Preparation is key – tips for the candidate

JR BECHTLE & Co. | May 2026 | Blogs

Preparation is key – tips for the candidate

For some time now I’ve considered sharing reflections on the recruiting field drawn from my close to 30 years in this sometimes crazy but never boring business. My hope is that the one or the other of these reflections, in the form of anecdotes – humorous and serious – will give rise to ideas and tips that will be of use to those seeking new roles as well as those interviewing those persons.

Although we’re paid by our clients for our services, we at JR Bechtle & Co. have an obligation to our candidates as well. They open up to us and trust us to guide them through the interview process and beyond, a role we take very seriously.

For both interviewer and interviewee, preparation for the first meeting is critical. For the candidate this means ensuring they’re focused on their own goals for this. These generally consist first of presenting themselves positively as a person and as a professional. Secondly, to learn enough about the job and company to gain an impression of whether it’s a job they can and want to do, for a firm they’d like to work for, and hence be open (or not) to further discussion.

The ‘presenting’ part has been treated elsewhere, so here a few points about the ‘learning’ aspect. In our experience one of the most common errors jobseekers make in this regard is not asking the right questions up front. Given that there is usually only limited time for this, it’s important to have a checklist of ‘must ask’ queries prepared in advance.

First and foremost, it’s vital for the candidate’s future success to get a solid grip on the company’s concrete expectations, supplementing what’s in the job description. This line of enquiry can be encapsulated in simple but often overlooked questions: How will both sides know after a year that the candidate, now employee, has done a good job? What will have been achieved or changed? What key challenges will have been tackled right away and over time?

The candidate who focuses on finding out what the challenges are, or as the Germans say, ‘where the shoe hurts the foot’, has a leg up vs. those who pose high-level sophisticated-sounding ‘business analysis’ questions that may lead to a lively exchange but ultimately don’t support the questioner’s candidacy.

Moral of the story: To get at the essence of a potential job the candidate should approach the interview like a sales call. Seeking to understand the ‘customer’s needs will get them to an understanding of expectations, with the secondary but also positive result of transmitting the candidate’s sincerity and interest, and problem-solving and task-oriented work approach.

Curious about how JR Bechtle & Co. can help your business navigate international hiring with confidence? Contact us today to start a conversation about your global talent needs.
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