Ms Deiss, it is not uncommon for young people to find it difficult to present themselves well in a job interview. What attitude would you like to see from recruiters?
Anyone filling an apprenticeship position should be aware of what young people have to deal with during the career choice phase. In addition to physical and personal development and academic requirements, taking the step into the professional world is a major challenge.
How should a job interview ideally proceed so that even a reserved young person opens up?
It helps shy young people if the recruiter does not get straight to the point. Starting with small talk, introducing yourself and generally warming up a little creates a pleasant atmosphere. This includes thanking them for their application and showing appreciation. This is also valuable for young people who do not describe themselves as shy per se.
I consider it problematic to focus on weaknesses during a job interview.
During the interview, the focus is on the applicant's motivation and strengths. At the same time, recruiters want to identify any potential weaknesses. How can they do this without offending the young person?
I think focusing on weaknesses is problematic. Instead, requirements should be verbalised, for example: A nursing profession is physically very demanding and the stress level is high . Have you ever experienced such situations? How did you deal with them? This allows employers to create a link to the requirements, and job seekers can see whether they are suitable for the profession.
If the question about weaknesses is asked anyway, how can young people respond?
If they are well prepared and have familiarised themselves with the requirements for the position, they will be able to respond appropriately. For example, for an IT job: «Languages aren't really my thing, but I'm very good at maths. That's why I would like to apply for this position.» This establishes a link to the job profile. If young people focus on school subjects, their personality – which is still developing anyway – is not called into question.
