Congratulations, you were invited to a job interview in Germany! But what now?
The job interview is your chance to convince the company that you are the right candidate to hire. And preparation is the key ingredient to make sure you do so.
Especially as an international talent you need to prepare very well for an interview.
So, what are the things you should never skip to make sure you will rock your upcoming interview?
How to prepare for your job interviews as an international
1. “Stalk” all you can about the company
2. Get (very) familiar with the job you applied for
3. Create a strong interview pitch
4. Do some salary research
5. Be a pro at the Visa process for Germany
Let’s take a closer look!
Step 1: “Stalk” all you can about the company
Ok, stalking might be a bit exaggerated. But make sure you do proper research about the product/service of the company. Try to find out insights into the company’s mission and vision and future projects. And of course, also make yourself familiar with the company’s work culture and values.
Step 2: Get (very) familiar with the job you applied for
This step is essential. Make sure to review the job advertisement and go task by task and requirement by requirement to properly understand what you will need to do on the job. And go one step further, by also thinking about what past experience, knowledge and skills you have that prove you fulfill all requirements and that you will be able to perform all of the tasks successfully. Btw. learning ability is a key skill to show when you are missing a specific experience.
Step 3: Create a strong interview pitch
Of course it is important to prepare for typical interview questions. You can find some examples here. But even if you prepare for them, there is no guarantee these questions will be asked. But there is one question you can be 100% certain about that will be asked at every interview. The famous “Tell me about yourself” question with which every interview starts. So having a strong interview pitch that shows your key work experiences, your main strengths and also your motivation for the job is something you should always have prepared. Make sure to include skills based on your internationality that make you stand out.
And remember to practice your interview pitch often in advance because remember, this will be the first impression you create on the employer.
Step 4: Do some salary research
You won’t be asked for your salary expectation at every interview but in case they do ask this question, you don’t want to be catched unprepared. That is why before your first interview you should also know what salary you expect. You can do some research on salaries in Germany on pages like gehalt.de and of course also try to find out some insights about costs of living in the city you will live in. This will give you a good idea of what salary to ask for. Also, you can name a salary range instead of a specific number in the initial stage of your interview process.
Step 5: Be a pro at the Visa process for Germany
If you are an international talent, most companies will ask you at one stage during the interview about your visa status. And sadly, many companies do not know how the visa process works and are very afraid of it. So it will be very important that you can explain to the company the steps and show them that they do not need to worry about it. Of course this shouldnt be your job but hey, better being prepared then be sorry. So where can you find out more information about the visa process so you can provide the company with the right information? You can read our blog post and also do a quick check here.
Summary: How to prepare for your job interviews
Of course there are still many other things that you can do to further support your preparation for a job interview in Germany. However, these are the key 5 steps you should never skip.
If you want to learn more insights like this and even join a community of international talents who support each other on topics just like these, make sure to apply for our community for international digital talents in Germany. Click here to learn more.
