The Interview
Preparing For The Interview:
Well done. Following your successful job application you have now been offered an interview for that new job. You have obviously impressed your future potential employer with your CV and application form to be offered an interview in the first place. You will have no doubt have probably beaten a number of other applicants but something in your application has made you stand out from the other candidates.
An employer isn’t looking to employ any old person to fill their job; hence they have already sifted through all of the applications and compiled a shortlist which you are now on! All the interviewer needs to do from there is choose the candidate to fill their job. The only way they are going to do this is meet each applicant in person. There are many variables in choosing a new person for a job. What one employer classes as an important quality, another may not. Some feel experience is an important factor. Others value qualifications or team management skills or a combination of both. What you have got to remember is that you will have to make a lasting impression on the interviewer to get you nearer to securing that new job. Your future employer is going to have to make a choice from several applicants. This will inevitably be a hard decision to make. After all, summing up candidates suitability in a few short hours isn’t easy for anybody, so you must make an impression. It’s no easier sitting in an interviewer’s shoes than being a candidate. If you go well prepared then you are able to manipulate an interview to your advantage and get across your strengths.
Prior To The Interview:
Remember your employer knows all about the job they are looking to fill; what it entails and what qualities they are looking for in a potential candidate. They also have a fair amount of information about you; your CV and application form. It is always a good idea to take a copy of these with you to the interview. The interviewer will have a checklist of areas they are looking to satisfy themselves about to ensure you can do the job. These will encompass some general interview questions and others specifically about you as a person, such as your interests, hobbies and what you like to do outside of the workplace.
How Will The Interview Be Structured?
Most interviews follow a fairly similar simple format. Usually you will be invited into the interview room, offered a drink of tea, coffee or water etc and then sometimes a bit of casual chat such as “How was your journey?” Get the idea! Next, your interviewer will ask some general questions, such as “Tell me about yourself” or “Are you an organised person?” They may then ask you questions about your CV such as “You say you are good at time management, can you give us an example?” Once the interviewer feels that they have satisfactory answers to all their questions they will then give you the opportunity to ask any questions you may have about the job, the company etc.
Convincing Your Interviewer & Offering Them Reassurance:
It is really important at the interview stage that the interviewer feels happy about all the areas they have covered. They may keep going back to specific questions if they don’t feel they have got the answer they require. This is often a good sign as it means they are taking your application seriously and they may just want reassurance on one or two points. If you can put their mind at rest it will make you a far stronger contender. If you haven’t been asked any questions, you have either done a fantastic job at clarifying all of their concerns and queries, or you are unlikely to have got the job. Try and be as open as you can without going on and on. I know it’s not always easy to judge, but if you think there is a subject that the interviewer has covered and is not comfortable with, try to get your point across. There are certain areas that can and will cause concern to an employer, such as lack of experience or missing periods of employment during your career. These may have simple answers to them, but if the interviewer doesn’t have a good understanding, because they haven’t asked you the right questions, they are going to be wary. If you think something is bothering them try and give a good explanation. If you are well prepared before the interview and you think there is something in your career history that might be of concern you will have a sensible answer ready. You will then avoid feeling speechless when asked “Why is there an 18 month gap in your employment history?”
Being Interviewed For A Job By Your Existing Employer:
An interview is an interview! Should you be applying for promotion or a change of job in your existing company then your employer will already have a lot of the current information about you, such as timekeeping or time management skills, personal details etc, etc. Other than this information the interview will follow the same structure as any other interview. However specific questions about your current position may well come into play and have a more dominant effect on the meeting. It could be that although there are certain areas they already know about, they may still ask you about them. Things like “How well do you work under pressure and meeting targets?” They are already aware of your capabilities as you work for them but they want you to answer this question anyway. Just go ahead and give them the answer they want to hear!
Just because you already work for them don’t treat this any differently to an interview being conducted by a new employer. Yes, the interviewer may already know you, so they may well be a little less informal in their greeting but once you get down to business treat the situation the same as if you were applying for a job outside of your current employer. A good point of useful information; don’t crack jokes about people you work with or chit chat about Joe in accounts. It isn’t perceived professional and it will do you no favours in your career advancement.
