Get Prepared for the Interview
The impression
When you have come as far as the interview, it’s because your cover letter and CV have already made a good impression. You may be the right person for this position.
If you now get yourself prepared to make a good impression in a face-to-face meeting you will be doing yourself a favor. It will make you feel calmer and put you in control of the situation.
If you live abroad, you may be offered a Skype interview, or you might be invited to Norway at the expense of the company.
The first impression has been given through your cover letter and CV but now your papers will be valuable. Bring along your papers from school, previous jobs and courses. If you have any statements from references, bring them too. Make them look nice and neat in a suitable folder.
Be well dressed, modest and respectful.
If the job you are seeking involves manual labor, wear appropriate neat, clean clothing. Neat clothes and grooming tell the prospective employer that you take pride in yourself and are thus more likely to take pride in your work. If you are hoping to work in an office, choose modest clothing that is considered suitable business attire. Choose your clothes long before you are due to attend your interview so that you don’t feel rushed and unnecessarily increase your stress levels prior to the interview. Make sure you can make eye contact. Don’t wear sunglasses and demonstrate good manners.
How can you make the best impression?
We recommend arriving for your interview about 10 minutes early; That is to announce your arrival in the reception. If you travel by car, you may give yourself some extra time and spend it in the car. Arriving too early is not wise but arriving late could be disastrous.
The first three seconds of your interview are crucial. During that brief time, the interviewer makes assessments about you and your appearance that deeply influence his or her opinion of you. If you are late, you will make an overwhelmingly negative impression. If you happen to be delayed, call them and inform them of your situation as soon as possible. Remember, there are no second chances to rectify first impressions.
Remember that the interviewer is not your enemy. After all, it is likely that he had to apply for his job, so he knows how you feel. In fact, he may be nervous since he may have received little or no training on how to conduct an interview. In addition, if the interviewer is the employer he may have a great deal to lose if he chooses the wrong person for the job.
To start off well, smile and give the interviewer a firm handshake and make eye contact. During the interview, concentrate on what the employer needs from you and what you have to offer. Regarding things to avoid: Don’t be too informal or overly talkative, and definitely do not use profanities. Also, avoid being negative about your former employers and workmates—if you are negative about them, the interviewer will likely feel you will be negative about this job too.
What will the interview be like?
Maintain eye contact with the interviewer, use natural gestures when you speak, and articulate clearly. Be concise and honest when answering questions and ask relevant questions about the company and the prospective job. At the end of the interview, if you still want the job, ask for it. Doing so will show your enthusiasm.
A job interview consists of a series of questions that are used across various industries. But how do you know what your employer will ask you about? In section 5 we have gathered the most common questions so you can be well prepared for the interview. Here you can find the 80 most common questions assembled in an array of questions that employers take advantage of, and they are categorized into four different topics: education, career, personal issues and questions about the enterprise/position.
As you may have noticed, the main article will take you all the way from planning your career to negotiating your conditions. In the interview we do not recommend you negotiate before you are both sure you are right for each other.
Be adaptable. It is unlikely that you will find a job that has everything you were hoping for. But it may give you the start you need. One woman said: “I wasn’t adamant about finding the same type of work I had been doing. I followed up each job opportunity that came along, even if it involved what some might consider menial work. As a result, I was able to find work to support my two children.”
Contents of the full article
- Define your career wishes
- Map out the entire job vacancies
- Create a neat and professional CV
- Create optimal job applications
- Be successful in the job interview
- Negotiate
