Robin Roberts’s 9 Job Interview Tips

Robin Roberts has worked as a Good Morning America anchor for more than a decade. Before that, she was the first Black, woman anchor on ESPN’s flagship program, SportsCenter. She’s interviewed President Barack Obama, reported on the ground in Mississippi during Hurricane Katrina, and spoken publicly about her breast cancer and Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Robin knows a thing or two about successful interview skills; here are some of her tips.

Whether it’s your first interview or your fiftieth, here are some of Robin’s basic do's and don’ts to help you wow your potential employer in your next interview and land a new job offer:

1. 1. Feel proud that you have an interview. If you got an interview with a company, it means they saw something valuable in you. "That's not easy," Robin says. "It's not easy in this time and day to get an inteview, so feel proud about yourself that you've accomplished that." You earned it. Let that pride come through in your body language: Hold yourself with good posture and make confident eye contact. If you walk into an interview with your head held high, your confidence will come through for a great first impression—even if you’re nervous.
2. 2. Be humble. Confidence is one thing—it shows that you understand your worth—but being arrogant is a huge turn-off to employers and one of the worst things you can do. It’s presumptuous and disrespectful, and it won’t get you anywhere. As Robin often says, “When you strut, you stumble.” For interview success, aim for a confident yet humble attitude to show you’re capable but willing to learn.
3. 3. Be prepared. A vital step before any interview is to do your homework. Come in having studied up on the company and the person conducting your interview. “Google the heck” out of both, Robin says. If you’re interviewing at a magazine, are you intimately familiar with each editor and writer on staff as well as the magazine’s different sections? Doing your interview preparation ahead of time will show you’re sharp and have a genuine interest in the role. Don’t be afraid to show that you have a genuine interest in the interviewer, either. And if you’re still feeling nervous, it can help to look up some common interview questions (for instance, “Why do you want to work here?” “Tell me about yourself,” and “Why should we hire you?”) and think about what kinds of things you could talk about in your answers.
4. 4. Come in with ideas. If you’ve done your homework, you should have some creative and informed thoughts on what the company could be doing differently or additionally. Sharing some ideas about their company is a great way to show that you’re an ideal candidate and the kind of person who takes the initiative and likes to solve problems. "You can compete with being creative. You can compete with having the ideas," Robin says.
5. 5. Don’t assume you know exactly what the job will require. No matter the industry, no one company operates in exactly the same way as another. Listen to how the interviewers describe their company and ask questions if you’re unfamiliar with certain processes.
6. 6. Dress for the job you want. There’s a reason that this phrase is an old standby—it works. If the interviewer can picture you conducting a meeting or sitting at the anchor’s desk delivering the news on their network, it might help you land the job. Think carefully about the dress code for the job you’re applying for (and do your research so you know the company culture); don’t show up to a business-casual workplace wearing ripped jeans.
7. 7. Avoid prepping answers for interview questions word for word. While it’s a great idea to jot down a list of questions and answers for your interview, you don’t want to memorize your response to each one. Your interviewer will be able to tell if you’ve memorized your replies in advance, and memorized responses come across as stiff and insincere. Plus, while there are some common questions you can be fairly sure interviewers will ask, they may surprise you. Don’t spend time rehearsing your lines—you’ll appear stiff and inflexible in the actual interview.
8. 8. Ask questions. You want to leave every interview being as informed as possible about the job description—lest you wind up in a position you didn’t bargain for. In addition to helping you understand the position, asking questions is another way to show you’re comfortable with basic communication skills, that you’ve read up on the company, and that you care about what it does. Feel free to also ask about your potential coworkers or projects.
9. 9. Send a thank-you note. Sending a follow-up after a good interview can be scary, but it’s a nice way to show the recruiters you’re interested. Sending a thank-you email later the same day is fine, as is the day after. Waiting much longer will make it look like you’re not that interested in the job. If you really want to go above and beyond, send a handwritten thank-you note. Just remember that you’ll need to drop it off in person rather than mailing it if you want it to arrive promptly.

Learn more about effective and authentic communication from Emmy-winning “Good Morning America” anchor Robin Roberts. Communicate effectively, embrace vulnerability, and live life with optimism with the MasterClass Annual Membership.