Be Prepared For The Questions That Will Be Asked:
It’s almost impossible to know exactly what questions are going to be asked at the interview but you can expect certain areas that are likely to be explored. Brief yourself on the skills required for the job, including the experience that you have to do it. Think about questions that may arise from the answers you gave on your application form and lastly consider any questions that may arise regarding your CV. As previously mentioned, breaks in your career, work experience and so on. If you work in a sales role you will already understand the importance of preparation prior to meeting a new customer or trying to close a deal. It is no different when presenting yourself for an interview to win a new job. You need to Prepare Your Offensive, Do Your Research, and Prepare for the Meeting. The better organised you are the more professionally and accurately you will be able to answer each question. This will put both you and the interviewer at ease.
How To Prepare Prepare Your Offensive:
Now going into an interview is no different from going into battle. The end result is to come out the winner! The better your offensive, the more chance you have at winning the interviewer over. Your objective is to succeed. How are you going to do this? Well you need to know where you are going and how you are going to get there. You need to know what traps or pitfalls there are along the way, so the best practice is to plan and be prepared. Simple isn’t it; so what have you got to do? Well you have got to win over the interviewer. The only way of doing this is by convincing him, or her, that you are the man, or woman, for the job. You are going to achieve this by showing the interviewer that you know about their organisation, know about the job, know how to do the job and would be the best person for the role. The is done by preparation so you can present yourself as cool, calm, collected but not too cocky! If you have ever played a new computer game or purchased a new item of equipment you know that your job is going to be much easier if you get the instructions our first to work out how to operate it, rather than rushing in all with guns blazing without doing any research.
Do Some Research About The Employer:
Now I am no easy employer to work for. I have allocated my time for you to attend an interview and I have also spent some time reading through your CV and application form. In return I think that after inviting you to come along and see me, the least I can expect is for you to have spent some of your time doing a bit of research about my company and what we do. Not every employer takes this stance but many do. By doing a little research this will show the interviewer that you have put some effort into trying to get this job. Besides which, are you really looking to apply to work for a company you know nothing about? If so, you can’t really be that serious about the interview. It’s really simple to do research on a company. Get hold of the company’s sales brochures, reports and accounts. The easiest way to obtain this information is to ring up the receptionist and ask for a copy. You could say something like “I’ve got an interview with your company and I would like to find out a bit more about your organisation. Please could you send me some of your literature?” This is not so easy if it’s only a small employer. However you can also look at the company’s web site if they have one, research local news items by visiting the local library and searching the newspaper archives outlining press releases. It’s easy to do this. Visit your local branch and explain what you are after and I am sure they will help. Remember you get out of life what you put in. Invest time and effort and you will be rewarded.
Be Prepared For The Interview:
There are several areas that you must be ensure you have covered when preparing for the interview. The first fundamental one being not to be late! Before the big day, plan your route. If you are going by car have a trial run and see how long it takes you to get there. The same rule applies if you are going by bus or train. When you have determined how long it is likely to take you, add half an hour to the journey. If you are early, don’t worry. You can always have a drink or read your magazine, but one thing is for sure you will be calm and more relaxed, whereas if you are running late you will be on edge; not a good start to an interview. Take a phone with you (or money to use a phone box) just in case something happens. It is very discourteous to be late and it really annoys most people, so you aren’t going to get off to a good start on that basis. Just as a pointer it’s always a good idea to take a pen and paper with you or alternatively a briefcase or handbag with a pen and paper in it.
Making the Right First Impressions at the Interview First Impressions Do First Impressions Count? You Bet They Do! You would be very surprised at what can be ascertained from the first few moments in someone’s presence. Indeed, it is an accepted fact that a decision can be made in the first few minutes. An interviewer or employer will discover a great deal about you in a relatively small amount of time by use of their experience in body language. It’s a bit like when you make new friends, generally speaking you know within a few moments of meeting a person for the very first time whether you will like them or not (despite knowing very little about their background). I personally think it is some form of basic primate instinct. So your first few seconds are fairly vital when you walk into that interview room or when you are greeted by your employer. We all give out different signals and these can be influenced by the way you dress, to your body language. In my opinion good body language starts with a firm handshake, (that’s firm, don’t shake their hand off!) and being smartly dressed. Don’t bathe in perfume or aftershave as strong smells often give off an overpowering smell and can be very off putting. Not everyone has the same taste in cologne and there is nothing worse than being stuck in a room with a smell that makes you feel ill. It’s always best to be clean and neutral!
