Transcripts
1. Introduction: Hi. My name is Julia. I'm a recruiter with
over 25 years of experience helping candidates
who land their dream jobs. I've conducted hundreds
of interviews. I've reviewed thousands
of applications and guided professionals across different industries
and different levels. I know exactly what hiring
managers are looking for. And in this class, I
will teach you how to master your next
interview with confidence. So this course is a step by step guide to mastering
job interviews. You will learn how to prepare effectively handle
different interview types, whether these interviews
are in person, video or by phone, and how to structure your answers by using techniques
like the star method. We will also cover how to manage tough questions or situations like salary negotiations,
for example. So this class is perfect for anyone who's looking to improve
their interview skills, whether you are a
recent graduate, switching careers or just
want to feel more confident. There is no prior
experience needed, just a willingness to learn, and to apply the
strategies we cover. So by the end of this class, you will know exactly how
to present yourself as the best candidate
candidate and to answer even the trickiest
questions very easily. So to put everything
in practice, you will complete
a class project where you create your own
interview master plan. This includes crafting strong answers to
common questions, developing your personal
elevator pitch, and preparing responses
for challenging scenarios. So I'm very excited to help you today take this next
step in your career. Let's dive in and get you fully prepared to master
your job interviews. I'm very happy to see
you in the first lesson. So, without any further
ado, let's get started. And let me show you
what I have today. So we will start with
Chapter number one. I will try to give an overview about the
topics I have today. So what will we cover? Before we get started, I always forget that part. Let's talk about myself. I've been working
as a recruiter for the last 25 years, to be honest, and I've worked in a
number of big companies, small companies, companies of any size, from any industry. And I've never counted the
number of interviews I made. Could be like, I
don't know, 1,000. I really can't remember. I've done it my whole
life, and today, I felt like it is time to share my experience
when it comes around interviews because I found that this is always a part where many candidates have a lot of fear or concerns
before the interview. So let's talk about this part. So I will start with
preparation for each interview because I think that this is the crucial part. In many cases, I will
show you more about the interview types and how
to structure your interview, but I will also show you how to master different
question types, how to end the interview and what to do after the
interview, basically. So that means I will show you why interviews are so
important, how to prepare. And I want to show
you the goals of each interview and
common interview fears, as well as the preparation
part, like I mentioned. But I will also try to explain how to highlight your
professional background, how to demonstrate your
abilities and expertise, and how to evaluate if that company really
fits for you or not. So that is a very difficult and important part because not every company aligns with your values and
your career goals. So we will talk about
that part as well. But I also tried to explain more about interview
questions because it's very valuable if you have a deeper understanding what kind of questions you might expect. And what may the most
difficult questions be for each interview. So we will also talk about
common interview fears and how to behave when you feel nervous
before that interview. But we will also talk about
the power of preparation and how to prepare before
each interview then. So I will also send you as an attachment
your class project. Before I forget that
one to mention, I would like you to create your own personal
interview master plan. I want you to answer at least three common interview
questions for yourself. Using the star method, I will explain the
star method later on. And I want you to draft one closing question for
each interview because I personally find that closing questions
are very important. Some of the candidates do not have any questions
after the interview, which I think is
not really good. So I want you to prepare for the closing question and for
the interview questions. And you can as well do a
personal elevator pitch, which should last
around 60 seconds, sometimes longer,
shorter is also okay. And I think with
that class project, you will very well prepared
for the interview. So that is that. And let's get started.
