Food for Thought for Your Next Job Interview
Change your Thinking and Become a Convincing Candidate
A Blog on Job Interviews for International Leaders and Experts Applying
in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.
Published by Gernot Sauerborn
This blog is designed to support international experts and managers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland as they prepare for job interviews. Each article invites you to shift your perspective, try new approaches, and develop the security needed to succeed—even in a challenging job market.
You will find practical tips, ideas, useful phrases, and concrete guidance to help you navigate difficult interview situations with clarity and self-confidence.
The articles are grounded in many hours of hands-on work with clients, enriched by insights from a systemic, solution-oriented coaching, and shaped by extensive experience as a senior manager in the German-speaking business world.
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You prepare everything for an interview – and still it doesn't land? You may be focusing on the wrong things. Learn how to shift from detail obsession to real impact.
You give boring answers in interviews? Perhaps, your brain is stuck in problem mode. Learn to turn the cube: list abilities from 6 perspectives (technical, leadership, resilience, creativity, perspective‑taking, passion). Combine them into a new image – and apply to jobs you previously ignored.
You cannot listen, you freeze, you are not yourself. Try this structured exercise: answer why you should be nervous – and why you can also be relaxed. With perspectives on fears, expectations, deficits, and hidden beliefs.
The dilemma: You see professional shortcomings. The person responsible decides your future. Your German isn't subtle enough. Here's how to analyse the system – and find your own strategic answer.
Tsunami of tasks, hectic pace, language insecurity. Many migrants think: 'It's my fault.' But a systemic view reveals responsibilities that don't even belong to the role. Trust your intuition and rational thinking.
That feeling of being invisible in meetings? It's probably not your language level. A systemic coach explains why self-confidence was never about Dativ – and how to step out of the smoke screen.
You have 3-5 minutes to pull your interviewers in. Will you sound like a quiet sleeping pill – or like the first bars of Carmen? A systemic coach explains how to turn your professional passion into your strongest asset, even with imperfect German.
Memorised perfection hides your greatest asset: surviving real uncertainty. Learn why experienced interviewers reject robotic repetition – and how to present your adaptive, human leadership instead.
When positive thinking stops working, try the opposite. This playful "guaranteed to fail" list will unlock your creativity again – and show you exactly where you have more power than you think.
The more you focus on your own flaws, the bigger the fear grows. Try the interviewer's chair for a moment: they want a good day, not a trap. Here's how systemic coaching turns self‑consciousness into genuine connection.
Almost no German, a trial day booked before she could prepare, and a dream employer in Switzerland. How one client turned a language gap into a job offer — by leaning into passion, skills, and radical honesty.
B1 or C2 — the nerves before the interview look the same. A systemic coach explains why language level is not the problem — and how to reframe the conversation before you even walk through the door.
You matched the profile, aced the interview, and still got rejected. Sometimes the reason has nothing to do with you. A systemic coach explains why you were never the lead actor — and how to turn a rejection into value anyway.
If you honestly listed your language level on your CV and still got the interview, you were invited for your expertise — not your fluency. Here is what actually matters when you interview in a second language.
When a job is urgently needed — financially or legally — pressure becomes the invisible force shaping every application. Learn how to shift from problem trance to solution focus.
Interviews often ignore today's VUCA/BANI reality. Learn how candidates and companies can reshape conversations to focus on agility and real-world resilience.
Why hiding a defeat in a job interview does more harm than good – and how owning your story shows true strength.
You can't hide your weaknesses in a job interview. Learn why congruence matters and how to turn challenges into your strongest asset.
Not perfection, but self-reflection, clarity, and learning ability are essential. Learn how to answer difficult interview questions authentically.
A structured way for graduates to feel confident — without memorizing answers.
Learn how to answer outdated job interview questions like 'Where do you see yourself in five years?' and 'What are your weaknesses?' with authenticity and strategic thinking.
How a graduate turned a 'failed' project into a compelling interview story.
Don't communicate like a robot, communicate like a human
A provocative approach to speculative applications.
What to say when you're applying to companies that don't fully align with your values.
A Serious-Ironic Approach to Self-Sabotage
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It's the perfect opportunity to decide if we're a good match for your interview preparation.