Rasime.lt · job market and career
Job interview: preparation and questions for the employer
Published 2026-10-05
Job interview - mutual assessment: the employer checks whether your abilities are suitable for the position, and you check whether the offered job meets expectations. Prepare by reading the ad, selecting examples of your experience, and writing questions about the job, manager, salary, and working conditions. The goal isn't to learn the "right" answers: it's more important to clearly explain what you can offer and understand what you're agreeing to by accepting the offer.
- Link the posting requirements to specific evidence of your abilities.
- Prepare a short introduction and answers about motivation and weaknesses.
- Write down questions that will help you evaluate the job content and leadership style.
- Separate the salary before and after tax, fixed part and bonuses.
- Before the next round of selection, find out about its format and the conditions of the practical task.
How to prepare for a job interview?
Start with the responsibilities, not a list of general questions. In the ad, highlight key tasks, required skills, and vague terms. For each important claim, write what you can back it up with: a previous assignment, a learning project, volunteering, or a skill you learned on your own.
ÜZT / EURES recommends to prepare examples of achievements relevant to the position, and without work experience to rely on learning experience. That's why "I haven't worked yet" doesn't have to be the whole answer: explain what task you've done, how you've learned and what you're already capable of.
Practical preparation checklist
- Save the ad. During the selection process, refer back to it and check whether the conditions in question match.
- View employer activity. Find out what services or products it offers and how your role would contribute to that.
- Read your CV. Be prepared to explain the jobs, breaks, and abilities listed in it.
- Write down examples of experiences. Consider problem solving, collaboration, and learning separately.
- Check the practical conditions. Address, login link, contact person and what to bring.
- Prepare the questions. First, choose those whose answers could change your decision.
If the CV and the samples you have prepared do not match, update the information using CV creation page. Don't list a skill just because the ad asks for it: make a clear distinction between what you can do on your own and where you need help.
Job interview questions and answers: how to talk about yourself?
Employer questions can test different things: experience, motivation, decision-making or cooperation. If the question is unclear, ask for clarification. In your response, include the situation, your action, and the result or lesson. In this way, the interlocutor can understand not only your opinion about yourself, but also your behavior.
"Tell me about yourself"
The introduction is not a summary of the entire biography. Match your current training, job-relevant ability and interest to the specific job. Family circumstances or unrelated interests should not overshadow professional information.
Adaptable example: "I am looking for a job in the field of warehousing. In the learning project I was responsible for the accounting of the means and the distribution of tasks, so I am used to checking information and following agreements. In this position, I would like to apply diligence and learn to work with the system you use."
Apply the example only to your own real experience. If you have work experience, replace the learning project with a specific task. State the result as precisely as you can justify it, don't make up numbers just for the sake of suggestion.
"Why do you want to work here?" and "Why did you leave?"
Base your motivation on the job content: what tasks interest you, what experience you will use, and what you want to learn. The answer "I liked your company" doesn't say much if you don't explain what exactly I liked.
When talking about an exit, briefly describe the circumstances and move on to what you are looking for now. If the schedule did not match, tell me which schedule is suitable for you. Avoid disparaging the former manager and confidential details, but do not hide the conditions that are really important to you.
Weaknesses: Deficiency and the act of improvement
Asking about negative qualities is not an invitation to self-deprecation. Name a real area of work-related improvement, explain its impact and what you are doing differently. The supposed weakness "I am too hardworking" does not help to understand your introspection.
Adaptable example: "When I get an unclear task, sometimes I try to solve it on my own for too long. Now I first check the result and agree when I will ask for help. This way I reduce the risk of working in the wrong direction."
Do not select this answer if it does not match your behavior. If a skill is missing for the position, state your current level and a realistic learning plan, not a promise to learn everything quickly.
Job interview questions for the employer: what is worth finding out?
