Interview Preparation

The professional interview is the most popular and classical method for selecting employees. It is the only
assessment tool that gives you an actual opportunity of a personal contact.

During the interview, try to:

1. Persuade the interviewer that you are the most suitable person for the position.
2. Gain a first impression about your future employers and colleague.

Below you can find some simple tips that should be followed by every candidate, regardless of the position applied
for, or the preferred industry and type of company interested to work in.

Keep in mind

While preparing for the interview, you must have in mind that the company has already found interesting information
in your Curriculum Vitae. Thus, the interviewer’s principal objectives are to:

• Receive as much information as possible about your professional background.
• Test your skills.
• Profile you and consider whether your personality matches with the company’s culture.

Therefore, you should be able to give analytical information regarding all areas mentioned in your CV.

Before the Interview

Being well prepared not only ensures that you will have positive results during the interview, but also helps you
feel less anxious. So, it is important to use the time you have until the moment of the interview, in order to:

• Search all information related to the company and learn as much as you can (history, products/services, size,
  structure, reputation, recent changes). You can do your research through internet (corporate website, publications,
  general research). During the interview, there is no need to try to impress. In case you have the chance, just show
  that you are informed, by making discreet comments.
• Fully understand the specific requirements of the job position and find your strengths, as well as your
  weaknesses. That way you will be able to better predict the questions that may be asked and, thus, prepare your
  answers in the best possible way.
• Bring in mind specific examples of cases that are representative of your career and show briefly your strongest
  competencies, as well as your most significant achievements. Also, prepare your answers in questions like: “How did
  you deal with the situation you just described us?” or “What would you do if you were again in the same position?”.
• Take briefly notes of what you would reply in more generic questions that have to do with:
  • Personal goals
  • Reasons for which you wish to work for the company
  • Explanation of why you believe you should take the job

During the Interview

You are well prepared, you know several things about the company and you are confident that you can meet all the
requirements of the job. A bad impression during the interview however, may cancel all the effort you have made.
Therefore:

• Give answers that are complete and factual.
• Emphasize on good points, but mostly on the added value you will offer to the company.
• Be positively predisposed and contribute to a nice and professional discussion (even in negative points, the
  candidate must give a positive aspect, by avoiding negative expressions, e.g. it’s better to say “It would be really
  useful to have the opportunity to be involved with word processing…”, instead of “I have never worked with word
  processing…”).
• Be honest with your current earnings, as well as with your expectations regarding them, in case you are asked. It
  would be good to have already been informed about compensations and benefits of relevant positions in the market and
  to keep your requests at a realistic level.
• Do not be the one to raise the remuneration issue first.
• Moreover, do not neglect to:
  • Take some copies of your CV with you.
  • Have samples of your work, depending on the nature of the position.
  • Pay attention to your appearance, but not exaggerate (even in cases that it will not be necessary in daily
    work).

After the Interview

It is recommended that you ask one or two questions about the position or the company. This will not only create an opportunity for discussion, but also convince the employer that you were actively and essentially involved in the whole procedure.

Remember: there is no right or wrong answer. Everything depends on:

• the requirements of the position, therefore, identify them in advance!
• the compatibility of your past working experience with the company’s needs, and
• the interpersonal relation developed during the interview.

GOOD LUCK!