5 signs your interview is going well.
2 February 2015
Read by 2834 persons
In the heat of a job interview, you're not too sure the recruiter is leaning favorably towards your application? Here are the signs that confirm it.
1. The recruiter talks, and talks.
If the recruiter spends a good part of the interview selling the company that hires him to make it desirable for you, this is a sure sign that your "sale" - your presentation - went well and that your application is probably attractive to the organization.
Caution: Does the recruiter present general facts that he could share with anyone or does he take the time to present his company in light of your expertise or preferences that you have expressed in the interview? Do not be fooled by the generic "sales pitch" that some recruiters systematically integrate into meetings with all candidates.
2. The challenge of rapid-fire questions
You think you've answered well, and the recruiter wants even more details. You clarify a point, and there he is, returning to a previous subject. Result: you feel constantly destabilized. Well, that's good news! Recruiters want to learn more, much more about desirable candidates. They do not deviate from their interview plan to investigate further certain interesting points unless the candidates themselves are interesting!
Caution: If the recruiter asks you the same questions several times or systematically asks you to clarify your thoughts, maybe you are expressing yourself in the wrong way. The fact that the recruiter insists anyway can be encouraging - he gives the candidate a chance - but, depending on the position sought, this clumsiness can seriously harm you.
3. An interview that doesn't look like one
The best interviews often look like anything but an interview. We exchange, we ask each other questions; the atmosphere is relaxed, the non-verbal language, open. In short, if you feel good in the interview, there is a good chance that your chances look just as good.
Caution: Some recruiters are simply very friendly (empathetic?) towards less successful candidates. Also, some interviews maintain a rigid and formal atmosphere, regardless of the desirability of the candidate.
4. A meeting that stretches out, or multiplies.
You are asked to stay a little - "we're going to get manager So-and-so or manager Such-and-such" - and there you are, presenting yourself to a new audience. Or else your schedule for the next few days is questioned, to see if there are openings for a next meeting in the short term. If the interview becomes a large interview or if it has offshoots before you even leave: pop the champagne (almost)!
Caution: If the recruiter only talks about "future meetings", without specifying the deadlines and without inquiring about your availability, he is only sharing the selection process with you, as he does for all candidates.
5. A nosy recruiter
He questions you about the course of your job search, trying to find out if he is in "competition" with other organizations. He asks questions generally reserved for a second meeting or even specified in a job offer. He seems pressed, afraid of letting you slip away!
Caution: Recruiters can ask tricky and premature questions to understand your expectations to see if they fit with the position to be filled. Salary, for example, is a subject to avoid.
Véronique Champagne.
Workopolis.com
Posted online February 2, 2015.
1. The recruiter talks, and talks.
If the recruiter spends a good part of the interview selling the company that hires him to make it desirable for you, this is a sure sign that your "sale" - your presentation - went well and that your application is probably attractive to the organization.
Caution: Does the recruiter present general facts that he could share with anyone or does he take the time to present his company in light of your expertise or preferences that you have expressed in the interview? Do not be fooled by the generic "sales pitch" that some recruiters systematically integrate into meetings with all candidates.
2. The challenge of rapid-fire questions
You think you've answered well, and the recruiter wants even more details. You clarify a point, and there he is, returning to a previous subject. Result: you feel constantly destabilized. Well, that's good news! Recruiters want to learn more, much more about desirable candidates. They do not deviate from their interview plan to investigate further certain interesting points unless the candidates themselves are interesting!
Caution: If the recruiter asks you the same questions several times or systematically asks you to clarify your thoughts, maybe you are expressing yourself in the wrong way. The fact that the recruiter insists anyway can be encouraging - he gives the candidate a chance - but, depending on the position sought, this clumsiness can seriously harm you.
3. An interview that doesn't look like one
The best interviews often look like anything but an interview. We exchange, we ask each other questions; the atmosphere is relaxed, the non-verbal language, open. In short, if you feel good in the interview, there is a good chance that your chances look just as good.
Caution: Some recruiters are simply very friendly (empathetic?) towards less successful candidates. Also, some interviews maintain a rigid and formal atmosphere, regardless of the desirability of the candidate.
4. A meeting that stretches out, or multiplies.
You are asked to stay a little - "we're going to get manager So-and-so or manager Such-and-such" - and there you are, presenting yourself to a new audience. Or else your schedule for the next few days is questioned, to see if there are openings for a next meeting in the short term. If the interview becomes a large interview or if it has offshoots before you even leave: pop the champagne (almost)!
Caution: If the recruiter only talks about "future meetings", without specifying the deadlines and without inquiring about your availability, he is only sharing the selection process with you, as he does for all candidates.
5. A nosy recruiter
He questions you about the course of your job search, trying to find out if he is in "competition" with other organizations. He asks questions generally reserved for a second meeting or even specified in a job offer. He seems pressed, afraid of letting you slip away!
Caution: Recruiters can ask tricky and premature questions to understand your expectations to see if they fit with the position to be filled. Salary, for example, is a subject to avoid.
Véronique Champagne.
Workopolis.com
Posted online February 2, 2015.
