Know where you are going for the interview. Are you unfamiliar with the area; or unsure about parking? Map it out or do a test drive to the location. Nothing is worse than a bad first impression; you don’t want to show up to an interview late and frazzled. Always try and be about 10 minutes early to an interview.
3. Be prepared.
This goes along with #1. Do you have copies of your resume? Copies of your references? Do you know who you are meeting?
Do you have paper and a pen with you to take notes? This is especially important for technical interviews. Ask yourself some practice questions and make sure you articulate well and don’t add too many ‘like’, ‘um’ and ‘um’s’.
4. Do your research.
Do you know about the company you are interviewing at? Have you visit their website, blog, do you know what the company does, who the customers are? Do you know the expectations for the job you are interviewing for? Company questions always come up during interviews. Employers want to hire someone who is well informed and knows about their company and the industry.
5. Be polite and professional.
Be polite and professional to everyone you meet during the interview process. It’s not always just the hiring manager who decides who to hire. A lot of hiring managers will ask their co-workers about their interaction with the candidates. After all, they are going to be working with this person on a daily basis. It’s important that they pick hires who will get the job done well and whom they like.
6. Dress professionally.
This depends on what industry your are interviewing in, it could mean a suit for some, and sport coat, tie and dress pants for others. Ladies, this could be a blouse and dress pants or a conservative dress or skirt. Dress accordingly to the industry standards. Even if the dress code of the company is casual you should dress up more for the interview.
7. Be honest.
Whether that be about your background, your experience, even your personality quirks, strengths, weakness, etc. No one is perfect and no one is expected to be perfect. Chances are if the employer hires you and you lied about your experience, background etc it will come out at some point. This is especially important on strength/ weakness questions and technology experience. There is always room for improvement.
8. Show enthusiasm for the company and the position.
If you’ve made it this far in the interview process it says that you are genuinely interested in the position and/ or the company in general.
9. Ask questions.
This goes along with #2. Have questions prepared to ask. Do you know the general business objective but have questions around what exactly the company does? Do you have questions around what role you will play? Ask away. It’s always important to take interest and ask questions. This will help set expectations. Not asking any questions is a bad sign..especially for a BA.
10. If you really want the position send a follow up card or email.
This does not happen much anymore, but it’s always appreciated. With so few employers hiring it will make you stand out and let the employer know that you are serious and interested in the position.
During the entire interview process you should be on the top of your game. If you follow my top 10 you are well on your way!
If you liked this article check out what we look for in BA’s.
