Background:

You have been called to an assignment interview, and maybe it was a while ago since you were in
this situation. We have produced a guide that you can read as homework to prepare for the
interview. Take the time to go through this before the inteview, afterwards it is too late.

Your Quick Reference Guide to a successful interview:

Be on time - It is of utmost importance that you are in time. Make sure to be in place in good time,
especially if you are unsure of the public transportation or other means of transport is reliable, or if
you do not know exactly where to meet with the employer.

Be neat – always be dressed in clothes that are clean and not torn, and adapt your clothing choice to
the company and the assignment you are applying for. It is always better to be slightly overdressed
than vice versa.

Be well rested – Go to bed early the night before so you are alert, fit and in a good condition

Be of good cheer - be positive and prepare yourself that you will receive a developing, exciting new
experience.

Listen to the customer and ask questions - the customer usually starts with telling you about the
company and the assignment. Listen carefully and ask if there is anything you do not understand. It is
better to ask once too often than not to understand what it is all about.

Learn about the company and the assignment - Check the background information about the
company and the specific details of the assignment.

Be relevant - Add extra emphasis on your skills, experience and qualities that are linked to what the
customer wants.

Exemplify – Feel free to bring up examples of situations in which you have done something similar to
what the customer wants.

Be personal – the interview is mostly aimed for the customer to get an idea of who you are. Feel free
to share personal information such as age, marital status and hobbies.

Be flexible - sometimes the customer starts asking who you are directly, before he or she talks about
the assignment.

Study your resume and notice the names - Sometimes long periods passes by between interviews
and it is easy to forget details. Go through your resume and observe the names of the people you
have had as clients.

Prepare your references - Identify the references that are relevant to the assignment.

Body language - Remember that your body language is a huge part of your communication. Sit in a
normal way, preferably leaning forward rather than backward.

Speak loudly and clearly – Do not mumble and do not put your hands in front of your mouth.

Dokumentnamn: Your Quick Reference Guide to a successful Utgåva: A

interview
Dokumentnummer: 710 Revsionsdatum:
Consider the answers to standard questions - For example there is no need to sit and reflect on your
strengths and weaknesses during the interview. Please read the standard questions below and think
through your responses. (There are some new tricky questions from VCC that is worth considering,
marked in blue below)

 What does diversity means to you?

 What does customer focus mean to you?

 How has your previous assignments been completed? Can you tell us what happened?

 Why have your assignments been so short?

 What do you do now?

 What can you bring to our group? What / Who do we get if we hire you?

 How do you react when you are confronted with new tasks? What do you do to solve them?

 How do you act when a task is not resolved the way you thought it would be?

 In what situations are you stressed?

 Would you rather work in a group or by yourself?

 What role do you take in a workgroup? How do you function in a team?

 Are you accustomed to contacts with suppliers?

 Under what kind of leadership do you do your work best?

 How, for example, is your English, German, French, orally and in writing?

 How do you see the delegation of tasks?

 What is most important for you to feel comfortable with your work?

 What do your family circumstances look like?

 What is your leisure time like?

 What is the first thing you would do if you were given the assignment?

 What do you think your references say about you (both positive and negative) and why have
you chosen them?

 Do you find it easy to learn new things?

 Can you handle criticism?

 What are you most proud of?

 Can you tell me something really good that you have done?

 What do you do in five years time?

 What do you think a good colleague should be like?

 Can you tell me about any mistake you made and what you learned from it?

Dokumentnamn: Your Quick Reference Guide to a successful Utgåva: A

interview
Dokumentnummer: 710 Revsionsdatum:
  How would your friends describe you?

 How would your boss describe you?

 How well do you work in a group?

 What are your strengths and weaknesses?

 What makes you enjoy your stay at work?

 How do you cope with stress and time pressure?

 Why should we hire you precisely?

 When are you available?

 Are you able to “sneak start” the assignment?

Last but not least!

If you got this far in this quick reference guide, you have nothing to worry about. Now you are well
prepared, and the interview will go just fine. The most important thing is to be yourself!

Good luck!

Dokumentnamn: Your Quick Reference Guide to a successful Utgåva: A

interview
Dokumentnummer: 710 Revsionsdatum: