How to prepare for an interview

Here are some useful tips for preparing for an interview. Some might be obvious; some might be different from the way you would prepare yourself in your own country. If you go on an interview through Undutchables, you will get more information on this topic. Good luck!

• Know the exact name, place and time of the interview, interviewer's full name and correct pronunciation and his/her title
• Research! Specific characteristics of the company, products/services, growth and potential growth in the future
• Refresh your memory on the facts and figures of your present employer and former employers. You will be expected to know a lot about the company you previously worked for.
• Prepare the questions you will ask during the interview, the interview is about input and feedback from both you and the interviewer. You must determine, through questioning, if the company indeed will give you the opportunity you seek.
• Arrive on time! (very important in the Netherlands)
  

Do and don'ts during an interview:

Do's 
Dress code - Formal Business Wear. Although the Dutch tend to dress informally, an applicant should always be formally dressed (better to be overdressed)
Be aware of your body language, according to communication experts:

              10 % of our communication is what you say
              30 % is represented by tone
              60 % is body language

Look a prospective employer in the eye when you talk to him/her (Western culture)
Relate your background and skills to the position

Don'ts
Do not answer with a simple yes or no but also do not over answer questions
Do not make negative remarks about your present or former employers      
Do not inquire about salary or other remuneration during your 1st interview
Don't be offended when asked about your private life (employers search for long term commitment)     
Do not lie, answer questions truthfully

SUMMARY:
Preparation is essential to perform well in an interview 
Know yourself!      
Know the job   
Know the organisation (research) 
Know the questions    
Know the do's and don'ts 
It's not so much what you say that counts, it's how you say it!