Let’s face it; no one likes the interview process. Well, certainly not the people being interviewed anyway. If there was another way around the interview process, most of us had gladly take it. For an interview, you have to be on your best behavior, you only get one chance to get it right, and it’s like taking your driving test all over again.
Remember,
being interviewed is a skill, and if you do the preparation you should ace it
every time. Here are some 15 interview questions and how to go about answering
them. Do you have any that you’d like us to know, simply drop it in the comment
box with an appropriate answer – never can tell who you’re helping out.
1. So, tell me a little about yourself.
I’d be very surprised if you haven’t been asked this one at every
interview. It’s probably the most asked question because it sets the stage for
the interview and it gets you talking. Be careful not to give the interviewer
your life story here. You don’t need to explain everything from birth to
present day. Relevant facts about education, your career and your current life
situation are fine.
2. Why are you looking (or why did you leave your last job)?
This should be a straightforward question to answer, but it can
trip you up. Presumably you are looking for a new job (or any job) because you
want to advance your career and get a position that allows you to grow as a
person and an employee. It’s not a good idea to mention money here, it can make
you sound mercenary. And if you are in the unfortunate situation of having been
downsized, stay positive and be as brief as possible about it. If you were
fired, you’ll need a good explanation. But once again, stay positive.
3. Tell me what you know about this company.
Do your homework before you go to any interview. Whether it’s
being the VP of marketing or the mailroom clerk, you should know about the
company or business you’re going to work for. Has this company been in the news
lately? Who are the people in the company you should know about? Do the
background work, it 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 at X Company?
This should be directly related to the last question. Any research
you’ve done on the company should have led you to the conclusion that you’d
want to work there. After all, you’re at the interview, right? Put some thought
into this answer before you have your interview, mention your career goals and
highlight forward-thinking goals and career plans.
5. What relevant experience do you have?
Hopefully if you’re applying for this position you have bags of
related experience, and if that’s the case you should mention it all. But if
you’re switching careers or trying something a little different, your
experience may initially not look like it’s matching up. That’s when you need a
little honest creativity to match the experiences required with the ones you
have. People skills are people skills after all, you just need to show how
customer service skills can apply to internal management positions, and so on.
6. How are you when you’re working under pressure?
Once again, there are a few ways to answer this but they should
all be positive. You may work well under pressure, you may thrive under
pressure, and you may actually PREFER working under pressure. If you say you
crumble like a pack of cards, this is not going to help you get your foot in
the door.
7. What motivates you to do a good job?
The answer to this one is not money, even if it is. You should be
motivated by life’s noble pursuits. You want recognition for a job well done.
You want to become better at your job. You want to help others or be a leader
in your field.
8. What’s your greatest strength?
This is your chance to shine. You’re being asked to explain why
you are a great employee, so don’t hold back and stay do stay positive. You
could be someone who thrives under pressure, a great motivator, an amazing
problem solver or someone with extraordinary attention to detail. If your
greatest strength, however, is to drink anyone under the table or beat your
opponent in a game of FIFA11, keep it to yourself. The interviewer is looking
for work-related strengths.
9. What’s your biggest weakness?
If you’re completely honest, you may be kicking yourself in the butt.
If you say you don’t have one, you’re obviously lying. This is a horrible
question and one that politicians have become masters at answering. They say
things like “I’m perhaps too committed to my work and don’t spend enough time
with my family.” Oh, there’s a fireable offense.
I’ve even heard “I think I’m too good at my job, it can often make
people jealous.” Please, let’s keep our feet on the ground. If you’re asked
this question, give a small, work-related flaw that you’re working hard to
improve. Example: “I’ve been told I occasionally focus on details and miss the
bigger picture, so I’ve been spending time laying out the complete project
every day to see my overall progress.”
10. Let’s talk about salary. What are you looking for?
Run for cover! This is one tricky game to play in an interview.
Even if you know the salary range for the job, if you answer first you’re
already showing all your cards. You want as much as possible, the employer
wants you for as little as you’re willing to take.
You may want to say, “well, that’s something I’ve thought long and
hard about and I think someone with my experience should get between X &
Y.” Or, you could be sly and say, “right now, I’m more interested in talking
more about what the position can offer my career.” That could at least buy you
a little time to scope out the situation. But if you do have a specific figure
in mind and you are confident that you can get it, I’d say go for it.
11. Are you good at working in a team?
Unless you have the I.Q. of a houseplant, you’ll always answer YES
to this one. It’s the only answer. How can anyone function inside an
organization if they are a loner? You may want to mention what part you like to
play in a team though; it’s a great chance to explain that you’re a natural
leader.
12. Would you rather work for money or job satisfaction?
It’s not a very fair question is it? We’d all love to get paid a
Trump-like salary doing a job we love but that’s rare indeed. It’s fine to say
money is important, but remember that NOTHING is more important to you than the
job. Otherwise, you’re just someone looking for a bigger paycheck.
13. Would you rather be liked or feared?
The genuine answer should be “Neither, I’d rather be respected.”
You don’t want to be feared because fear is no way to motivate a team. You may
got the job done but at what cost? Similarly, if you’re everyone’s best friend
you’ll find it difficult to make tough decisions or hit deadlines. But when
you’re respected, you don’t have to be a complete bastard or a lame duck to get
the job done.
14. So, explain why I should hire you.
As I’m sure you know, “because I’m great” or “I really need a job”
are not good answers here. This is a time to give the employer a laundry list
of your greatest talents that just so happen to match the job description. It’s
also good to avoid taking potshots at other potential candidates here. Focus on
yourself and your talents, not other people’s flaws.
15. Finally, do you have any questions to ask me?
I’ll finish the way I started, with one of the
most common questions asked in interviews. This directly relates to the
research you’ve done on the company and also gives you a chance to show how
eager and prepared you are. You’ll probably want to ask about benefits if they
haven’t been covered already. A good generic one is “how soon could I start, if
I were offered the job of course.” You may also ask what you’d be working on.
Specifically, in the role you’re applying for and how that affects the rest of
the company. Always have questions ready, greeting this one with a blank stare
is a rotten way to finish your interview. Good luck and happy job hunting.
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