How To Get The Job You Really Really Want - The Interview - Questions?

So, what sort of questions are you likely to come up against during the course of your interview? The types of questions are many and varied, some covering weird and wonderful subject matter. There are also, normally, at least a couple of questions designed to try and trip you up. See how you perform under pressure, to see how flexible you are and, most importantly, how interested you are. If the interviewer does not think you are interested then you will not get the job.

I have known situations where interviewers go out of their way to paint a black picture initially, to see if interest is maintained. They will tell you about the excessive overtime required, the downsides, the poor job content, etc, etc. These situations are rare and rarely turn out to be as bad as described, but having got to interview it is worth maintaining a positive attitude and interest at the early stages.

Anyway, the following is a (non exhaustive) list of possible questions, with some ideas on how best to answer them.

Give me a five minute history of yourself / Tell me about yourself?

I have put this one first as it is often the first question asked in an interview. It's nice and easy for the interviewer! It also gives the interviewer a reasonable insight into how you are going to handle yourself. Keep it short and concise, about two or three minutes. Cover your experience from school onwards, very briefly for old jobs, and highlight experience which is relevant to the job you are going for. Use examples wherever possible. Try to resist just going through your CV verbatim. Don't forget the interviewer does have it in front of him, and should have read it in preparation.

Don't forget. Blowing your own trumpet is allowed, even encouraged. You should aim to get your good points across, and if you can do so through a third party, all the better. For example, "On a recent sales course the trainer said I was one of the best sales people she had come across in a long time". Using third party references is very powerful.

You should also stress accomplishments. For example, " When I took over the territory I doubled sales in my first six months in charge." Again this helps build the interviewers confidence in you. When you finish it is a nice touch to ask if the interviewer wants any further information.

What are your weaknesses?

This old chestnut nearly always comes up. The trick here is to give a weakness that can be turned into a strength. For example " I am sometimes a little impatient, but this does help me to make sure I work hard to get the job done on time." Everybody has weaknesses, so do have one ready. An interviewer will simply not believe you if you say you do not have any weaknesses. This is either preceded or followed by...

What are your strengths?

Trumpet time again! In all honesty you should know what your major strengths are, and this question should be one you are looking forward to! The best advice is always have examples that you can use to illustrate the strengths you have, and always ensure the situations you use are relevant to the job you are going for. An example might be, " I am told by my colleagues that morale in my department is always very good. I attribute this to the in depth people skills that I have developed". Again, notice the use of the third party referral.

How did you get on with your previous boss?

This is one that comes up more and more nowadays. The best advice here is not to criticise. Even if you hated your previous boss and thought he was a complete jerk, never criticise. Firstly, it will show you in a bad light and your prospective boss will think that you will talk like that about him! It also demonstrates that, perhaps, you have difficulty in getting on with people or in working under supervision. The answer is " I got on well with him, he was / is a good man to work for".

Why do you want to leave your present job?

This one will be asked in 99% of interviews. Again, the temptation is to criticise and offer all the negative (real?) reasons of why you want to leave. And, again you must resist. The same goes as for the previous boss scenario. If you criticise it will show you in a bad light. The stock answer is that you do like your current job / company / colleagues, it is just that this role (the one you are being interviewed for) offers better prospects / opportunity to develop or whatever. So the bottom line, play the career / personal development card.

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