Interviews can be the most important part of the recruitment process for a professional. A job interview is the moment when you have to shine; to express yourself and to understand what is asked of you from the role.
Do I really need to prepare for the interviews?
Yes, you do. Because the decision of changing the job is based on the interview. When you are a junior, you want to get a better workplace. When you are at mid-level, you want to be sure that the role helps you to grow. When you are a senior, you want to be sure that the change is worth it.
So, prepare firstly as a favor to yourself and then to make a good impression.
Do I have to be anxious before an interview?
No, you don’t. Because, in most cases, it is a discussion with assessments from both sides. As a candidate, you have to understand the role and if the company suits you. The company has to know your level and your needs to see if they can meet them. So be curious, not anxious.
How can I prepare for an interview?
We believe that nobody was born being prepared for interviews. But with proper exercise, some personal skills can be improved.
Here are some things we recommend:
- Know how you have already introduced yourself.
Whether you sent a CV, or the recruiter got in touch with you on Linkedin, you should know what is written there. Be sure that it is updated and the skills and activities written there are relevant for what you are now as a specialist. You learned C++ while in University, but on the job, you didn’t write one line in C++. If you don’t consider using it in your career, it doesn’t help to be there.
- Know the employer and the role.
The interview is formed by two parties (the candidate and the employer). It helps you (the candidate) to know the company because in this way you can ask relevant questions and find useful information for your decision.
- Prepare for the required skills.
Every job has a “job description” (JD). If you don’t have a JD – ask the recruiter about the most important skills assessed during the interview. Prepare on that, both on the theoretical, but also on the practical area.
- Be on time.
Regardless if it is a face-to-face interview or an online one, be sure you are there on time because this helps you to properly use the time allocated for the discussion.
- Dress professionally.
Nobody will get a job because of wearing a costume, but for sure the candidate will be remembered if they dressed inappropriately. You are not there to impress with your clothes, but it is important that your clothes show how you usually are.
- Check the system.
Since remote working, we have more and more online interviews. Prepare for them too. It is not mandatory to have a camera, but do take into consideration that it helps a lot to see and to be seen during the discussion. You can be remembered more easily and you can express yourself easily when you have an interview with the video on. Don’t forget to double-check the internet connectivity, backups (maybe a mobile network in case your regular provider breaks down), and your (virtual) background.
- Ask questions.
Ask for relevant information during the interview. In my role as a recruiter, I like it when candidates are interested in what development programs the company has, how the team looks like or what expectations the company has from a new employee.
To further expand your view on interviews, we found here some recommendations for them during COVID-19 and these interesting statistics (via zety.com), like:
- More than 90% of job seekers say that it is important to work for a company that embraces transparency.
- Around 90% of recruiters use LinkedIn to check candidates.
In the end, we think that a recruitment process is an assessment from both sides. Present and prepare yourself as you would want others to behave in front of you. And treat interviewers the same way you would appreciate having a conversation with another professional.
This article is written by our colleague Sabina. If you want to discuss more on this topic, you can contact her at sabina@edurom.ro or write to her on LinkedIn.
EDUROM Recruitment is a Romanian Agency with proven hiring results in IT Recruitment and Executive search, with offices in Bucharest and Iași. If you are interested to check new career paths, you can access the roles for which we are hiring now for our clients: access IT jobs or executive roles.
