You know, some recruiters are as nervous as you when interviewing. I know. Unbelievable!
This weekend, I stumbled across the recruiter’s post advising what candidates should avoid at interviews, so here it is:
❌ Not asking interviewers questions at the end of the interview, or not having a reason lined up for why the role (and company) intrigues you. Make it more personal!
❌ Not be able to articulate the impact your work has had (the role you played) in the broader organisation
❌ Not driving your own learning and showing signs of curiosity. In your examples, you imply that someone else is pushing you to seek new knowledge, instead of yourself
❌ When speaking about the time you failed - not owning the failure. We all have failed at some point, but what are you doing to grow in that area? As long as you show you can take feedback, use it to grow, and turn it into a positive, no one cares that you’ve failed at something
❌ Rambling instead of saying you don’t know. Leaders can be vulnerable. So can young professionals. It is ok not to know. Recruiters want to know how you find solutions to problems and see resourcefulness. They want to see how you tried even if you failed. Be transparent and be confident.
Although I do agree with the majority of points here, I think these guidelines are not entirely applicable to people with anxiety, depression, or facing other difficulties.
The ability of the interviewer to connect with a candidate beyond the surface, and to make them comfortable during interviews is essential.
That’s the only way a recruiter can be open to hearing candidates’ skillsets communicated differently than what “it’s expected”, and generally help a candidate perform better in an interview.
It’s a two-way street.
Follow me on LinkedIn for more job search and career development tips ➡️ Olivera Andjelkovic.
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