Professional preparation for interviews and hearings for managers and C-level executives—drawn from years of experience in executive search.
Contact Andrea Viehauser directly
Perhaps you have an interview with an executive search consultant coming up. Perhaps you’re already in an advanced stage of the selection process and will be meeting with the board of directors or the CEO, members of the supervisory board, senior management, or the owners. Perhaps the next round of interviews will already involve the final decision for a position that’s truly important to you.
In these situations, I offer you targeted and personalized preparation for your specific interview.
This isn’t general job application training, nor is it traditional career coaching.
Rather, it’s from the perspective of an executive search consultant who has been interviewing executives for key positions, guiding selection processes, and advising companies on important hiring decisions for more than 25 years.
This isn’t just about potential questions and convincing answers. An interview or hearing always takes place within a specific context: at a particular company, at a specific time, and with people who view the position to be filled—and you as a candidate—from different perspectives.
Thorough preparation, therefore, takes into account not only the conversation itself but also the context in which the decision is made.
This question is at the heart of my Executive Interview Advisory service.
Even highly experienced and successful executives don’t always convey everything that truly sets them apart during an interview or hearing.
The reason for seeking a new position may remain unclear. An important achievement is mentioned too casually. An answer goes on longer than necessary. A challenging career milestone suddenly sounds like an excuse. Or a technically correct answer leaves out precisely the information that would have been important to the decision-makers.
For me, this isn’t about looking for supposed weaknesses.
The focus is on your actual strengths—and whether they come across clearly during the conversation.
At the same time, we take a very close look at the points where your interviewers might have questions or doubts. This way, you can prepare for them and address them clearly and authentically when it counts.
You shouldn’t memorize perfect answers, nor should you try to be someone else.
The key is to understand how you are perceived—and whether what you want to convey is actually getting through to the person you’re talking to.
Before our meeting, please send me your resume, the job or role description, and any information you have about the company, the people you’ll be meeting with, and the selection process so far.
For me, thorough preparation doesn’t start with potential interview questions. The first step is to understand the specific context in which the hiring decision will be made.
I will evaluate your professional background and the position you are seeking in the context of the company and its environment.
This includes—to the extent that information is available and can be reliably researched—the company’s current situation, relevant developments, the industry environment, and the stakeholders you will encounter during the rest of the selection process.
I do not rely exclusively on the available documents. Where it makes sense for my preparation, I supplement them with my own research.
This creates a comprehensive picture:
What will be particularly relevant in this specific situation? Which of your experiences and strengths align with it? Where might questions arise? Which of your achievements should be highlighted more clearly during the interview? And from what different perspectives might the involved stakeholders view the hiring decision?
Based on this, I tailor our collaborative work to your individual needs.
We simulate the interview situation you’re about to face under conditions that are as realistic as possible.
I do not use a standardized list of questions. My questions are based on your professional background, the position you’re seeking, the company and decision-making environment, and—to the extent known—the people you’ll be meeting during the interview.
We focus not only on the content of your answers but also on their impact:
Is your motivation clear? Are your key achievements evident? Do you demonstrate the leadership qualities relevant to the position? Do you remain composed when faced with critical questions? And does a coherent overall picture of your personality and career path emerge?
Next, we’ll shift our perspective together.
What would I tell my client about you after this conversation?
You’ll learn what came across as convincing and credible, where questions might still remain, and in which areas we can make your statements even clearer or more precise.
My feedback is open and specific. At the same time, the goal isn’t to force you into a certain role or change your personality.
On the contrary: We’ll work to ensure that your experience, your personality, and what sets you apart as a leader actually come through in the conversation.
Based on these insights, we’ll focus specifically on the areas that are relevant to your upcoming interview, hearing, or next round of interviews.
These may include, for example, your reasons for changing jobs, your leadership story, key achievements, challenging career phases, your understanding of leadership, or a clear explanation of important career decisions.
