We are pleased to invite you for an interview - so that you don't break out in a sweat when you receive such a message and can still keep a cool head when you get an invitation for a job interview, you will learn in this article how to best prepare yourself to make a good impression.

The job interview

The interview is usually structured in a relatively similar way, because the goal is to get a personal impression of the interested party. Nevertheless, different types can be distinguished:

Structured interview:

In a structured interview, the recruiter has a list of questions that he or she works through so that all relevant areas are covered and an overall picture of the applicant is created that can be easily compared with other applicants due to the similar procedure.

Open interview:

The opposite of the structured interview is the open interview, in which a conversation is held with the candidate in a relaxed and open atmosphere, without a recognizable pattern. These are especially popular in communication jobs to better assess the communication skills of the candidate.

Stress interview:

One of the probably less predictable interviews is the stress interview. Here, the applicant is put in a situation where his or her way of acting and reacting counts. In this way, personnel managers hope to learn a little more about the applicant and his or her actions in new, unexpected situations.

Situational interview:

In the situational interview, the candidate must put him/herself in the role of a person and thus demonstrate his/her spontaneity and problem-solving approaches in a situation from everyday working life. This type of interview is mainly used in assessment centers.

The preparation

How successful you are in the interview depends very much on your preparation. With a little diligence, you can easily gain points in the interview and make a good impression. In addition, it will also help you to become more familiar with the company and to know a little more about it.

Therefore, it is advisable to do some research first. The best way to do this is to find out more about a potential future employer so as not to leave a bad impression.

• Important information about the potential employer

• History of the company

• Ideals and values of the company

• Company location

• Number of employees in the company

• Current economic status of the company

• Goals of the company

• Tasks in the desired job

• Own expectations and goals

The interview

Procedure

There are two ways in which the interview can proceed. Either you will be invited to the company location and the interview will take place in the traditional way or you will participate in a virtual interview from home.

Duration

As a rule, the interview lasts between 30 and 45 minutes, but in individual cases it can last longer than an hour.

Phases

Getting to know each other

First, a little small talk is made to ease your initial nervousness and tension. Then all the people present introduce themselves, as well as the company with its background history and the advertised position. You can listen attentively and nod or agree. After that, the employer will ask you some questions or give you the opportunity to introduce yourself.

Self-presentation

It is best to start by introducing yourself as a person and then move on to your professional background and practical experience

Queries

If you have not already done so, the employer will ask you questions to get a better picture of you. This could include questions about your motivation for applying, your strengths and weaknesses, etc.

Conclusion

At the end of each interview, you should thank the employer for the interview. In most cases, you will also be given the opportunity to ask questions that have arisen during your research and are still unclear, for example, or general questions about the rest of the process.

Success factors - What counts in the end

Since all of this may seem like a bit much, we'll conclude by telling you what employers look for and what you should focus on during your interview for the advertised position:

• Whether you were able to show interest in the job and the company

• Whether you were open-minded and motivated

• Whether you were prepared and asked questions if necessary

• How you introduced yourself

• How you answered the questions

• How you contributed to the interview

If you are invited to an interview, this means that your application documents were convincing in the first step. The usual application documents include the resume. In addition to the CV, you can also enclose the CASE certificate. This is free of charge and contains your CASE score. The CASE score measures your academic performance using large data sets comparing your direct peers. The CASE score is welcomed by many companies as it allows the company to more fairly assess the performance of applicants.