Common Job Interview

Questions and Answers

"Tell me about yourself" ?

This is one of the most common interview questions and answers can be tough to formulate. Where to start, where to end, what to focus on! This is often the first question the interviewer asks and how the candidate answers can set the tone for the whole job interview Prepare well for this question and you can use it as a great opportunity to sell yourself! n your answer highlight how your skills, knowledge and e!perience fit the job and the company profile Where you were born and grew up, or what pets you have is not likely to show the interviewer why you are a good candidate for the job opportunity. "ake your interview answer relevant to the job opportunity

'se this sample answer to guide you in preparing your own good interview answer to this question(

"I really enjoy working as part of a team. In my previous two positions I worked on a number of team projects. One big project I was involved with at ABC company was writing a new safety policy.

It was an in depth and comple! project so I put together a safety review committee. "e worked together for a month to identify the safety needs of the various departments and what procedures would meet those needs before drawing up the new policy. Our policy has been well accepted and safety problems have decreased in all areas" #y pointing out to the interviewer the specific benefits of hiring you for this job, rather than giving a rambling autobiography, you will be positively remembered and set yourself apart from the other candidates. The interviewer has probably already read your resume or $%, so avoid just repeating that information during the interview questions and answers to #ell me about yourself. &or e!ample, when talking about your sales e!perience, rather than telling the interviewer "I spent three years in sales at $%& Company" draw attention to your success during that time. ""hen working at $%& I focused on growing the customer base in the 'ortheast and increased sales by ()* over a three year period"

t is impressive to quantify your success wherever possible

)What are your strengths*)

"ake sure your answer to this interview question is relevant for the interviewer. Tailor your strengths to the job and highlight why they qualify you as the right candidate for the job opportunity. +on,t just list your strengths, back them up with facts. -n attribute is far more powerful if it is rooted in a relevant e!ample. .ffective free interview answers to the question include( )I+m an adaptable person. I work for three different managers, they have very different management styles and e!pectations of me. I am able to adjust my approach to meet each of their needs" -void over/used, vague terms such as )people,s person). #e specific. "I am good with customers. I enjoy the challenge of turning a dissatisfied customer into a satisfied one. -ust last week I had an e!perience when ......." and quote a recent e!ample of how you successfully managed an unhappy client. &ocus on three or four strengths. 0ood e!amples include( organi1ational and planning skills perseverance persuasive ability communication skills leadership ability stress tolerance ability to learn and apply new information and skills fle!ibility independence problem/solving creativity technical and professional knowledge reliability self/motivation initiative

)What are your weaknesses*)

With this typical interview question the interviewer is assessing your self awareness and insight rather than your weaknesses. The ability to acknowledge a weakness is often seen as a sign of maturity and wisdom. 2efer to a true weakness but then turn it into a positive by describing it as an area for development "I+m impatient with people who don+t work at the same pace as me but I+m learning to manage this. I make sure that they have the right resources for the job, I follow up to see that they are on track and I step in and help when needed" "I can procrastinate, I am aware of this and make sure I answer my emails and messages straight away. I update my calendar as soon as I have a new task or appointment, this really helps" - good guide is to acknowledge one or two weaknesses, describe the efforts made to overcome these and end your story on a positive note. "I+ve been reluctant to delegate. I have had to re evaluate this as it was creating a big workload for me. I assign each person a specific, manageable task and then follow up to satisfy myself that it is being done properly, this seems to work well" 3ome weaknesses can be interpreted as a strength. .!amples include( "I can be a bit aggressive in reaching my goals" "At times I can get too involved in other people+s problems, trying to help them" This approach, making a weakness sound like a strength, can be successful but interviewers are usually alert to candidates trying to do this. t is preferable to talk about a true weakness that you are aware of and that you are taking practical steps to improve on.

"Why should we hire you?"

2eview the job description and note down the job requirements. 2efer to your skills and e!perience relevant to the job requirements and the company,s needs. What benefits are you bringing to this job* "ention your previous successes and your goals for the future. Be straightforward and onfident about your abilities

