You’ve got the all-important interview coming up and you know you’re going to be asked a series of questions. Some you’ll be able to reel of your tongue with ease, but what about the more pressing questions…. Here’s a selection of questions that you might be asked in an interview situation with tips on how to answer them.
1. CAN YOU TELL ME A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF?
Remember first impressions count so you want be able to answer this question promptly and with confidence. Keep your answer brief – the interviewer doesn’t want to hear your life story. Try to describe yourself in relation to the job role and how your personality and skills will fit into the company.
2. WHAT ARE YOUR WEAKNESSES?
This question makes a lot of people nervous as you don’t wish to come across an incompetent in any area. A common strategy is to ‘turn a weakness into a strength’, which is a good tactic but not always the best approach. Often it can make you appear more confident to admit your flaws. Pick something that doesn’t link directly to the job then provide evidence on how you are trying to improve upon the weakness.
3. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST STRENGTH?
The key to answering this question is to come across as confident rather than arrogant, which can be difficult when you are trying to sell yourself and your skills. Always choose a scenario that you can provide evidence for or you could refer to past colleagues/employers appraisals of you e.g. “in my last role colleagues always complimented my management skills”.
4. WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE ABOUT YOUR LAST JOB?
Make sure not to criticise colleagues or management to avoid appearing difficult to work with. Also beware you may be asked how you tried to address the problem. It helps to pick something out of your control e.g. poor technology.
5. WHAT’S YOUR REASON FOR LEAVING YOUR LAST/CURRENT POSITION?
The key here is not to focus on bad things the company did. Instead, talk about what the company couldn’t offer you such as career progression or diversity within the role. Ensure that you provide them with a strong impression that you aren’t someone who jumps form job to job and are moving because you’re looking for a new challenge.
6. WHEN HAVE YOU…?
A common question that comes up during an interview is for you to give an example of when you have achieved something or dealt with a specific or difficult situation in the work place. The only way to tackle this question is to go in prepared with a selecting of scenarios in your head then you can choose the one that suits the interview situation. Some interviewers can be very serious where as another’s approach could be more laid back so choose a response that you feel will be well received.
7. WHY DID YOU HAVE TO LEAVE THIS ROLE?
In the current climate, you may have been forced out of your last position due to redundancy or similar. This has become very common and is nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about. In this case you should demonstrate that your work was valuable and that your dismissal was not related to your level of performance. If you were fired, first be as brief and neutral as possible e.g. the role became an ill-fit for both yourself and the employer. If they probe further, still try to keep it brief but be honest and don’t evade the question. Stay as unemotional as possible to show that you have moved passed it and then shift the conversation to how you have developed from the experience.
8. THE SURPRISES QUESTIONS…
It’s impossible to prepare for every eventuality, as you will more than likely find yourself presented with a question that you haven’t prepared an answer for. The key here is to take you time, don’t rush in with a quick response to fill the silence as this is when you will make mistakes. Try to think about why are they asking you this questions and what are they looking for you to say..
If in doubt, ask a friend to fire lots of questions at you in the run up to the interview so you feel as prepared as you can do.
Good Luck…