2. Preparing for the interview: But so let's continue now
with Chapter number two, preparing for your interview. So that is most likely the
most important part, I think, because if you feel well
prepared for your interview, then you are much more
confident, of course, and the success is going
to come very easily. So let's have a look about how to prepare
for the interview. So that's what we try
to do in this chapter. Number one, is
research the company. I will explain that
now in a minute. You need to analyze the job
description very thoroughly, and you have to prepared
to know your own story, to tell about yourself, what you did, and
about your experience. You have to prepare your
documents, of course. Sometimes they are not needed, but it's always good
to have them prepared, and you need to
plan the logistics. This is very important, maybe the most important
part, I think. I will explain later on. So let's start. So research the company. I cannot stress that enough how important that
is because very oftentimes I've
had the experience that people apply for a job, and I'm always
asking the question, something like, um, have you read something
about our company? Have you seen our products? Do you like our products? Something like that? How do you connect with our products? And if I find out that you do not know anything
about the company, then it's not a good sign. So, you do not need
to be an expert. Sometimes, for example,
if you work in marketing, you might not have a very deep knowledge
like an engineer does, for example, but
you should at least know what the company is
producing and what they do. So research the company and also try to understand
the company's mission, values, and the culture. For example, if you
apply in a startup, the company is much more
different compared to, I don't know, an international
company, for example. So if the company is very small, that's a big difference, and you need to understand the company's values
and the culture, of course, you should at
least try to understand. So, as I said, you should know their products, the services, and
recent news also. Are they hiring new people? Are they laying off
people? Are they changing product
services, whatever? So just try to Google and
read the recent news. Try to stay updated on the
latest offerings, of course, and try to tailor your responses in a way that it fits to the
company's objectives. So if you like, apply for a very small
family driven company, and you explain them that you always wanted to
work internationally, that sometimes doesn't
very good fit. So consider the
size of the company and then try to tailor your response to the
company's objectives. So the second point is you should analyze the
job description. That is very important because many information are being
given in the job description, not only the salary,
sometimes the salary, but also the must haves and
the so to say, nice to have. So really read the
job description very thoroughly and try
to make a list what experiences you have
and what you do not have. And if you find
out that there are experiences or skills
you do not have, try to prepare an answer about how you could learn
those required skills. And maybe you do have them. So just read the job description very thoroughly
and try to prepare an answer and try to prepare
examples for the interview. For example, if the
recruiters asking you about your
biggest successes, that is an answer you
should have prepared. Later on, I will give you a list of most important questions. Maybe they will help you. But in any case, the job
description is very important, and they usually give away much information
about the company and the culture as well. So print it out if you have a printer at home and read the job description
very thoroughly. Okay. But also a very important point is you should know your story. That means you have to be able to tell
something about yourself. And you have to be able to connect your
experience with the job. So you have to be able to
explain why you as a person, are the best fit for the
job which is being offered. So what makes you unique? What are your career highlights? Even? If you just started and you just began
your career journey, there's always something
you can highlight. So there are always
some career highlights you could mention
so do not be shy. There's always something to
point out and to be proud of. So you should try
to explain why you are passionate about that job and why you want
that job, right? So the next point is really
to prepare your documents. That is very important.
Sometimes it is not required nowadays. Some companies, they still require a printed CV
and a cover letter. Um that is not always necessary, but it's not a bad idea
to keep them in the hand. So try to print a cover
letter and a CV, as well, as well as certificates or any credentials or references,
which are important. So that is a good idea. Prepare your documents. But the most important
point maybe in this chapter is really to plan the logistics. The first thing you
should do is really to confirm the interview
time and the location. You should make sure
that all the details are accurate and communicated. And if that interview
is in person, you should plan enough time
that you are really not late, because being late
in an interview is really one of the worst
things you could do. If you have an online interview
as a first interview, which is very much
in common nowadays, you should really try to test
your Internet connection very thoroughly and
especially your microphone, your headset, whatever you
have and the software. So take enough time to log in, I don't know how many
minutes, years or whatever. I have waited for a candidate
because that candidate had problems or did not connect properly or did not have
the software, whatever. So that is really one of the
worst things you could do. So test your software and your microphone before
you start the interview. So and also try to have a backup plan if
there are any delays. For example, if you go
there by train or car, you should really plan
enough time to go there. Just in case you miss any train, that's always a
good idea to have. So keep that in mind, and you try to take enough time to go to
the interview. Alright. So that's about the preparation. Now, let's start with
Chapter number three, and let's have a look.