Prior To Attending Your Job Interview:
It’s always a good idea (and I think a courteous one which shows manners and initiative) to confirm with your prospective interviewer the interview arrangements by letter once you have been invited to attend the interview. This doesn’t need to be a long winded letter. It can just be brief, confirming the time and place of the interview. It also gives you the opportunity to send in any documents that the interviewer may wish to see in advance or anything you may have omitted to send when you originally enclosed your CV and job application form.
Dress Code - What Clothes Should You Wear For Your Job Interview?
It’s always a tough call when trying to decide what to wear for a job interview. Traditionally men always wore their smartest suit and tie and the same could be said for women; either a nice skirt and blouse or a suit. However things have changed a lot since the old days. For example if you are going to work for an IT firm or Graphic Designers then the dress code may be smart but casual. By the same token if you are going to work for a firm of Solicitors, Accountants or Insurance Brokers then the chances are the dress code is going to be formal. It can be a hard call to decide what to wear for your interview. If you are applying for an internal job then this won’t apply to you as you will already know what standard of outfit is or isn’t acceptable at your place of work. There are two fairly simple ways to ascertain what type of dress code your potential future employer demands and these are as follows:
1. Drive up to the offices or workplace at a time when the staff will be arriving or leaving. This will give you a good indication of what types of clothes the other employees are wearing.
2. Pick up the phone and ring the interviewer’s secretary and ask whether the company has a dress code.
As a pointer it’s always a good idea to “Dress above the Rest” at an interview. Remember you are out to make a special impression. Although you will want to fit in if you get the job, you need to be appointed first! So a pretty simple rule. If the dress code is casual then you need to be dressed casually but a little smarter. For example if the other employees are wearing trousers and open neck shirts then it would be a good idea for you to wear trousers, a tie and a smart jacket. If the dress code is a suit and tie then you will need to wear your best suit and tie – get the picture. It’s pretty easy for you to judge for yourself. Another good point is when you are invited into the interview don’t ever remove your jacket without be asked. If the room is hot, well quite frankly that’s just a bit of tough luck. I have to admit I have always kept my jacket on even when my interviewer has asked me if I would like to remove it. My reason being that we all perspire during stress and there is nothing worse than seeing perspiration marks around the arms of your shirt! A manger once recalled a very funny story about a lady who was interviewed on a hot sunny day. After the initial greeting the applicant asked “It’s so hot out there, do you mind if I take my shoes off?” Without waiting for a reply she then proceeded to do exactly that. The interviewer spent the whole of the time being distracted by brightly painted red toes wiggly about. Needless to say the interview was quite short and no time was spent even considering whether to make a job offer or not. So what type of clothes should you wear at your interview? Well it’s an individual’s choice. However I would steer clear of bright outrageous ties if you are a man as not every interviewer will share your love of cartoon characters such as the Simpson’s. Whether male of female try and settle on neutral colours. Finally as previously mentioned it’s a bad idea to wear overpowering aftershave or perfume. It can be very off putting to others.
On Arrival At Your Job Interview:
If you are organised you will have arrived at your interview in good time and you will have a few moments to compose yourself and utilise the rest room before your big moment. If there are some bathrooms in the waiting area (if not just ask someone to direct you to them) go and make a few final checks on your appearance. You might want to comb your hair, use the lavatory or adjust your make up. This time will give you the opportunity to make sure you are ship shape and looking a million dollars. It will also give you reassurance so that once you are in the interview you don’t have to worry about whether you have done your zips up, your hair looks tidy or your lipstick is smudged; issues that are important but that you don’t want to have to worry whilst trying to win over the interviewer. It’s always a good idea if you have a briefcase and are wearing a tie to take a spare, just in case you spill something down it before going into the interview. It’s easily done. I was once attending an interview and on the way I stopped to drink a can of coke as I had arrived early. To say I was mortified when I spilt it down my tie is an understatement. I had no spare and apologised profusely to my interviewer, who was very kind and said it didn’t matter. However I still spent the entire interview worrying about it and my performance was definitely hindered by it. A lesson learned to say the least!
