That's it: you've finally landed an interview for that job you've been dreaming of. But this time, you want to impress the recruiter so you can make it through the entire recruitment process. That's not always easy when they've already met with a dozen other candidates before you.
Check out our six tips for impressing recruiters and standing out during your next job interview.
1. Make a good impression when you arrive
We cannot stress it enough: making a good first impression is essential.
Keep in mind that this begins as soon as you set foot in the company. Arriving late will not only stress you out, but it will also cost you points with the recruiter right from the start. Plan your journey so that you arrive a few minutes early and avoid any delays, which could be interpreted as rudeness by the recruiter. Punctuality may not impress them, strictly speaking, but it will prevent you from putting them off.
Pro tip: when arriving in the room where the interview will take place, always choose to sit in front of the door. That way, the first thing the recruiter will see is your smiling face.
2. Show your interest in the company
Before the interview, make sure you find out as much as you can about the company you are interviewing with: its sector of activity, its values, what sets it apart from its competitors, its recent activities, etc. To do this, don't hesitate to browse the company's official website and social media accounts. This will not only allow you to actively participate in the interview but also demonstrate your interest in the company you are meeting with. Recruiters, who are used to traditional question-and-answer sessions, will be delighted.
3. Be confident
This applies to both form and substance: the way you stand in front of your interviewer, your eye contact, your tone of voice, but also what you say. And there's no secret to this. You need to prepare well for your interview in advance.
First, prepare a list of questions that the recruiter might ask you. These can range from standard questions about your background to more specific questions about your skills. Once your list is ready, practise for the interview. Rehearse with a family member, a friend or in front of a mirror until you feel confident about your answers. This will prevent you from being thrown off balance by the recruiter's questions on the day and enable you to respond quickly and confidently.
4. Do not repeat what is already on your resume
Repeating mechanically what is already on your CV, or worse, looking at it, could bore your interviewer!
Instead, try to tell your professional "story", show that it has value and that it has a lot to offer the company you are applying to. To do this, simply describe your career path, think about the most important projects you have worked on, talk about the challenges you have faced and how you overcame them.
Don't hesitate to draw parallels between your experiences, what you want to do now, and the various tasks involved in the position you are applying for. This will allow you to highlight your skills for the job you are seeking and show your interviewer that you are capable of planning because you know exactly what you want.
5. Ask relevant questions
During the job interview, do not hesitate to adopt a proactive attitude. Do not let the recruiter lead the conversation by himself: ask relevant questions to show your interest. These questions could be about the culture of the company or the job itself. Do not hesitate to ask for more details about the position you are applying for or about your future team, while aligning with what you already know. This will also allow you a better understanding of the company and what the recruiters expect from you, to better answer them.
6. Send a thank-you email after your interview
The idea here is to send an email to the recruiter on the day following your interview, to thank him, but also and above all, to reaffirm your motivation for the position for which you have had an interview. The content of your email should be simple, concise and consistent with the appointment you just had. Take up the important points that were raised during your discussion: whether it was something new that you learned about the organisation, a particular topic that caught your attention or one of your skills that you forgot to mention ... All in all, all the excuses are good to remind them that you are the ideal candidate and that you are motivated as ever.
Now that you have all the tools you need to impress recruiters, you just have to get your next job interview!