3. Understanding interview types: So now let's come to
chapter number three. In this chapter, we will have a look at the different
interview types. First of all, before
we get started, how many interviews
do you usually have? Well, that very much depends upon the
position you apply for. If you apply for a
manager position, you might have
between, I don't know, 34 interviews, sometimes even five depends
how large that company is. In big international companies, you always have more interviews. In a startup, of course, the process is much faster. So usually, as a
general rule of thumb, let's say you have something
like 2-3 interviews. Usually, nowadays, the first interview
is usually via teams. And the second interview
is always in person. Sometimes you have a third
interview then in person, but that's usually the number
of interviews you have. Sometimes, as a first
interview round, you have usually a teams
interview or video interview. Sometimes you have a
telephone interview. So let's start now
with an overview. We will talk about
telephone interviews first. They are not very
common, to be honest, but sometimes you have recruiter who prefer
telephone interviews. Usually the companies, they
always do video interviews. That's why we talk about
video interviews also in this chapter and in general about first round interviews
and second round interviews, and then about
assessment center. So before we get started, let's talk about how
decisions are being made. Um, usually you have something like a question of course
and an answer you're giving. And then you sometimes do
not quite understand how that recruiter processes
the information and how that recruiter
makes the decision. So the only thing you see or you realize is the question and
the answer, of course. And that's why you should
really focus upon your answer. You should prepare your
answer as good as you can. And the decisions are sometimes not very understandable
or transparent for you. So try to prepare your
answer as good as you can. And yeah, the rest is something you cannot
influence, probably. So let's talk about
telephone interviews now. Um, try I know this
might sound a bit weird, but try to smile while you talk. I know that sometimes
can be a bit difficult. But if you have the opportunity to talk to the interviewer
on a quiet place, in a quiet situation, without any stress, this
really helps a lot. And try to keep smiling
while you talk. This is always difficult because you are in a situation
where you feel stressed. I know that but in any case, at least try your best. And, um, if a
recruiter, for example, calls you and wants
to talk to you immediately and you cannot
talk to that person, then you are perfectly
invited to say, I cannot talk now. Let's fix a date where I
have enough time to talk, and it's perfectly fine if you do not talk to that
person at that moment, if, for example, a head
hunter is calling you or and you do not have time
to talk to that person. Because if you talk
to that person on quiet quiet situation
or quiet environment, you can also have your CV
ready and your notes ready, and you can really prepare
for that telephone interview. So do not be shy. If it's not a good situation
or not the right situation, you can perfectly say, Let's talk later, okay? So video interviews. They are very common nowadays. Like I said, the most
important point is really try to check
your equipment. Try to make sure
your camera's ready, your microphone is ready, and your Internet
connection is working. Well, that's always a bad thing if the interviewer
or the recruiter, the company, whoever has
to wait for the candidate. That's not very professional, so try to limit these
problems as good as you can. You should choose an
appropriate environment, of course, not outside,
not in the car. I don't know how
many interviews are made when people are
just in the car. Try to avoid that by any means, if it's possible I've had
so many strange interviews where people are just making interviews with their
mobile phone in the car. Don't do that. Just don't do it. Okay. Um, take your time and select quiet and a good
space for the interview. And always try to
look at the camera and try to create a good connection to the
interviewer, of course. Um, so we usually have something we call
a fast round interview. That kind of interview is
not very long, usually. I personally try to limit
myself up to 30 minutes for that first round interviews
because I just want to understand the background and the motivation of the candidate. I want to hear about
the candidate, why he or she applied, and it's usually very short. And I personally and most of the companies
do very similar. I'm not doing any
salary negotiations in that first round interview. I tried to introduce the
job and the company. But I usually try to let the candidate
talk more than I do, which means that the candidate is usually talking between, I don't know, 70 and 80%. And usually the recruiter is not talking more than 30 or 20%. Um, there are many bad
recruiters, as well, and bad companies who try to talk a lot in
that first interview. That's usually not the goal. So be prepared. You will be talking a lot because I want to hear
what you have to say, which experience you have. So, um, I try to limit myself in that first round
interviews as a recruiter. And usually my introduction
is usually very short. And I also give just a very short
introduction of that company. That comes usually in the
second round interview, which we will be covering now. The second round interviews
are much deeper. They usually have some
kind of assessment around practical or
technical questions. You will be talking about challenges you have
and how you solved. The challenges usually you will be meeting
additional team members, and usually it's
around 60 minutes. Sometimes it can be longer, of course, depending
upon the position. But usually, that second round
interview is 60 minutes. And it is almost
always in person. So be prepared for that. And in the second
round interviews, you also have
something like salary. Negotiations. I will come to that point later. Because that is a very
difficult part, of course. Sometimes you have something
like Assessment Center, that is not very common anymore. Assessment Center. I don't know if anyone experienced that. That is a group
interview format where multiple candidates are
invited and being interviewed, and you have something
like role plays or tasks or case studies
you have to solve. And the company also wants to see how you work and collaborate
with other candidates. That is not very common
because it's well, very difficult to
organize, to be honest. It's a lot of work for the
company and the interviewer, and it's very expensive as well, because you do not have just one person who is
watching the candidates, but even more like
two, three, five, up to ten persons who are watching the
different candidates. So that is not very common. And just keeping in
mind that this is also an interview type which
can be used sometimes. So I think that was the most important point
here in Chapter three. Now, let's have a
look at Chapter four.
