Making a Difference in What You Say
11 November 2011
Read by 1873 persons
Although the recruiter already knows broadly where you come from, your education and professional experience, they will be interested in seeing how you present yourself, how you explain your academic and/or professional background. Each person is unique and it is therefore difficult, if not impossible, to describe precisely what to say or not to say in an interview. However, most recruiters will agree on the following essential aspects:
CLEAR AND CONCISE MIND
Nothing is worse for a recruiter than having in front of them a person who is not clear about their background, who is no longer sure of what they have done exactly and who goes into unnecessary and sterile details, explaining unimportant sub-tasks, inappropriate anecdotes. When you are asked to introduce yourself, keep your background in mind, so that you don't have to bend over or search in your CV (curriculum vitae): this indeed creates embarrassing moments of silence and gives an impression of general confusion. Be concise and clear in describing your background chronologically and, for each stage, briefly describe the reason why you chose that position (or those studies), what you did precisely and the reason why you changed to another position. Be factual and avoid personal moods when you introduce yourself and/or objectively describe what you did; at this stage of the interview, don't yet say what you liked or didn't like in your activities.
Once your professional background has been presented, take the opportunity to move on to what prompted you to apply to this company. In this respect, it is important to never criticize your employer to justify your motivation for a position. Some candidates tend to express their concerns, mentioning salary reasons, lack of career development opportunities, tensions within their team or with their superiors: this often gives a bad impression to the recruiter about their way of managing conflicts or constraints. Thus, instead of saying: "I am motivated to change jobs because, in my current company, I am not given the opportunity to evolve" or "I find that I am exploited in my current company compared to the responsibilities I am given", opt for a phrase focusing on the future, on what you aspire to, such as: "I would like today to find a position that allows me to implement my professional objectives which are..." or "I would like to find a company that knows how to recognize/gives me the opportunity to broaden my qualities/talents in..."
ADAPTABILITY
Good communication is now one of the essential keys not only to obtaining a position but also to evolving within a company. The communication style fundamentally depends on the company culture, its sector of activity or its clientele. The same applies during an interview: your communication style must be able to adapt to your interlocutor in order to establish a personalized link with them. Your speech must then adapt to the person who is in front of you. For example, if you have a technical profile, use common sense and avoid speaking in technical jargon to a human resources person. If you meet a member of your future team, know how to create a warm contact without becoming too familiar.
Also know how to ask the right questions to the right people: there is no point in talking about the technical problems you have encountered or using the professional jargon of your branch with an interviewer who is not from your department.
Also to be avoided, during a first interview, all salary-related questions (salary, social benefits, overtime, bonuses, etc.); wait for them to talk to you about it, otherwise ask the question when you are called for a second interview. Address this question diplomatically by saying, for example: "how is this position remunerated?" or "given your company's structure, you certainly have a salary scale for each position; can you tell me more about this one?" If you want to know more about the benefits offered by a company, ask for example: "what is your remuneration policy?" this is always better than "do you pay health insurance?"
In this respect, here are some examples of questions to ask during an interview. However, wait until you are explicitly given the opportunity to ask questions or, alternatively, ask if you can ask a question at this stage of the interview or if your interviewer prefers to wait until the end of the interview for you to ask your questions.
AUTHENTICITY
To be impactful, you must convince your interlocutor that what you say about yourself is true. Claiming that you are an extraordinary, organized, intelligent, funny, efficient person is one thing, proving it is another. A recruiter is not naive and will not take your word for it. They need to be sure of what you claim.
Therefore, keep in mind examples that perfectly and convincingly illustrate the qualities you claim to have. If the job you are applying for requires a person with good communication, efficiency and organization skills, remember the situations and experiences you have lived through that have allowed you to highlight these qualities. Know how to present them at the opportune moment during the interview. Recruiters rely on concrete elements to evaluate a candidate; the more vague things are, the more vague your statements are, the less good and impactful will be their appreciation of you.
In an interview, form is just as important as substance. It is not what will guarantee you the position in question, but there is little chance of succeeding in an interview if you do not ensure that the forms you use are appropriate. When we talk about forms, we refer to body language, facial expression, tone of voice, clothing, in short, all aspects of the unspoken. On this point, above all keep your common sense and don't get lost in the many theories and interpretations of human behavior. It's all about being natural.
