Interview Success Tips

These are the general interview questions and tips that will lead you to the path of a successful job interview.

The question will start immediately right after the interviewer sits in and it is for you to show the qualifications of the company that will suits best assessing your personality to land on a dream job. You need to be prepared and appear as exceptional candidate answering not only the typical questions but also the unexpected one. Sometimes the question is related to your academics preparations, career interest, experience and personal qualifications. In preparation to this matter, here are the guidelines questions and tips on how to handle a successful job interview.

1. Tell me a description about yourself.

You need to have a short statement prepared in mind about this most often asked questions. Limit your q\words for it may not sound as rehearsed type of answer. State about the work you have done that has a relation for the position you are applying for.

2. State a reason on why you leave on your last job?

Always stay positive and never relate a major problem concerning the management. If you do speaking ill of supervisors or any part of the organization, you will be the one looking bad. State a positive reasoning such as opportunity, chance and forward looking circumstance. Always have a smile while talking to the interviewer.

3. What is your most experience to have in this field?

Site about specific and near as you can relate to the position you are applying for.

4. Have you ever considered yourself successful person?

Always answer yes and explain briefly in a good explanation. This should set your goal and have met some that are on track.

5. What is the idea you know about this company?

Find out where they have been, where they are going, current issues and the major players through research.

6. What have you done to improve yourself in the assessment of every company?

Have a good one that is handy to mention specifically the improvement activities and positive self-improvement that relate to the job.

7. Do you applying on other company’s job?

Keep the focus on the job you are applying for and never spend a lot of time in this scene.

8. What makes you eager to work in this group?

Your answer must be based on the research you have done. Relate yourself into a long term career goal. Sincerity is necessary on this question.

9. Do you know anyone or relatives working with us?

Be careful in answering this question because most companies have policy regarding relative working issue.

10. What kind of salary do you expect on this company?

It is like a little game of losing if you answer immediately. As much as possible, say anything like…a tough question…and ask the specific rate for the position applying for. Then give wide details.

11. How long will you work and stay for us if hired?

You can answer the question like this…as long as the company appreciates my work of doing a good job.

12. What is your specific philosophy towards work?

Answer this question in a shirt and positive way shoeing beneficial feelings towards the company.

13. Explain and site how you will be an asset of this company.

State a little advance thought to highlight your best point in relation to the desired position.

14. Tell your best option on why should this company hire you?

Don’t mention any comparison to other candidates. Point out your asset.

15. What is mainly your greatest strength?

These are your problem solving skills, ability to work under pressure, your focus on projects, leadership skills and professional expertise.

16. Site about your specific dream job.

Stay genetic and state about job you love the work with people you can contribute and can’t wait to get to work.

17. What has disappointed you certainly about a job?

Don’t be negative. Safe matters are not enough challenge given by the past employer.

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The Phone interview plays a crucial role in a candidate’s pre-hire process.  This means that the employer has reviewed the candidate’s resume and or application and they are showing some interest which is a positive step forward, although the candidate is still far away from being hired!  The phone interview in many cases may be a make-it or break-it for many candidates as this is mainly a way for the employer to verify if the “you” the candidate are both a cultural and technical fit for their work environment. Below are some of the most common phone interview questions and answers.

Q. Can you tell me a little about yourself?

A. This question is commonly used by the employer to break the ice and to get the candidate to reveal some basic personality traits. The best response would be short and professional.  Remember to stay focused as the employer doesn’t want to hear anything that doesn’t relate to their business!

Q. What is your education background?

A. The correct answer is the honest answer. “Direct and straight to the point”, is the only thing an employer likes to hear.  If you do not have a degree and you are not enrolled in an educational program, don’t talk about how you are continuing your education because the truth is you aren’t!

Q. Are you currently employed and where?

A. In an ideal situation, you don’t want to leave one job without having another lined up; always answer this question direct to the point and honestly. Note: no negative talk even if your previous job came to a bitter end!

Q. If you are not employed, when were you last employed and what is the reason that you are no longer there?

A. If you are not employed be honest about your employment dates both verbally and written on your resume.  Note: Always remember, “do not talk negatively about your previous employers or employment situations”, no matter how much you want to!

Q. Tell me about your current employer (i.e. what do they do, how long they’ve been in business, etc.).

A. This question is used to show how well you know your own business and how detail oriented you are or may be.

Q. What is the most important thing you’re looking for in a company/job?

A. And no, the answer should never be more money!!! Even if that is the real answer!!  The correct answer should be; a new challenge with an opportunity for growth and development.  Employers truly want candidates that can offer an immediate impact on their business, including applicable skills, education and experience, but also candidates that are interested in new challenges and want to continue to develop and grow within new work environments!

