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You have been invited to an interview and have every reason to be pleased. Now, in order for the interview to run well, you need to be well prepared.
On the employer side, i.e. HR managers and direct superiors - the object of the interview is to gain a picture of you, to obtain more precise details on your expertise and personal skills, to find out more about your goals and interests, and to see if you would fit into the team.
How loose or structured an interview is depends on the company. A frequently used model is the ‘semi-structured’ interview at which several interviewers are present. Structuring an interview raises the quality and comparability of the discussion and gives a better idea of how successful the candidate will be in the job.
In practice, semi-structured interviews differ in structure, length, content, and assessment methods, but the basic structure is often very similar, as seen below:
While your aim is to show yourself in your best light and to demonstrate interest and involvement, you also have the chance to gain added information about the job, the company, and employment conditions.
A well-structured interview held by trained staff helps both interviewers and applicants alike to make their decision.
In the best case, you will be invited to another round of interviews, or you will be offered the job directly. This will be followed by clarification of your starting date, final salary, and employment conditions.
In the worst case, you will receive a rejection. However, rather than feeling gloomy, analyze the outcome of this application: What was the reason? Did you make mistakes or were the others simply better? Ask the employers to explain why you were rejected.