By From the start of the interview, you must not allow yourself to be locked up (or locked up yourself) in a child-adult relationship. Finally, finding the right attitude during an interview is not easy.
First step: knowing how to introduce yourself. Don’t pull out your resume right away. The presence of the CV may initially reassure you, but it may ultimately harm you. Indeed, this gesture can be perceived as a refusal of communication and an escape from dialogue. Your interlocutor may believe that by hiding behind your CV, you are trying to hide weaknesses that could be unmasked during a direct confrontation. In the same way, when the recruiter asks you about your past experiences, do not send him back to your CV by saying “It is written on my CV”. Simply answer their questions.
Have a professional attitude as soon as you enter the premises of the establishment. Pay attention to your posture while you wait, take the time to turn off your laptop and take the opportunity to familiarize yourself with the environment. Be courteous and smiling with everyone you meet.
To the standard questions
What good reasons would we have to hire you? Know how to prepare your answer. A word of advice: go straight to the point.
The question is both crucial and quite common, two good reasons to prepare the answer in advance. You will have to concentrate in three or four sentences the main arguments that make you the ideal candidate. Again, no need to procrastinate. Now is the time to place a summary of your sales pitch. Quickly go over the qualities that most candidates will be able to present (adaptability, availability, mobility, etc.). On the other hand, insist on your competitive advantages, the strong points of which you estimate to have the quasi-exclusivity. These are the differences that will make the… difference, precisely. Your objective is simple, at the end of your answer, your interlocutor must be convinced of the excellence of your application, nothing less!
Read More: Why should we hire you?
What are your qualities? What are your faults?
Essential during a job interview, these two questions also come in the form: “What are your strengths?” Your weak points? What aspects of your personality do you want to improve? “. The recruiter here expects you to be honest and know how to reflect on yourself. The best thing is to try to remain natural and not sell an image that is not yours. However, the natural is preparing, because it is better to have clear ideas about your strengths and weaknesses to hold a coherent speech.
Responses to avoid: “I don’t think I have any weak points”: especially not! That would make you look like a proud lacking perspective. Be careful not to cite faults that are contraindicated for this position: “I am shy” will not pass well for a salesperson.
Avoid settling for cliché answers, “I am very rigorous”, “I am a perfectionist: it is a quality as well as a fault” or even “As I am often told, I am very dynamic”. Be more specific and give concrete examples: “I have a good ability to assess priorities, for example in such and such a project…” In any case, stay on the professional field and avoid too personal answers.
Look your recruiter in the eye, stand up straight, and be smiling, because in human relations, a smile is essential.
You can then sit frankly in your chair, and put yourself at ease without slouching. Be careful not to invade the recruiter’s space. Do not spread out on his desk, it is better to bring a rigid folder that can serve as a support when you have to take notes. Similarly, a recruiter will prefer that you move the seat intended for you a few centimeters back, in order to give everyone their space. Once the interview begins, be proactive, take a few notes, adopt a fluid tone and stay in listen to your interlocutor. If you face several recruiters, take care to scan the audience.
End of interview
At the end of the interview, don’t forget to thank him, and to ask him when and how you will reconnect. Do not hesitate to raise the question of remuneration if this was not done during the interview. The recruiter will see this as a sign of additional interest in the position, as Bernard Cau points out: “you shouldn’t be afraid to talk about your salary expectations, you don’t offer skills for free”.
Having the right attitude during an interview and adopting the right language can be learned and above all prepared according to your interlocutor, the type of company and the position for which you are applying. Another sensitive point because feared by candidates: the famous tests that we can offer you. Preparing for these recruitment tests requires following a few simple rules.
Finally, know not to be thrown off balance. There is a good chance that you will one day come across a recruiter who will do everything to destabilize you. Consider it a game, an exercise, and in some ways it can be fun!
