Superheroes in Interviews (1/2)

As an overqualified and well-educated employee, the amount of available jobs on the market is small. With the current trend to flat hierarchies, this will even get worse. Getting to the stage of interviews is difficult. Most of the time, my online application was supported by networking.

Once you took all the technical hurdles, the pressure in the interview is high. Here are some thoughts, that help me to stay calm and in control. Now it’s about your mindset and your personality.

Come prepared! Company page, your success stories for the position/industry/… you name it. You find the common questions asked in the interview on certain Social Media Platforms and online.

Check on them living the company values! Kununu and Glassdoor also get you some valuable insights here. Ask for specific examples during the interview. I was asked once to show myself vulnerable after the potential boss belittled my accomplishments. Her idea of showing herself vulnerable was telling me, that she does not like learning German or cooking. Trust your gut feeling and stay with your values. They are important to you and will in the long term decide your faith and psychological health with that company.

Expect the unexpected! Keep your mind open, so you can react flexibly to change. Be prepared for tricky questions. If you don’t know an answer, it’s ok to say it and deliver the answer later.

Here is a classic situation. You arrive prepared for the interview and start the introductions. You can see your counterpart reading your CV just now. (Respecting people's time is one of my core values.) That was my reaction. “You have certainly read my CV already, so are there any questions to a specific success or position?” My potential future boss answers. “No, I didn’t have the time.” Sometimes they have the decency to excuse themselves, but not always… 😳🤔 That is what I thought… Hmm, there is no interest in her future employee at all. Probably that will be my personal development process as well… no support at all. Or maybe the person had a really bad day?! “Well, would you be so kind and tell me what your expectations are, so I can tell you where I can support you?” Try to remain friendly and stay at eye level. Your gut feeling will tell you if it matches.

Continue with part 2.