Tips for job interviews
Tips for the job interview
Congratulations if you are invited for a job interview! This means that the employer thinks you are qualified for the advertised job. The interview is an opportunity for the employer to get to know you better, and for you to get to know more about the employer.
Prepare for the interview
Read the job advertisement and your application carefully once again.
Find information about the company on their web pages. If you know someone working there, talk to the person to get tips to prepare for an interview.
Make sure you understand what job you have applied for and why you want this job. Be ready to describe your skills and provide examples of situations where they have been useful. By describing your competencies well and show how they are relevant for the jobs you want, you can improve your chances. Check the link below on how to map your competencies.
Prepare a short introduction of yourself in 1-2 minutes where you highlight what you think is important for the company to know about you. Show that your competencies match the job of interest. Practice telling stories that substantiates your competencies describes in the CV and cover letter. What was the situation, what did you do and what was the outcome? Practice on the interview situation with friends and try out our interview training in the link below.
Make a good first impression
Arrive 10-15 minutes before your scheduled interview.
Bring all relevant documents, as well as a pen and paper for notes.
Dress appropriately for the workplace.
Fixed handshake, eye contact and smile.
Accept an offer of water and coffee. If you are asked a tricky interview question, you can take a sip to buy yourself some time to think of a strong answer.
Sit up straight and try to keep your arms and legs calm.
Speak clearly.
Appear genuinely interested in the current position.
It is natural to feel nervous, so accept it. You can only do your best, so congratulate yourself afterwards on your efforts. It is a learning experience. Take notes of what went well and how you could improve for the next interview.
Employers are looking for:
Enthusiasm and commitment. Listen carefully to their questions during the job interview. Show the employer how interested you are by asking questions about the position, the company, work environment or projects they are working on.
Motivation. Tell them why you wanted to apply for this particular job. What do you find appealing about the company and how can you contribute positively.
Collaborative skills. How will you desribe your ability to collaborate with colleagues or meet clients?
Types of job interviews and assessments
A meeting with two or more persons from the employer or a recruitment office. The interviewers ask questions related to the position requirements and your skills and experiences.
May be individually or as part of a group. Here you get a business problem or a puzzle to solve within the company’s discipline or described work tasks. They are not necessarily looking for the correct answer. However, how you would approach challenges or how well you communicate with others might be significant. Trust yourself, and act professionally. If you are to give a presentation of your solution, stay within your time limit.
Personality tests assess how you normally think and act. This will help the employer to find a candidate whose character traits are best suited for a specific position or in a specific team. There are no right or wrong answers, so be honest! After all, it is difficult to predict what personality type they want for that particular job.
Skills testing evaluates your ability for logical reasoning. It can be how you acquire new knowledge or how you perform within specific areas as language or numeracy. The tests are normally a supplement to the interview.
Speed interview is normally a 5 to 20 minutes conversation with a recruiter. This may give you the opportunity to introduce yourself and be invited for a full interview.
Tips for video interviews
- Test run all the technical necessities - audio, webcam, applications.
- Ensure your internet connection is stable and that you will not run out of battery.
- Find a place with neutral background.
- Try for the best light and sound conditions.
- Ensure you are not disturbed during your interview.
- Dress professionally.
- Log in and get set up ahead of time.
- Have a pen, notepad and copy of the job announcement on your desk.
- Be aware of your body language.
- Stay calm if the technology goes wrong.
Wishing you success in the interview!
Find more tips for job seekers.
Webinars
All our job search courses are held as webinars. Find information about course content and registration in the drop-down menu below.
In this free course for students at NTNU, we share our best tips for writing a good CV and job application/cover letter. You will get input on both layout, structure and content, and we discuss CVs and job applications for the Norwegian labour market. A good job application maximizes your chances of getting to the job interview.
Why not start on your CV and your job application before the course? Then you may ask any questions you find you have in the webinar. Find tips on how to write a CV and a job application/cover letter.
It will be possible to submit questions via chat, and they will be answered during the webinar.
The webinar is in English and for NTNU students only.
1st of February at 12:30 p.m
or
29th of February at 12:30 p.m
Are you an international student looking for a job in Norway?
If you need some advice on where and how to find relevant jobs but are unsure how things work in a Norwegian setting and context, join our free webinar. Here we will go through and discuss several different strategies for finding the jobs, and how to approach prospective employers/companies.
It will be possible to submit questions via chat, and they will be answered during the webinar. The webinar does not address topics like work or resident permits, or other legal issues.
The webinar is in English and for NTNU students only.
15th of February at 12:30 p.m
or
14th of March at 12:30 p.m
Have you been invited to a job interview in Norway? Or are you just waiting to hear back regarding your job applications, anticipating an invitation for a job interview any day now?
In this free webinar we share our best tips for what to expect in an interview, the most common interview questions and how to best prepare yourself.
We will answer your questions during the webinar and recommend that you check out this website for advice for job interviews prior to the webinar.
The webinar is in English and for NTNU students only.
8th of February at 12:30 p.m
or
7th of march at 12:30 p.m
12 common job interview questions
- Tell about yourself and why you apply for this position
- What do you know about the company?
- What do you think is most / least attractive with this job?
- How did your education prepare you for this position and what challenges do you see?
- What have you done previously that is relevant for this position?
- What are you most proud of having achieved?
- Tell me a challenge you have met and how you dealt with this
- What are your greatest professional strengths?
- What role do you take in team projects?
- What are your future goals?
- What do you think you can bring to this company?
- When can you start working with us?
7 questions you may ask in an interview
- What does a typical working day look like?
- Can you give me examples of projects I will be working on?
- Is there any training for new employees?
- Can you tell me about the team or person I will work with most closely?
- What is the company and team culture like?
- What is your favourite part about working here?
- What are the next steps in the hiring process?
We do not recommend asking about salary in the first interview, unless the interviewers ask you about your expectations.
Be careful not to ask questions they have already answered.
Job interview training
Prepare to answer questions for the interview situation by filling out our form
Career counselling
For current students, applicants and recent NTNU graduates. The career service at NTNU Career are for students only. PhD and Post Doc are to be considered employees at NTNU.
Book free 45 minutes counselling for:
- Feedback on CV / cover letter
- Choosing a career path
- How to map your competence
- The job search process