Many clients are offering ‘meet & greet” 1st meetings with potential candidates as the war for talent increases. As Strategy Recruiters in Melbourne, we would want you to know that usually Meet & Greets are considered Interview, so don’t be complacent.
It seems to be a candidates market at the moment, however, candidates can lose their dream job before the formal interview process has even begun by being too complacent.
A meet & greet with a potential hiring manager should still be considered an interview, and it is a really important part of the recruitment process. It can often determine whether or not you get offered a formal interview, so it’s important to take your preparation seriously.
As Strategy Recruiters in Melbourne, we are finding that so many management consultants are flat out with their projects currently they are not finding time to prepare for interviews. This can be a big mistake.
As we always say, you want to get offered the job, or even the next interview whether you later decide you want it or not. You want to be the one to make the decision and you want to leave a positive impression. After all, the market is small and you may, one day, encounter the hiring manager in another capacity.
As Strategy Recruiters in Melbourne, we can not tell you the number of times a candidate kicks themselves when being rejected for a role they didn’t know they wanted until it was too late.
Here are some simple tips for fast meet & greet interview preparation as Strategy Recruiters Melbourne.
1. Write down keywords you want to mention during the interview. The buzz words that your employer uses are often in the Job Description. This way, if your mind goes blank during the interview, you know what to fall back on.
2. As Strategy Recruiters Melbourne, Prepare examples of your past work that relate to this job role. This way you can talk about how you have used your skills in a practical setting and how you can use these skills with them. Think about what impact you personally made.
3. Be prepared to talk about your strengths as well as weaknesses, don’t be afraid of this question. Focus on being self-aware, honest, and dedicated to improvement. Authenticity and positive rapport wins the day.
4. Prepare questions you want to ask the interviewer and write them down. This shows you are engaged and interested and don’t just expect to be sold to.
5. Do your homework. Dig out company results, news articles, and press releases. Just as you would if you were pitching to a new client.
6. Dress the part, always dress for success even on Zoom. Clients do not expect a full suit and tie most of the time however your PJ’s are not acceptable attire. (Yes this has actually happened recently!)
We also have other interview tips which you can find here: https://oaktreetalent.com/interview-prep-tips/
You may be extremely busy in your working day however, spreading the time preparing for the meet & greet interview will pay off. You will show up relaxed and confident, and even if you decide the role is not for you, you will have left a good impression and had a more enjoyable conversation.
Practice makes perfect so the more interviews you ace the more likely it is for you to nail the job interview that could be life-changing.