Job interview

Job-seeker, it’s time to get ready for a job interview.

It is worth practicing for a job interview – especially if much time has passed since you last interviewed for a job. Good preparation is important. It is good to go through any questions and answers before the interview. Think calmly about the answers to the questions and ask more specific questions if you are not sure about the question. Be brief and concise in your answers. If you notice that you have started to ramble in your answers, don’t worry, the game isn’t lost yet. Fix the course and continue the interview with a positive mind.

The interview is traditionally arranged face-to-face, but now more and more video tools are used, such as Teams or Google Meet. Video interviews can also consist of the applicant answering questions by recording small videos into a system.

TOP3 expertise

It is important that in the interview you focus on the expertise, motivation, and experience that is relevant to the position you are applying for. Consider your TOP3 expertise and answer the questions based on those skills.

• Why should we hire you for this position?
• What qualities do you have that are important for this work?
• Why are you applying for this job?

Working methods

Be prepared to talk about your working methods. Consider the working methods and conditions that you like and the environment in which you can perform the best work.

• What kind of working environment do you prefer?
• Are you willing to travel for work?
• Describe the things that are best in your current job.
• Describe some of the things that are most unpleasant in your current job.
• What are your personal career goals within 2 to 5 years?
• What do you think a good manager is like?
• What are you like as a supervisor?
• How do you operate under pressure?
• What kind of things make you stressed out?

Successes and development

Before the interview, consider what skills you want to learn about and be prepared to explain how you intend to learn these skills. Also, consider your career or academic moments when you have been particularly satisfied with your work. By sharing your successful experiences, you will also give the interviewer a wider understanding of your skills and working methods.

• What are the areas you most need to develop?
• What would you like to learn more about?
• What are the strengths in your know-how/working methods?
• What are the weaknesses in your know-how/working methods?
• What successes have you experienced in your working life/life in general?
• What was your contribution to making these things successful?
• What accomplishments are you most proud of?
• What kinds of failures have occurred in your working life/life in general?
• What have you learned from these failures?

After the interview, conduct a self-assessment: how did you succeed and what would you do differently next time. Also, remember to thank the interviewer by writing them a thank you message.