Interview checklist

Being the Talent you are, we know you probably prepared well for your interview. However, some insider tips are always welcome, right? So you are going to ace this interview. In our experience, even the most experienced candidates sometimes make basic mistakes. Therefore we summarize the 5 most common mistakes for you.

  1. You forgot to read the job description thoroughly.
  2. You forgot to read the company website.
  3. You didn't research the LinkedIn profile of your interviewer.
  4. You rambled on for too long when answering a question.
  5. You went and bad-mouthed previous employers.

Besides these common mistakes, prepare by asking yourself the following questions.

  • Which jobs & experiences from my past can I connect to this job?
  • Which books do I like that are about my job discipline?
  • Are there any companies I consider to be my role model in the branch?
  • Is there a specific teacher, speaker or professional I admire for their vision or accomplishments?
  • How do I stay up to date with the latest trends and knowledge?
  • What is your professional vision?
  • Why do I want to work at this company?
  • What are my strengths, weaknesses, successes, failures, important past events in my career, goals for the future and goals for the company?

Next, prepare questions you want to ask your interviewer. In need of some inspiration? Read the examples below.

  • How would you describe the company culture?
  • What is your favourite part about working here?
  • What makes you want to keep working at this company?
  • Can you share the organisational structure?
  • How would you be measuring success for this specific position?

Frequent asked interview questions

There are a lot of questions an interviewer can ask you. We have collected the most important and frequently asked questions. To help you prepare for your interview.

Your job qualifications and goals

  • What makes you suitable for this position?
  • Why do you want to work for this company?
  • What makes you want to keep working at this company?
  • Can you share the organisational structure?
  • How would you measure success for this specific position?
  • How would you contribute to this company?
  • Why are you leaving your current job?
  • How much advertising & promotion budget have you managed before?
  • What is your motivation for the frequent job changes?
  • What motivates you?
  • Are you innovative?
  • Do you have leadership skills? Give me an example.
  • Why should I hire you?
  • Do you have promotion ambition?
  • How would you describe your ideal boss?
  • Do you feel like you could have accomplished more in your last job?
  • How did you end up in the Digital, Marketing & Communication branch?
  • What would be the first thing you do when you are hired?
  • What would you want to accomplish in the first month of your employment?
  • How will you assess the quality of your work?
  • How are the professional qualifications you have obtained, helping you personally?
  • Who is your mentor(s) and what recent challenges have you sought their advice for?
  • How long are you willing to fall in your job before you succeed?
  • What are your salary expectations?

Your personality

  • What is your greatest strength? Weakness?
  • How would you describe your personality?
  • Are you creative? Give me an example.
  • Are you analytical? Give me an example.
  • What kinds of people annoy you?
  • What kinds of people attract you?
  • Do you ever get angry?
  • Do you consider yourself to be a competitive person?
  • What magazines and newspapers do you read?
  • What kind of books do you enjoy?
  • How do you spend your leisure time?
  • What can you tell me about yourself that isn’t in the CV?
  • What skills are you lacking?
  • What are you learning right now?
  • What’s your story?

Your mistakes or opportunities for growth

  • Has any of your projects not succeeded? What went wrong and how did you handle it?
  • What was your biggest mistake or error of judgement?
  • Did you ever work in a job that you did not like? How did you motivate yourself?
  • Did you have personal problems with a colleague before? How did you handle it?
  • Can you tell me about any work projects that you were involved in that weren't a success?
  • Tell me about a time when you felt defeated; eg: your project was falling apart, you were unable to meet your boss’s timeline goals, your idea was dismissed, etc. How did you respond to the adversity?

Your achievements

  • Your achievements
  • What is the most difficult task you’ve ever completed?
  • Discuss a successful work project involving multiple teams and mention your role in it.
  • When celebrating your retirement party, what project do you want to look back on as being the most important or deliverable to date?
  • Give an example of a difficult situation with a major client that you had to resolve. What steps did you take? What was the outcome?

Tips to calm your nerves and ace your interview

  1. Prepare well for the interview. Say the answers to behavioural and technical questions out loud.
  2. Find a way to connect with the interviewer (this is why researching your interviewer on LinkedIn prior to the interview is key).
  3. Answer every question by giving context and sharing results.

Our best advice

  1. In case you do not know the right answer or gave the wrong answer to a question then be honest about it. It shows that you believe in yourself.
  2. And that you are a trustworthy person that takes responsibility for their action.
  3. Bring a pen and notebook to the interview.
  4. Your preparation is the key to looking professional, being relaxed and being yourself during the interview.

We wish you good luck! And don't forget to download a pdf for on-the-go.

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