4. Structure of most interviews: So now let's have a look
at Chapter number four. In Chapter number four, we will be looking at the
structure of most interviews, just to make you familiar with
how interviews are going. So let's have a look and let's have a look
at the overview. Usually, there are always like several parts
in the interview. You always have something like a warm up and an introduction, something where you
have the chance or you need to do small talk. Which is not very
easy sometimes, but still be prepared
to do some small talk. You always have a part where you have to do something
like a self presentation, where the interviewer will be asking questions like,
please introduce yourself. And there are always, like, competency based questions, and they will always ask you something
about the motivation, why you applied for
that job, et cetera. Like I said, mostly, especially in the first
round interviews, there is a speaking shelf 80 20. So you will be talking 80%, and the other person, the
recruiter or the company, whoever will be talking 20%. So be prepared to talk a lot. Right? It's always okay if water or something to drink is being offered during
the interview in person, then you can perfectly do and help yourself and drink
something in between, especially if you feel nervous, then you might want
to drink something or whenever, for example, you're not perfectly healthy
and you're a bit ill, then it's also okay. If you drink something and, um that's not a negative
point, of course. So let's get started. There's always something
like a warm up, like I said, and an introduction,
a soft presentation. There are competency
based questions, and we will also be looking at the closing questions
and next steps. So let's get started. Small talk. I know that is a bit difficult, but I always try to start the small talk as a recruiter.
Did you come here? Did you did you find
anything or how was your day or whatever you
might want to talk about? Anything is okay as long as
you just start talking, okay? Just try to break the ice and try to start a
casual conversation. Um, of course, the company should try to
create a welcoming atmosphere, but you should also try to show a certain amount of friendliness and
professionalism. There are companies who
seem to be very strange in first round interviews and sometimes even a
bit rude or unfriendly. They do not I always try
to set also a positive, relaxed tone and to try to yeah, ensure that all participants
feel comfortable. But there are also companies
who act differently. So if you feel under pressure
in a first round interview or if that person is
being rude to you or whatever, that happens. And you should really think about that company
very thoroughly because usually the culture in every interview is different. And when you have something
like a nice company with good values and
friendly colleagues, for example, they never do something like a
stress interview. So think about it very thoroughly if you
really want to work for a company when you have an interview round where you feel like
under pressure. So just think about it. There are different companies, maybe, which are a
bit more friendly. So just consider if you really want to work
for that company or not. So you should try to be prepared that there is always some part of
self presentation. So the recruiter will always
ask you a question like, please introduce yourself and guide me through your CV or tell me more about
your experiences, introduce your career
highlights, maybe. That is always a question
you should be prepared for. Alright. So try
to prepare pitch. For example, where you
introduce yourself, and then you have a good
start in that interview. There are also questions
like I mentioned, more about your competency. So, for example, a very
typical question is, tell me about a time where
you solved a problem. And how did you
solve that problem? Or sometimes also, how
do you handle pressure? If there are any
questions in general where you do not feel
comfortable or just do not know, um, it's also okay if you
answer something like, I have to think about
an answer here. Um, just do not try to be
someone else you are not because usually the
recruiter always finds out that you do not feel comfortable and
you are very nervous. So if you are nervous, for example, or you do
not have an answer, it's perfectly fine
if you just say, I do not have an answer here because my experience was
different or whatever. Okay. So but usually, my experience is the
competency questions for most candidates. Relatively easy to answer. Um, it's rather the small talk or the closing part where candidates do
not feel comfortable. So, all those questions are a bit easier to
answer, usually. So, I know that is difficult. There's always the answer. Um, like, why do you want
to work for that company? Why do you want to
have this role, or where do you see
yourself in five years? And especially the answer? Why do you want to work for especially this company
is very difficult. I know that because
very oftentimes, to be honest, the candidates
just you need to make money, want to find the next
step or whatever. And it is perfectly fine if you can identify with different
companies, for example. So, um, try to
prepare that answer. Why This company? So try to outline the
positive parts about that role and the
responsibilities you maybe like and the challenges you want to face or
something similar. So try to prepare an
answer to these questions. I know, especially
the answer why this company is very difficult. And I am not personally, not always asking that question, but many of my colleagues do. So keep that in mind. So oh, yeah, that's one of my favorite parts now
closing the interview. Um, there's always the part
when you close the interview, there's always the part where
the recruiter will ask you, Do you have any questions? And really one of the
worst things you can do is saying no here because there's always
something to ask. I personally always like the candidate to ask
a few questions. There are many questions then and there are
always questions. For example, how does a typical day look
like in this role? What are the responsibilities? What are the company's
priorities this year? How does the structure of the team look like if that
has not been answered yet, or something like, which
responsibilities do I have? As a recruiter, that just shows me how interested
that person is. And always try if it's
not being mentioned. Of course, always try to ask
what the next steps are, how long you will have to wait
until the company decides. And that is really a good
chance to once again, confirm your
interest and to yes, ask very thoughtful questions.
