Tips on how to prepare
for your job interview
Congratulations! Your application has left a good impression on the company you want to work for and you have been invited to an interview. Now it is important to inform your future employer or employer. To convince your future employer within the scope of a personal conversation. Make sure you take the time to make all the relevant preparations for your job interview. Find out from us what is important in telephone interviews, which pointers you should consider during the interview and what assessment centres are all about.
Show who you are and why you are the right choice for the company in the interview – this also includes finding out about key figures, products and strategies of the future employer.
In order for you to shine during your next interview and advance your career, we will guide you step by step through the preparations and provide you with an "Interview preparation checklist“ as a download.
Prepare your job interview
A conscientious and systematic preparation for the interview to obtain a new job is the be-all and end-all. This is because, as individual as job interviews are, certain topics are just as common. In addition, you can play through these in advance with a friend, girlfriend or good acquaintance. In addition to presenting yourself and the company presenting itself, this includes questions you should definitely pose to yourself as well as to your future employer.
Even though this type of role-playing game seems unnecessary at first, it will help you organise your thoughts. In this way, you get used to the candidature situation, thereby reducing the stress and nervousness felt during the actual job interview. In the best case, your test interviewers will be able to ask you additional questions and give you an honest assessment of how you presented yourself. Use this feedback to better prepare for your next job interview.
The telephone interview – making first impressions
Before you are invited to an on-site interview, companies increasingly tend to first get to know you by phone. So, the invitation to the telephone or video interview is initially good for you. Because you are part of the shortlist of interesting applicants. But you don't have to worry about suddenly receiving a call, being unprepared, and having to answer ad hoc questions about you, your qualifications and the company. If telephone interviews are part of a company's candidature process, you will receive an e-mail in advance including an appointment for the interview.
For a telephone interview, the following applies: Take it just as seriously as a real job interview. This is because, even on the telephone, typical questions for job interviews are posed, even if specialised questions initially play a rather subordinate role. Be prepared for the fact that the telephone interview will last about 30-40 minutes and that you are in a greater position to answer questions – the distribution of roles is often more pronounced than in the job interview on site. For the telephone interview, retreat to a quiet place where you can make an undisturbed phone call and have the job advertisement, your application and information about the company in your head or on a piece of paper in front of you.
Prepare for a job interview: 8 tips
Damit Ihr Jobinterview ein voller Erfolg wird, geben wir Ihnen noch wertvolle Tipps an die Hand. Gehen Sie diese Schritt für Schritt durch und beziehen Sie diese in Ihre Vorbereitung zum Bewerbungsgespräch mit ein.
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Background research
Research the background to the company and your interview participants.
Self-presentation
Prepare your self-presentation and consider appropriate arguments as to why you are the best candidate for the vacant position.
Make notes
Write notes. Both as preparation for the interview and when getting to know each other, it makes a good impression if you write down important statements.
Preparation for questions
Prepare for questions about your motivation for applying, your strengths and weaknesses, or your way of working.
Questions for the company
Prepare questions for the company. Find out even more about the culture, the team, the requirements and your area of responsibility.
Body language
Train your body language. This is because facial expressions, gestures and posture reveal a lot about your personality and your motivation.
Dress code
Please note the dress code for the interview. Dress for your interview in a way that is appropriate to the industry and the position. Through the right clothing, you show respect, belonging and empathy.
Punctuality
Be on time. This is because the seriousness of your application can also be seen from this. Plan your arrival and also take possible delays into account.
The course of an interview
Regardless of whether the interview takes place on-site or is an online job interview with video interview, within one to two hours it will be decided whether the company can imagine working with you - and vice versa. Because: Not only are you being put to the test, the company is also being scrutinised by you. You too can use this opportunity to assess whether this really is your dream job.
As soon as you have pressed the doorbell of your future employer, the interview has begun for you, and this often follows the same pattern:
Now it's your turn to interview the interviewer. This is where your future employer gets to introduce themself. They present the company to you and give insights into the culture, the products and refer to the advertised position before handing the baton back over to you.
Now it's your turn to interview the interviewer. This is where your future employer gets to introduce themself. They present the company to you and give insights into the culture, the products and refer to the advertised position before handing the baton back over to you.
Now you can apply everything you've practiced in preparation for the interview. Briefly describe your professional career and show which stations were particularly relevant for the vacant position. In addition, respond to your successes and draw a line to the advertised job.
Now you can apply everything you've practiced in preparation for the interview. Briefly describe your professional career and show which stations were particularly relevant for the vacant position. In addition, respond to your successes and draw a line to the advertised job.
Now the field opens. At this point, you can expect questions about ambiguities in your CV, technical questions or questions about your personality. It's good if you have already thought about your strengths and weaknesses, your motivation to change, or tasks that you already have to cope with. Take the opportunity to ask your interviewer your questions to learn even more about working in the company and the culture that is lived there.
Now the field opens. At this point, you can expect questions about ambiguities in your CV, technical questions or questions about your personality. It's good if you have already thought about your strengths and weaknesses, your motivation to change, or tasks that you already have to cope with. Take the opportunity to ask your interviewer your questions to learn even more about working in the company and the culture that is lived there.
Behaviour at an assessment centre
In large companies, it is customary to examine applicants for a trainee programme or a management position in a special assessment centre. Your future employer or employer simulates real work situations and thus tests your behaviour in everyday working life.
An assessment-centre assessment can last for three days, during which you and other applicants go through various exercises and are confronted with a wide variety of tasks and problems. You and your competitors will be under close scrutiny throughout the assessment centre. How do you behave in the group? Are you on your own mission or are you involving your fellow human beings? How much can you respond to the needs of others and negotiate compromises? Can you assert yourself and how do you react in stressful situations? These are the focal points of your observers. They analyse your behaviour in detail and evaluate it from the point of view of the desired position. Be yourself and show what you are made of.
Every rejection is the preparation for an interview
Finally it arrives: the longed-for e-mail or the call following a job interview. And with it the decision about your dream job and your next career step. Maybe you already had a gut feeling after the interview and are already expecting an acceptance or rejection. The feedback gives you certainty. It's a pity if you didn't get the job you were looking for and annoying if you weren't given a plausible reason. The HR department cannot and does not have to do that. Unless you were among the last three candidates, or the interview was conducted via a recruiter. Then you can demand a justification and take on the criticism.
Try to see every interview as an opportunity to improve from time to time. Whether the rejection was due to your personal appearance, making arguments that were not sufficient, or the way in which the conversation was conducted did not meet with the consent of the company: You can only improve yourself. And if you don't know why all your effort didn't bear fruit, then try a personal job coach. The view from the outside sometimes reveals in a comprehensible way what screws you have to turn in order to be successful at the next job interview.
The first personal impression
In the interview, show that you have dealt with the company and that you are the perfect candidate for the position you are looking for.
Ask the right questions
Asking the right questions during an interview can determine your success (failure). Find out which questions you are shooting yourself down with!
Get the most
out of it
The interview went well and now you have to negotiate your salary? We help you to position yourself well.