I have met well trained persons – professionally speaking, who, as they lacked employment interviews experience, they had an inappropriate behavior, risking to lose an important job. I have met experienced people that refused to sustain certain tests as they considered themselves above them. I have met seniors that did not understand why they needed to undergo a trial period ... they have already proved what they could ...

For these virtual applicants we tried to insert a few pieces of advice, hopefully to be of service:

1. Read carefully the employment announces. Send your application only in case that you consider that 70% of the recruitment expectation are to be found in your experience and natural endeavor. Read carefully the responsibilities, make sure that, at least in theory you can cope with them and only after send your resume and letter of motivation.
2. Look carefully at the company history for which you send your application. If the employment announce belongs to an agency and the name of the employer is not made public, try to find as much as possible about the agency. They say: “every agency has the clients it deserves!!!”. Make sure that this is the company you want to work for and the agency you want to collaborate with...
3. Do not be hasty when you make up to resume! Insert as many details as possible and try to have a personalized format (however, do not exaggerate with the personalization: butterflies and tanks have no place here!).
4. The motivation letter has to be focused on the job and the company/agency for which you send your application. If you send a meaningless letter of motivation, addressed to anyone and nobody in the same time you better do not send it at all. If you do not have the time or the necessary inspiration to create a motivation letter “personalized” send the resume accompanied by a text, it is more efficient!

AFTER your resume has been selected, you evaluation begins:

5. 5. The fist step is ... the impression you leave after the phone call. It is very important to have a professional behavior, a calm voice, without any cynical inflexions (especially for men) or too warn (for ladies). Your superiority is not highlighted by your voice on the phone, but supported by knowledge and behavior.
6. Make sure you have a well fitted outfit and you did not neglect your hygiene before you left for the interview. It is possible for you to have had a lot to do that day, hard tasks that left a mark on your outfit – your suit may be crumpled and you may got dusted, you may be dirty with ink, mud, etc. Under no circumstances you should not leave to the interview so dirty! Choose elegant clothes to fit with the weather, situation, however with the culture of the company which invited you for an interview.
7. Get to the interview on time. In such exceptional cases when you can not be there on due time or you think you can be late CALL!, announce the fact that you are going to be late and verify if you can sustain the interview (it might be that the recruiter has its interviews well scheduled and the fact that they take you 10 minutes late for an interview could bring chained delays for other applicants, which is not correct for them.)
8. Shake hand with the interviewer firmly (firmly does not mean screw vice!); Allow the employer to be the fist to reach out to you
9. Take a seat when you are invited, if you are standing ask for permission to have a seat (it is possible for them to test your timidity).
10. Maintain eye contact and behave naturally during the interview. Do not swing the chair; give concrete answers to questions you are asked. Do not lean on the chair, stay straight. Do not try to behave as you are not in reality, as every company has got another vision on advantageous and disadvantageous behaviors. Sooner or later your real you shall take control.
11. Try to remember names.
12. Be sure you have concluded answers at least to questions that concern:
  a. Information on the resume: address, phone numbers, e-mail
  b. Education (Studies, institution, date when you graduated)
  c. Your responsibility at your present job
  d. The areas where you have the power to decide
  e. Subordinated, hierarchical superior
  f. Relationship with colleagues and your superiors
  g. Your successes, (describe several projects and tasks you fulfilled successfully)
  h. Your failures (Give an example when your tasks or project was not successful. Why not? What would you do differently now? )
  i. Reasons for which you want to leave you present job
  j. Jobs you had in the past, your responsibilities and the reason you changed for other jobs
  k. Project your career for the following 5-10 years
  l. Your expectations from a future job
  m. Reasons you sent your applications for the respective job
13. Do not behave as if you are under trial, you are not there just to answer questions, but to get into a dialog; certainly there are several details you would want to find out about the respective job, identify the right moment and ask the respective questions!
14. Give concrete answers, avoid to be extremely spiritual or jovial. Neither a retracted behavior is the right attitude for you to approach. Be concise when you speak and do not lose your ideas. It is important for you to prove that you can be secure of yourself. Answering with "yes" or "no" should be avoided as much as possible. Try not to contradict your own ideas.
15. Be sure that after the interview you know for sure:
  a. Which is the precise denomination of the job and what position it takes within the organizatorial hierarchy
  b. Which is the location where you are supposed to develop your activity
  c. Which is the job description, which is the decisional liberty of this job
  d. To whom this job is subordinated to
  e. Which are the expectations of the company from the person that will have the respective job
  f. Which are the promotion possibilities; which other carrier opportunities the company offers
16. Questions concerning the salary and benefices are certainly very important, however, it is best not to ask these questions in the first interview! It is also indicated not to discuss that matter if the interviewer does not discuss the subject. Exception: the interviews with a consultant of a recruitment agency; as here there is no decision power on the motivational package, as the selection of applicants shall be done depending on their expectations and the budget communicated by the employer. Nefertiti Human Capital Consulting (probably other 5-6 companies from Romania) involves consultatively in evaluating the motivational package depending on each position and applicant.

POST-INTERVIEW:

17. Within the same interview or after that you may be requested to participate in several tests; usually a psychological test accompanied by tests that evaluates your professional knowledge, language, communication/negotiation, etc. , depending on the job description. Do not behave as an offended girl if someone calls you Mrs.! You can be the best professional within your area, you can be acknowledged as such in the company you work, however, your future employer can not know all these. Consider the test as a normal evaluation, show your interests on the results and how you can receive them (normally it should be possible) and which is the relevance of these tests.
18. Do not express your disgust to these tests; do not use expression like: "I have sustained so many tests, I am tired of them" ... Act like a professional, any company is looking for a professional, not a tired and weepy applicant!
19. If they would decide to hire you, following the test, they shall verify the references. Do the same thing, a little bit of "espionage" can hurt. Try to talk to persons that work in the company to get an idea on the work modalities and on general environment. Find out the value of the company on the market, which are its financial results (I do not think you want to get employed in a company which is right on the verge of bankruptcy, only if you are not on a position which concerns exactly its salvation)