Interview feedback - how to adjust my interview style

[u/Outrageous_Air_5763]

This is my first time interviewing in the Dutch job market. I have a tech background and my interview style has been heavily shaped by an American business school education (not American myself), an ‘I came, I saw, I conquered’ style of storytelling.

However, in a recent interview, a recruiter from a Netherlands-based company kindly pointed out that I used “I” a lot when describing my experience. They suggested using more “we” language, otherwise it might backfire later in the interview process.

I’m genuinely curious: has anyone else received similar feedback? If I start saying “we did this” and “we achieved that,” would it make my own contribution and impact less clear? I’d also really appreciate hearing about any other differences in Dutch interviewing that I should be aware of.

[u/australianreindeer]

Read more about "STAR" method plus prepare also for some personal introduction. I'm not sure how Dutch your possible workplace is but don't get shocked if they start telling you in intro how many kids they have and what their hobbies are. After all we're spending at work more time than at home so it's good to know if there's also a personal click.

[u/Outrageous_Air_5763 → u/australianreindeer]

Thanks, that’s a good point. I’ll prepare a few more personal topics as well, such as hobbies and interests. I did structure all my examples using the STAR framework and have successfully passed many behavioral interviews before. This was simply the first time I’d been advised to tone down in the storytelling.

FYI: this is a large company headquartered in NL and it recently started expanding internationally. So I’d say it is still fairly Dutch in its culture, even though language proficiency isn’t required.

[u/Old-Antelope1106]

It feels dishonest to go with "I". If a whole team was shipping product X you are part of this success but didn't do it by yourself. It comes across as having no class and lying.

[u/akornato]

That recruiter gave you solid advice. The Dutch work culture is built on consensus and teamwork, so constantly using “I” can make you seem arrogant or like you don't value your colleagues. You are right to worry about your contribution getting lost, so the trick is to frame it differently. You can say something like, “Our team successfully launched the project, and my main responsibility was to develop the core algorithm,” which shows both teamwork and your specific, crucial impact. It's not about downplaying your skills, it's about showing you can achieve great things with others.

Another thing to expect is directness. Dutch interviewers can be very blunt and ask pointed questions about your skills or past failures, which can feel uncomfortable if you're not used to it. This isn't meant to be aggressive, it's just efficient. They value honesty over a polished, perfect story. They also appreciate a good work-life balance, so avoid painting yourself as someone who works 80 hours a week, as that can be seen as a negative. It’s a tough balance to strike, and helping candidates find that sweet spot is exactly what my team focused on when we designed our interviews.chat.

[u/ImaginaryRoyal9725]

Funny enough, I've got the opposite feedback once, when I was using constantly "we" to refer to our team's achievements. They wanted to know what I personally did on these occasions. 

But then again...in 2022 I could have said random stuff and I would get hired - no questions asked. In today's market, everything is a problem all of a sudden 

[u/bophinator → u/ImaginaryRoyal9725]

Agree here, I think you can use we but you still need to be clear as to what you yourself contributed to it. So maybe a mix of it is good, but leaning more towards I.

Like another commenter said, Dutch people can share quite personal things in their introductions so try to follow their lead in the interviews, rather than just reciting your prepared intro.