How to prepare for a successful interview? Advice from our Talent Acquisition Managers

Studies have shown that, unlike men, women do not apply for jobs if their profile does not match the job description 100%.

As recruiters, are you interested in profiles that do not completely match your expectations?

Amélie: Women often feel less legitimate in highlighting their skills and achievements. Men, on the other hand, don’t ask themselves all these questions. They just go for it. At VISEO, 80% of the people we recruit are candidates for senior positions. The required skills are therefore essential. Candidates must have proven experience and a track record, particularly when it comes to supporting teams. For junior profiles, it’s more open. On the one hand, while academic background is important, we don’t expect graduates to know everything. On the other hand, we are there to support them and help them develop their skills. That is our duty as a company. However, soft skills are important. When two candidates have equal skills, soft skills will make the difference. Have candidates managed projects, participated in an internship or helped an association? These experiences should be highlighted. I say this especially for young women. Just because you’ve just left school doesn’t mean you haven’t accomplished anything.

What soft skills catch your attention?

Amélie: Detecting the right mindset is part of our job. We pay close attention to the rigour of profiles and ensure that we create positive dynamics within existing teams. We look at the ability to adapt, organise and develop skills. VISEO is a rapidly growing digital services company that seizes opportunities and aspires to continuous growth. We are looking for people who are on the same wavelength.

What advice would you give to candidates to help them succeed in their interview?

Genowine: Preparation is essential. You need to understand the company and the position, but also know how to articulate your skills. In an interview, clear, confident and concise communication makes all the difference. Candidates should also be prepared to share specific, substantiated examples of their previous achievements. An interview is a conversation. You’re not there to be ‘evaluated’. You need to show curiosity and take the opportunity to ask questions about the position. Does it fit in with your goals?

Amélie: I usually say that there are six important points to consider during an interview.

1. As Genowine said, know the company well. You need to understand its mission, values and customer needs.
2. A key point for women: know how to showcase your experiences, even if for younger women they are ‘small jobs’ or experience in associations.
3. Be able to give specific examples of your achievements. How do you do this? By drawing on real-life situations you have experienced, showing how you used your skills in a particular context, describing the actions you took, what positive results they brought and how they helped you grow. What helped you grow? What helped the team evolve? What enabled you to see a project through to completion?
4. Take responsibility for your entire career path, know how to talk about your strengths, your progress and your motivations.
5. Know how to ask questions about the environment, the team, the tasks, and possible career development. This shows the recruiter that you are interested in a long-term position.
6. Work on your body language, whether in a video conference or in person, and be confident without overdoing it. This largely involves listening to the questions asked and providing clear answers. The goal is not to answer quickly, but to answer well. If you don’t understand a question, don’t hesitate to ask for it to be rephrased. If you are invited for an interview, it is important to tell yourself that you belong there. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t experienced every situation. The important thing is to explain how you would react and what actions you would take. Honesty is essential in an interview. A relationship of trust is established from the very first meeting. Remember that if you stay with the company afterwards, it’s important not to lie, not to exaggerate your abilities, and to know how to say ‘I don’t know’.

What about preparation?

Amélie: In an interview, you will always be asked to present your CV. Beforehand, lay everything out, review your years of study and identify your strengths. Have a common thread that you can follow on the day. Prepare a structured two-minute pitch. The recruiter will then come back to your experiences in more detail. Don’t be afraid of your ‘gaps’. Don’t try to hide a blank spot in your CV. This will cause mistrust and the recruiter will ask you even more questions. If you’ve backpacked around the world, what did you learn from it? When you travel, you also develop skills.