Interview Prep Tips for Successful Northrop Grumman Candidates

You've been selected to interview at Northrop Grumman! It's an exciting, hopeful and unnerving time. So before you begin the interview process, read through our helpful interview prep tips to learn more about what to expect, what to wear and the different types of interviews you might encounter. We'll even give you some sample questions to help you prepare. After all, we want you to be the hire we're looking for!

Here are some interview prep tips straight from the Northrop Grumman Talent Acquisition team.

One common lead-off interview question is often one where people tend to have trouble: “Tell me about yourself.” Sometimes your mind goes blank because you don't think you need to prepare for that question; after all, you know yourself.

This response should be one to two minutes long and should reflect your ability to speak succinctly and with confidence. Try to highlight your strengths and remember that the interviewers want to know more about you.

What we don't want is a chronological retelling of your whole life story. Instead, the answer to this question should be a short overview of your life, emphasizing highlights of your professional experience that are relevant to the job you're interviewing for. Think of it as an elevator pitch about yourself.

The phone screen is a brief (usually 30-minute) informal interview used to develop a rapport with your talent acquisition business partner. It is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your communication skills and personality, and for us to learn more about you as a candidate.

Frequently, questions in the phone screen are centered on behavioral scenarios. The general format of these questions is: “Given a certain situation, how would you respond?”

Your goals for the phone screen should be twofold: to get the talent acquisition partner's attention and to generate enough interest in you for the talent acquisition partner to want to know more about you.

Conducting an interview over video stream is becoming more common. Take steps to prepare for this special kind of interaction:

• Test the technology prior to the interview to make sure everything is working on your end.
• Test the camera to ensure you are taking advantage of the best angles and lighting.
• Dressing professionally during this type of interview is important as well.
• Consider the background of the environment in which you'll be interviewing in terms of both audio and visuals.