What comes after sending your CV to your dream company?

As a recruiter at Forvis Mazars, I meet hundreds of candidates a year in both face-to-face and online meetings for a variety of positions. However, I am rarely surprised by a junior candidate being sufficiently prepared for an interview. It is the latter that is very important and should not be underestimated. Juniors and graduates can often have the disadvantage of a lack of previous experience from other jobs or interviews. I would therefore like to share some basic tips that could be helpful and increase your chances of landing an interview with your dream employer.

When you create your CV, you are already influencing the content of your future interview. So be careful what you share in it. You don't want to end up like Jen from IT Crowd. She defends her aforementioned valuable computer experience in an interview by being able to read emails, send emails, delete emails, use a mouse, click or even double-click. :-)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuPolrd9yuo

I will not go into the preparation of the CV in this article, but I will help you in the following steps once it has been sent. So, what's next?

1. Expect telephone pre-screening

This is a short initial phone conversation of about five minutes with the recruiter, who is often happy to clarify and add some information before the interview. This will help him or her to make the candidate selection process more efficient. For example, he may ask questions such as:

• More specific details about certain experiences
• Expectations of the position and the company
• Your expected conditions (salary, start date)
• Language skills if required

As a verification method, the recruiter may switch the conversation to another language. Believe that getting scared and hanging up the phone in the middle of the interview is not the best prepared response. If you're in a situation that doesn't allow you to make the call, feel free to arrange a different time for the call at the outset.

2. Study the necessary information

Find out more about the company in advance. What does the company do? What interesting projects does it have? What are the values and pillars on which it is built?

Check out the company's website, Finstat or the company's social media pages (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram). What sets the company apart from the competition in your eyes? Good awareness is a sign of high motivation and a proactive approach.

Do you know in advance who will be interviewed? In addition to the recruiter, the interview may be attended by, for example, the technical manager or the managing director of the company. Check out their LinkedIn profile (work experience, certifications achieved, hobbies). You might find common interests that can be used as an ice-breaker during the interview. And what if they see it? All the better. :-)

3. Prepare for frequently recurring questions

You probably didn't finish your studies at Hogwarts with an interest in the Harry Potter brigade. Functional divining balls are also hard to come by, so of course you can't fully guess what all the interview content will be and what questions you'll be asked. However, you can prepare well for frequently asked questions.

You can learn to retell your story, your most significant experiences and milestones so far. Think about your expectations, goals, strengths, personality traits or specifics.

Prepare for behavioral questions or the S.T.A.R. method. Recruiters use this method to try to predict your future behavior based on your mastery of past experiences. They focus on verifying specific competencies (time-management, creativity, organization). The questions progress in the following areas:

• S (situation)

Give us a situation the last time you felt under a lot of pressure.

Describe to the recruiter the specific situation that happened to you.

• T (task)

Describe what your role was in the situation.

Describe your responsibilities in the task or project. Who all was involved? What complications arose?

• A (action)

Share how you handled the situation.

You can describe what you did first. What were your specific ideas, inputs, solutions? How did those around you react? What did you do next? The recruiter will, of course, probe deeper and develop the conversation with you.

• R (result)

How did the situation turn out in the end?

How long did this state of affairs last? What was the response of the manager/team? Describe the results of the situation and what you learned. You may have been given other responsibilities over time as a result of this experience. Maybe it didn't turn out the best, but you already know what you would do differently next time.

Address the areas in detail, try to keep a structure and don't jump from one topic to another.

4. Choose appropriate clothing (even if the interview is online)

You can increase your chances by choosing neat and decent clothes. Beware of too challenging cuts or colours. Colours can evoke certain emotions in people.

• Would you like to appear credible and stable? Choose blue.
• White can convey cleanliness, responsibility, meticulousness or analytical thinking.
• Red comes across as confident, dominating, but sometimes aggressive. To brighten things up, you can choose an accessory in this colour.
• Orange or yellow can look cheerful and ambitious, but their perception is a bit more complex. They can also evoke restlessness and anxiety in a larger representation.

5. Think about the time buffer before the interview

Prepare for unexpected situations and leave yourself time to spare. It is better to arrive earlier (5-10 minutes) than later. There may be parking problems, delayed connections, complicated accessibility of the building. Use the time waiting in the company to explore the atmosphere of the company, the premises and the people. Also, join the online meeting 5 minutes early in case of technical problems.

6. Be aware of your non-verbal communication

When a footballer scores a goal or when you get something right, because of the processes in your body, you often naturally jump into space or raise your arms. It works the other way around too - certain physical actions can bring you positive emotions.

How to tune your body properly?

• Before the interview, stretch, stretch your arms, smile. The processes in your body will help you feel more comfortable and confident.
• During the interview, keep your body upright and directed towards the interviewee.
• Pull your shoulders in, maintain eye contact (but don't put a hole in the recruiter's head).
• Smile, but also don't smile excessively.
• Control the volume and dynamics of your voice.
• A three-second deep breath will help you calm down before the meeting. It will calm the heart rate and body by activating the parasympathetic nervous system.

What, on the contrary, should be avoided?

• Sudden movements
• Nervous kicking of the legs
• Rolling your eyes
• Crossing your arms

7. Show healthy assertiveness and sincerity, motivation and enthusiasm

Show interest by being active and asking questions. You can ask about team grouping, evaluation system, benefits, training opportunities. Don't be afraid to take the initiative during a long silent break. Have the courage to confront (respectfully, of course) the recruiter with a different point of view.

Everyone learns and goes through unsuccessful trial and error. Don't be afraid to share your failures and what you learned through them. Personally, I greatly appreciate situations in which a candidate is honest and openly presents their shortcomings. This will become apparent over time anyway. :-) Ideally, you should also include how you have worked on it or are actively working on it.

At the end of the meeting, ask the recruiter about the next steps and the waiting time for the interview result. You can also additionally thank the recruiter for the meeting via email. You won't miss out on an extra plus point.

8. Specifics of the online interview

Recently, we are encountering more and more online meetings, which also bring their own specificities. I would like to conclude with some additional tips.

1. Familiarize yourself with online communication tools and platforms (Skype, MS Teams, Zoom...).
2. Check the general settings of your microphone, webcam or internet connection.
3. Prepare a plan B (in case of technical problems). You can prepare a spare device, e.g. tablet, roommate's laptop, mobile phone. If you are unable to connect for a few minutes, make an alternative appointment.
4. Prepare the space around you. You have the advantage of presenting yourself through your personal space, which tells us a lot.
5. Check the brightness of the room. For example, sit opposite a window, but not facing too harsh a light. Visual cues are also very important for mutually effective interaction.
6. Find a suitable place free from distractions or other people for better concentration.
7. Join the meeting well in advance.
8. Transfer your motivation to your upper body.
9. You have the opportunity to show your flexibility and ability to deal with unexpected situations, such as if a courier comes to your door, a cat jumps on your desk, or a friend or parent barges into the room.
10. Calmly inform the recruiter in advance of possible distractions that you will not be able to control (renovations at the neighbours or a crying baby).

Now, you have successfully mastered the theory. All that remains is to wish you good luck in your interview for the job of your dreams. :-)