The Art of Regaining Control of your Job Interview

When the recruiter doesn’t ask questions that let you highlight your strong points, how do you turn the job interview to your advantage? Tips.

An ability to engage or collaborate, a sense of organization and a spirit of initiative are all important assets for a company. Even though as a candidate you have these valuable qualities, the recruiter will not necessarily ask questions in the interview that will let you prove it. How can you demonstrate your worth in this situation?

Be attentive

“You should never really take control of a job interview, which would be viewed poorly.  It’s not the candidate who is interviewing the recruiter,” warns Mireille Allard, human resources consultant and partner at BrioRH. For her, the important thing is to listen carefully, in order to understand the company’s needs and respond to them correctly.

Use the last few minutes 

“At the end, when the recruiter asks if the candidate has any questions, this might be a good time to remind him of your motivation and keen interest in the position,” advises Mrs. Allard. It is therefore an opportunity to return to your strong points, if they have not been mentioned during the interview. In addition, waiting to the end lets the candidate avoid cutting off the recruiter during the interview. “Planning to state four or five of your major strengths is a good strategy,” the HR consultant adds. “The end of the interview is decisive; it’s the main thing remembered.”

Illustrating what you say 

“The past is a guarantee, you have to give concrete examples – it’s the best way to make yourself known to the recruiter,” Mrs. Allard explains. Saying that you can take risks without demonstrating to what extent you have done so in your past job has little value. You must therefore try to illustrate your qualities as much as possible.

Be well prepared for your job interview

Preparation is the basis for a good job interview. For example, for the thorny question of strengths and weaknesses, having already reflected on the answer shows that you are self-confident and avoids hesitations. “When it comes to weaknesses, the best is talk about points to improve, but especially something that affects you and is true,” says Mrs. Allard. She advises mentioning points on which the candidate is already working. “It’s especially important to be well prepared for the end of the interview, the time when you will recall your strong points,” she concludes.

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