When Your Interviewer Comes Out To Take You Into The Interview – Or When You Are Called Into The Interview Room:
OK, in my opinion this is the most stressful time of the interview and when my heart beats the most! It’s when you are entering the unknown; new surroundings, new people (sometimes as many as four or five) and a strange room. As I have stated before, you need your maximum concentration at this point as “First Impressions” do count. So how do you greet your interviewer? Firstly look your interviewer in the eyes and smile. Everyone likes a smiley face. I don’t mean beam like a Cheshire cat; just a pleasant friendly smile. Secondly, offer your hand out to shake. Don’t squeeze the interviewers hand until it turns blue, just a firm professional handshake will suffice. At the same time give a greeting. ”Hello very pleased to meet you” or something like that. Your interviewer will then either take you into the interview room, or you may already be in there as you have been called in, and offer you a seat. Please do not just sit down when you enter the room. Wait to be offered a seat. It is good manners.
The interview is going to start along the lines of chit chat. You will probably be asked how you journey was etc, etc and then offered a drink. Depending on the type of person you are and how well you cope with nerves, which we all have, from the person applying for a job flipping burgers to the Executive applying for a new £ 250K per year position; it’s up to you whether you decide to accept one. You won’t be thought of any less should you not accept. If you think your hands are going to be shaking like a coconut tree in a hurricane every time you pick your cup up, it’s probably a good idea to decline. That way you won’t chance spilling the liquid all down your front should you really lose your nerves!
Projecting The Right Image during an interview - What does your body language tell the employer? During The Interview – Projecting the Right image Selling Yourself
So, I have explained the ins and outs of preparing for your new job interview and dealing with the stress element leading up to this; and then entering into the interview environment. You are now well dressed; have greeted your interviewer (s) correctly; created your comfortable sitting posture and are now ready to convince your interviewer that you are the man or woman that they have been searching for to fill that job opening. To some the actual performance comes easily. For others they have to work at it. Some people are natural born sales people and know how to sell themselves others are not so lucky. Generally speaking if you already work in a sales role, as I do, what I will explain next is really second nature and it is unlikely that I will be offering you anything that you don’t already know. Sales people are natural born performers whether it is due to their personality or due to the nature of the work they have previously carried out. The term “life is a stage and you’re on it” has never spoken truer than at a job interview. I have been on hundreds of sales courses and read many sales books over the course of my career such as “how to win friends and influence people” but it all comes down to one thing and that is getting a stranger to believe in you and, or, your product. At an interview you are the one that needs to put on a good performance. There are many different qualities the interviewer is going to be looking for in their potential candidate. These will encompass qualifications, experience, you as a person and the way that you integrate with others. Also they will consider your previous employment history, your enthusiasm towards your career, along with many other factors. So here are a few areas to think about. They are all really interlinked and if you can employ all of them at interview stage you are well on your way to getting that new job.
Show Your Interviewer That You Are Enthusiastic:
So what exactly is an employer looking for? Well firstly I would say enthusiasm. If someone asks you a question and you give a one word answer it doesn’t really look very enthusiastic. So the way to deal with this is to answer the question as deeply as you can. For example; Interviewer “Your background is in commercial liability underwriting but I see you are now involved in commercial property underwriting”. Don’t simply answer with a Yes or No answer, expand on it. You could answer along the lines of “Yes I was originally trained in liability underwriting, an area I spent several years working in which I thoroughly enjoyed. However I had the opportunity to expand my overall underwriting skills to encompass property underwriting so I jumped at the chance as I felt it would enhance my experience overall within my team”. Obviously you can tailor this to your own circumstances but you see what I am getting at. Be enthusiastic. Don’t just give one word answers. Make your interviewer interested in you and what you have done. Show him that you really are passionate about everything you do. To the interviewer this shows that you will have enthusiasm and dedication to your new job should they decide to employ you.
