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Preparing for the interview in Europe – what to do and how early to arrive

Good preparation and arriving on time are the two things you control completely before a job interview. Here is how to get both right.

Preparing for the interview

Good preparation matters more than any national custom. Find out what the company does, prepare answers and real examples from your experience, think of your own questions and get your documents ready. Do this for every interview – in person, by phone or online.

The general rule: five things to do before any interview

Research the employer. Read about the company, its products and the job description. EURES advises you to read about the company in advance – it shows real interest.
Prepare answers to standard questions – why this job, why this company, your strengths and weaknesses, what you have achieved.
Collect examples. Make a short list of achievements that fit the role, with results you can show. Everything in your CV may come up, so be ready to talk about each point.
Prepare your own questions. EURES suggests asking, for example, about salary expectations, the length of the contract, insurance, remote or hybrid work and the team.
Get your documents ready – copies of your CV, diplomas, certificates and references, unless the employer tells you otherwise.

What differs between countries

Our country pages, based on EURES and national sources, show some differences:

In Germany you should be ready to explain why you chose this occupation and this employer; in the Netherlands the emphasis is on your motivation.
In Portugal employers focus on your professional experience and how much you know about the company. In Ireland EURES calls finding out about the company “crucial”.
In Lithuania prepare 2–3 concrete examples of your experience and think about your salary expectations in advance. In the United Kingdom use the STAR method (situation, task, action, result) for competency questions.
Tests are common in some countries: psychometric tests in Spain, psychological tests with some employers in Czechia, a general or aptitude test in Estonia.
In Finland it is very common to hold the interview remotely – prepare your own questions and have copies of your certificates ready.

Practical tips

Practise out loud, ideally in the language of the interview. If it is not your first language, learn the key words for your field.
Online interview? Check your internet connection, camera and microphone, and try the platform in a test call with a friend. EURES advises you to dress as you would for a day at that office.
Plan your route and timing. EURES recommends arriving 10–15 minutes early.
Prepare a short closing. At the end, say again that you are interested in the job and thank the interviewer.

How early to arrive

Plan to arrive 10–15 minutes early for a face-to-face interview – that is the advice of EURES, the European job mobility network. For an online interview, be ready and logged in about 10 minutes before the start. Being late is one of the easiest ways to make a bad first impression, and arriving much too early is not ideal either.

The general rule

Face to face: 10–15 minutes early – EURES says this shows you are excited about the opportunity and gives you time to adapt to the new place, get comfortable and look over your notes one more time.
Online: about 10 minutes early – EURES recommends showing up 10 minutes early, just like for a face-to-face interview. Test your camera, microphone and connection before that.
Not too early – if you arrive much earlier, wait nearby (a café, a walk) and go in 10–15 minutes before the time.

What our country guides say

Punctuality is expected everywhere, and some of our country guides mention it directly:

In Austria, Latvia and Slovenia the advice is simply to be on time – in Slovenia, treat the interview like a business meeting.
Finnish employers value initiative, punctuality and clear communication.
For online interviews in the United Kingdom, test your computer and connection beforehand and be ready 5–10 minutes early.

Practical tips

Do a test run – check the route, public transport and the exact entrance the day before. In a big office building, you may need time to get through reception.
Plan a buffer – add extra time for traffic, delays or finding the room.
Save the contact – keep the phone number of the person who invited you. If you are going to be late despite everything, call before the interview starts, apologise and ask whether they can still see you.
Different time zone? If you interview online from another country, double-check the time zone in the invitation.