CEO Maarten’s tips for a successful job interview
For twenty-five years, Maarten has been calling every candidate to get them ready and give them tips for their job interview.
We were curious, how does such a phone interview go?
What are the tips every applicant needs to know?
We have listed them for you below, so that you are prepared for your next interview.
Principles
- Be your authentic self!
If you start acting like a drama, you will fall right through. - Below are just tips, nothing must.
- You make the most impact by asking smart (open) questions.Not by telling them how good you are (but of course if they ask about your successes you put them on the table, but without too much fuss)
- Your goal of the conversation is to understand the situation you’re about to enter, the issues at hand, and how to go about addressing them.
You achieve that by asking a lot of questions (open-ended questions, starting with who, what, where, how, …)
To illustrate: strive (so this never happens in practice) for a conversation where at the end you stand with your conversation partner in front of the whiteboard with a marker in your hands and discuss how you are going to address the issues discussed
- Good preparation is essential.
Preparation
- Get a good vibe: The night before the interview, do whatever puts you in a positive mood, e.g. exercise, listen to music or meditate.
A positive attitude is crucial.
Feeling good (a smile behind your navel, that is, one that is in your system) is inside and radiates more than just a smile on your face. - Job Summary: Read the job description thoroughly and understand the key responsibilities and requirements.
- Company: Visit the website, read recent news articles and browse the annual report.
- LinkedIn: Review the LinkedIn profiles of your interviewers.
This can give you insight into their backgrounds and interests, which can be useful for making a personal connection during the interview. - Questionnaire: Next, make a list of relevant questions you want to ask during the interview.
Focus on questions such as “How,” “Who,” “What,” and “Why” to gain in-depth information.
Physically bring this questionnaire to the interview as well. - Successes and Responsibilities: Have a limited number of slides (PPTs) ready with examples of your successes and/or responsibilities and/or how you are in business.
Preferably with pictures, diagrams, charts.
Use these only when the conversation lends itself to it. - Dress choice: Dress professionally, but make sure you feel comfortable and confident in what you wear.
It is better to be dressed a little too formally than too casual.
The conversation
- Be on time : Make sure you are on time (10 minutes in advance) and be polite to everyone you meet, from the receptionist to your interviewer.
You never know who might influence the outcome. - Active posture: Sit actively and alertly, with an open body posture.
Avoid crossed arms and lean slightly forward.
This way you show interest in the other person and come across as energetic…. - Interaction: Involve all interviewers in the conversation if you are talking to several people.
Start with light conversation (small talk, small talk) to avoid tension in the conversation and then switch to the formal part of the interview.
Show interest and ask relevant questions when the interviewer discusses the company’s background and their own. - Listening and asking questions: The interview is a dialogue.
Listen more than talk and ask open-ended questions (starting with who, what, how, etc.) to understand what the interviewer is looking for and needs.
Be polite, complimentary and respectful, also show decisiveness (when necessary) and add a touch of humor. - Case questions: When presented with a case, don’t start answering right away, but ask open-ended questions to get more information and include the interviewer in your thought process.
It also gives you time to think.
And, preferably come up with multiple solutions.
This shows creativity, experience and problem-solving ability.
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Closing
- Positive end note: Happy with how the conversation went?
Then show this!
This can leave a good impression and you can gather immediate feedback by analyzing their reaction. - Feedback : Ask about when to expect feedback.
This shows that you are being proactive and not wait-and-see, and it is nice for yourself to know when you will hear something.
Practical Tips
- Formulating Answers: Answer questions concisely and forcefully, be authentic and use examples from your own experience.
Avoid overly theoretical answers. - Dealing with Nerves: probably because of the activity the night before, you no longer have nerves but are in a positive flow.
Know that if you are nervous, this is absolutely not going to do you any good.
In short, it’s pointless. - Salary expectations: Be prepared to talk about salary.
Know that the other party probably already has a salary indication in mind.
Therefore, first ask about the salary range and also the fringe benefits, such as pension, bonuses, vacation days and then be transparent about your expectations.
These may influence your answer.
Remote job interviews (digital)
- Technology: Video calls are becoming more common.
Ensure a professional setup: a stable Internet connection, a neat background and avoid background noise.
Prepare as if it were a physical conversation - Alignment: Chitchat is often shorter in digital engagements and it is also more difficult to fully understand each other.
It is therefore extra important to ask additional questions and make sure you are well understood.
This can be done, for example, by literally asking, “Did I answer your question this way?”. - Well, that’s a lot of tips.
You really don’t have to follow them all to have a successful job interview, but hopefully they will give you some useful pointers.
Choose the ones that suit you and make you feel good.
Be yourself, stay positive and show genuine interest in both the position and the company.
