Tips for the job interview

First impressions are essential. Get your nerves under control so you can greet everyone at the interview calmly and with a smile and get off to a good start. 

Nervousness can’t be removed entirely, but by preparing answers to the most common questions, you may be able to reduce it. Your answers should not be too long; a few minutes at most. If they want to learn more, they will ask additional questions to get around the topic. 

Prepare a short presentation of yourself that matches the position you are applying for. It should last 1-3 minutes and show your motivation for the job and how your experience and qualifications match the position. Practice saying the presentation out loud – it will sound more natural on the day and put you at ease. You can use your phone to record the answers when you practice. That way, you can keep the wording that sounds best. 

Body language can take you a long way 

A surprisingly large part of first impressions is body language. Your words can easily fall flat if your handshake is limp, your eyes flutter, and you forget to smile. Your body language is essential if you want to avoid creating doubts about your qualities in a job interview. 

Prepare for your job interview 

Use the job posting actively. Read it carefully and think about what you want to say if the interview touches on specific tasks, challenges, and competencies. 

Identify specific examples of how your competencies come into play and find out who you will be interviewing with. Is it a manager, an HR consultant, or both? Use LinkedIn to research the people you're interviewing with. 

Build on the research about the company you did for your application. Google the company thoroughly, talk to your network, read press coverage, and get an impression of the company’s products, target groups, culture and values. The better you understand the company’s reality, the better you can target your answers to match the job. In addition, your knowledge of the company will show the employer that you are motivated to get the job. 

Questions you may be asked at the interview

Be yourself at the job interview 

Naturally, you are eager to show that you have the professional competencies to do the job. But the company will typically also ask who you are when you’re not at work. 

So be ready to talk about your children, interests, travels, or anything else you feel helps give a full picture of who you are. 

Maybe prepare specific examples of activities that characterise you. 

Prepare for questions about salary 

You may already be asked about your salary expectations during the first interview. Prepare for the interview by researching salary levels in the specific industry and have an ambitious but realistic offer ready. 

Contact relevant people in your network and/or your trade union to get some indications of salary levels. 

Leaving the job interview 

Some believe that you show commitment by having prepared closing questions for HR and the manager. But be careful not to appear feigned or artificial. The questions should be relevant to the job and role and not be about what the company can offer you. 

Examples could be the composition of the team or whether they have had others in the position before you – questions that give you essential information and give them the impression of interest, motivation and commitment. 

If they have already answered your questions, let them know that you have received answers to the questions you prepared during the interview. 

If you feel that the setting and atmosphere of the interview are not encouraging questions, you can write a short follow-up email thanking them for the interview and perhaps touching on some of the things you didn’t get to during the interview.