Are You Ready for All 3 Stages of Interviewing?

If you’re like most people, interviewing for a job is a lot like visiting the dentist: You don’t look forward to it, it’s no fun while you’re there, and if things don’t go well, you’ll be feeling the pain long after you leave.

Job interviews may not be as physically painful as getting your teeth drilled, but let’s be honest — the emotional discomfort is real. After all, who in their right mind enjoys having a bunch of strangers grilling you on your skills and talents, while holding all the power to decide the fate of your career?

Fortunately, all the stress and heartburn will be totally worth it in the end, because interviewing is the very last hurdle before landing your dream job! That’s why it’s critical to understand the process — so you can plan, prepare, and perform your very best in every stage of interviewing.

On this page:
Type 1: Informal Interview
Type 2: Pre-screen Interview
Type 3: Formal Interview
After the Interviews

There are several different stages and types of interviews. Sometimes, an interview is so “informal” that it sneaks up on you — you might not realize you’re being interviewed until it’s already too late.

So let’s discuss the different types of interviews, learn what makes each one unique, and find out exactly how you can prepare yourself for success.

Type 1: Informal Interview

What is it?

An informal interview is like a ninja. It can sneak up on you when you least expect it, and you may not know what just hit you until it’s already too late.

Imagine this scenario: You’ve just spent the day at a game industry conference, maybe PAX or GDC. Now you’re at an after-party, relaxing and enjoying the music, and someone at the bar strikes up a conversation with you. As you start off with some small talk, they ask a few perfectly normal questions. “What do you do?” “What kind of job do you want after you graduate?”

Guess what? You may not know it yet, but it’s very possible that you’re actually being “informally” interviewed! The person you’re talking to at the bar could be a recruiter, or a hiring manager, or just somebody who’s influential in their studio and scoping out promising candidates. It’s very possible that they’re not just asking you questions to make small talk, but to assess whether to ask you to apply for a job.

What happens during the interview?

The key is to realize that you’ve just stumbled into an interview situation. Stay cool and professional. Don’t ramble! It’s easy to talk too much when you’re nervous, but try to keep your responses short and focused. It’s better to give a shorter response, and let them ask follow-up questions if they want more details and depth.

After they’ve learned a bit about your background and career aspirations, the “informal” interview will end, and with any luck the conversation will transition smoothly into a normal conversation — you’re back to being just two video game geeks talking shop.

By the way, if you do find out that they’re a recruiter or hiring manager, you could even do some investigating of your own. Ask them a few of your own questions about their company, products, and culture. Try to find out if it sounds like someplace you might like to work someday.

As the conversation wraps up, hopefully you have a clean, wrinkle-free business card to hand them. And if they ask you to follow up by sending them a resume or a job application, remember to do it! Don’t wait — send it the very next day.

How do I prepare?

Informal interviews can happen whenever and wherever you least expect it, so it’s best to prepare ahead of time.

• Think about how you’ll answer questions about your career aspirations, talents, and skills. It may help to write down your answers and commit to memory.
• If you tend to get nervous, flustered, or ramble when talking about yourself, try practicing your answers on your family and friends, or practice in a mirror. Yes, seriously! It might sound weird, but you’ll thank me.
• While you’re practicing, also be sure to practice standing up straight, talking clearly, and looking the other person in the eye. Perfect practice makes perfect.

Type 2: Pre-Screen Interview

What is it?

The pre-screen is usually a short, five- to 30-minute interview with a single person from the company, often done over the phone or video conference. The purpose of the pre-screen is to “filter out” any candidates that obviously aren’t a fit for the job, to save the hiring manager and other interviewers from wasting their time on a full interview that wouldn’t end in a hire.

What happens during the interview?

The pre-screen will start with a few “administrative” questions, for example to make sure you can legally work in the country and are available to start on the needed date. Then it will move to short, easy questions that are designed to find out whether you’re likely to be a reasonable candidate for the job — programmers might be asked a few simple code-related questions, or designers might be asked some lightweight design questions.

While you’re answering the questions, be aware that the interviewer will also be assessing your attitude and your communication skills. Speak clearly, be friendly, and keep a positive attitude.

How do I prepare?

To nail your pre-screen interview, follow these tips:

• Take the call in an ideal location. Make sure your phone reception or Internet connection is solid, and your area is free from distractions: no ringing phones, no roommates barging in, no pets barking in the background or spilling your drink in your lap.
• Review your resume and cover letter. It’s possible that you sent your application days or weeks before the call, but the interviewer may ask you questions about what you wrote. So be sure to look over your application materials to jog your memory, in case you need to refer to them during the call.
• Know the company. Nothing looks worse to a potential employer than a candidate who doesn’t seem to know anything about the company they’ve applied to. Play some of their games, check out their web site, catch up on any recent articles in the news.
• Focus 100% on the conversation! Give all of your attention to the interviewer, their questions, and your answers.

Type 3: Formal Interview

What is it?

At last, the formal interview! This is what you normally think of when you imagine interviewing, so it’s important to be well-prepared and do your very best on this one.

The formal interview is almost always done on site at the company’s offices, although video conference is sometimes used if the company is located far from your home. The interview could be as short as a couple hours, or it could take an entire day — it just depends on the company’s policies.

What happens during the interview?

An on-site, formal interview typically goes like this:

• Tour of the offices: If you’re lucky, the recruiter may give you a tour of the building and the team areas. This serves a dual-purpose, both to “warm you up” and help you get more comfortable for the interview, but also to start getting you excited about working for them. (“Isn’t this place cool? Wouldn’t you love to work here?”)
• Interview loop: When the interview portion starts, you’ll be in a conference room with a single person or a group of interviewers. This is when they’ll ask you the “hard questions” that you’ll need to prepare for ahead of time. If they ask you questions that you can’t answer, do your best to talk through it, and be up-front about what you know and what you don’t. It’s okay to get a few wrong. Plus, some interview questions don’t even have correct answers… they’re just a tool to help the interviewers understand how you think through new challenges that are ambiguous or hard to define.
• Informal Q&A: Toward the end of the interview, they might ask whether you have any questions for them. This is a great opportunity for you to ask about the studio culture, what it’s like to work there, or why they think it’s a great company to work for. But keep in mind that you’re still in an interview! It’s best to keep your questions focused on the company and products.

How do I prepare?

Follow these tips for a successful interview:

• Throughout the interview, it’s critical to remember that they’re not just assessing your skills — they’re also assessing your “team fit.” When answering questions, be sure to show that you’re a good team member and a good communicator. And never speak ill about your previous classmates, coworkers, or bosses!
• Be sure to dress appropriately
• It’s important to nail the interview questions, but you also need to keep a positive attitude. Allow yourself to smile, and even laugh. Most of the interviewers are programmers, producers, artists, and other gamer geeks just like you, so try to present yourself like somebody they’d want to work with. (If you wouldn’t want to work with you, they won’t either!)

After the interviews

When you’ve finished going through all the stages of interviewing — informal, pre-screen, and formal interviews — it’s a good idea to send a “thank you” note. Don’t wait. Do it the very next day.

And don’t stress out if they don’t call you back right away, because it can take a week or more for the interviewers to make a decision and complete the job offer paperwork. It just depends on how many different candidates they’re interviewing for the job, and how overworked the hiring managers are at the time. You should check in with your contact at the company no more than once per week, to ask about your status as a candidate.

Last but not least: Be proud of yourself! The interview process can require a lot of time and effort, and it can be stressful (although not as stressful as a root canal). You can minimize your stress and maximize your chances of success by understanding the different types of interviews, and by being prepared.

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Image: Maggie Smith / FreeDigitalPhotos.net