- Check the framework: What is the agenda? Will you be expected to take a test or do an assignment? Who will be participating in the interview?
- Use the knowledge you obtained in the first interview, and prepare qualified questions about the job and the assignments.
- You should expect the hiring committee to go into greater detail with your professionalism and personality. Consider (once more), how to reply to the typical job interview questions. In particular, carefully prepare answers in the areas in which you feel most challenged. You might be applying for a job in which you are going to use a specific IT program that you have never worked with before. Give a clear answer to the question of how you have previously experienced learning new programs, how you usually handle situations in which you are faced with something new. You might also explain what you would find exciting about learning something new - and what motivates you.
Personality tests at the job interview
Some companies ask the candidates to take a personality test for the second interview. The purpose of the test is to check if there is a match between the company and the application in relation to personal skills and preferences.
The company usually will not have an answer key, so reply honestly to the questions. Think of the test as a tool where both you and the company can learn more about you. A test will never stand alone but form the basis of your conversation. If you find that the test shows results that you cannot recognise, you should point that out.
Cases and tasks for the job interview
You may also be asked to solve a case for the second interview. Cases are actual, realistic assignments based on the activities of the company and related to the job you apply for.
A case can be both oral, written and with or without preparation.
When you present your assignment, you should also explain your method and how you arrived at the result. The purpose of a case is to give the hiring committee insight into how you solve and present the solution to an actual problem, and it gives more insight into your professionalism.
References
You may be asked for references at the job interview. A reference may be a former leader or colleague that you know will talk positively about you. Always contact your reference before you provide their name and telephone number to your potential new employer. Tell your reference which job you have applied for and which assignments you are going to have so that your reference is well prepared, if they are contacted.