Many applicants are nervous for days or weeks before a job interview. Here it does not matter which job you want, if it is an interview to become a bookmaker or a cook. You always will be nervous. Of course, the right preparation is essential, but what will the interview be like? What questions should an applicant expect and how can he or she best prepare for the meeting? We reveal the typical course of many job interviews and the most frequently discussed topics.
THE INVITATION
In the classic case, you have sent the company an application for a publicly advertised position and are now waiting for a response. At some point, either a rejection letter flutters through your mailbox or an invitation to an interview. It is also not unusual for the personnel manager to call you personally if you have made it to the interview. Sometimes, however, the personal meeting also takes place as an interview at an assessment center or in response to a speculative application.
PREPARATION
Once the date for the interview has been confirmed, the applicant begins to prepare for the personal meeting. Any trained personnel officer will quickly notice whether you appear prepared or unprepared and how motivated you are accordingly. The conclusion is: an applicant without preparation is an applicant without motivation – and there go your chances of getting the job. So the more accurately you can assess what you will face, the better your performance will be in the interview. Classic steps in preparation are therefore:
Memorize your resume and cover letter to the extent that you know for sure what was and was not in them. You may have to repeat statements or the interviewer may try to lure you out of your reserve with “false statements”.
Find out about the company, your potential future department and your job – if possible.
In addition, engage in self-reflection and write down your character traits, wishes and goals. Check which “arguments” could be relevant for the position and speak for you as a new employee. Practice your self-presentation, which will most likely be on the agenda during the interview.
Based on all this information, prepare convincing answers to the classic application questions, for example: What are your strengths and weaknesses? Why do you want to work for our company? Why should we choose you? Where do you see yourself in ten years?
It is important that you remain authentic not only during this preparation phase, but throughout the entire application process.
GREETING
When the day of days arrives, make absolutely sure you show up on time for your appointment. “On time” in this case does not mean to the minute, but five to ten minutes before at the most. If you arrive even earlier, take a short walk or go over your notes again in the car. If you are already sitting in the foyer twiddling your thumbs half an hour, 20 or 15 minutes before the interview, you will put unnecessary pressure on the recruiter and other interview participants, which could come across as overcorrect or unsympathetic. And first impressions are known to last.
To make a good first impression,…
…choose the right clothes. What is perceived as appropriate in a particular company depends heavily on the industry, the culture and tradition in the company, and its size. For example, conservative big business tends to go for a smart look in a well-fitting suit for men and a suit or black cloth pants with a blouse for women. So do industries such as banking or insurance companies. In creative companies and many SMEs, however, the clothing is kept more casual: Here it may also do the black jeans with shirt or in extreme cases, you can even come in a plain T-shirt with sneakers. You can find out what suits the company, for example, by looking at the company’s website and social networks, or you can simply ask an acquaintance who works at the company – if available.