Behavior
- Be on time, make sure you get the directions right and you may ask for a phone contact to find the office location (preferably not your interviewer)
- Switch off your phone before the interview
- Don’t be distracted and be attentive to the conversation
- Avoid talking too much because of stress: Keep your answers succinct, to-the-point and focused and do not ramble
- Be aware of body language and cultural differences
- A thank you note is appreciated after the interview, to show once again your motivation for the position
- Do not be negative or speak poorly of previous employers
Interview
Congratulations! You have passed the first stage(s) of selection and have been shortlisted for an interview: it shows the employer is interested in your profile. Interviews are usually decisive. Here are two essential rules:
- Do your research about the organization: what activities, what values, what history, what challenges? Most information can be found online but you can also contact people you know in the organization. Showing up to an interview without knowing the organization and its sector is a deal breaker.
- Practice/ prepare before the D-Day. Although each interview is unique and depends on the organization culture and the participants, there are some common questions that you can prepare for.
- Job Description- Make sure that you know the job description before the interview. When questions are asked, you should be able to relate them back to the required skills in the job description
I.e.: When applying for a job doing finance they might ask what is your past work experience. While you may have worked in a restaurant as a chef, you should focus on those job experiences that you have had using your finance skills. - Presentation: When you go to a job interview you must look like a professional so that your employer knows you are serious. You should wear clean and well pressed clothes to your interview.
What questions to expect?
- Tell me about yourself? Keep it concise and focused to your professional history and relevant certifications. Keep in mind the position you apply for: this new job should come as a logical next step.
- What is your ability to work in a team? What are you leadership skills? Prepare examples of for each.
- How do you handle stress and pressure? Give an example from your past experience when you successfully handled pressure.
- Why did you leave you previous job? Regardless of why you left, do not speak badly about your previous employer.
- What skills do you have for this job? Beforehand check the job requirements and make a list of the skills that matches the position. Select the ones you own the most.
- Why do you want this job? Why do you want to work for us? Make sure you do your research on the organization so you can refer to specific aspect of the job/organization.
- Why should we hire you? Give concrete examples of why your skills/ accomplishments answer the organization’s needs, compare your qualifications to the job listing
- What are your salary expectations? The recruiter will likely be looking for a number, so come prepared with a target salary figure or at least a range in mind.
- What is your greatest strength? Use the qualifications required in the posting and select one of your skills that match it. Illustrate it with an example.
- What is your greatest weakness? You can mention skills that are not critical for the job, skills you have improved on, or turn a negative into a positive. You must answer this question so be prepared
