HOW TO ANSWER 21 COMMON JOB INTERVIEW QUESTIONS Getting called for an interview for a job that you’ve always wanted brings so much excitement and so much to look forward to. Its confirmation that you are now one step closer to your dreams but you definitely do not want to mess that up so you always need to prepare for the interview. There are no specific answers to interview questions, but you need to practice the techniques that deliver results. I compiled these insights and left them hanging for a while but thanks to one of our members asking for tips, I got the motivation to complete the write up this morning. Here is how you can tackle some of the more common interview questions. 1. So, tell me a little bit about yourself This question normally sets the stage for an interview. Nearly all interviews kick off with this type of question or a similar one. The interviewer is not looking for your entire life story. Briefly explain your professional timeline (educational and employment history) in not so many sentences because the interviewer can already see that on your CV. Provide important information regarding what you are passionate about (relevant to the job). Add the most important social elements or traits that define you and have an impact on your career. Keep irrelevant personal information out of your answer. 2. Why did you leave your last job/ why would you like to leave your current employer? With this question, employers are normally gauging your ambitions regarding your career. It’s not a good idea to mention money and it’s not the time to dish the dirt on your previous employer. Key words like growth, exposure to certain aspects of your field, the right experience etc can show that you are focused. If you were fired, you’ll need a good explanation but stay positive. 3. What do you know about the company? Know about the company or business you’re hoping to work for. Do research on the internet. Use search engines to type in the company name and pick up articles about them. Visit their website and social media accounts. Are there people in the company that you should know about? Background checks will make you stand out as someone who comes prepared, and is genuinely interested in the company and the job. 4. Why do you want to work for the company? Your background research together with your career goals should lead you to the conclusion why you want to work there. Forward looking statements always give you an edge because they show that you look to the future and think ahead 5. What are your career goals? This question is similar to question 4 above but it’s broader and could be asked instead of question 4. You should think through this question before you go to an interview and come up with a truly honest answer that rings true for you. Tailor your answer to be appropriate for that particular interview. For bonus points, you need to explain clearly why that job is a perfect stepping stone to those goals. You could identify a key industry player and explain how aspects of their career touchstone with your own career goals. 6. What relevant experience do you have? It is advisable to read through the job description that was on the advertised vacancy before going to an interview. Websites likeProfessionals SA allow you to save all your past applications for this and other purposes, making it easier for you to go back and enhance your research about the job. Mention all your experience starting with the most important relevant to that job. For each item, give an explanation why you think it would be relevant for that job (remember it’s on your CV already which is probably laid out in front of the interviewer so spend more time explaining relevance of each item to the job). If you are switching careers, this is one of the questions you need to rehearse over and over again before an interview. You need honest creativity to dovetail the requirements with what you have. Example: If you were coming from an accounting firm where you engaged external clients, this could be great for a marketing job where you liaise and deal directly with business clients. The figures you dealt with also make you the right person for compiling marketing analysis information. How you explain yourself will largely determine success. 7. What would your previous co-workers say about you? The question has nothing to do with your co-workers. The question really is, “what are your best traits?” You have to answer in a manner that reflects your commendable traits. Use quotations. This will make you a winner. e.g.”My manager Michael always says that I am very creative and hard working.” Go further and explain why Michael always says that by giving an example. Ignore negative remarks that you remember from any of your previous core-workers. 8. Where else have you applied? This is a good opportunity to hint that you are in demand. Never portray how desperate you are but be honest and mention a few other companies. Avoid going into detail. Interviewers use this question to judge if you are seriously looking and keeping your options open, should they be interested in you. 9. Can you handle working under pressure? Positivity is what you need to portray when answering this question. You could think of a lot of different good answers but the following are just a few examples that show positivity. You may work well under pressure, you may thrive under pressure or you may even prefer working under pressure. Whichever one you choose to be your answer, use a good honest example from any of your previous jobs. Positivity is the key. 10. What’s your greatest strength? Stick to a work related strength and give an example of how you made use of it. What was the outcome? Just make sure in your example, you did not use it to benefit yourself only but made use of it to benefit a whole team, department or even an entire company. Don’t worry about bragging. This is probably the only opportunity the interviewer gives you to show off. Use it. You will not lose any points. The more your strength relates to the position you are being interviewed for the better. 