Show Your Interviewer You Are A Confident Candidate And That You Know Your Stuff:
Another area where all sales people are naturals is confidence! I know it’s not always easy when you are under pressure and nervous to ooze confidence, but this is a really important area. The more confident you are the more chance you will have of bagging the job. Try and expand on your answers again in this area. If you are asked a negative question try and respond with a positive confident answer. For example: Interviewer “You don’t appear to have done much cold calling for a while and this job will involve quite a large amount of self lead generation how do you feel about that?” You could answer along the lines of “Yes I haven’t been involved in cold calling for 6 months which has been quite disappointing to me as I thoroughly enjoyed it and felt that it was one of my strong areas. I really have missed this element of my work because I got the opportunity of speaking to new people each day. I really got a buzz when I finally closed a deal that I knew I had generated from start to finish. Cold calling is an area I am keen to get back into and it’s a talent that I feel comes naturally to me”.
Show Your Interviewer That You Are Positive:
It’s easy to become negative about anything in life, but in work life and a career environment, a positive person in the workplace can be a real asset to an employer. Positive people give off positive vibes and those good vibrations nearly always rub off on other employees. The end result creates a happy, proactive, enthusiastic work force which ultimately creates a better working environment and more efficient team. If you can demonstrate this quality to your interviewer at interview stage you will definitely impress them.
Watch Your Body Language:
Body language is an area that many interviewers will take seriously. What we do and how we do it can show underlying areas that can be picked up upon. Body language is an area that has been analysed for many, many years by professionals and interviewers alike. It really is amazing what you can learn from someone just by their mannerisms. As I have stated before I am no expert, but to give you an example, if you ask a person a question and their eyes gaze up thoughtfully to the left hand side of their eyeball you know that the chances of their answer being true are high. If on the other hand they look up to the right of their eyeball the chances are they are searching for a made up answer to your question. There are certain exceptions to the rule but the theory is based upon the fact that the left side of your brain is where you retrieve data from and the right is the fictional side of your brain! Interesting isn’t it and one to be aware of. Other areas that give off body language signals, without you knowing about them, are as follows:
Don’t: 1. Cross Your Arms: It makes you look defensive.
2. Sit on the edge of your seat.
3. Mess with your face or play with your jewellery or hair.
4. Rock on the seat.
5. Interrupt when being asked a question.
6. Give one word answers (unless the answer dictates a one word answer).
Do: 1. Smile as frequently as possible (especially when you are asked a question and respond to the person who has asked the question) but don’t overdo it!
2. Keep your hands in your lap; don’t wave them around all over the place.
3. Keep eye contact at all times (I don’t mean stare out your interviewer). If there is more than one interviewer, flick from person to person.
4. Be articulate and listen carefully to each question before giving your answer.
5. Keep calm and don’t panic!
The Day of the Interview - Information to Assist The Interview
General Interview Guidelines – The Do's and The Don't's!
Once your interview gets under way and the list of general questions that need to be asked by the interviewer are answered; and provided at his point you haven’t managed to throw your tea cup 6 foot into the air because you have the jitters, you should, if you have taken in what I have already said, begin to be feeling a little less nervous so you can really get down to business. Try and answer all of the questions the interviewer throws at you in a precise and confident manner. If your interviewer is asking a question and halfway through you wish to make a comment, don’t interrupt unless you really think that it is very, very appropriate. It is bad manners. Ideally wait for the question to be fully delivered to you and give your answer; even if it means saying to your interviewer “Can I just go back on the point you made in a previous question?” It is really difficult in this instance where you feel you want to pass comment on something you really feel passionate about but you have to try and bite your tongue. Nobody likes being interrupted and in my experience interviewers are all full of self importance and feel that their question is more important than your answer!
Answering Questions Posed To You By The Interviewer:
Your potential new employer is looking for a candidate that can do the job and will fit into his or her business. The chances are that the candidate is undoubtedly going to need to be a team player and a person who can listen and give enthusiastic and positive input into their job and daily work life. As the questions start to flow try and remember not to go on and on when giving your answers.
