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The biggest pitfall for people applying for a position is thinking: "I don’t need to prepare; after all, it’s about my own life, and I know everything about that."

• Firstly, things you do well and that are typical of you often feel self-evident to you. However, they may not be self-evident to others. Because they feel so natural to you, it can be difficult to articulate your strengths and the reasons behind them during the conversation. This could result in you not presenting yourself as strong as you really are.
• Secondly, proper preparation allows you to take a proactive stance, giving you more control over the interview and, in turn, your career path.
• Thirdly, good preparation makes you less dependent on the person interviewing you. For instance, if they ask mainly closed-ended questions, you can still provide thorough answers.

Before the interview

Prepare your ‘personal pitch’

• Define at least two pitfalls or areas for improvement for yourself. What are they? In what situations do they appear or have they appeared? What are you doing to grow in these areas? What are the potential upsides of your pitfall?
• Think of at least two examples of your key achievements which relate to the position you are applying for. What competencies do these achievements demonstrate? Practice talking about them in a succinct, engaging way.
• Think of at least three situational or analytical questions you may receive and how you could best answer them.
• Think of a (recent) situation where you had to collaborate.
• Think of a (recent) situation where you had to think outside of the box.
• Think of a (recent) situation where you had to solve a problem
• Think of two lessons you learned because of these challenges.

Do research

• Into the organisation

  • Familiarise yourself with their products or services along with the company's mission statement, values, and principles. Does the company appear to pride itself on certain values, goals or ideas? What is important to them? What do they value in their (future) employees?
  • Are there developments within the company (new branch opened, acquisition/merger, IPO, etc.) that might be relevant to the role you are applying for?

• Into the position

  • Which key qualities are highlighted in the job description? Identify the 3–4 most important qualities and, for each one, write down how your education, experience, work style, and/or personality align with them. Remember: the more concrete, the better.

• Into the interviewer(s)

  • Wie heb je tegenover je? Inhoudelijke experts of HR adviseurs, verdiep je in hun persoon. Schrijf een paar punten op waar jullie interesses mogelijk overlappen en bedenk een (persoonlijke) vraag die je zou kunnen stellen: Bijvoorbeeld: ‘Ik zag dat je daar hebt gestudeerd, wat leuk, ik heb gehoord dat ze daar gespecialiseerd zijn in e-learning. Hoe heb jij dat ervaren?’
  • Find out who you will be interviewing with. Subject matter experts or HR advisors? Research their background. Write down a few points where your interests might overlap and think of a (personal) question you could ask. For example:

  "I noticed you studied there—how interesting! I heard they specialise in e-learning. What was your experience with that?"

Prepare - Asking questions