The interview is without doubt, the most important part of your vacancy/job hunting process. The time spent with the interviewer will determine whether or not they want to employ you, or invite you back for a second or even a third interview. Therefore, it's vital that you are well prepared and know what to expect.
So many candidates turn up to interviews totally unprepared, not knowing what sort of questions they will be asked and even worse, not knowing what answers they are going to give. Some people get extremely nervous and some are by far too laid back. So we have prepared a few hints & tips for you - take notes and remember them.
Preparation for the Interview
It is vital that you arrive at the interview fully prepared. A few things to remember are:
Remember that the interview is a two way street! Although they want to know if you are the right person for their company, you also want to know if the company can offer you the opportunities that you are looking for. Always look to come away from an interview knowing everything that you need to know, so if an offer is made, you are in a position to accept or decline.
Interview Questions
Perhaps you are returning to the workplace or maybe you are a seasoned executive taking another step up the career ladder. Whatever your situation, you should always bear in mind that every interviewer is trying to evaluate you on three criteria:
They will normally achieve this by asking a series of probing questions. On the face of it, these may seem like normal everyday questions but they are designed to do one thing... Evaluate you! Some of these questions may be:
Why do you want to work here? Here the interviewer is looking to establish the company's attributes as you see/understand them. To answer this question you must have researched the company. The company website should be your first port of call.
How would you describe or explain your progress to date? This question is not designed solely to rate your progress; it also rates your self-belief/esteem. Be positive, but be careful not to give the impression you have already achieved your best work and have no room to improve. You can also state why you see this opportunity as being conducive to your personal development.
What are your biggest accomplishments? Keep your answers job-related and focused. If you have played a key role in a particular project you should then make no bones about broadcasting that fact. At the same time avoid exaggerating your contributions!
Where do you see yourself five years from now? There is no perfect answer to this question although hopefully you will have researched the company enough to have a rough idea as to the potential career progression. Outlinine some achievements you would hope to have attained in this time and keep your answer relevant to your professional career.
Tell me about yourself? This is not an invitation to tell your life story. If the context isn't clear, you need to know more about the question before giving your answer. Whichever direction your answer ultimately takes, you should be sure that it is relevant to your professional achievements. You should also refer to one or more of your key personal qualities, such as integrity, honesty, determination or being a team player.
Why are you different or what makes you stand out in a crowd? Isolate high points from your background and build in a couple of your key personal qualities, such as pride in your work, reliability and also include your ability to be both steadfast and tenacious whilst at the same time when called for, to be flexible.
What do you see as your greatest weakness? You should answer this question with extreme care as it is essentially an invitation to hang yourself. If there is a minor part of the job at hand where you lack knowledge - but knowledge you will obviously pick up quickly - use that. Another option is to answer the question so your weakness is ultimately a positive characteristic. For example: 'I always give each project 110%, so if I sometimes feel others aren't pulling their weight, I find that a little frustrating.
How well do you feel other people rated your performance in your last job? Preparation is the name of the game here! This is the very reason why you should ask for written evaluations of your work before leaving a company. You should also ask for a letter of recommendation whenever you leave a job. Don't force these under your interviewer's nose, but when you are asked the question, you can confidently produce them.
What are you looking for in your next role? You should portray that you want a company where your talents and experience will allow you to contribute to the business. Avoid saying what you want the new employer to give you. Instead you should clearly state what you want in terms of what you can give to your employer. What you can contribute!
Why did you leave your last job? You should hopefully have an acceptable reason for leaving every job you have held. The mistake to avoid here is being derogatory toward past employers. This can be overcome quite simply by a diplomatic choice of words. For example, if your ex-employers management skills were less than desirable, it would be acceptable to say that you wanted to work for a more professional outfit where you would be able to develop your skills further. After all, you will have been unlikely to learn best practices if these were not being implemented by the management.
What kind of salary are you looking for/are you worth? This question is asking you to name a desired figure but the twist is that it also asks you to justify that figure. It is recommended for you to try for a higher figure rather than a lower one. If their immediate response is to say that's too much, accept it as no more than a negotiating point, and come back with your own calm response: 'What figure did you have in mind?'
Are you looking at any other opportunities? Many interviewers will ask if you are looking at other opportunities. This is essentially a good sign as they probably would not ask the question unless they were considering progressing your application. If you are looking at other opportunities do not hide the fact but be sure to reinforce why you are interest in the position you are being interviewed for. It may be that you have really impressed the interviewer and he does not want to risk loosing the chance to offer you the job.
Do you have any questions? This is a sign the interview is drawing to a close, and that you have one more chance to make an impression. Remember the adage: people respect what you inspect, not what you expect. Create questions from any of the following: