Bulgaria - typical interview structure

Is there a typical interview structure?

The meeting takes 1/2 hour to 1 hour at the most. Where an employer insists on the candi­date taking a practical test after the meeting, the procedure will be longer. Typically, the interview follows a basic struc­ture, which starts - after the greetings - with the employer or his/her representative asking questions to the candidate. The employer will try to have a normal conversation with the can­didate, who is expected to be self-confident and composed.

Candidates should be polite, friendly and smile; make eye contact; listen carefully to questions; answer each question for up to 2 minutes; speak distinctly, self-confidently and calmly; briefly summarise their strengths; and compare their experience with the requirements of the position they are applying for.

A candidate can ask questions at the end of the interview. Questions may cover the man­agement structure of the company, a typical working day of an employee in that position, the deadline for receiving feedback, the com­pany's staff training and qualification pro­grammes, etc.

When is a question out of bounds?

The employment promotion act forbids direct or indirect discrimination in job application procedures. The employer may not ask for information about a candidate’s private life. The law on personal data protection provides that private information is defined as any information about an individual person that can be traced through an individual number.