Q. Why are you considering leaving your current employer?

A.. If your answer is because you hate your boss, you just lost this opportunity!  No employer ever likes to hear negative discussions about your current or prior work engagements.  Any negative discussions will be portrayed as “red flags” to the employer which are not good for you.  Depending on your circumstance there could be many answers to this question.  Simply give a positive response with a logical explanation such as “I decided to relocate so that I could be closer to my family” or “I’ve been at my current employer for 8 years and I’ve reached my maximum potential, so I’ve decided to search for a new and challenging opportunities”, etc.

Q. How long have you been with your current employer?

A. this is a simple close-ended question, simply answer the question honestly! If it wasn’t a substantial length of time, just give a logical and positive explanation.  “Remember; always be as positive as possible.”

Q. On a Day-to-Day basis at your current job, what are your primary responsibilities?  

A. This question is to test your ability to articulate in fine detail what you do at your current employer. If your memory is not that great, you should prepare yourself with some details. Note: never regurgitate the information directly off of your resume as this shows that you are unable to have an intellectual conversation!

Q. What size groups do you work in and do you have any group size preferences?

A. This is a question to see how comfortable you working with other people.  It is always best to be honest, with the employer and yourself.  If you really don’t like working in larger groups or around lots of people then let them know… Maybe the job isn’t an exact fit for you and that’s OK because there will be many other opportunities out there that may provide you with your ideal work environment. Phone interviews and in person interviews are also a perfect opportunity for you the candidate to be interviewing the employer, to verify if their company/job is best for you!

Q. Have you received any raises or promotions at your current employer?

A. This is a pretty straight forward question, either you have or you haven’t.  Either way it is always good to discuss your promotions and if you haven’t been promoted, then keep the conversation positive; which means no negative discussions!

Q. Do you have any managerial experience or are you more of an individual contributor?

A. if you do not, then it is ok to say that you are an individual contributor, if you do have managerial experience then elaborate on your experience, let them know; when, where, how many people did you manage, your responsibilities as a manager, etc..  Note: good

For more of my job search, job interview and careers articles, visit my blog.

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Every job interview features two broad categories of questions:

(1) Questions specific to the role, and
(2) General questions.

We have compiled a list of some of the general/popular questions and have given advice on each.

Remember one thing though – no matter how good you are, you must not slouch, fidget, look distracted or appear over-eager while answering any question at an interview.

Instead maintain a calm, confident and positive appearance and answer the questions honestly.

Here are the general questions and their answers:

“Tell us more about yourself”.

Reconcile your personality with the skills required for the job and then answer the question honestly. Basically, the interviewer wants to know how you are tailored for the job and whether you have it in you to deliver the goods over the medium-long term. So before going for the interview, research and understand the skills needed and honestly put across your take on why you consider yourself the right person for the job.

“How well do you work in teams?”

Most jobs are successfully accomplished only by team effort and all organizations look to hire team players. You must extract the best “team” moments from your past job/s experience/s and convince the interviewer how you have achieved success in the past working with teams. If you are being interviewed for a senior position, then you have to mention how you have motivated teams in the past to achieve excellent results for past employer/s.

“Talk about your strengths and weaknesses”.

This is a show-and-tell question. Talk about your best skills, whip out your e-portfolio (or print portfolio) and display the evidence of all your hard work. Here you must talk about your strengths that reconcile with the demands of the current job. As far as weaknesses go, you have to be honest and because if the employer gets the feeling you’re hiding something, he won’t hire you. However, after describing a weakness, you should also add how you can overcome adversity and convert it into opportunity.

“How do you handle deadlines and the stress associated with them?”

Stress is everywhere and you have likely encountered stressful situations in your job. There’s no other way but to tell the employer honestly how you have tackled stress in the workplace in the past and how do you propose to tackle it going ahead.

“Why do you consider yourself the best person for the job?”

Well this is subtle sales pitch time. State your case confidently and calmly. Add whatever you have researched to your experience and apply it to real-life work situations you are likely to encounter and offer your solutions and ideas. If your replies carry weight and your solutions are creative and practical, you will get the job.

“Do you have any questions to ask?”

Candidates, who don’t ask any questions of the employer are perceived to be lacking initiative and motivation, so research the job and the history of the company and pose intelligent questions about them.

We have another 32 sample interview questions here together with 32 sample interview answers. There’s also advice on answering interview questions properly.

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I think I’m yet to meet anyone who actively enjoys the job interview process. Sure, there are those infuriating people who suffer from no job interview stress and glide through the meeting as if their careers didn’t depend on it, but even they don’t actually enjoy it – they just don’t let it affect them. And 90% of the time, this external confidence is simply because they know exactly what to expect from the job interview questions.

How do they know? Simply because interviewers are an unoriginal breed and there’s a set of questions which have served us fine for years. We won’t change if we don’t have to! There’s the occasional wildcard job interview question, but even those will usually be a variant of these (phrased differently, but looking for the same sort of response) or they’ll be so off the wall that they’re just looking for honesty and a candidate who isn’t intimidated.

