Do well at the job interview

Learn everything you can about the company, its products and services, its mission and its values. Read their website, social media and news to get an idea of the corporate culture and any recent updates.

Read the job advert again and try to figure out precisely what the employer is looking for in a candidate. Make a list of requirements and qualifications and think about how your skills and experience coincide with them.

Think of questions the employer might ask you and prepare your answers out loud. It may help you to think up specific examples and give you confidence to answer clearly and concisely.

Plan your route to the interview and make sure you arrive a little early so that you have time to calm down for a few minutes before the interview. Allow yourself time to relax and collect your thoughts before going into the interview. If you are running late, you are well advised to call or write in good time to let the interviewer know that you are stuck in traffic or otherwise detained.

Be relaxed and be yourself. Act naturally and be honest about your strengths and weaknesses. It is important to have good situational awareness and demonstrate that you know when it is OK to joke about a given topic.

In general, your preparation should have given you a good understanding of the company and the job. Practise your answers and you will be more confident of your skills and experience. If you are well prepared, you improve your chances of impressing the employer and landing the job you’ve always dreamed of.

If you’ve just come from university or another educational institution, your real learning begins now. In fact, there’s significant work involved in shedding the restrictive academic mindset you’ve acquired. That’s why the interview will focus more or less on uncovering your mindset rather than your skill set. Therefore, there’s one essential question you must address before attending the interview: How do I show that I’m passionate about this job?

Make sure you identify ways to communicate clearly what the position could offer you and your career. This could include asking how the workplace ensures its employees remain market leaders, or how you, in collaboration with the company, could become the best at what the role entails.

At job interviews, you’re often asked: “What would you do if…?” That’s why it’s a good idea to think about specific work situations in advance. How do you handle conflicts, time pressure or a critical customer, for instance? When you show that you’ve thought about how to deal with real challenges in the role, you come across as both professional and reflective – and that might be exactly what makes you stand out from the other candidates.

Think about how you’ve previously handled tasks that involved teamwork, setting priorities, thinking creatively or learning something new. Choose 2–3 examples that highlight your strengths, and consider how you’d present them in the interview.

This question often opens the interview and gives you an opportunity to briefly introduce yourself. It is important to be specific and focus on experience and skills that are relevant to the job.

This question gives you an opportunity to highlight the skills and experience that coincide well with the job description. It is important that you are specific and give examples of how you have made good use of your skills in the past.

Here, the employer wants to learn more about your personal qualities. It is important to be honest and emphasise the strengths that can benefit the company. When it comes to weaknesses, it is important to choose a real weakness and, at the same time, impress upon the interviewer that you are willing to learn and improve yourself.

This question gives the employer an idea of your career goals and whether you fit in well with the company's long-term plans. It is important to be realistic and demonstrate that you have a plan to achieve your goals.

Here you need to prove that you can handle conflicts in a professional way. It is important to show that you can communicate clearly and listen to others, and that you are willing to find a solution that is satisfactory for all parties.
In general, it is important to be honest and precise when giving answers and to provide specific examples that show how you have tackled similar situations in the past. You should also make sure you have done your research into the company and the position and show that you are interested and well prepared.

No task is too big (or too small) for you—and naturally, you’ll want to convey this during your interview. You might as well jump straight in and inquire about the challenging tasks. This shows your future employer that you’re not afraid of challenges, but rather embrace them confidently and without hesitation. It also gives the impression that you’re ready to fight to reach the goals you’re set.

While you’re already discussing this topic (see above), you might as well ask about the composition of the team. Even if the role involves working independently, you’ll likely need to communicate with others from time to time.

Asking about the composition of employees—such as age, gender, seniority, and education—can help you form a clearer picture of the team culture. For example, whether it’s primarily young colleagues who enthusiastically attend the Friday bar every week (and you’d fit in perfectly by doing the same), or if it consists mainly of parents with young children who leave at 3 pm every other day for the school run (allowing you to feel comfortable doing the same).

It’s always interesting to understand the expectations and goals for a new employee. Naturally, this informs you about your main focus in the job, but most importantly, it allows you to evaluate whether the objectives are something you can see yourself working towards.

Again, it’s smart to have done some homework in advance about what the goals might be (what does the job description suggest?), and to have a specific example from your previous experience ready. This way, your employer can see, through your past successes, that you’re capable of meeting expectations.

Besides helping you decide if you can handle the job, the question also signals that you are goal-oriented and want to achieve something meaningful in your work. Remember, having the right attitude towards the job is one of the most important qualities you can bring to the interview.

You’ve applied to a company that naturally believes its work matters. At the interview, it’s time to show you share that belief. By asking about the future, you demonstrate curiosity and genuine interest, as well as your desire to be part of the company’s ongoing journey.

Make sure to show enthusiasm during the conversation that follows. This will underline your ambition and indicate your potential value to the company.

The previous question naturally leads into a discussion about the company’s vision, making it a great starting point to ask about company values.

Choose one particular value (of course, you’ve researched and prepared thoroughly beforehand) and discuss why this specific value (or the entire set of values) aligns with you personally, and why this alignment would make you happy to work there. Doing so appeals directly to the heart of the employer and typically makes a positive impact.

This question might seem rather direct, but that’s exactly why it’s brilliant. It demonstrates your courage to openly address any potential concerns the employer might have identified.

Asking for feedback allows you to supplement or clarify anything you’ve already mentioned, letting you leave the interview confident that you’ve covered everything essential.

This is another question that demonstrates your courage. However, you should only ask it if the response to the previous question was positive, and you feel close to progressing to the next stage. In return, it highlights clearly that you’re seriously committed to landing the job.

Maintain eye contact, sit upright and avoid folding your arms. An attentive approach shows that you are engaged and interested in the conversation. Listen carefully to what the employer says and show that you understand by nodding or asking relevant questions.

Avoid speaking too fast or mumbling. Be positive and show your enthusiasm for the job and the company. All of this helps to create a good impression. Be honest about your strengths and weaknesses and avoid trying to appear as something you are not.

Dress in accordance with the company's dress code and show that you take the interview seriously. Switch off your phone and avoid being distracted by things around you. Always end the conversation by thanking the employer for their time and interest in you.
Follow these tips to create a positive impression during the interview and increase your chances of impressing the employer. Be yourself and be confident, as this demonstrates enthusiasm and interest in the job.

It’s completely normal to feel nervous before and during a job interview – it simply means that it matters to you. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to calm your nerves. Start by taking a few slow, deep breaths and think of something positive – for example, the fact that you’ve already made it through the initial screening and have been invited to an interview. That in itself is a big achievement.

Remind yourself of what you can offer and come well-prepared – it will help you feel more confident. Also, be mindful of your body language: a calm smile, eye contact and an upright posture will help you appear both professional and approachable. And remember: most hiring managers understand that a bit of nervousness is perfectly normal – it just shows that you’re taking it seriously.

In a second interview, you may meet several people, including your potential manager or other department heads. Be prepared to introduce yourself and your background briefly and concisely.

As mentioned earlier, it is important to ask questions during the job interview. In a second interview, you may ask even more specific questions about the job and the company. You will have learned more about the company at the first interview and may wish to clarify certain issues.

Make sure your body language is positive. Maintain eye contact. Maintain a pleasant tone of voice and thank the employer for their time and interest.

You may realise after the first or second interview that the job is not right for you after all. The best thing to do is to report back to the company honestly, as this too makes a good impression. Honesty is the best policy. There’s no need to set the ball rolling only to drop out without warning.