You have sent your CVs, received negative responses, when suddenly the response you were waiting for appeared: you are offered an interview! Do not go there with your hands in your pockets and prepare yourself well. Charlotte Danzon and Marie Silly, both recruiters at Job marketgive some tips for “enhancing your team spirit during the interview”.
Why talk about collective achievements in the interview?
Charlotte Danzon: You have to value your past experience without appearing too self-centered. Paradoxically, saying “We” allows you to strengthen your “I”: recruiters want to understand your background, identify your skills and imagine you in your future role within an existing group. They don’t want you to appear exclusively focused on yourself.
The ability of candidates to integrate collectively is widely acclaimed by recruiters. The reason is simple: employers believe that candidates who collaborate will stay with the company longer, adapt better to a hybrid environment and achieve the best results for the benefit of all.
You also advise deleting part of the sentences that begin with “I”. How to do ?
Marie Silly: You have to present your professional itinerary as a collective story. To the eternal question asked by the recruiter, “Tell me about yourself”, it is tempting to answer: “I did this” or “I worked for two years at…”. Record yourself to avoid falling into this repetition of “I”. If you hear too many, practice eliminating them. For example, replace “I always wanted to be an architect. I’ve always loved building…” by “It was my dream to become an architect from an early age, and this led me to pursue a career in architecture, specializing in development, etc…”
Minimizing the use of the first person can draw attention to concrete achievements. Also, when describing successful past projects, always include others in your personal and professional history. For example: “I have been invited to be part of a new architectural software development program. The team was made up of about twenty people of developers…. We worked hard for several months to achieve our goal of delivering error-free code, on time and on budget. »
Teamwork that allows us to value those who have helped you in your career…
Charlotte Danzon: Before going to the interview, write a story that shows the contribution of each other on your professional path. It is obvious that a career is based on encounters. You wouldn’t be where you are if you hadn’t received mentorship from teachers, supervisors, colleagues, etc. You must therefore relate your entire trajectory in the light of the learning received.
And in cases where one has little or no professional experience?
Marie Silly: Don’t hesitate to talk about extracurricular activities (involvement in associations, etc.). For example, a sports team in which you participated, a play you supervised, a charitable cause you took the lead… These anecdotes will not necessarily come to your mind during the interview. So prepare them and you will score points with the recruiter.
You always have to think about differentiating yourself. The collective dimension is part of it!
Should we also talk about “team” for the future position?
Marie Silly: Yes! During the interview, be sure to present yourself as someone who will take a collaborative approach within the company. Show how you expect to collaborate. You have to be imaginative in order to make the recruiter visualize your potential integration…