Some forms, however, are of paramount importance and we give you the main ones here:
Maintain eye contact with your interlocutor as much as possible: without insistently scrutinizing their face or having a fixed gaze on them, eye contact with your interlocutor creates a perception of attention and interest, to which everyone is sensitive.
Do not interrupt your interlocutor under any pretext. Listen to what they say and, if you have a question, note it on your notepad and ask it at the opportune moment.
With your face, show your motivation. Know how to show an open, smiling face. For example, know how to nod your head when you approve of your interlocutor's remarks or when you recognize yourself in their remarks. However, avoid any personal flattery and any familiar or slang language with your interlocutor: this would be prohibitive for a good interview evaluation.
Be punctual for the interview appointment. This may seem obvious, but punctuality is the first quality of an organized and trustworthy person. If you suspect that you will be late for your interview, do not hesitate to call to inform your interlocutor.
Regarding your clothing, opt preferably for a sober and/or moderately elegant outfit; in most prestigious companies (private banking, luxury industry...), the suit/tie for men or the suit for women is de rigueur. It is not inappropriate to expressly ask your interlocutor, when you set your interview, what the company's dress code is. However, be classic; you are going to an interview, not to friends.
Finally, when you are sitting opposite your interlocutor, sit up straight in your chair. Without being stiff and rigid like a stick, avoid slouching or swaying in your chair, holding your head, leaning back and putting an arm on the back of the chair with a falsely relaxed air.
Examples of questions to ask during an interview
To Human Resources:
What is your company's development policy?
What is the company culture? The history of the company?
How do you select winning candidates?
What will be the follow-up to this interview?
To a manager of the department in which you are applying:
To whom does the department in question report?
What will be my position relative to the organizational chart?
What will be my status in the company (for a management position)?
What will be my responsibilities? My tasks?
What are the career development prospects?
Is there any training provided by the company for the position in question?
Is it a job creation or a replacement?
If replacement, what is the reason?
What is the atmosphere like in the group where I will be working?
What are the current projects?
What are the difficulties/challenges you are currently facing?
Success-and-career.ch
Posted on November 11, 2011.
CLEAR AND CONCISE MIND
Nothing is worse for a recruiter than having in front of them a person who is not clear about their background, who is no longer sure of what they have done exactly and who goes into unnecessary and sterile details, explaining unimportant sub-tasks, inappropriate anecdotes. When you are asked to introduce yourself, keep your background in mind, so that you don't have to bend over or search in your CV (curriculum vitae): this indeed creates embarrassing moments of silence and gives an impression of general confusion. Be concise and clear in describing your background chronologically and, for each stage, briefly describe the reason why you chose that position (or those studies), what you did precisely and the reason why you changed to another position. Be factual and avoid personal moods when you introduce yourself and/or objectively describe what you did; at this stage of the interview, don't yet say what you liked or didn't like in your activities.
Once your professional background has been presented, take the opportunity to move on to what prompted you to apply to this company. In this respect, it is important to never criticize your employer to justify your motivation for a position. Some candidates tend to express their concerns, mentioning salary reasons, lack of career development opportunities, tensions within their team or with their superiors: this often gives a bad impression to the recruiter about their way of managing conflicts or constraints. Thus, instead of saying: "I am motivated to change jobs because, in my current company, I am not given the opportunity to evolve" or "I find that I am exploited in my current company compared to the responsibilities I am given", opt for a phrase focusing on the future, on what you aspire to, such as: "I would like today to find a position that allows me to implement my professional objectives which are..." or "I would like to find a company that knows how to recognize/gives me the opportunity to broaden my qualities/talents in..."
ADAPTABILITY
Good communication is now one of the essential keys not only to obtaining a position but also to evolving within a company. The communication style fundamentally depends on the company culture, its sector of activity or its clientele. The same applies during an interview: your communication style must be able to adapt to your interlocutor in order to establish a personalized link with them. Your speech must then adapt to the person who is in front of you. For example, if you have a technical profile, use common sense and avoid speaking in technical jargon to a human resources person. If you meet a member of your future team, know how to create a warm contact without becoming too familiar.