5. Mastering question types: So let's come to chapter
number five now. What interview questions
can you expect? So there are a number of
different questions or question types we will be
talking about in this chapter, and I show you the structure, and I also show you
a special method, which you can use to prepare your interview
answers before the interview. Usually, just to be clear, there is especially at the beginning of
your career journey, the necessity to prepare
longer for the interviews. If you've done something
50, 70 interviews, whatever, you are usually
very experienced. So the amount of preparation reduces usually
during your career. So at the beginning
of your career, you need to prepare longer
for the interviews, usually. And there are a number of
different question types, which I will show you now. So let's get started. There are different interview
types, like I said. One interview or one question could be something with
an open ended open end, something like, tell
me about yourself. And then you should
have an answer in mind about how you prepared
for that question. For example, you can
answer something like I've over five years of experience
in project management. I specialized in
whatever you did. I'm passionate about
creating efficient systems. I have studied, so
whatever this might be. Usually, there is no right or wrong about these
questions. I have to be clear. It's just that I, as an interviewer, would like to see you
talking, of course. So this question or this
question type is rather about how you structure your answer and to get
to know you better. So there's no right old one. So sometimes the company
give you special situation. These are the so called
situational questions. What would you do if you were assigned a project with
an impossible deadline? So, um, that is a bit of a question where you want to challenge the candidate, of course, where the recruiter wants to see how
you communicate, you could in this example,
answer something like, I would communicate openly
with any stakeholders about realistic timelines and propose alternatives such as
a faced delivery, these questions are usually
a bit more difficult to answer because they are
usually very short, and to give a proper answer, you need to know more
about the company. So situational questions
are a bit difficult. The next question
type is much easier. They are always included
in any interview, they are called biographical
question examples. For example, a question like, can you walk me through
your career progression? And then you just start
explaining about your career, what you did, what you
focused upon, and whatever. So that is much, much easier. Okay. So other question types
are technical questions. You usually have them in the
second round interviews. So not immediately in the
first round interviews, but in the second
round interviews. For example, like, what are the key steps to optimize
a website for a CEO? And then you like,
explain step by step, whatever you did, okay? These type of questions are
usually also not so difficult because most candidates know
perfectly about their job. So these questions are very
easy to answer, usually. Other question types are the soap called hypothetical
questions like, if you could redesign a
customer service process, what would you change? And these questions
are very difficult because the company usually does not give you enough information to answer that
question thoroughly. For example, here, if you want to change or redesign
the customer service process, they need to give you
more information. Right. So if you like
here in this example, cannot answer a
question properly because you need
more information, then it's perfectly say
perfectly okay if you say, I need more information,
for example. Other question types or any question types you can usually handle with a
so called star method. For example, tell
me something about a time where you manage
the conflict at work, and you start describing
the situation. Then usually, for example, at my previous job, the reporting system was
manual and very difficult. And then you proceed by
explaining the task. What you did or
what you had to do. For example, I needed to create a more accurate and
efficient process. The next step, the A in the star star method is you describe which
actions you took. For example, I designed
an automatic template, and you end up with a result. You explain what this cost. For example, this reduced
reporting errors by 40% and saved the time 2
hours of work each week. So if you are not sure
about the answer, you can always use
the star questions or star method to give answers. You start with a situation, a task, an action, and a result. This very much helps you
with the preparation and gives you a good structure
to answer these questions. I have also, because
I think it's important attached one template, which you can use for the
preparation of your interviews. This is once again,
the star method. It gives you, I think, a very good overview
about this method, situation, task,
action, and result. You can use it for
your own preparation, and it helps you to structure the interview answers in a very efficient
way, I think.
