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.
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.
wisebread