Congrats, you got an interview!

So, now here comes the hard part ... It's time to prepare.

Rather than scouring the internet for generic and non-industry-specific advice, we recommend coming straight to the source!

As a ClimateTech recruitment agency, we work with hundreds of eager job seekers who are looking to get their foot in the door in climate solutions. Throughout the years, we've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly.

We're here to tell you how to avoid the "bad" and the "ugly" and conquer that "good."

Follow these steps and you'll be well on your way to acing your next ClimateTech interview and landing a job in climate solutions.

Listen.

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Yup, it's as simple as that. Make sure that you're actually listening to the interview question. If you didn't catch the question or don't fully understand, ask the interviewer to repeat themselves and/or rephrase. If you think you got the gist but are somewhat unsure, we recommend paraphrasing and repeating the question back to them to verify your understanding.

Succinctly respond.

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Companies are looking to hire clear communicators. Ensure that you're fully addressing all parts of their questions without rambling. At Climate People, we like to say "don't walk all the way around the block just to go next door." We recommend starting with the 10,000-foot view and then drilling down on the actions and the specific things that you've done. This allows your interviewer to visualize the full picture of your response. It's key to find a balance between the nitty-gritty details and the sky view!

Show Mission alignment.

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We'll never stop shouting this from the rooftop! It's so important to show these companies that you care about their mission to lessen/adapt to the harmful effects of climate change. The more you show that you're passionate about mitigating climate change, the more likely it is that they'll want to hire you. A lot of time ClimateTech companies are startups and the founders are actively involved in the hiring processes. They care a great deal about the issues they're working to solve and expect the same from their employee base.

You're a S.T.A.R.

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Answer their open-ended questions using the Situation, Task, Action, Result (STAR) method.

Situation: Describe the situation and provide relevant details.
Task: Explain the task you were working on.
Action: Dive into the specific actions you took to address the task.
Result: Explain the outcome of the situation and tie it back to the role that you played in achieving this

This method will help you remain concise and will ensure all of your answers provide value.

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Prepare an elevator pitch.

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We get it, it's hard to sell yourself! It's especially hard to sell yourself in <1 minute. However, that's the very basis of an interview. You must learn to prove your value quickly, convincingly, and efficiently.

1) Give a generalized big-picture statement about who you are.
2) Start by discussing your current situation.
3) Weave in relevant past experiences.
4) Connect all of this back to the role you're interviewing for.

Follow these steps:

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Ask questions.

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Be prepared with 3-5 questions to ask your interviewer. Use this time as an opportunity to dig deeper into the role and the overall mission of the company. We recommend asking about some current bottlenecks/hardships that're relevant to the role you're applying for. In your follow-up email, you can address some of the issues they mentioned and provide proposed solutions. This will show not only your ability to do the job but the fact that you're willing to jump in and take action.

Be rememberable.

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The best thing you can do in an interview is to be unique and set yourself apart from the other applicants! Tell your story and really sell that personal connection to the company's overall mission.

Follow these 7 steps and it's guaranteed that you will impress your interviewers! Remember, applying for jobs is more of an art than it is a science — prepare well, sell yourself effectively, and prioritize efficiency and you'll be well on your way!

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