“In an interview, it is really important to connect with the company’s values”.
17 de March de 2020
17 de March de 2020
How do you ensure a successful job interview? In the first edition of Alumni Stories, the former EAE student Belén Serra shared her experience and gave recommendations for standing out in a selection processón
“In an interview, it is really important to connect with the company’s values”.
How can we ensure a successful interview? Is it more important to make a good impression or emphasize our attitudes and aptitudes? Interviews form an essential part of any professional process, not only because they are our chance to make the first contact, but also because they are our opportunity lay the groundwork that will be decisive in the hiring process. The Director for Barcelona at Ackermann International, Belén Serra, discussed this issue at the Alumni Stories event held on Thursday 5th March at the Hotel Pulitzer in Barcelona.
Belén Serra is a graduate of EAE’s Master in Executive Development, Emotional Intelligence and Coaching and boasts a wealth of experience in the business world.
“This kind of event is primarily held to boost networking among our former students and find out how their career has progressed after their time at EAE”
Pamela Abad
Director of EAE Alumni
At 19:30, with an audience of over 30 current and former EAE students, Serra took the microphone and began her talk, which lasted almost an hour, in which she covered what she considers the essential points for achieving a successful interviews. She gave an overview of her experience in various headhunting firms, such as Alexander Hughes and Blue Hat, before focusing on the main high points from her time on EAE’s Master in Executive Development, Emotional Intelligence and Coaching.
“The Master helped me to connect better with the client at an emotional level, with their values, beliefs, etc”.
Belén Serra
Belief and value system
Serra explained that beliefs and values are an essential aspect for achieving a good interview. She emphasized that keeping them in mind enables fluid communication that, in turn, leads to true understanding. “In an interview, it is really important to connect with the company’s values”. According to the expert, we all have to work on what we say to ourselves, as this personal perception underpins our response and the physical impression that we convey.
“I shifted from “I have to...” to “I can...” because, when somebody realizes that they can, everything around them changes”.
Belén Serra
Less likeability, more sincerity
“We have to stop trying to get each other to like you, from both sides: employer and employee”. The headhunter explained that it is very common in interviews for both the employers and employees to make great efforts to be likeable. However, in her experience, this is a mistake because it prevents you from building a sincere relationship that can lead to a frank discussion of the points that really matter: your skills and aptitudes in relation to the vacant position.
“In an interview, you have to emphasize your strengths and reinforce any feature that shows you can do the job. The relationship should be friendly and sincere”.
Belén Serra
Storytelling
Another point that Serra emphasized was storytelling. Defining it as the ability to recount a narrative, the headhunter explained that storytelling is an essential tool for connecting with the interviewer and therefore effectively conveying your knowledge and experience.
Before bringing her presentation to a close, Serra explained that, in the labour market, they increasingly pay more attention to soft skills than to hard skills. “Lots of people let themselves get carried along by the market, so you have to get to know them and find out what type of company and position would best suit them”.
Around 20:15, after a number of questions that led to a more in-depth analysis of some the points covered, the speak brought the talk to a close, before the participants moved on to a networking session, enjoying the chance to relax with a few beers and build professional bonds.
Would you like to find out more about EAE’s Master in Executive Development, Emotional Intelligence and Coaching? Discover how to make motivation your greatest ally for organizing top professional teams! Click here!