Portugal - typical interview structure

Is there a typical interview structure?

There is no typical structure, although you might expect questions on:

• personal background (where you were born, where you studied, family, etc.);

• your CV: your educational/professional back­ground, professional experience and other activities/hobbies;

• your motivation with regards to the company and the job; and

• your personal and social skills (open questions on yourself your attitudes, your qualities, your weaknesses).

At the second stage, the interviewer will give you more information on the company and the role. At this point, you may ask about auton­omy and responsibility levels, travelling require­ments, working hours, expected wage, etc.

At the end, the employer will usually say when you will be informed of their decision. You should then thank them for the opportunity to meet.

Recruitment interviews using video-conferenc­ing and Skype are not very common, but are likely to be increasingly used for the first selec­tion with international candidates.

When is a question out of bounds?

Questions about religious affiliation, political preferences and sexual orientation are considered to be strictly private matters. There is, however, a general perception that these are more frequently addressed (even though in a subtle way) than in some other European countries.