How to prepare for a job interview in Norway

Research the employer

Start with their website, but do not stop there. Read news about the company from the past year, see what they share on LinkedIn, and find out who their customers or users are. If it is a listed company, the annual report says a lot about where it is heading. In the public sector you will often find strategies and plans on the website.

You should be able to answer three questions. How do they make their money? What matters to them right now? And how does the role you are applying for contribute to that? Also check who will be interviewing you, if you have been given their names. It is normal and perfectly fine to look at their LinkedIn profiles, so you know what roles they have.

If you know someone who works there, or has worked there, a short chat can give you a better picture of daily life than anything you will find online.

Read the job ad again

Several weeks may have passed since you applied. Read the ad again, along with the application and CV you sent. The interviewers have them in front of them, and many of the questions are based on them.

Make a simple list with the requirements from the ad in one column and an example from your own experience next to each one. Where you lack something, have an honest answer ready, for example how you have picked up something similar quickly before. The guide on how to read a job ad shows what to look for.

Prepare stories with the STAR method

Most interviews include questions like “Tell me about a time when you...”. It is much easier to answer well if you have thought through a few stories in advance. Structure them with the STAR method: situation, task, action and result. Spend most of the time on what you did yourself, and finish with what it led to.

Five or six stories are enough to cover most questions, because the same story can be used in several ways. You will find example questions and answers in the guide on common interview questions. Make sure you have at least one story on each of these themes:

• A result you are proud of
• A collaboration that worked well, or one that was difficult
• A disagreement or conflict you resolved
• A mistake you made, and what you learned
• A period with a lot of pressure or tight deadlines
• Something you took the initiative on without being asked

Practise out loud, not just in your head

Knowing what you want to say and having said it are two very different things. Say your answers out loud, ideally to a friend who can ask follow-up questions, or record yourself on your phone. You will quickly hear where you use too many words and where the examples become unclear.

Practise the opening of the interview in particular, such as “Tell me a bit about yourself”, and the questions you dread most. Do not memorise word for word. Learn the main points, so you sound natural even if the question comes in a different form. If the interview may be in Norwegian and you are still learning, practise your key stories in Norwegian too, and decide in advance how you will describe your level.

If you want to practise the interview for this exact job, Selja has Interview practice, where the questions are built from the ad and your CV. You answer by speaking or writing, and get feedback on each answer and a report at the end.

Job interview tips: clothes, timing and what to bring

Norwegian workplaces are often informal, but that does not mean you should turn up in what you wear at home. A good rule is to dress one step smarter than the staff normally do. If you are applying to an office where people wear jeans and a shirt, smart trousers and a shirt or jumper will do. If you are unsure, it is better to be slightly too smart than slightly too casual.

Be punctual, because punctuality matters in Norway. Arrive five to ten minutes early, but not much earlier, as that can be awkward for the people receiving you. Check the route and parking the day before. If you are running late, call straight away.

If the interview is on video, test sound, picture and the link in good time, and sit somewhere quiet with light from the front. There is more on this in the guide on video interviews. Also have three or four questions ready for the end of the interview. Selja's free tool Questions for the employer gives you suggestions.

It is worth bringing:

• A printout of your CV and application
• Notes with your stories and the questions you want to ask
• The names and contact details of your referees
• Diplomas and references from previous employers, if you have been asked for them
• Something to write with

The second interview: what happens in round two

Many employers in Norway hold two rounds of interviews. The first is usually broader, and often only a few candidates go through. In the second round the conversation goes deeper into your experience, and you often meet more people, for example your future line manager, someone from HR and a colleague from the team.

Here you may be asked to solve a case, give a short presentation or walk through an example of something you have made. This is also where salary, start date and notice period often come up. Notice periods in Norway are often one to three months, and employers know this, so be honest about when you can start.

Have a figure ready for your salary expectations, usually as a yearly amount before tax, and read the guide on negotiating salary beforehand. When you are invited, ask what the second round involves, so you know what to prepare.

References and personality tests

In Norway it is common for the employer to call your references before making an offer, often after the second interview. As a rule, you are the one who decides who they call. Choose two or three people who have managed you or know your work well. Ask them before you give their names, tell them what kind of job you are applying for, and say what you think matters to the employer. Then your referee can answer more precisely. If you are new to Norway, referees abroad are fine, but make sure they can take a call in English.

Some employers use personality tests or ability tests, such as tests of logical or numerical reasoning. They are often sent by email before or after the interview. There are no right answers in a personality test, so answer honestly and do not try to guess what they want. Ability tests, on the other hand, you can practise, as there are plenty of example tasks online. Feel free to ask whether you can go through the result afterwards.

After the interview

Write down what you were asked and how you answered as soon as you leave. It is useful if you go on to the second round, and it makes you better at the next interview whatever happens.

Thank-you notes are not a fixed custom in Norway, but a short email the same day or the day after is a nice way to finish. Thank them for the conversation and perhaps mention one thing you found especially interesting. Keep it short.

At the end of the interview, ask when you can expect to hear from them. If you have not heard anything by then, it is perfectly fine to send a short email or call to ask how things are going. If you are turned down, you can ask for brief feedback on what would have made the difference. Not everyone replies, but those who do give you useful help for next time.