Interview For International Jobs: Complete Guide For Entry Level Candidates

Congratulations, you have been invited to an interview, I know you might be thinking, ‘why the congratulations, i don’t have the job yet’, well that is because not many people made it to this stage, being called to an interview means that you were able to convince the employer on paper (Resume and Cover letter) that you are capable of handling the open graduate position well and seem to be what they are looking for. The company wants to get to know you more and determine if you are a great fit for the position, this is why they invited you for an interview. For most international graduate jobs, there are usually four stages/types of interviews before they select the final successful candidates, these are:

Phone Interview

Video Interview

Face-to-Face Interview

Assessment Centres Interview

Find out what types of interviews you might be having from the company if possible because different companies use different methods. At any stage of the interview, these general tips and tricks will definitely make you a winner!

1. Do your research.

Go to the company’s website, usually the ‘about us’ page of the website (this page can be called other names like ‘who we are, ‘what we do’ etc.) contain a lot of information about the company and what they do. Some companies also have a news page on their website, it is important to read that too. Get to know the company’s competitors and some information about them. Check their social media pages as well, read about the current news and business of the company and their competitors on well-known and trusted websites. Another way to find out about the company and what it means to work there is to speak with former graduate employees of the company, this can be at job fairs and some companies have a page on their website where former graduate employees share their experiences, tips and tricks. All these research should focus mainly on the aspect of the company related to the position you are applying for, for example, if you are seeking a position in finance, find out more about the financial aspect of the company, you should also research other aspect of the company for general information but your main interest should be in the aspect related to the position you are applying for.

2. Look inwards.

Think about your volunteer works, internships, student jobs, hobbies, graduate jobs etc. Think about the skills you gained from your experiences, try to match it to the skills the company want the successful candidates to possess as stated in the job description. Most or all of the candidates invited for the interview already possess the basic requirements needed by the company as stated in the job description, you have to stand out to increase your chances of being selected for the job, for example, if the company is looking for people with great leadership skill, you can give example from when you were the head of the student representatives, maybe other candidates have leadership experience too, to stand out you can also talk about any positive impact you made in the lives of the student and the school or how you mentored students and motivated them or how you help solve a challenge your university faced, this will not only present you as someone with great leadership potential but also one who is proactive and have problem-solving skills. Also, think about the company, what attracted you to them in the first place, make a list of these and relate it to the position you are applying for, for example, if you are interested in a position in research, from your findings about the company, think about what the company have achieved in research, its victories, challenges and where your skills come into play in helping the company reach their goals.

3. Practice.

Now you have found out a lot of information about the company, you have matched your skills to the needs of the company and the position. The next stage is to practice, they say ‘practice makes perfect’, that’s right. You can practice with a friend, in front of a mirror, you can record yourself answering questions, if your university has a career centre, you can do a mock interview with your career counselor, find out what works best for you and use it. From the job description and skills expected from the candidates by the company, try to predict question that might be asked during the interview and practice your answers, for example, if the company wants graduates who are great team players, you can expect questions like ‘tell me a time when you worked with someone different from you, how did you handle it?’ or ‘tell me about a team project you were part of, what was your contribution and how did it go?’

4. Be confident.

It is natural to be nervous or anxious but not controlling it can ruin your chances, employers like candidates who are confident, I said confident not cocky, be humble yet professional. During the interview. Be yourself, or rather be your professional self, do not try to be fake, they will notice, relax but do not be casual. Let your personality shine through, you are a star!

Final Advice

Dress professionally in a way that is appropriate for the position you are interviewing for. Be neat and presentable. Avoid very loud colours in clothing, accessories and too much makeup (for the ladies).
Rest well a night before the interview, your brain needs it to perform well the next day.
Be early to the interview, do not be late.
Bring copies of your resume, cover letter and any other documents which you would like to show the interviewer to increase your chances of being selected for the job, for example, a positive note written about you by your supervisor during internship on how good you work.
Go through your resume and cover letter one more time before the interview and prepare to answer questions about your resume or cover letter.
If a question is not clear, you can politely ask the interviewer(s) to repeat or rephrase the question.
Do not speak bad about a past employer or colleague.
Stay away from any form of distractions during the interview, for example, switch your phone off before video interview, face-to-face interviews and assessment centres, charge your phone before phone interview to avoid low battery.
Act professional as long as you are within the vicinity of the company, they might be watching your moves and use it to assess you.
When asked a question, you can pause shortly to gather your answers before answering. But do not pause for too long.
Create intelligent questions to ask the interviewer about the company and the position, this shows you are really interested in the job and position, if your questions have already been answered by the interviewer before or during the interview, make it known to them when you are asked if you have any questions, for example, you can say ‘I wanted to ask about XXX but you already made it clear to me before the interview when you said ABC’. Avoid asking questions about salary and vacations.