10 Most Frequent Questions in a Job Interview in Europe

It's a common way to search for possible interview questions asked in a country, where we have a job interview. For many countries these questions are very similar and typical, therefore preparing for an interview is not necessarily challenging. However, your answers should be authentic to these questions, so that you can STAND OUT among all the job applicants. You want to become in the end a serious candidate for the company (your future employer) and not only a possible candidate for the role.

Let's check which frequent questions are asked by HR Manager in a job interview. For the candidates, who prepare to relocate to a german speaking country (DACH Region), I listed also the same questions in German language. You are most welcome.

WARM-UP QUESTIONS

1. Can you tell us a bit about yourself? | K?nnen Sie uns etwas über sich erz?hlen?

You might wonder, "Why do they ask this question, they have my CV in front of them already?". HR commonly directs this question to give you the chance to self-present (Selbstpr?sentation), meaning "USE YOUR MARKETING SKILLS" and don't drown in the unimportant details of your educational and work experience. You should use these 3 to 7 minutes of the job interview very wisely and strategically to have a great start to leaving a great first impression.

2. What do you know about our company??| Kennen Sie unsere Firma, in welchem Bereich wir t?tig sind?

That's where you prove how much investigation you have done prior to this first interview. "Blind applications" are currently a big problem, where the applicants apply for a role, without really checking if the future employer is also suitable for them. Therefore, it's an essential question to be answered carefully. Reading the latest news about the company, checking their products & services, understanding their company culture, vision and mission always brings you one step further in the application process.

3. Are you willing to relocate for this position? | Sind Sie bereit nach Deutschland (?sterreich oder in die Schweiz) umzuziehen?

We are living in a digital world in the 21st century, nevertheless for some positions the person needs to be on site. Some companies help during the relocation of new employee by offering various supports. Here you can give an honest answer, that you are willing and ready to move to a new country. They might also want to learn "Why do you want to move to country X?", prepare your answer to this question as well.

And if you have any questions for the support during your relocation, ask HR as well directly. For qualified employees, employers also try to be as helpful as possible. The first company I worked for in Germany had paid the rent deposit (Mietkaution) on my behalf to the landlord prior to travels to the country, and the amount then cut from my monthly salary for the next three months. I was very appreciative of such a relocation support.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU BETTER

4. In which areas do you see your strengths??| In welchen Bereichen sehen Sie Ihre St?rken?

While answering this question, you might want to concentrate on the strengths which are relevant for the applied job. You can use the approach, "Which strengths would be the most beneficial for such a role?" and try to also give examples on the named strengths. If you say clichés such as "I'm a great team player, I am very proactive, I am multitasked, I am target oriented, etc." , the HR or your future boss might not be impressed at all.

5. What are your weaknesses??| Was sind Ihre Schw?chen?

Obviously, no one likes to talk about weaknesses in a job interview, however this is a very common question as well, whoever asks for the strength, would ask also for weaknesses as well. Background thought for this question is, if a candidate is self-critical and reflects these weaknesses in order to constructively work on them. Let's say you are not necessarily a well organised person, nevertheless you might have already taken action on how you deal with this weakness. Important is really to being honest and concentrate on how you try to improve yourself by turning a weakness into strength.

6. Can you handle work under pressure??| K?nnen Sie mit Arbeit unter Druck umgehen?

The role you apply for must be involved in a high-pressure environment or time pressure or such as, that the HR directs you this question. And overtime hour can be calculated to be brought with the new role. It would be very helpful at this moment to give an example to let them picture a scenario, how you deal under such circumstances. Important is for HR to understand, that your performance is not negatively affected due to pressure.

7. How do you motivate yourself??| Wodurch motivieren Sie sich selbst?

It's well-known what kind of effect motivation has on performance at work place. And many employers search for candidates who can self-motivate. What is your motivation? Is it money or promotion, or appreciation from your boss and colleagues, seeing the result and impact of your work, a more harmonic working atmosphere or an extra bonus on top of your salary? Again here, you can give some examples how you currently motivate yourself in a work day.

8. How do you deal with mistakes and setbacks??| Wie gehen Sie mit Fehlern und Rückschl?gen um?

No one is perfect, and no one needs to behave as if they are perfect during a job interview. It doesn't sound sincere really. You might try to avoid mistakes by not taking any decision on a critical topic, however you cannot always run from conflicts. So, when you make a mistake, how do you react to that? Would you hide in your office and hope no one finds out? Or you realise your mistake and immediately act on it to avoid more damage at your work place. Taking responsibility for your acts is always critical to be a good leader in the end.

HOW YOUR SURROUNDING DEFINES YOU

9. Why do your colleagues enjoy working with you??| Warum arbeiten Kollegen gerne mit Ihnen zusammen?

If you don't have an answer to this self-reflection question, why don't you approach a colleague and ask for their opinion? There must be definitely a few people at least, who can give you some feedback, why they are pleased to work with you. Sincerity is again the key here, please don't play the Popular Big Hero of the Office; you miss a chance to grab the job.

TRAP QUESTION (!)

10. What do you think of your last employer? | Was denken Sie von Ihrem letzten Arbeitgeber?

CAREFUL! This is not the place where you pour out your heart what went all wrong at the previous (or current) employer. No one likes a candidate who talks ill of their employer and workplace, so please answer this question bureaucratically. Concentrate on the gains during your employment there and express your appreciation. That's a pretty enough answer to this question.

BONUS (Further Inquiry)

11. Do you have any other questions? | Haben Sie noch weitere Fragen?

The absolute answer to this question is: YES!

If you don't have any further inquiry (Rückfragen), this appears to HR as if you are not really interested in being part of the company. Therefore, direct a few questions (which are not already answered) in the room and take notes. These questions should be more specific for your future boss, and eventually what is expected from you as a new employee and team member, or how the development possibilities look like in the company.

A job interview is a mutual "get to know each other", so a candidate can and should direct any open question back to the future employer.

Contact me via LinkedIn or [email protected]?for any questions regarding your job interview in Europe.

Now good luck with your interviews!

Regards,

G?k?ehan

This article consists of my own interview experiences and additional frequent questions as suggested in the link below:

Quelle: https://karrierebibel.de/bewerbungsfragen/?