An interview is a process where two parties evaluate each other and after each interaction decide whether they want to work together further. For both the candidate and the company, it’s a very labor-intensive process that involves several stages, preparations, and many attempts to find “the one.” Evgenia Kudrina, founder of Hrhub, a business consultant specializing in consulting, follow-up, and HR, spoke to socialbites.ca about the secrets of a successful interview.
“You need to prepare for the interview, but let’s be clear — not so that you can pass the exam and get hired, but so that you can find a job that aligns with your values and goals, that you go there with joy and genuinely love what you do,” she explained.
According to expert statistics, 60% of resumes are written in such a way that even a good and competent specialist does not seem attractive to the employer and does not reflect a realistic picture, so they are ignored. There are several secrets that affect the invitation or rejection when writing a resume.
“High-quality photo; choose one where you are alone, where your face is clearly visible and the photo is of good quality. Describe your work experience in detail not only in the process format (compiled reports, filled SRM, etc.), but also in the result format – what results were achieved during your work. Ideally, if it is expressed in facts and figures: for example, you highlighted a significant mistake in the company, which affected the company’s work. Believe me, this can be found in any job and position, the main thing is not to devalue the work you do,” the expert said.
Also, use job sites when writing your resume; these provide the necessary fields and a proper format for employers, which will speed up the decision to invite you for an interview.
“If you have worked more than 4 jobs in the last 3 years, write the reason for your change of location on your resume; this way, you will answer the question the employer will definitely ask during the decision-making phase,” the expert said.
Another factor is the requested position on your resume. If there are several, they should not be from different regions. Ideally, it is one position and corresponds to the vacancy you are applying for.
“List any additional education and courses you have, but not all of them, only those that pertain to your position/field. If you are working as a sales manager and you list 2 courses on floristry in your courses, the employer may draw the wrong conclusions about your focus and desire to further develop in your field,” she said.
Also, “About Yourself” is a column that is very underestimated by candidates, but very important to employers. Don’t write boilerplate words like sociable, responsible, punctual here; instead, write a few sentences about yourself that can describe you as an expert and person.
When the initial stages of CV preparation are completed and the interview invitation has been received, it is worth preparing for the interview.
“Write down the job criteria that are important to you – what kind of job is suitable for you, what is important to you? Choose the main one from this, create criteria for each point and answer the question: “How will I understand that this point is met?” This action will help you make the right decision and reject what does not suit you even at an early stage,” Kudrina noted.
Before going to an interview, read and study the information about the company – go to the website, look at employee reviews, look at the location, evaluate the product the company creates. Prepare your questions about the position, the company and the product so that you can show your interest and gather the most complete picture for yourself, which will help you make the right decision.
“Be yourself; we all want to look better, but then everything we embellish will come out. It is important for both companies and candidates to be honest with each other. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and talk about what is important. The expert even has an unspoken assessment of employers: “No questions = no interest,” he explained.
Prepare a short personal introduction for a minute; interviews often start with this. Also prepare some artefacts – when it comes to your results at the previous location, it’s a good idea to show what you’re talking about. This could be a website, tables, statistics (without revealing confidential information) or something to back up your statements.
“Don’t worry. No matter how insignificant this advice may seem, treat the interview as a simple conversation. Remember that this is not an easy process for the employer, who may also be anxious. By minimizing its importance and remembering that the purpose of the interview is for both parties to understand whether they want to work together. It is also normal for one of the parties to make a different choice, because there are no good or bad companies and candidates, there are those who are suitable and those who are not,” Kudrina concluded.
Previously Russian companies stated about the difficulties of finding employees for part-time work.