We’ll also work through together any career stages or topics that require explanation—or where critical questions are to be expected—not with the goal of glossing over anything, but to enable clear, credible, and confident communication.
The goal is not a rehearsed performance. The goal is a conversation in which you are perceived as the leader you truly are.
A conversation at the executive level is not a one-way street.
Your questions for the company and the stakeholders involved also reveal something about your experience, your priorities, and your understanding of the role.
That’s why we also help you prepare the questions you’d like to ask during the conversation.
What information do you need to properly assess the position, the assignment, and the expectations? What questions will help you better understand the scope of action, success criteria, and framework conditions? And which questions are particularly relevant in this specific interview context?
After all, you, too, are making a decision.
This advisory service is designed for experienced leaders and C-level executives who are about to undergo a specific interview, hearing, or a decisive round of interviews for a particular position.
It is particularly well-suited for preparing for meetings with executive search consultants, as well as for subsequent selection rounds with the board of directors or CEO, members of the supervisory board, management, or owners.
The Executive Interview Advisory is deliberately not general career counseling, a job placement service, or preparation for assessment centers.
It focuses on a specific situation:
A position is available. An important interview is coming up. And you want to prepare for it professionally.
I have been working in executive search and leadership advisory for more than 25 years. During this time, I have interviewed executives from a wide range of industries and roles for key positions and supported companies through challenging selection and recruitment processes.
This experience has shaped my perspective on people.
I am convinced that a leader should not be reduced to individual answers, specific career moves, or perceived weaknesses.
At the same time, I know from experience how quickly a single unclear answer or a lingering question mark can influence the perception of an otherwise compelling profile during a rigorous selection process.
Moreover, a hiring decision never takes place in a vacuum. A position has a history, a company is in a specific situation, and the people at the table view a candidate from different perspectives.
Good preparation, therefore, takes into account the person as well as the position, the company, and the relevant stakeholders.
I want to understand what sets you apart, what experiences have shaped you, and what strengths you can bring to a new role. And I want to work with you to ensure that exactly that comes across during the interview or hearing.
No stock answers. No rehearsed script. Instead, personalized preparation tailored to your specific interview.
If you have an important interview, hearing, or a crucial round of discussions coming up and would like to know whether Executive Interview Advisory is a good fit for your situation, let’s start by getting to know each other during a brief one-on-one conversation.
This initial exploratory meeting lasts about 15–20 minutes, is confidential, and carries no obligation. Its purpose is to understand your specific situation, assess whether I can provide you with meaningful support, and rule out any potential conflicts of interest.
If a collaboration is a good fit for both of us, you’ll then receive all the information regarding the process, fees, and preparation.
Contact Andrea Viehauser directly
The focus is not on the entire application or career process, but rather on an upcoming interview, hearing, or a decisive round of interviews for a specific leadership position.
Preparation is based on years of executive search experience and takes into account not only your professional profile and the position you’re seeking, but also the company, the relevant context, and—to the extent reasonably possible—the stakeholders involved.
Yes, of course. The Executive Interview Advisory can be conducted online, regardless of your location.
A face-to-face meeting in Vienna is also possible and is particularly recommended if preparing for the immediate impact of face-to-face interactions is part of your preparation.
I usually need your current resume, the job or role description, and all available information about the company, the people you’ll be meeting with, and the selection process so far.
The more I know about the specific situation, the better I can prepare for our work together.
Yes. Especially for senior management, executive, C-level, and board positions, later rounds of the selection process often involve multiple decision-makers.
Preparation is tailored to the specific interview situation and—to the extent known—to the composition of the interview panel.
No. My Executive Interview Advisory service deliberately focuses on in-person interviews, hearings, and similar interviews for senior and executive positions.
No. I do not offer paid preparation for the selection process to candidates who are currently part of an executive search assignment I am handling.
This ensures that my role in the assignment and the interests of all parties involved remain clearly separate.
