First Aid for Interviews

In an Interview you can easyly get overwhelmed by a load of questions. Some of them are critical, other uncomfortable and others are not even allowed. Which are which and how to handle them, I will tell you now.

Unexpected Questions

If you want a job, you can’t avoid one: the Job-Interview! You are excited that you finally get one, but you also worry about it. The range of questions in a job interview is wide and can always cause surprises. Especially when it come to uncomfortable topics such as dropout or abortion of your studies etc. or taboo topics in general. So how best to respond?

Score with self-knowledge

Examine your own CV in advance, before you go to an interview.

The following points can cause a slight sweating during the interview:

• Gaps in the resume

• Abandoned study

• Frequent job changes

• Different occunational fields

Now it depends on your own attitude and on selling these topics well. As you know, gaps in your CV can arise for a variety of reasons. Whether self-discovery or time out for health or job-seeking reasons - it is advisable to be honest here. The answer is to be short an specific. This also applies to the other points mentioned.

Those who stand behind themselves and their descisions exude self-confidence.

Private is Private - Taboo Topics at Job-Interviews

Another section of unpleasant questions concerns taboo topics. Anything that spills over into private life should have no place in an interview. You are welcome to provide information about your hobbies, but what your family planning looks like can be kept to yourself.

The Taboo Topics also include questions about pregnancy, religion, ethnicity, secuality, state of health or criminal records. Exceptions only apply if they are also relevant for the company or the job to be performed (which should definitely never be the case with family planning, religion, ethnicity or sexuality).

But how do you react to critical questions?

1. Lying! With family planning you can e.g. for example to state in a nutshell that nothing is currently being planned. That can, but need not be true.

2. Decline! Politely, but definitely comfirm that you do not want to answer this question because it has no relevance for the item or the work performed.

3. Be quick-Witted! Quick-witted counter questions are also very good, but you should be careful not to cross a border yourself.

If you want to be on the safe side, you can also play through a wide range of questions with a second person of your choice. This can provide some confidence for one or the other.

Whatever the questions will be at the next interview, I keep my fingers crossed for all applicants.