Be yourself and understand the importance of authenticity. You don’t make a difference by talking (let alone bragging) but
- Be yourself and understand the importance of authenticity.
- You make a difference not by talking (let alone bragging) but by asking intelligent and relevant questions.
- Your basic attitude is polite, respectful, friendly and decisive.
- The encounter should be focused on the exchange of information, it should be a dialogue (dia =2, logue = speak) so 2 parties communicating. For you, communicating means above all asking intelligent, relevant questions and listening well.
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Prepare
Research the company, the job description and the people with whom you will interview. Use LinkedIn, Google and any personal connections for insights.
Prepare questions: Develop a list of open-ended, relevant questions (questions beginning with why, what, when, how, etc.). This is how you get more information during the interview
The day before
Good vibe: the night before the interview, undertake an activity that helps you get in a good mood (such as exercising, dancing, reading).
A good vibe means having a smile “behind your navel” (throughout your system) rather than on your face (which you can turn on by putting on some muscle).
Job interview day
- Punctuality: Arrive on time with all required materials.
- First impressions: Treat everyone you meet, including reception staff, with respect because they can affect the outcome of the conversation.
- Initial interaction: Make small talk to build rapport with interviewers and discuss neutral topics such as the weather, the office building or traffic.
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Beginning of the conversation
- If you have more than one person across from you, give attention to each of them.
- Discuss their background: Show interest and ask relevant questions when the interviewer discusses the company’s background and their own background.
- Presenting your background: Keep your personal background presentation short and allow for follow-up questions
- Check (open question) if you have given the input they were hoping to get or if you would like additional information.
Involving questions
Use your prepared questions to delve deeper into the position and its challenges. Don’t feel obligated to ask all your questions. If you bring up an interesting topic, dive deeper into it.
Show your attributes. When asked about personal traits, give succinct examples (e.g., “I work in a structured way,” also give a succinct example, e.g., saying that you plan and structure your work well by doing a full 360-degree analysis of all aspects of the job and then making a plan based on the analysis).
End of interview
- Interactive Closure: Aim for a joint discussion, e.g. discuss and brainstorm solutions to work-related problems that emerged during the conversation.
- Positive Closure: Express sincere positive feedback about the conversation (a positive attitude will only do you good). It can also lead to an immediate and sincere response from the interviewers.
- Final question: Ask when to expect feedback on the interview.
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At xentys, your experienced procurement recruitment agency, we are happy to help you find the right professional for your procurement team. Send a message today and strengthen your purchasing department.
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