Career experts explain how to prepare for a job interview

A strong CV may open the door, but candidates still need to explain why they want the job and why they fit the organization. Labor-market experts say that interview preparation often separates successful applicants from the rest.

Rita Karavaitienė, a labor-market expert with 25 years of experience, said employers assess experience alongside knowledge, personal qualities, motivation and the match with a position’s needs. Candidates with sought-after skills can still face a longer job search if they struggle to present themselves.

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Employers assess both a candidate’s experience and how their knowledge, skills, personal qualities and motivation match the needs of the specific position and the organization as a whole.

Indrė Girdzijauskienė, a recruitment partner at Acme Group, advised applicants to research the company, understand its position and prepare additional questions before the interview. She said initiative can make a difference even for junior roles that do not require previous experience.

Both experts said strong candidates do their homework. Applicants who expect to feel nervous can prepare a short outline, listing the points they want to explain, achievements they want to mention and questions they need to ask. That preparation can help them stay calm and appear more professional.

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Even for a position where experience is not required, such as a junior role, showing initiative in advance will make an impression and set you apart from an often uniform pool of candidates.

Karavaitienė said a lack of preparation often becomes clear when applicants cannot explain why they chose a particular company or position. She also warned against both memorized answers and answers improvised entirely on the spot.

Candidates should not automatically rule themselves out because they do not meet every requirement in a job advertisement. Girdzijauskienė said they should consider whether their existing skills cover the main duties and whether they could quickly gain the missing competencies. If so, she encouraged them to apply.

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If you do not meet all the requirements, assess whether your knowledge and skills are enough to perform the main tasks and whether you could quickly acquire the missing competencies. If so, apply confidently.