Tips for a succesful job interview

The interview... a sales talk

In a certain sense, every applicant is a salesman: he sells himself. That is why you should show your positive attitude towards the vacancy and towards the company. Hence the importance of preperation. Try to look enthusiastic and interested. You can do this for example by asking questions about those issues that are not 100% clear, by reacting to subjects the recruiter mentions and by listening attentively (do not interrupt the recruiter, let him/her have his/her say). Stress all useful experience and emphasise your assets. Give your reasons for changing jobs and for reacting to this vacancy in particular. Try to mention positive grounds rather than negative ones, especially for choosing the vacancy in question. By doing so, you give evidence of a strong intrinsic motivation. Try to avoid passing negative criticism on your current job. Otherwise, you will easily create the impression that any other job would be better than your present one.
Be aware: feigned interest and enthusiasm are easily seen through. That is why you should only apply for vacancies in which you are highly interested.

Document yourself when going to an interview

Read the job description very carefully. Inform yourself about the company, its products or services, the number of employees, its financial and economic management and important evolutions.
Ask some questions during the interview. Do not wait until the end of the conversation, when the interviewer has already taken leave of you mentally.
Show the interviewer that you can work on projects or already have done so. Bring about documentation on your thesis, on former job evaluations, ....
Nevertheless, do not bring up this information without being asked. Moreover, follow the rules of confidentiality; for instance do not use customer lists as bait when applying for the position of salesman.

Being positive? It works!

Do not overemphasise the negative aspects of your current job, even if you want to leave your current company by any  means. This does not mean that you have to conceal the truth. We advise you to briefly mention the various difficulties, without excessive harping on your boss or function. Rather concentrate on the positive perspectives opened up by the vacancy you are applying for.

Be yourself

Be yourself during the interview. After all, you expect the same from your future employer. Insincerity, artificial behaviour and statements you will not be able to live up to, lead to nothing. A certain amount of sincerity from both parties increases the chances of getting a suitable job. Do not consider rejection by a company in which you would not fit in as a failure. Too many applicants are alarmed by a rejection. Consider being rejected by a company that would not suit you as a blessing.

Know yourself: learn more about yourself from others

Try turning your application procedures into a learning process. Do not hesitate to ask about the impression you made during an interview or about your test results. You should definitely do this when you have reached the final round.
In doing so, you will learn more about the way people see you and about which defects you should perhaps remedy. Use this information to better yourself and to improve future applications.
You do not have to include written feedback from past applications when applying for a new vacancy.

Follow-up

It makes a good impression if you follow up your applications. To this end, write down all important conversational elements immediately after your interview, as well as the name(s) of the person(s) you spoke to.  Make an evaluation of the interview: what did you do well, what could have been better, when did the attention start to fade, etc. This information will be useful during a later stage, when you get feedback on your interview: have you judged yourself correctly, what are the aspects to which you have to pay attention in the future, why was your application turned down, …

It is important that you have all the necessary information for the next round before ending the conversation: when will you be contacted, is there going to be another conversation, when and with whom, are you going to be tested, how long will it take. If the period agreed on is over and you still have not  heard a thing, you should give the recruiter a call to make inquiries about the state of affairs. Always state your name, as well as the function you applied for and the date on which you had the interview. Do not expect the recruiter to immediately remember your name. These people see a lot of faces and read dozens of letters of application every day, so that giving a frame of reference makes a professional impression.

Do not refrain from showing your enthusiasm and cheerfulness, should you be invited to the next round. It definitely makes a good impression. If the decision is negative, remain polite and friendly (do not needlessly burn all bridges). Always inquire after the reason for this decision and compare the answer to your own evaluation.