6. Navigating challenges: So now in Chapter number six, we will have a look at the
challenges in interviews. There are quite a
number of challenges. And in order to help you, I have added as an attachment, the most common
interview questions. You can use these types of questions to prepare
your answers. Usually, we will
come to that later. A question about strength and
weaknesses is very common. This is always very difficult
to answer, usually. But also questions about where do you see
yourself in five years. So use that template to
prepare your answer. It is not so important that
you give a specific answer. It is more about
feeling confident and being able to
answer immediately. So, that's more of the challenge
you have here, usually. So use that template to
prepare for the interviews. So let's have a look
at the chapter. So in this chapter, we will be looking at gaps in your CV if you
took, I don't know, a year off a sabbatical
or whatever, how to deal with these gaps in your CV and how to
deal with weaknesses, for example, but we will also
have a look at nervousness, anxiety, stress, but also
salary expectations. So let's have a look. So gaps in the interview. That is actually very easy. If you took a year
off to travel, then do not say something
like I've worked on my intercultural
abilities or whatever. I realize that you just took a year off to travel
and it's perfectly fine. We're all human beings. So just be honest and confident and say what
you did in that gap. I took the time to
care about my family. I took a time or took a year
off to travel or whatever. So just say what it is. And don't try to make up any
crazy or creative story, because that always
sounds weird. So it's perfectly
fine if you say, I needed that time, whatever. That's enough. Okay. Try What you can do is try to focus upon what you
learned during that time. For example, did you
learn any new skills, any new languages,
new abilities? Sometimes there is also personal growth connected to that year off or to
that gap or whatever. And this is something you
can really highlight. You can also talk
about trainings or volunteer work you
did during that gap, maybe, and that's
perfectly fine, then. If the rest of your
CV is perfectly fine, that's not a deal
breaker, usually. So just be confident. Yeah. I am personally not asking
the question very often. Tell me about your weakness, because the answers I get
are usually very strange. I usually get answers like, I always want to
be 100% perfect, and that's my weakness. Sometimes in the interviews, there is the discussion
about weaknesses. I myself am usually not
asking these kind of questions because they are
very difficult to answer. I usually receive,
like, answers. For example, like,
I always tend to be 120% perfect or that's
difficult because oftentimes, whatever your answer,
these answers are kind of ridiculous. So I'm not asking that question, but most of my
colleagues, they do. They ask a question. What
are your weaknesses? So the best recommendation
I can do is to choose a genuine weakness
and to be honest. But choose something which
is not so important. For example, something which is not
critical for your job, just a minor weakness.
I don't know. For example, like,
whenever I feel stressed or under pressure, I tend to make mistakes
or something like that. I know it's ridiculous. But yeah, still some recruiters, they are still asking
these questions. So try to prepare for
that kind of question. For example, if you struggle
with time management, this is something
you can mention or, um, if you feel under pressure or if you felt under pressure in a special situation, this is something you can share. But do not put too much time into the
preparation for that. I know some
recruiters who do not ask about weaknesses anymore. So try to prepare and answer. And usually whatever
answer you give, it will not be the main focus to decide if you
get the job or not. So just keep that in mind. Yeah. The next question
is indeed very important. You should definitely
prepare for that. So every company will ask you about your
salary expectations. Usually, whenever you
advertise a job as a company, you always think about
a budget you have. For example, you
have a budget for any position which is around
$60,000, whatever a year. If you talk to a candidate, and let's say the candidate requests a yearly salary around $80,000 it can very good be that that candidate
is out of the race. So if you have salary
expectations which are much higher than the company is usually
willing to pay, they are not likely going to continue with
the next interview. So you need to think about your salary before
you start an interview. You need to provide a realistic
range or salary range. How do you get a salary range? Number one is by experience, um, after a number of interviews, you usually know what you can expect for special
position and whatnot. Number two, could be
that you talk to, for example, any
headhunter about position. Usually the headhunter,
they will give you very exact salary ranges because they receive
a certain amount of payment connected
to the yearly salary. So they will always
give you very specific salary ranges
connected to that position. So if you do not know what usually can be expected
for any position, just talk to a head hunter and they will give
you a salary range. Sometimes you see
that's number three, you see the salary range
within the job advertisement. Sometimes the companies say, we're about to pay this or
that amount or whatever. So read the job advertisement
very carefully, and you will see how
much they can pay. As I said, usually, the question about the salary
expectation is being asked in the second interview
or last interview, usually, but try to be
prepared for that question. As soon as you can, and always try to provide
a specific range. So it's always better if you
say something like, Well, my salary expectation
is between 60 or 70,000 depending upon
the responsibility and the other bonuses or any other things that are
provided for that position. So that is usually the
best answer you can give. So do not give just an
amount, but a range. That is another recommendation. I can give um and it's always important to keep the
overall package in mind. I'm always talking
about yearly salary, usually, not monthly salary, but there are always
fringe benefits, bonuses, insurance,
offers, whatever. So that is a reason why you should or
should normally talk about a realistic rage and not a certain amount,
let's say, 60,000. But keep in mind, if you are highly above that special range, let's say, 80 90,000, you are definitely
out of the race. But still, if you have the experience and
if you know that you can easily find a different job for a higher salary
than take it, right? You do not have to, uh yeah, take a bit a lower salary range just because you want that job. So whenever you
know that you can negotiate a higher
salary, you can try. Just keep in mind that
then this position, which is a bit lower might
not be the best for you. Okay. So that is
about well, salary. And that was Chapter number six. Now let's come to
Chapter number seven.