Choose questions based on uncertainty, not just to appear prepared. EURES suggests thinking about questions in advance about the team, remote work and job development. Use the table below as an optional list: skip what the employer has already made clear.
| Question to the employer | What will you find out? | Additional question |
|---|---|---|
| What would be my main tasks at the beginning of the job? | Realistic priorities and responsibilities. | Which task needs the most help right now? |
| How will you judge if I am doing a good job? | Expectations of results and quality. | How does an employee receive feedback? |
| Who will train me and who do I contact with questions? | Organization of induction and assistance. | What kind of independence do you expect at the start of the job? |
| How does a manager set priorities when tasks are competing? | Management and decision-making method. | Can you provide an example of such a situation? |
| How do I create a schedule and coordinate changes to it? | Shift, flexibility and scheduling conditions. | Are you expected to work nights, weekends or travel? |
| What does the offered reward consist of? | The ratio of constant part and additives. | What are the specific terms and conditions for supplements? |
| Why are you currently looking for an employee? | Is the team expanding or changing the employee. | What is the most difficult part of this position? |
| What is the next selection process? | The remaining stages and the order of communication. | When do you plan to respond? |
Job interview questions for a manager are especially useful when you want to understand day-to-day collaboration. Appreciate not only the pleasant tone, but also the concreteness of the answers. A good image of the employer does not replace clear agreements on the content of the work.
How to discuss salary and working conditions?
Before the interview, set your expectations by assessing your responsibilities, schedule, travel, and experience. You can start the preparation from salary guide, but tie your expectations to specific responsibilities, not just a general comparison.
Gross - salary before taxes, net - after taxes; it helps to discuss this difference when preparing for the interview salary guide. In the interview, however, be clear about the amount you have in mind and ask the employer to confirm how their offer is presented.
Adaptable wording: "My expectation is an agreed fixed salary amount before tax. I would like to understand what the bonus arrangement is and if the specified salary range includes bonuses."
Discuss training, workplace, telecommuting, shifts and pay review terms separately. If extras are promised, ask what they depend on and whether they are guaranteed. Do not accept the maximum possible reward as a guaranteed monthly amount.
Second job interview and practical tasks
The second stage of the job interview may be for a more detailed assessment of abilities, a meeting with the manager or a practical task. There is no one-size-fits-all format, so ask for an explanation of who will be attending and what will need to be prepared.
Review the notes of the previous interview: what remained unclear, what expectations you heard and what example of experience is worth adding. The second job interview is also an opportunity to check whether the conditions presented by the different interviewers match.
What to find out before the screening test?
- What ability will the task assess and against what criteria?
- What is the expected scope and deadline?
- What tools or aids are allowed?
- Is the assignment paid and how will the result be used?
- Will you get feedback?
If the task is similar to a large real project work, discuss the boundaries and use of the output before starting. When you can't commit to the requested volume, offer a smaller sample or a discussion of the work you have. Neither submitting nor completing an assignment in itself guarantees an offer.
Remote job interview and sensitive questions
Before a remote meeting, check your microphone, camera, connection, and device power. Choose a quiet place, turn off notifications, prepare your announcement and questions. Notes should help guide you, not replace the conversation with text reading.
If the connection is lost, notify the agreed contact and offer to reconnect or continue in another way. If you don't hear a question, ask for it to be repeated instead of guessing what the interviewer said.
VDI specifies that uniform selection criteria and conditions must be applied when hiring. If a question about your personal life seems unrelated to the position, you can ask what job requirement you're trying to find out and bring the conversation back to your ability to do the job. The legal assessment of specific circumstances should not be based on a general career article alone.
Conclusion: Prepare to answer and evaluate the offer yourself
A useful job interview leaves a clearer picture of tasks, manager, compensation and further selection. After the meeting, write down what became clear and what still needs to be clarified. If you do not receive a response within the agreed time, you can politely inquire about the selection status.
Next step: Rasime.lt choose a relevant offer from use the job postings and prepare a separate sheet for him: a requirement, proof of your experience and a question for the employer. This will help you prepare for a specific meeting rather than repeating learned answers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I prepare for a job interview if I have no experience?
Build on your learning, volunteering or independent project experience. Choose an example relevant to the role and explain what the task was, what you did yourself and what you learned. Don't come up with accomplishments you can't back up.
What should you say when asked to tell you about yourself?
Briefly relate your current experience or training, a skill relevant to the position, and your reason for applying. Do not retell the entire CV: choose what helps you understand your suitability for a specific job.
When to discuss salary during a job interview?
Discuss salary when it comes to working conditions, or ask before the end of the interview if the topic remains untouched. Check whether the amount is before taxes, what part is fixed and what the extras depend on.
How is the second job interview different from the first?
In the second interview, professional skills, cooperation with the manager and specific work situations can be explored. Ask in advance who will be taking part, what they will be judging and whether a practical assignment will be required, as auditions vary.