After building a strong CV, the second major stage is the job interview. For the candidate, it is essential to stand out. For the recruiter, it is crucial to ask the right questions. Marketividade offers some suggestions for both situations.
If you have been invited to a job interview, it most likely means that your CV stood out from the others. The next step is to show your strengths during the interview, while also acknowledging your weaknesses or areas for improvement. For the recruiter, it is essential to assess the candidate not only in terms of their professional skills and abilities, but also in relation to specific personality traits that fit the desired profile.
As candidates for a job, it is very important to be aware of our skills and of how we can add value to the company. However, candidates are often surprised by negative questions, such as being asked to list their greatest weaknesses.
This is precisely why it is essential to know ourselves well and to be able to identify exactly what we are good at and what we can still improve, so that we are not caught off guard by this type of question.
How to Stand Out in a Job Interview
Review your CV and add value to the conversation
Your CV stood out from those of the other candidates and led to the interview. You should therefore review it carefully and know exactly what relevant information you can add about your professional, academic or other experience.
It is particularly valuable, for example, to give practical examples of what you learned or of the achievements you accomplished in each of the areas described in your CV, adding relevant information that is especially significant for the position in question.
Do your homework: research the company
The more you know about your potential employer, the greater your chances of getting the job and of answering any questions about the company appropriately.
From organisational objectives and values to its main competitors, show that you know the company’s history. Do not forget to check its social media channels, as these often contain useful information.
The more you know, the more topics for conversation and discussion you can introduce, offering ideas or suggestions and showing from the outset that you are committed to understanding the company and contributing positively to it.
Show how you can add value and make a positive contribution
It is important to know exactly which role you are applying for and to demonstrate how your arrival could add value.
From your degree or training, to projects you have completed or practical situations you have successfully resolved, show that you are capable of joining the company and making a difference. Use your experience to your advantage.
If you do not yet have much experience, demonstrate that you are eager and able to learn. You can also refer to work in other areas that shows that your skills already exist and simply need to be put into practice.
You should therefore prepare possible answers to competency-based questions, such as how you work under pressure or how you would resolve a particular type of conflict.
Know your strengths and weaknesses
Strength-based interviews aim to uncover genuine insights into candidates’ natural abilities, such as working effectively in a team, remaining calm under pressure or being methodical and organised.
Questions about weaknesses or areas for improvement, on the other hand, seek to assess the candidate’s capacity for self-criticism and to identify the areas where they experience the greatest difficulties and where greater investment and learning may be needed.
Know how to make a good first impression
In addition to everything you say during the interview, do not think that presentation should be overlooked.
When we meet someone for the first time, more than 90% of the initial impression we form of that person is based on non-verbal cues — in other words, appearance and body language. Generally, this impression is formed within the very first minute of the interview.
Your clothing should also be appropriate to the organisation you are applying to — but above all, wear something that makes you feel comfortable and confident.
In terms of body language, keep your back straight and lean slightly forward to show interest in the conversation. And do not forget eye contact.
What Questions Should Recruiters Ask?
The recruiter’s role is to get to know the candidate as thoroughly as possible in order to assess their suitability for the position. It is therefore essential to ask the right questions and interpret candidates’ answers correctly.
Marketividade has gathered some essential questions that can — and should — form part of your list of key questions during a job interview. See below:
Identify the candidate’s weaknesses
Although it is more important to understand the candidate’s qualities and skills, it is equally interesting to assess their level of self-awareness.
People who recognise their weaknesses are generally better able to find ways to overcome them than those who have never reflected on what they want or need to improve in their abilities.
Ask about major achievements
When we try to understand candidates’ greatest achievements, we can assess not only what they have accomplished — and how relevant those achievements are to the role available — but also gain a deeper understanding of their goals and of how they pursue those goals.
These achievements may be either professional or personal, which can further enrich our understanding of the candidate.
Ask why they want to work for the company and why they should be hired
The first question can assess how much the candidate knows about the company and the position they applied for, while also revealing their reasons for wanting to join the organisation.
The second question allows us to understand what value the candidate believes they can bring to the company.
Another useful question is to ask the interviewee what differentiates them from other candidates. This can help identify the distinguishing characteristics of each applicant.
Ask what the person would do if they won the EuroMillions
This is a question that often catches candidates by surprise, but it is commonly used in various recruitment processes.
Questions of this kind can provide deeper insight into a person’s personality, interests, ambitions and even character.
Similarly, asking “What animal would you like to be?” can reveal certain personality traits. The question “Where do you see yourself in five years?” is also frequently used in recruitment processes to explore candidates’ goals and aspirations.
Ask structured questions about reactions to work situations
There are certain key questions that can give recruiters the information they need to understand how a candidate might react in specific situations.
“How do you work under pressure?”, “How do you respond to criticism?” or “Do you prefer working as part of a team or independently?” are examples of questions intended to reveal how the candidate may fit the working methods required.
There are many other questions that can and should be asked during a job interview, but these are some that Marketividade considers particularly useful for differentiating between candidates.
The important thing is that the recruiter clearly understands which skills and personality traits candidates need in order to fill the vacancy and prepares the right questions to obtain that information.
The interviewee, meanwhile, should above all know themselves very well and do the necessary preparation so that they are not surprised by certain questions.