This list of job interview questions and answers isn’t exhaustive (if it were, this article would extend for several pages), but it provides the basic questions that it helps to be prepared for. I’m going to be writing another article in the future about the very tough interview questions that some vindictive employers ask and how to deal with them, so watch this space if you find this list useful.

So, here’s my beginner’s guide to answering interview questions

“Tell Me a Little About Yourself”

This is a peculiar one and may serve a few purposes – the most important of these, I believe, is allowing you to get comfortable in the job interview environment. An interviewer who dives straight in to the interrogation is going to see a lot of anxious candidates. There isn’t a set answer here, because it’s such an open question – just see it as a short speech to promote yourself. Briefly outline your recent work and any significant achievements you’ve earned along the way.

It’s essential you don’t go on and on when answering this interview question, babbling about everything from your childhood to your current job – they’re looking for an overview of who you are, and if you ramble, you’ll have defined yourself as a rambler!

“What would you say your strengths are?”

Every interviewer loves this question, because it gives them quick answers. It’s also one of the better ones to be asked in a job interview, because it gives you a free license to shamelessly self promote! The key concern here is not to go overboard – if you do, you’ll come across as conceited. It’s also wise to tailor your answer to this question to the type of role being advertised. Read the job description carefully, and match your skills to the question – if it’s a role that involved a lot of proofreading, then mention your meticulous attention to detail, if it’s a copywriting position, emphasise how articulate you are – and so on.

Don’t lie here, because it’ll be really obvious and embarrassing when you’re found out. If you claim to be articulate, but struggle to put two sentences together without misusing a word, your credibility will be damaged and you won’t be working for the company any time soon.

“What’s your main weakness?”

The flip side to the gift of the ’strengths’ question is this beast. A weakness is undoubtedly a bad thing, so why would you want to bring it up in a situation where your aim is to sell yourself. The best way of answering this interview question, in my experience, is damage limitation. Provide an (honest) weakness, but then point out the steps to limit its hindrance. If you point out your lack of organization, but then explain this is why you make liberal use of postage notes to counter the problem, it becomes less of a weakness and more of a strength: you recognize your own limits and make amends.

“Why are you looking to leave your current job?”

Now this is a bit of a mean question. Everyone must have a reason for looking to work elsewhere, otherwise they’d be sat at their desk working and not attending a job interview elsewhere. Often this needn’t be a problem, especially if the role you’re applying for is in a different industry (“I’m looking for a change of direction”) or a different part of the country (“I’m looking to relocate”). The trouble comes when you’re looking for work in the same industry and in the same city – the main reasons people looking to move being a low salary, clash of personalities, a dislike of policy or jumping before they’re pushed. Needless to say, none of these will impress your interviewer. The best way of countering this is to state your ambitions and point out that you’re looking to move up the career ladder at a company with more scope for progression. This shows you’re motivated and ambitious, and turns a potential negative into a glowing positive.

“Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?”

I’ve seen variants of this where the question is 3, 5 or 10 years time but the point of it is always the same: to scope out your ambitions. If the role has an expected path of progression, then suggesting that you hope to impress them enough to progress upwards in the company will not only state your ambitions clearly, but will express your loyalty by stating you can see yourself here for the long haul.

If the role seems to show less progression and they’re asking the question to ensure you won’t abandon ship after 6 months, then you can play it safe in another way: “Well, in 5 years I’d like to be managing a team, but it’s entirely possible that I will enjoy this role enough to be doing something similar”. Just make sure you mention a career thematically linked – the interviewer doesn’t want to hear “I want to be an astronaut” if they’re hiring for the role of salesman!

“Why do you want to work here?”

Clue: The answer to this one isn’t “I saw an advert and it pays well.

What the interviewer is looking for here is evidence you actually give a damn about the company that’s hiring. It’s actually a great opportunity, disguised as a tough interview question: if you’ve read up about the company (the internet is the best source for this) then you should be fine. Just make sure you can find a reason why the company’s philosophy will be good for you. This is usually very easy, as company websites are written to sell them as benevolent employers at the forefront of their industry.

“Any questions?”

This is often a trick question in many ways, and isn’t just the act of courtesy it can first seem. Even if the interviewer has asked it free of any ulterior motive, then it’s still a great opportunity to display your enthusiasm once again. If you ask lots of questions about the company, and your rivals meekly reply “no”, then you will come across as the enthusiastic candidate with initiative, while they will have failed to distinguish themselves. Make a mental note of any points you’d like them to elaborate on during the job interview and make sure to ask them at the end. If all else fails, the fall-back question of “when will I know” is always a banker.

As I said earlier, this list is far from exhaustive, but the areas the interviewers are looking to find out about you are covered here. If you keep in mind the kind of answers here, you should be prepared for all but the most vindictive interviewer – and I’ll deal with how to answer their tough interview questions in my next article.

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