Illustration by Tetley Clarke
If you’re reading this, congrats! You’ve most likely been invited to sit down for an interview with an employer. That’s great — it means your CV and application stood out amongst all the others, you passed through a screening and the hiring managers on the other side want to meet you!
We want your interview to run smoothly, with the ultimate goal being landing you your new job. Each company has a different way of interviewing, but there are some things you can always be prepared for, especially if the conversation will be done in a language other than your native one.
English is the lingua franca of global business and technology, and most roles we offer all around Europe will require some aptitude for it. It’s normal to be nervous if you’re going to be interviewed by one of our companies in Berlin, Barcelona or Amsterdam, for instance. By practising some likely-to-be-asked questions beforehand, you can avoid getting stuck in a kind of vocabulary you don’t usually use in a different language.
We hope by now, you’ve already done your homework and know everything about the company, the position and the interviewer (if you haven’t, you really should!).
The next step is to rehearse how you talk about the next five points. Speaking out loud in front of a mirror or recording yourself on your phone to figure out where you need to improve is great for this!
1. Know how to present yourself in one minute
Work on telling your whole story — where you’re from, where you’ve been, your academic background, your work experienced and what you’re currently doing and looking for. It’s harder than you think. Practice!
2. Be ready to talk about your career path in a simple way
Only talk about relevant job experience (no need to mention that awesome school project you did back in the day), from the oldest to the most recent one. Mention the company, their industry, and elaborate on what your role was.
This is the moment you can highlight the experience that is most relevant to the company/position you’re applying for. You should be able to do this in a very summarised way. One to two minutes is plenty!
3. Be prepared to share about your your favourite projects
Maybe one big project and two small ones; the number will depend on their complexity and length — you don’t want to keep going for hours and hours. Share what your personal preferences are and be strategic — think about relevant projects to the company/position you’re applying for. For example, definitely mention if you’ve worked on a project for their primary competitor, or if you’ve already assumed a similar role before.
In some markets, like in London, the projects you’ve worked on and the part you played are more important than the actual company. When talking about projects, you should mention when you did them, how long they took, what the scope/product was, what technology you used, what the team was like, and what your own role in developing it was.
Sharing why you liked this particular project is also a nice touch. People like some roles more than others, and that’s perfectly relatable. Imagine saying you’re up for anything and everything — that might not be true and could come and bite you in the end. If you’re not comfortable assuming the role of a leader, for instance, maybe it’s best not to say you are before they throw you to the wolves.
4. Be confident when applying for a job abroad
Companies want employees who are highly motivated and happy. If you’re not sure about going abroad, it’s best to rethink applying for the job. When I feel the candidate is not truly motivated to go abroad, I usually ask: imagine that this awesome role you applied for is also available in your city of residence; would you still go abroad, or would you stay? Why would/wouldn’t you? You need to really think about this because it’s a very big life change, and you should feel confident about your decision before sitting down to an interview.
Also, if you’ve already been abroad for work, if you did Erasmus or if you’ve got friends abroad, it’s a good idea to bring them up at this time.
5. Learn to ask questions
Interviewers also like to be interviewed. Think about some questions that you could ask at the end of the conversation. The awkward silence that pops up after the classic “do you have any questions for us?” can be perfectly avoided if you prepare and come up with something beforehand. You can ask something about the history of the company or what it’s like to be part of their team.
Make sure you know what the next steps are going to be and when you can expect feedback — this avoids getting nervous too early on and mistaking the closet for the exit (you thankfully don’t need to worry about this if you’re Skyping!).
As we mentioned before, you may not be asked all of these questions, but you’ve got nothing to lose by practising every single outcome. Motivation and relevance are the keywords when preparing a job interview. Don’t waste the interviewer’s time, be concise, answer their questions, present them with relevant experience, and most of all, just be yourself. This goes without saying, but remember to always be on time, be it an interview at the office or through Skype.
If you applied for the job, you think you are a fit for the position. If you have an interview scheduled the recruiter also thinks you are a fit. Now you just need to continue to be yourself, follow your gut and aim for more so the company agrees with the both of us.
Work on telling your whole story — where you’re from, where you’ve been, your academic background, your work experienced, and what you’re currently doing and looking for. It’s harder than you think. Practice! Alternatively, check out this guide on how to message a recruiter on Linkedin.
If you have any doubts, suggestions or just need some more tips, let us know, we’re happy to help!
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