Mike Simpson is the co-founder of The Interview Guys, the career-advice site he launched in February 2013 to help job seekers actually land the roles they want. Over the last 13 years, the site has reached more than 100 million job seekers worldwide, and Mike's particular focus is interview preparation: how candidates can actually answer the questions hiring managers really care about.
He holds a Business degree from Bishop's University (HR major, Economics minor) and is an active member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers & Career Coaches (PARWCC) and the National Career Development Association (NCDA). His advice has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, and CNBC, and is referenced by career-services teams at the University of Michigan, Penn State, Northeastern, the University of Toronto, McGill, Wellesley College, and Kansas State, among others.
Articles credited to Mike on The Interview Guys are reviewed and edited by him personally to make sure the frameworks, examples, and recommendations match what actually works in real interviews.
You’ve prepared for weeks. You’ve researched the company, practiced your answers, and even bought a new outfit. But as the interview time approaches, your heart races, your palms sweat, and your mind goes blank. Sound familiar? The moments right before an interview are when even the most qualified candidates can sabotage themselves with anxiety and…
Have you ever finished a video interview and cringed thinking about how you looked or sounded? That moment when you realize your lighting made you look like you were being interrogated, your audio cut out during your perfect answer, or your webcam angle gave everyone a great view of your nostrils? You’re not alone. According…
Have you ever sent a perfectly crafted follow-up email after an interview, only to be met with… silence? That gut-wrenching feeling when your message vanishes into the digital void is all too familiar for most job seekers. Here’s a reality check: According to HiringThing, 76% of job seekers say not hearing back after submitting a…
Did you know that 58% of job candidates don’t negotiate their salary at all, even though 70% of hiring managers expect negotiation? That’s right – most employers anticipate you’ll negotiate, yet more than half of us leave money on the table without even trying. Here’s an even more shocking stat: Successful salary negotiations can add…
Picture this: You walk into the interview room, exchange pleasantries, and take your seat. What you might not realize is that the decision-making process has already begun. According to veteran recruiter and hiring expert Laszlo Bock, the unconscious evaluation starts the moment you enter the room—and decisive impressions form before you’ve even answered the first…
According to workplace research, employees spend an average of 2.1 hours per week dealing with conflict, costing employers approximately $359 billion in paid hours annually. No wonder hiring managers are obsessed with your conflict resolution skills! In fact, this question appears in 63% of behavioral interviews, making it the most commonly asked behavioral question across…
You’re sailing through your interview when suddenly the hiring manager asks, “What would you say is your greatest weakness?” Your heart sinks. Answer too honestly, and you might talk yourself out of a job. Give a clichéd response, and you’ll seem dishonest. According to research, over 67% of interviews include questions about weaknesses, making this…
“Tell me about a time when you led a team through a crisis.” If that question makes your stomach drop because you’ve barely led a line at Starbucks, you’re not alone. According to a recent survey, 68% of entry-level candidates believe they don’t have enough experience to answer behavioral questions effectively. Talk about interview anxiety!…
Did you know that behavioral questions make up 60-70% of a typical job interview? Yet most candidates wing it, frantically searching their memory for relevant experiences while the interviewer waits for an answer. Here’s the problem: your brain doesn’t file memories by interview question type. When you’re asked, “Tell me about a time you resolved…
The Common Myth vs. Reality You’ve probably heard it before: “Hiring managers make up their minds about candidates in the first 90 seconds.” This intimidating statistic has been widely shared in career advice articles, interview preparation guides, and job-seeking forums. It’s also completely misleading. A groundbreaking study from researchers at Old Dominion, Florida State, and…