11. What’s your biggest weakness? Don’t go into a detailed explanation of your weakness. State your weakness in the fewest of words but ensure that it is not fundamental to requirements of the job e.g. you cannot lack attention to detail if you are being interviewed for an accounting job and you cannot have a high temper if you are being interviewed for a call centre job. Go further and explain how you have devised a strategy to overcome the weakness e.g. if you write comparatively slow, that has taught you to summarise and flesh out only the important issues in an organised way that enables the reader to fully understand the bigger picture. Make this question work for you and not against you. 12. What salary are you looking at? You probably want as much as possible but the employer wants you for as little as you are willing to take. Before the interview, research the market salary for similar jobs at similar companies. You can ask industry peers or go on websites like Professionals SA to lookup similar jobs on offer. If you have the specific figure, go for it with confidence but show that you are flexible and open for discussions. Do not show signs of desperation. At least they will have your figure as a starting point. You can also show that you are aware of your worth by saying something like, “the last time I checked, a person with my experience should be getting between so much and so much.” 13. Are you good at working in a team? The answer is obvious but one word answers are not good enough. Go further and explain. You want to show that you are indeed great at collaborating with others. Think about your answer to this one before walking into any interview. Your answer can be easily tailored to suit the situation depending on how they ask you. Once again, you could use quotations like, “my previous supervisor Charlene used to say I provide such good feedback”. 14. Explain the gaps in your CV The interviewer is not looking for an excuse for not being employed during a certain period. They want to know how you’ve been utilising your time while you were unemployed. Be thorough in explaining what you’ve done with your time during that period and how it may be of benefit to the job you are being interviewed for. If you took time off to study, that is great. If your move to another country was not fruitful, focus how much you learnt about diversity when you met so many new people with different backgrounds, culture, aspirations etc. If you took time off to stay home with the kids, focus on the fact that skills required to run a house hold are similarly useful in managing employees. You really need to be creative in answering this question and you have to have to prepare an answer for it if you have gaps on your CV. Professional recruiters always perform what is called a gap analysis on all CVs. 15. Have you ever had issues with any of your previous bosses or co-workers? Big warning! Your interviewer is trying to see if you are the kind of person that speaks badly about their previous boss or co-workers when given the podium. Get a complete memory loss. Clever answers like this one, should sound politically correct even if you could draw up an endless list; “I always got on well with my bosses/ co-workers. They were all such nice people and fun to work with.” Be diplomatic. Unleashing that bag of history will only get the interviewer to ask more detail and put flags on you as they may doubt that you could fit in well with others. 16. Describe a situation when … The specifics of this question may vary from interview to interview. A common question falling in this category is, “can you describe a situation when you had a conflict with a co-worker and how did you resolve it?” Even though it kind of looks similar to question 14 above, the gist behind this question is very different. Many people tend to become partially blank when asked this question as it is more direct and sort of puts you on the spot. The worst thing you can do is being unable to come up with an adequate scenario. Unlike question 14, the value of the answer to this question lies in your ability to demonstrate that you can solve conflict (or overcome adversity, or whatever the specific intent the question implies). The actual facts of the situation don’t matter. With this type of question practice makes perfect. Get someone to ask you multiple questions of this nature so that you perfect your thought process when faced with a similar question. 17. Would you rather be feared or liked? The answer is usually “neither”. You don’t want to be feared because that kills motivation in others (unless you want to get into the military). You certainly don’t like to be everyone’s best friend because you will not be able to handle tough decisions or meet deadlines. You would rather “be respected” because that keeps a balance between motivating others and handling tough decisions when push comes to shove. 18. Why should you be hired? This is another chance for you to shine. List your greatest talents as they relate to the job. Never talk about other people’s flaws e.g. “Most people would…but I would…” You could summarise key points that you’ve already made throughout the interview, emphasizing on your greatest strength as it relates to the job you are being interviewed for. 19. Do you consider yourself successful? One word answers are a big no. Show that you are happy with your progress so far. Your reasons should have something to do with your set goals. Goals that you have already achieved and goals that you are clearly on the path to achieving. You can go further and note that you don’t feel that you’ve reached your pinnacle of success and explain why this new position will take you one step closer. 20. Do you have any suggestions you’ve made at work that were implemented? This is a very common interview question, so make sure that you prepare an honest answer for it. The point of this question is to show if you are able to contribute to the organisation in a meaningful way. If you haven’t given a direct suggestion that was implemented, select an example of how a project or team effort that you were part of led to a positive change at work. For example, you might explain that your participation in a community campaign helped move the company forward with social responsibility. 21. Do you have any questions? This question is directly related to your research about the company, giving you a chance to display your eagerness to become a part of that company. Before the interview, come up with a general question (even if you already know the answer through your research) or listen carefully during the interview to see if there are any other genuine questions that come up for you. There are some general questions also that you may ask but depending on what you have already discussed in the interview. Questions like, “how soon would you like the person start?” or “how did the person previously holding the position find the job (as in, how much did they cope)?” will help show that you are eager to be acquainted with information around the job. Questions show that you have an intelligent, questioning mind. Wrapping up the interview with a blank stare does not give a good ending. Many employers can mistake this for a lack of interest in the job or even a lack of intelligence on your part.
Posted on: Wed, 21 Aug 2013 06:25:55 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015