7. Communication skills: So now let's come to
Chapter number seven. Chapter number seven is
about communication skills. I very often have the impression
that the candidates I talk to that they are very strong on the
communication side. Very often the cultural
fit is not the best. And usually the reason why I reject candidates is not because of their
communication skills. So that is a chapter which
is maybe a bit easier. But still, if you feel like you could improve in that field, then this chapter is for you. So let's get started
with an overview. Let's talk about
gestures, movement, tone of voice, of
course, and language, and interviews, which
are un virtually by teams and the power
of body language. Of course. So one of the most important
tips I can give is really that you should practice
to be in an interview. The interview situation is
something very special, a special situation
where you might feel unsecure or strange or whatever. So really practice
before with a friend. And secondly, which is
even more important, you should try to take
every opportunity you have to be in an interview. So even if you feel like, Well, I'm not sure that
salary range is a bit lower than what I usually
would have expected, then take the
opportunity and talk to their recruiter because
practice makes perfect. And it's always good to practice the interview situation
and don't be shy. Have a go and try your best. So try to avoid any filler
words, which is clear. Try to use professional wording and focus very much
upon active sentences. Es, especially if you apply for a position let's
say, like, I don't know, IT or a position or if you
are an engineer, for example, these are usually
positions where the candidates are not so strong sometimes when it comes
to leading an interview, very usually for a
position like marketing, especially the candidates
are very strong. They don't need any
preparation in that field. But if you feel unsecure, try to avoid these
mistakes than here. If there are pauses
and that can happen, just try try to
make a new start, try to think, and
take a moment before you respond or
before you continue. And just try to create a positive and very
confident impression. I know that might sound very
very difficult sometimes, but try to be as natural as
you can, because later on, when you work for that company and when you have colleagues, et cetera, you cannot
play a role every day. So try to be natural. If there are pauses or if
you do not know question, then don't be shy to say, I don't know, right?
This is perfectly fine. Well, of course, the body
language is important. It's not such a big issue for the first
interview, of course, because those teams or Zoom interviews or
virtual interviews, you cannot really see the
body language very good. But in the second interview, the in person interview, and especially if you apply
for any leadership position, you perfectly see if that
person is confident or not. So try to remain to
keep eye contact, try to talk with a
slight smile and try to implement gestures and movements and try
to speak clearly. I know this is difficult, especially if you do not
have any experience. The best advice here again, I can give is try to practice
as often as you can. And try to exercise as good as you can and be
prepared for the interview.
8. Ending the interview: So Chapter eight,
ending the interview. Usually, whenever you
end the interview, there's always the part
where you can explain why you're interested
in summary, why you're interested
in the job. There are final
questions you can ask, which are very important. And you have the opportunity to express gratitude and to
talk about the next steps. Usually, the company is
explaining about the next steps. But sometimes if the company or the recruiter forgets to
explain about next steps, you can ask about the
feedback timeline, of course. So let's get started. Um at the end of the interview, you always have the opportunity
to thank for the time and to show excitement about the role and express
gratitude for the interview. And to once again, make a statement why you are the best person
for that position. So use that opportunity. It's always nice if you're
able to speak confidently, even if you do not
feel confidently, so try to make
confident statement. That is a difference, of course. And the ending or
closing statement is really something
you can prepare. So try to use that opportunity. And once again, one of
my most favorite parts, there's always the opportunity to ask about final questions. So the recruiters always asking, Do you have any final
questions or not? Like I said, there are many questions you could
think of about the company, the culture, the team, the
responsibility, whatever. So and use that opportunity because it shows that you're
really interested. Right? And you should always take the time to express
gratitude to say, thank you for your time and
to talk about the next steps. If the recruiter is
not talking about it, they will always try
to explain about the next interview steps and what time you can
expect a feedback. So that is very important. And then the end
of your interview. If you made it so
far, congratulations. But now we have a look
into the next chapter.