Also know how to ask the right questions to the right people: there is no point in talking about the technical problems you have encountered or using the professional jargon of your branch with an interviewer who is not from your department.
Also to be avoided, during a first interview, all salary-related questions (salary, social benefits, overtime, bonuses, etc.); wait for them to talk to you about it, otherwise ask the question when you are called for a second interview. Address this question diplomatically by saying, for example: "how is this position remunerated?" or "given your company's structure, you certainly have a salary scale for each position; can you tell me more about this one?" If you want to know more about the benefits offered by a company, ask for example: "what is your remuneration policy?" this is always better than "do you pay health insurance?"
In this respect, here are some examples of questions to ask during an interview. However, wait until you are explicitly given the opportunity to ask questions or, alternatively, ask if you can ask a question at this stage of the interview or if your interviewer prefers to wait until the end of the interview for you to ask your questions.
AUTHENTICITY
To be impactful, you must convince your interlocutor that what you say about yourself is true. Claiming that you are an extraordinary, organized, intelligent, funny, efficient person is one thing, proving it is another. A recruiter is not naive and will not take your word for it. They need to be sure of what you claim.
Therefore, keep in mind examples that perfectly and convincingly illustrate the qualities you claim to have. If the job you are applying for requires a person with good communication, efficiency and organization skills, remember the situations and experiences you have lived through that have allowed you to highlight these qualities. Know how to present them at the opportune moment during the interview. Recruiters rely on concrete elements to evaluate a candidate; the more vague things are, the more vague your statements are, the less good and impactful will be their appreciation of you.
In an interview, form is just as important as substance. It is not what will guarantee you the position in question, but there is little chance of succeeding in an interview if you do not ensure that the forms you use are appropriate. When we talk about forms, we refer to body language, facial expression, tone of voice, clothing, in short, all aspects of the unspoken. On this point, above all keep your common sense and don't get lost in the many theories and interpretations of human behavior. It's all about being natural.
Some forms, however, are of paramount importance and we give you the main ones here:
Maintain eye contact with your interlocutor as much as possible: without insistently scrutinizing their face or having a fixed gaze on them, eye contact with your interlocutor creates a perception of attention and interest, to which everyone is sensitive.
Do not interrupt your interlocutor under any pretext. Listen to what they say and, if you have a question, note it on your notepad and ask it at the opportune moment.
With your face, show your motivation. Know how to show an open, smiling face. For example, know how to nod your head when you approve of your interlocutor's remarks or when you recognize yourself in their remarks. However, avoid any personal flattery and any familiar or slang language with your interlocutor: this would be prohibitive for a good interview evaluation.
Be punctual for the interview appointment. This may seem obvious, but punctuality is the first quality of an organized and trustworthy person. If you suspect that you will be late for your interview, do not hesitate to call to inform your interlocutor.
Regarding your clothing, opt preferably for a sober and/or moderately elegant outfit; in most prestigious companies (private banking, luxury industry...), the suit/tie for men or the suit for women is de rigueur. It is not inappropriate to expressly ask your interlocutor, when you set your interview, what the company's dress code is. However, be classic; you are going to an interview, not to friends.
Finally, when you are sitting opposite your interlocutor, sit up straight in your chair. Without being stiff and rigid like a stick, avoid slouching or swaying in your chair, holding your head, leaning back and putting an arm on the back of the chair with a falsely relaxed air.
Examples of questions to ask during an interview
To Human Resources:
What is your company's development policy?
What is the company culture? The history of the company?
How do you select winning candidates?
What will be the follow-up to this interview?
To a manager of the department in which you are applying:
To whom does the department in question report?
What will be my position relative to the organizational chart?
What will be my status in the company (for a management position)?
What will be my responsibilities? My tasks?
What are the career development prospects?
Is there any training provided by the company for the position in question?
Is it a job creation or a replacement?
If replacement, what is the reason?
What is the atmosphere like in the group where I will be working?
What are the current projects?
What are the difficulties/challenges you are currently facing?
Success-and-career.ch
Posted on November 11, 2011.
