Job interview
Here are some tips and ideas on how to prepare for your job interview.
In order to plan and conduct an interview, it can be useful to look at it from three different perspectives; what you can prepare, what you can think about during the interview and what should be done after the interview.
Before
During an interview, the interviewer wants to try to get as true a picture of you as possible. It is common to have about an hour, which is why it is important that you are so prepared that you can present yourself in a successful way and that it will also be easier for you to feel relaxed and confident.
- Read about the company via websites, annual reports, ads or articles. Do you have contacts at the company who work there right now or have worked there before? Do you know anyone in the industry? You can get a lot of information by talking to them.
- Find out as much as you can about the position, is it a new or replacement recruitment? What responsibilities should you have? Is there an explicit expectation in terms of results, if so, which ones? Are there opportunities for hybrid work, flexitime, etc.? Read the advertisement carefully, many questions are answered in it.
- Find out who will be interviewing you, their position and how much time you have.
- Prepare your own questions, feel free to write them down and bring them along. Perhaps you have questions about the company's organization, corporate culture, the demands placed on you as an applicant, values, colleagues and the future. What might a typical day/week look like for the position?
- Read through your application and CV. You will be asked questions about what you have written. Prepare a short presentation of yourself where you clearly and without too many details go through what you have done at your most recent workplaces, what responsibilities you have had, education and qualities that may be a good match for the position.
- Is there perhaps a common thread in your professional life? Think about what you want to get across during the interview, why you want this job, what you can contribute, why should they choose you? In the first meeting, they are not usually asked for grade copies, work grades and references, but that can come later in the process.
During the interview
The person conducting the interview can either be a human resources manager (HR), a recruiting manager or someone else in a senior position, such as a team leader. Depending on who conducts the interview, it can look a little different as the interviewers may have different interests.
- A person from the human resources (HR) department or a recruitment consultant will want to know a lot about you as a person, your qualities, values and motivators in order to assess whether you are a good fit for the company with regard to the company culture and its values.
- A manager tends to be more interested in your factual knowledge, your experience with similar positions, tools, models, problem-solving skills, and how you fit into the group.
Tip
- Give yourself a few minutes before the interview so you can prepare.
- Be punctual. If you are running late, always call!
- Take time and think about your answers, the one who knows the most about you is yourself!
- Be concise and give examples of what you mean.
- Let us know if you don't understand a question.
- Be loyal to previous employers and don't speak ill of them.
- Show interest and commitment to both the company/organization and to the position.
Towards the end of the interview, the time has come for you to ask your questions if you did not receive the answers during the interview. Here are some examples:
- Is an introduction planned? What will it look like?
- Are there opportunities for skills development and/or advancement?
- What expectations will the employer have of you during the first three months?
- What will be the next step in the recruitment process?
Remember to tell us that you are interested in the position.
The Salary Issue
We recommend that you do not bring up the issue of salary yourself, but let the employer/interviewer do it. On the other hand, you should be well-informed about what the salary structure looks like for the position and in the industry, as well as what salary expectations you want to have. It is not uncommon for the question to come up.
Keep in mind that salary can consist of other things than money. Examples of this can be insurance solutions, pensions, car benefits, education, holidays instead of overtime, training cards and mobile phones.
End the interview by thanking them for a good time and try to convey your feelings (especially if you feel that this job is interesting and something you want). If you would receive an offer for the service right away, accept if you are sure. Ask to come back the next day if you need some time to think about it.
After
Take a moment after the interview to think about how it went. What went well, what didn't go so well, what kind of questions felt new and unfamiliar, did you get nervous at any point? Where did you feel you had energy and joy? Learn and consider the interview as an experience.
One way to further show your interest in the position can be to send an email and thank them for the interview. Here you have the opportunity to raise any questions that have arisen afterwards. By getting in touch, you send signals of commitment and that you want the job.
If there is a delay in receiving a response from the employer, do not hesitate to contact us, it shows your interest. At the same time, you need to be patient as recruitment processes often take a long time.
Should you be told that you will not be offered the position, try to find out why and what you missed. Maybe you can contact one of the people you met in the interview by phone or email?
It is an advantage to have several applications out at the same time.
Hint
- If you have promised to send grades, references or something else – don't forget! Please let us know if there is a delay for any reason.
- Tests of various kinds are something that occurs very often. It can be about personality, behavior, strengths and weaknesses, or theoretical and practical skills. Consider the tests as a complement to the interview and reference checks. Make sure you always get feedback on the tests you take.
- The tests can also come before the interview and can then be considered as a kind of "screening" for which candidates the company/organization will choose to call for an interview.
Good luck!
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Interview questions
Here are examples of common questions to ask during the job interview.