I came, I saw, I conquered

The reception

Your job interview begins before you are at the table with the employer. It already starts at the reception. Make sure you leave a good impression at the reception by being kind en polite. A lot of employers are going to ask their receptionist later, what their impression of you was.

Dresscode

Make sure you look good and taken care of. Of course every company has different expectations. But when you are a man and you were a suit you are rarely overdressed. Woman have more choices en they are not obliged to were a coat-suit. Make sure that you at least look well taken care of and do not were jeans.

Never talk negative

it doesn’t matter how hard it was at your last job, you should not talk about that with your new employer. Always talk with respect about the last company you worked for. If you talk negative, there is a chance your new employer thinks you are going to talk like that about his or her company.

Ask questions

When you are in a job interview you do not just answer questions. You also ask questions yourself. For example, ask something about the job you are applying for. Something you do not know about the company and the culture. These kind of questions are easy to prepare, but they can also pop up in your head during your job interview.

The preparing

Know what company you want to work for. A job interview can give you a lot of stress. If you prepare yourself well, you do not have to worry.

• Investigate the company and the job you are applying for. This is a way to show your interest for the company and the job. When you know more about the company you can ask the right questions.
• Make sure you know the name of the interviewer and remember you know what his/her job is. It is also important you pronounce the name well.
• Before your interview, read the job description again. It is important you know what the company is searching for.  If there is not a job description you can ask for it in your interview.
• When you want to work for a company, it is important to know what the company stands for and what it’s values are. Check the website before the conversation. If you don’t understand it you can ask questions. Asking questions makes you look as if you are  really interested.

During the job interview

Your attitude is really important during the interview. If you are enthusiastic about a job, you have to make sure everyone recognises it. Words are important, but your attitude is decisive. Emanate energy! Make the conversation cheerful. Smile and sit straight up. Your attitude has to be active, but relaxed. This means you sit straight up, without sitting frozen on your chair. Make gestures to underline your words and make sure your gestures are naturally. Don’t exaggerate. A lot of people do not even know what kind of gestures they make. You can practice in the mirror or when you are on the phone.

Look your interviewer straight in the eyes, but don’t stare. If the conversation is with more than one person, make sure you make eye contact with everyone. Whatch out for nervous spasms. Don’t click with your pen, don’t cradle and don’t touch your hair.

Nerves under control

Are you really nervous and can’t you handle the conversation anymore? Act like everyone you are talking with is naked. Maybe you do not see someone who will judge you anymore, but someone with a beer belly or breast hair. It helps!

Attitude

Show your interest in everyone you meet. Make personal contact. Say something nice. Be flexible so you can get along with your interviewer. Be open to new opinions. Flexibility isn’t a sign of insecurity. It makes sure you really want the job. Do not be direct about what you like or what you hate. Modify yourself. Even when you want the job really bad, you have to be true to yourself.