Job interviews are always exciting. The purpose of the interview is to find out how suitable and motivated you are for the job. This page gives you hints about how to prepare for job interviews.
If you are well prepared, you can relax in the interview and be yourself. Being a little nervous does not matter.
Before the interview, do the following
A positive first impression is very important when we meet people. Select your clothes to suit the job you applied for and the employer. Bring with you your application, your certificates of employment and education and your portfolio if you have one. Arrive at the interview on time.
In the interview, the recruiter establishes whether or not you have a genuine interest in the job and assesses your skills and competence. Above all, the interview will provide the employer information about your interaction skills and attitudes. If you are interviewed by a panel, pay equal attention to all of its members.
Remember that your gestures, facial expressions and your way of talking say a lot about you. Listen to the questions you are asked, and take your time thinking about the answers. Be honest in your replies, but also decide what it would be best to leave out.
There are two parties in filling a vacancy. When given a chance, ask questions about the job and the employer. Well-prepared questions may spark a good discussion that the interviewer will remember. Also be prepared to answer unexpected questions. The interviewer may, for example, test your language skills by changing languages.
The interview usually has three stages:
After the interview, think about how you feel the interview went. What went well, and where could you have done better?
If you are not selected, find out from the employer or the interviewer what factors where stressed in the selection and which ones influenced the decision not to select you.
Some of the questions that typically come up in a job interview are listed below. You should practise answering these. The better you have prepared yourself, the more confident you will feel in the interview.
They may ask you several questions that are similar, or the order of the questions may feel completely random. In fact, the interviewer may be testing your ability to cope with pressure.
There are certain questions that you do not need to answer in a job interview. They include questions about your
In addition to a personal interview, the employer may also test your competence and suitability for the job in many other ways.
There are many methods for assessing professional competence, for example giving a demonstration in a setting similar to the actual work. The task may also involve team work or a small presentation.
A psychological assessment finds out or predicts how well you will cope in the job by examining your mentality, skills, abilities, characteristics or operating models.
For example, the employer may use a psychological assessment to find out
The employer has the duty to ensure that the tests are based on reliable methods and that the information obtained by the tests is correct. Persons carrying out the tests must have the requisite expertise.
The best way to prepare for the tests is to be yourself and keep an open mind. If you wish, you are always entitled to receive a copy of the test report or oral feedback.