How to Succeed at: Interviews

Hi !!!
New topic this week !! I have chosen this very very very difficult and delicate question : How to succeed at interviews ?
I think is the main thing that I fear in a meeting for internship or future jobs....
I think the difficulty is found the good compromise between "be modest" and "show that you are the best person for this job" !! So hard.....


What topics will we coverin this lesson ?

Preparing for interviews

Dealing with nerves
The practical details
Making your research count
Anticipating key questions

Dealing with interviews

Creating a positive first impression
What to wear
Using your voice
Getting to grips with interview questions
Brilliant questions to ask the interviewer

Handling different types of interview

Successful telephone and video interviews
Giving presentations
Tests and exercises
Leaving a positive impression

Hi !!!
This week we begin with Katie !
With Katie, we are going to share the best practices you can use to make interview more effectively.
In this lesson, we will also learn about what recruiter is looking for and learn to anticipate the questions in order to create a good first impression.
First, approaches to interview vary from country to country.

The website advice to build a personal portfolio and to complete your profile. The most important thing is not panic if you have a memory lapse and not show that you are nervous ! You will need to demonstrate your motivation.

According to this lesson, preparation is the key to a successful interview. (you know where to go, copy of your CV). Recruiters expect you to know what their organisation does (so find informations about its activity through their social media channels, the organisation’s aims and values, who its clients and competitors).

Employers look for : communication (ability to communicate), teamwork (relationship), organisation and time managment (ability to manage time), problem solving (ability to understand information quickly), motivation (enthusiastic approach) and leadership (clear vision and ability to listen), Creativity, flexibility and openness to change (to be original, different views), Numeracy (ability to interpret statistics).

Next week, next lesson !!!

Hiii !!!
This morning is lesson !

This week, I am going to do a new approach not only lesson, lesson, lesson….
In my first part, I'm going to criticize the last lesson and what things disappoint me.

Critical approach :
My first impression : I am a little bit desappointed….For me it's obvious that you have to have a copy of your CV or your personal portfolio. It's important to know the organisation or prepare some questions to ask at recruiters.

Lesson week 2 :
After selection (because if your are convoked, you have already impressed selector), you have to sell yourself in person. First impression is crucial, so look at what to wear and body language (80% of your communication is your body language and a good sign means that you are very interested by the job). The question is how to use non-verbal communication or body language to create a good impression. (dressing smartly, firm handshake, nice smile)

"The secret of success in an interview situation is to understand how other people perceive you and use this to your advantage." (Easier to say that to do !). Moreover, the style, tone, and delivery of your voice plays a big part in communication. (to convey enthusiasm and professionalism)

Other point : "Competency-based questions are commonly used by employers to check that candidates have the competencies or qualities that are required for a particular job" so :
- Give an example of when you worked in a team to complete a task
- Describe an occasion when you have had to manage your time to achieve a deadline

Use STAR apllication :
- Situation - provide some brief details about the situation
- Task - outline what your objective
- Action - describe what you did in that situation
- Result - Were the objectives met?

In interview : expect the unexpected !

Next week next Lesson !

To conclue this part, it is common for the interviewer to ask you if you have any questions for them. You can use your questions to demonstrate your willpower to develop your knowledge. Like "What is the main function of the department that you will be working in?".

I like your critical thinking to start the post.

Hiiii !!!

Today last lesson !!! This lesson last only three week.....

Critical approach :
- better impression this week !
- non-verbal communication = interesting part ! The voice is important too for interview !
- I'm not convince by the "STAR application"

Lesson week 3 :
We are looking at diffrents interview this week : there are two kind of interview :
- faced with just one interview.
- a part of a process that includes several interviews : a typical first interviews can last from 30 min to 1 hour. An interview panel with two or three members is usual.

Your first interview might be carried out by telephone or video :

- in phone, keep the tone fairly formal, and avoid overfamiliarity. Avoid to interrupt the interviewer in your enthusiasm to reply. Avoid the overuse of verbal spaces, such as "you know", "I mean", or "like".

in video, several rules :
- Follow the employer's instructions carefully.
- Make sure you know how to use the equipment
- Keep calm and be confident
- Clean and tidy your desk
- Keep the background plain
- Dress to impress
- Make eye contact and smile

What to expect on the day ?
Several interview format :
- Portfolio-based interviews (like in design)
- Technical interviews
- Sequential interviews/multiple mini-interviews
- Group interviews

Employers look for candidates who can demostrate:
- knowledge about a particular subject
- communication and teamwork
- adaptability/flexibility
- work under pressure
- problem-solving

Key points in interview :
- contribute but not dominate
- not interrupt
- build on what others say


Tell them about your personal experience to avoid standard interviews to show that you are the one.
Be carreful, tests and exercises may be used by recruiters as part of the interview process (case studies, e-tray exercises,....)

