The most exciting and at the same time perhaps the most difficult stage of the job search process is when you finally hear back from your ideal workplace that you have been invited for a job interview. A successful interview depends on many key factors, but the most important: conscious preparation. In the following, we would like to give you tips for successful and productive job interviews, so that you too can sit back satisfied in the knowledge that you did everything in your power to achieve your goal.
Be prepared about the company you applied for!
Before the interview, take the time to familiarize yourself with the basic information on the company's website (brief history, services, number of employees, range of products or services). Look for the new news and articles published about them recently. You can get extra points from the interviewer if you are even aware of the latest news.
Prepare yourself with a range of possible questions!
Of course, don't overdo it, but before the interview, consciously prepare for possible questions: personality, motivation, professional competences, interpersonal behavior. You will find many different sets of questions for these available on the web. Try specifically to answer interesting questions that seem more difficult. The better you prepare, the better you will react to unexpected situations.
Awareness and practice make the master who he is!
No one is a champion of interview technique in the beginning, but if you are aware you will get better over time. Before the interview, practice with your friends or family members, or in front of the mirror. If you practice in front of others, ask them to give you feedback on your body language and behavior. This feedback can help you polish what isn't shining yet.
Move at home in the storehouse of your competence and strengths!
Consciously collect the expectations in the job advertisement and compare them with your personal professional experience and strengths. In the course of your professional experience, you should think about the biggest challenges and results at the given workplaces and prepare from them. Highlighting 4-5 important elements of your strengths is sufficient, you must not exaggerate. In each case, justify with an example why you feel really strong in the given skill (e.g. communication is my strength, I also created the content for our website last time). It is also worth mentioning a quality that you would like to improve. Based on this, they see that you are motivated and demanding of development, and they can count on you in the long term.
Make your speech short, concise, but still impactful!
When you mention your achievements in your professional experience, it is best to quantify them. For example, in the case of a sales position, you say that in the given month you became the sales person of the month because you sold a turnover of 300 million, but this is the 5th best result in your company, e.g. for a designer position, you highlight your main projects.
Ask yourself, not just the interviewer!
If you have any questions about the given company or position. You can ask questions about anything that really interests you. For example, what is the ideal colleague for them, what are the company's future plans. Questions express genuine interest, so they can see that you are seriously interested in the position.
Demand for payment: you can't beat him with a firm but prepared demand!
In any case, prepare for the interview with a specific payment request. Before the interview, take a look at the salaries currently available in the specific field. Statements are prepared for these annually by larger companies, so-called "salary guides" or salary guides, which present the average salaries for qualifications and years of experience in specific fields. If you do not know exactly the salary structure of the given company (e.g. as a salesperson, how much is the commission and how much is the fixed salary), then tell us what kind of structure you have been in so far and what would be the right salary range for you. Show flexibility in the payment request, don't close the question as if you were putting a full stop at the end.
Our relaxed interior leads to success!
In addition to theoretical preparation, take enough time to recharge mentally before the interview, because the body is a mirror of the soul. On the day before/that morning of the interview, spend time doing something that makes you happy and fills you up positively: your favorite music, a run, a relaxing movie or book. According to many, the visualization technique also helps if you imagine the given situation several times before the interview as a positive experience. Remember: don't be afraid to be yourself and be conscious of your preparation!