The Not-So-Scary Truth of First Interviews at Dephion
This is it. You’re about to have your first interview with Dephion. And all that’s going through your head is, “Do not f*ck this up.” Or, if you’re someone of gentle character, “Please, let this go well.”
Relax. Why must first interviews be so scary? Oh, right because our very livelihood may depend on whether we get the job or not. That definitely makes them important, but there is no reason to feel as if you were about to sit down with a medieval inquisitor.
See? They look nice!
In fact, why don’t we hear from some people that have gone through the inqui–interview process and learn about their first impressions?
“I had my interviews with Balou and Loes.” Rebeka joined Dephion late last year. We had been looking for a member for what has now become the Communications team.
“Before my Dephion interview, I had had many other interviews with other companies and, by that point, I was already tired of answering the same questions over and over again about my education, CV, the languages I speak, and so on. I'd never had the impression that the interviews were about who I am, but rather what skills and knowledge I can bring to the table.”
That sounds exhausting, mechanical, and impersonal. It doesn’t sound like Dephion at all. And Rebeka had come to the same conclusion. “Of course, prior to my interview, I looked at Dephion's website, social media platforms, and even the building on Google Maps, and I had a gut feeling that this one would be different. And I was right. It was the first time that I felt the conversation was much deeper and more valuable. Balou and Loes were interested not only in my skills and education but also in my personality and thoughts. Well, just about life in general. And I really appreciated this.”
You see, as much as most of us like to put a lot of value in our education and skill… we’re going to be hanging out together all day long every single day. No amount of bullet points can make up for an incompatible personality.
Did Rebeka just catch Loes on a good day? If so, Celine did as well.
“My first interview with Dephion was fun! I was approached by Loes on LinkedIn and she invited me over to The Cubic. I didn't talk to her beforehand, I just got there in person.
“I was feeling curious, and confident, and I went to the interview with an exploration mindset because I didn't know what to expect. I prepared myself by looking at the website and social media and I looked at the vacancy. But I didn't really know what Dephion was doing until I had the tour and first interview.
“I was welcomed at the coffee bar, and I had a tour around the office. I was so surprised to see the fun and cool office, and the people working hard and being passionate. She told me everything there is to know about Dephion, the culture, the people, and the responsibilities. After the tour, we sat down and we had the interview, it was actually more like a conversation. She was genuinely interested and we were getting to know each other to see if there was a click from both sides. I really enjoyed it and I was really surprised because I never had such a 'cool' first interview experience before.”
Rebeka and Celine both aced their interviews, and they must have known it deep inside.
“After my first interview with Loes and Balou, I felt pretty confident and thought to myself, Okay, I got this. I believe the reason was that I had the impression that my level of motivation and work attitude were more valuable to them than the amount of experience I could bring to the table,” says Rebeka.
Told you so.
As for Celine, “After [the interview], I knew I had to be part of Dephion.”
Rebeka and Celine did more than a few things right. Loes would give some pointers to anyone getting ready for a first interview, especially at Dephion: "Learn about Dephion and prepare some questions of your own based on that. This may sound obvious but not a lot of candidates do it." And that would be the number one thing that Rebeka and Celina did to help themselves: They did their homework on Dephion.
Second, "we've already read your resume. Don't list it word-by-word in the interview. Tell us what's NOT there. You know, who you are, and what motivates you. Your story." This is something both Dephion and the candidates can check off at this time. During the interview, we’re ready to find out what’s not in your CV, and you must be eager to see us as we are as well.
Third, "be yourself. This will only be appreciated. It shouldn't feel like a formal interview but rather like we're getting to know each other." And this is where we began.
Be excited, be open-minded, be your usual silly, nerdy self if that’s who you are. There is no need to be nervous—because if you’re Dephion material, there is no way we’re letting you go.