The most important !! Making a good final impression is just the same as making a good first impression !!

See you next week !!!!!

Hi Marion! 

I think we all can relate to this subject since we are all currently applying for our internships aha! 

There is something I would like to say about job/internship interviews : I think it's a shame because during an interview, you pay so attention into selling a good image of yourself that you don't get the oppotunity to show yourself as you truly are. 

I think the best way to succeed during an interview is to be natural and not try to hard to please the person in front of you, because he/she only wants to know about your personnality to be sure that it will be nice working with you. He already knows that you want the job, he already knows about your past experiences, so it is more important to show who you are than to give a fake improved vision of yourself. 

What do you think ?

Elsa RAUCHE LUCAS wrote:Hi Marion! 

I think we all can relate to this subject since we are all currently applying for our internships aha! 

There is something I would like to say about job/internship interviews : I think it's a shame because during an interview, you pay so attention into selling a good image of yourself that you don't get the oppotunity to show yourself as you truly are. 

I think the best way to succeed during an interview is to be natural and not try to hard to please the person in front of you, because he/she only wants to know about your personnality to be sure that it will be nice working with you. He already knows that you want the job, he already knows about your past experiences, so it is more important to show who you are than to give a fake improved vision of yourself. 

What do you think ?

Hi Elsa, very good question !!!! I totally agree with you.. We pay so attention into selling a good image of yourself that you don't show who are really.....
In fact, I don't know about the fact to be natural...in a perfect world with no discrimination and no preconception, you are totally right. But, I think the most difficult is to find a balance between you personnality and what recruters expect from you. You are totally right about "a fake improved vision of yourself", but showing your personnality without "filter" is also risk. I have an example : for my CV I did only a basic CV (I do my CV on Indesign and only in Black and White) with a background in white. It represents who I am and what I want : something simple and effective with no embellishment. In my vision (design approach), like the architect Sullivan said "less is more". I work on the assumption that if the recruter know Indesign, he will guess that I did my CV on this software (and so I have knowledge). It's not an "attractive" CV but this method permite also to see if the recruter only ""see" the CV or "read it". But It's a risk too !

Elsa RAUCHE LUCAS wrote:Hi Marion! 

I think we all can relate to this subject since we are all currently applying for our internships aha! 

There is something I would like to say about job/internship interviews : I think it's a shame because during an interview, you pay so attention into selling a good image of yourself that you don't get the oppotunity to show yourself as you truly are. 

I think the best way to succeed during an interview is to be natural and not try to hard to please the person in front of you, because he/she only wants to know about your personnality to be sure that it will be nice working with you. He already knows that you want the job, he already knows about your past experiences, so it is more important to show who you are than to give a fake improved vision of yourself. 

What do you think ?

I totally agree with you Elsa, maybe the easy way to know if you will get along with your boss and collegue is to remind natural. I think if you are forcing yourself unintentionnally in order to please in an interview, is that maybe you Don't get along with your future employer.

Clémence Giraud wrote:

Elsa RAUCHE LUCAS wrote:Hi Marion! 

I think we all can relate to this subject since we are all currently applying for our internships aha! 

There is something I would like to say about job/internship interviews : I think it's a shame because during an interview, you pay so attention into selling a good image of yourself that you don't get the oppotunity to show yourself as you truly are. 

I think the best way to succeed during an interview is to be natural and not try to hard to please the person in front of you, because he/she only wants to know about your personnality to be sure that it will be nice working with you. He already knows that you want the job, he already knows about your past experiences, so it is more important to show who you are than to give a fake improved vision of yourself. 

What do you think ?

I totally agree with you Elsa, maybe the easy way to know if you will get along with your boss and collegue is to remind natural. I think if you are forcing  yourself unintentionnally in order to please in an interview, is that maybe you Don't get along with your future employer.

Hi, I have a question : For you, it's more important to "be natural" and "stay who you are" (with the risk to have no job) than to "play with appearances" (in a way suceed at interview is like a type of seduction... )
It's not a judgment only a question… Because I think sincerely if I have no job and I am "starving to death", I will say what recruters want to hear to be employ….

Hello Marion, for my part I Don't really love to "play with the appearances" because then you can have a bad surprise, you take the risk to Don't get along with the people you will work. However, I think if I really need a job or Something I can do that at the last resort.. But I really think I will have a better job while beeing sincere (Something I will really enjoy), also you can seduce with your sincerity aha