"I have the right combination of skills and e!perience for this job. I also bring the additional .uality of strong analytical and problem solving ability as shown by my introduction of a more efficient work flow system at ABC Company." "/y commitment to e!cellent work standards will add value to the team." "I am a fast learner, I had to learn a totally new operating system in my last job and I was up and running within a couple of weeks." "%ou re.uire someone who can perform a wide range of administrative duties. I have a track record of carrying out these different tasks efficiently and successfully." !ighlight the reasons why you are the right andidate for the "ob When answering interview questions like this, don,t try to say that you are the best qualified candidate, you are not familiar with the other candidates, skills and e!perience. &ocus on your suitability. "/y abilities in sales really seem to fit this job. /y success at ABC in achieving an annual growth rate of 01* support this. I have worked with a similar product line and have an in depth understanding of the technical aspects. /y e!perience as a member of a large team will contribute to your department and I am enthusiastic about the new challenges involved in this position" Be enthusiasti about why you want this "ob# "I really would like this job selling gift items and I strongly believe I will be good at it. I enjoy talking to customers and helping them find what they are looking for. I am meticulous about handling cash. I look forward to having regular hours and I am very reliable. In fact, my reference emphasi2es that as one of my strong points" "One of the reasons I want to work for this company is your reputation for staff development. 3earning and growth are important values to me. I sincerely believe I am the right person for this job and for this company" Confirm your ability to wor$ hard -n e!cellent reason to employ you is that you are a hard worker. $andidates tend to underplay this quality when answering interview questions. .very employer wants a hard worker and whatever job you are interviewing for, hard work is central to succeeding in it. "One of the first things I learned early on was that hard work is the key to success. I recogni2e that working hard is a differentiator and I have put in the hours and effort to make sure that I do the job better."

What has been your greatest a hievement to date?

$hoose an achievement that is related to the position and is fairly recent. 2eview the job description or the job posting or ad. What skills are listed as necessary for the job* This will guide you to the most relevant answer for this employment interview question.

+oes the position need strong sales ability, someone with keen attention to detail, good management skills or e!cellent problem/solving ability* 2eflect upon achievements that demonstrated the required skill. +escribe your accomplishment and highlight the job/related skills you used. Point out how the results benefited the company.

f a requirement is problem%solving s$ills& "4ecently I was asked to implement a new system to reduce our debtors days. I analy2ed the problems with the current system, got input from all the stakeholders, and developed a faster way of getting the accounts out and monitoring follow up. Our debtors days reduced significantly and we are currently on target for collections f you have little or no wor$ e'perien e, refer to an accomplishment at school or in an outside activity. 4ust remember to relate the skills you used to the job in question. &or e!ample( "I was part of the rowing team that recently won the championships. It was a particularly satisfying win as we had trained very hard, re.uiring a lot of discipline and perseverance, to come up from the bottom of the league. "e also really had to work together as a team and keep each other motivated" What s$ills are the the most riti al to this position? Prepare by listing the tasks given in the job description and identifying which skills are key to successful task performance. $onsider the technical skills specific to the position such as knowledge of accounting principles and practices for an accountant position, human resource management principles for a 52 position, understanding the sales cycle for a sales position and so on. 6ist the competencies required for successful job performance. $ompetencies or behaviors commonly required in the workplace include problem/solving ability, use of initiative, resilience, adaptability, organi1ing and planning and team work. +escribe to the interviewer how your e!perience is relevant to these requirements and how you have successfully demonstrated these skills in your previous positions. "After carefully reviewing this job I would focus on these key skills as the most essential to success. #he company is going through considerable restructuring and as a manager I would need to properly manage any changes with my team. /y communication, motivation, negotiation and conflict management skills are key to this. In my last job I had considerable e!perience in these areas when................."

What do you see yourself doing in five years?

t is not easy to answer this interview question in terms of specific job or company e!pectations. - person cannot accurately predict what the job or the company will look like in 7 years time. 8ou can only answer in general terms about the type of situation you would like to be in and the way you want to have grown and developed. -void giving specific time frames or job titles. &ocus on realisti areer opportunities you could e!pect in your industry and what you hope to have gained from these opportunities. "It is an uncertain world and one can+t predict what is going to happen. 5owever, my hope is that I will have contributed to the success of the company and grown both personally and professionally within my position" 8our interview answer should relate to the job you are being interviewed for in some way. The interviewer does not want to hear that you hope to have published your first novel or be running your own business. This job interview question is designed to assess a number of things( 5ow long are you likely to stay with the company* What is your motivation in applying for this position* +o you look ahead and set goals for yourself* n your interview answer combine your personal growth strategies and goals with your commitment to the job and the employer. "I want to have developed new skills and abilities and to have made the most of my opportunities. #his position will give me the opportunity to learn more about managing a work team, this is a goal of mine. I would like to be recogni2ed as an individual who has really added value to the team and the company" Think carefully about this job interview question and answer without making over/ ambitious predictions about your future potential. This indicates a lack of insight and maturity. #roadly discuss your work values and goals, not focusing on a specific career plan. "I want to have learned and grown within my work, to have increased my responsibilities and skills. I enjoy a challenge and would like to know that I am constantly meeting new challenges. /y goal is to be the best at whatever level I am working at within the company"

+emonstrate that you understand that reward 9salary, promotion, responsibility: will be based on the quality and value of your contribution. "I want to make the most of my abilities and potential. By always doing my best I can ensure that there will be opportunities to increase my value and to grow in ways that benefit both the company and me" -lign your success with the company,s success. "I want to continue to gain e!perience and be a top performing employee in a big company such as this one. I want to contribute as much as possible to the company+s e!pansion and success"