9. After the interview: So Chapter nine is about the situation
after the interview. Um, that is a very
interesting situation because sometimes let's
go into the chapter. Sometimes I have the
situation that after an interview candidates are
calling or trying to call me, like, I don't know, three
times a day, five times a day. If I've already made
the decision or not, they're calling
me days and days, even though there was a
timeline which we agreed upon. Um and that can sometimes
be a difficult situation. Do not try to stalk that person or the recruiter after
the interview, okay? Don't try to call
the recruiter like ten times a day if you
made a decision or not. We will have a look at
how to behave after the interview that you have the best chances to
come in the next round. What I personally prefer
as a first step is after the interview that you make a self reflection or
some kind of assessment. Where did you perform well and in which areas
you need improvement? That is good because you
can use that, of course, perfectly for the preparation
of the next interviews. So try to learn as
much as you can, and use that for the next
interviews you have. Um, sometimes. Let's go back. Sometimes, um, you are being
rejected after an interview, which is perfectly fine. Number one is do not take
any rejection personally. Many reasons why I reject candidates are sometimes
difficult to explain. Sometimes we do not have the budget anymore to
fill the position. Sometimes we have a
different candidate, an internal candidate
we have to take. The reason can be or there
can be a variety of reasons. So just do not take the
rejection personally. Try to seek feedback. But very oftentimes the
company will not to be honest, will not give you
honest feedback, because it depends on the country you live
in and you apply for sometimes the companies are not able to give
you honest feedback because of legal reasons. For example, if I have a
rejection where I say, I took a younger candidate, this can be difficult already. So, um try to seek feedback, but keep in mind that there are many reasons why people
would not give you an honest feedback
or try to give you not the best feedback
you might expect. Just try to learn from
the experience you had and try to enhance your
skills as best as you can. What you can definitely do is write a thank you email
after the interview. That is definitely my preferred
way because, like I said, very oftentimes I do not
have time to call or to answer phones because I'm in a different
interview or whatever. So after the interview, just write a thank you email within 24 hours or two days
or something like that, and reaffirm your
interest in the role. That's the best you
can do. That is something that every
recruiter will definitely read and will consider
in a positive way. So, just write an email. Usually, you have the
contact information from the recruiter
or that company. So just use that as a way
to express your interest.
10. Special topics: So in the next chapter, this chapter is a bit shorter than we will talk
about special topics, especially how to use AI for practice and AI for
preparation in general. I perfectly I'm
perfectly fine if you use ChatCPT or any other um, any other tool of preparation
for your CV, for example. Most of the CVs you
have as a template, as a template, they
are perfectly fine. You can absolutely use them, and you can also use
AI for preparation. I will show you how,
for example, um, you can use AI, for example, to analyze the job
description for any keywords. You can ask AI to optimize your CV in concerns of wording, and you can also ask AI to craft you personalized
cover letters. As I said in my different video, I'm not a real fan
of cover letters. I personally prefer a CV. But still, you can use AI to let you craft a
personalized cover letter. And you can also use JTIPT or any other tool to
practice for the interview. So you can upload
the job description, for example, and you can ask JTIPT to give you common
interview questions. And you can ask AI for
feedback on your answers, and you can practice. So let me have a look. For example, here
is a prompt that I personally can recommend. You can ask AI to give you a thank you
email, for example. So AI now will draft you a thank you email and you
can say what time it took place and you want
to state your interest, then once again and
that is a good way, I think, to use any
artificial intelligence. But you can also use AI for, like I said, interview
preparation. You can upload the
job advertisement, and then AI will
give you a list of the most common interview
questions, for example. So use that. It's perfectly fine if you seek
help in this point.
11. Final tips and next steps: So let's come to an end now. I hope you like the course. But before we close this course, let's have a look
at the final tips, and, the class
project, of course. So what I can recommend
you as a template, I will upload is that you prepare something
like an elevator pitch. If you are not sure
how to present yourself and how to talk
about your experience, your strength, your
weaknesses, et cetera, this is a template you can use, and it helps you for the preparation
because it really guides you through the
most important steps. To make clear who you
are, what you do best, what your value is and why
you are here. For example. So use that as
additional resources. I hope it helps you a
bit for the preparation. The next thing I
want to show you is, again, the class project. I want everyone to
encourage to answer three common interview
questions for yourself and then upload
these interview questions. And I will encourage
everyone also to write one thoughtful
closing questions. You can ask the interviewer. And for your own preparation, you can use the elevator
pitch I just showed you and summarize your
profile again. It's not usually interviews
are not so much about facts. It's more about giving
an impression and make a confident statement
and not so much about really how to do
this or that correctly. So it's more about personal experience and
how confident you appear. So just try to prepare, and then usually the rest
comes automatically. And then again, the last
tips for long term success. Number one is try to keep your skills updated and your CV, of course, try to continuously
learn and improve. Try to practice your pitch so you can really confidently
introduce yourself and try to be up to date upon industry trends and try to keep up with the
latest development. Developments and try to
network consistently. Very often, jobs are being given because of someone knows someone in
his or her network. So just keep that in mind, to build up a network and to network consistently is
always the best idea. Um, I know the network builds up over years
and years maybe, but just make a start and tell about your job search and your interview experience. And very often,
people will then help you and they will
connect with you. So yes, now it's time
to say, thank you. Of course, for
attending this course and good luck for the
rest of your journey. Do not try to be
someone you are not. Just try to be positive, try to be yourself, and never forget if that interviewer you have
is very rude or unfriendly. Just consider that this might not be the best
position for you. So if there are any questions, I'm happy to answer
whatever comes up, and good luck for you. See you in the next course. Thank you.
Julia Roth, Virtual Job Guru