Try and keep your answers as precise as possible, but not yes and no answers. If you are asked a specific question that requires you to provide an example of how you have dealt with a situation or closed a sale then give an example that makes your achievement stand out. If you have won the salesman of the year award then give a little background into how you achieved it. Inevitably there will be times when you run out of steam and these moments can be quite frustrating, so just sit back and relax and take a few seconds to compose yourself before you deliver your answer to the question.
There are some people who think that talking is more important than listening, but they would be totally wrong. Being able to listen to a question without interruption is an art especially if you are genuinely interested in the subject. By showing this quality you will make a good impression. If you are asked a question, that you do not know the answer to, do not to be tempted to lie. If you do you had better make sure you keep your story straight. Answering a question with a lie can get you into big trouble and really achieves very little. After all, the questions have been laid down to see if you are the person the interviewer is looking for and if you can’t give a straight answer then the chances are you are not the person for the job. Don’t do it, it will all end in tears!
There are some employers that will ask you what you think of your current boss. This is a trick question. They are really not in the slightest bit bothered whether you think they are a complete moron. All they are trying to ascertain is whether you are a loyal employee and can act in a professional and neutral manner. After all if they offer you the job they will be your next boss! You also have to bear in mind that what goes around comes around; slating your boss won’t achieve anything other than making you look petty and bitter. Save that experience for when you are in the pub with your mates!
Different Types Of Interview Questions:
An interview will have a structured format and there will be several different types of interview questions set to enable the interviewer to gauge your response to technical as well as hypothetical questions. For example a Technical Question may involve specifics about the way a certain type of application is dealt with. Let’s say you are applying for a job in the construction industry there may be certain questions set out to see how you would deal with a particular problem within a mechanical process. Hypothetical Questions can apply to any type of job role and they are designed to ascertain how you would deal with a situation or chain of events. Some less professional interviewers may also throw questions at you which are deliberately set to get your back up, to judge how you deal with the situation.
This is fairly rare and in any event to be honest any interviewer who engages in this type of underhand maneuver I don’t think would be a particularly good employer. Just my opinion!
Types Of Interview:
If you haven’t had a lot of experience with attending interviews then you will not be aware of the different ways that employers are able to conduct interviews and the way that they are held. Aside from a traditional interview i.e. one candidate and one interviewer, there are three different types of interviews and dependent upon the position involved will depend upon the type of interview you may have.
Firstly there is the Telephone Interview. This involves an interviewer calling you up and having a chat with you over the phone to judge your telephone skills. This often happens where the job may entail working in a call centre and the emphasis is on how well you perform on the telephone. This method is also used if the interviewer is trying to shortlist a group of candidates in a quick manner and is often carried out by an external recruiter such as an agency. You may or may not be told that you will be having a telephone interview. It depends on the employer. If you have applied for a job where heavy telephone use is likely to be a major part of the job, then this may be the option chosen. The interview should be treated as any other and it’s a good idea to make notes as you go along if you can. If you are successful it may be that you will be asked there and then to attend a face to face interview, so make sure you have a pen and paper to hand.
Another type of interview is what is known a Panel Interview. These are a bit more tricky and stressful than a one to one interview. A panel interview will usually have anything from three to six interviewers sitting in on the meeting. Basically this is a way of cutting down on time where the decision for the applicant needs to be discussed by several different members of the business. It could be that you are applying for a sales post and the interview needs the Sales Manager, HR Manager, Head of Department and, if the role involves some form of IT work, one of the IT Managers. It’s always difficult attending these interviews as it can feel like you are one against many but it’s not set up like this for any nasty reason. It’s just easier for the company. If you are faced with a Panel Interview always try and answer each question posed by each member of the panel back to the individual who has posed the question, whilst casually glancing at the other people present. Also when you enter the room you will obviously shake hands with the head of the panel or the person who has taken you in but whether you decide to shake all of the panel’s hands is a decision you will need to make at the time. If they all stand and offer their hands your decision will be made easier.
The final type of interview is a Sequential Interview. This can also be a tough type of interview leaving you feeling absolutely drained. Basically how this works is you will be interviewed by a series of different people. It might be that the HR Manager interviews you first, then the Sales Manager and then the Local Director. The chances are that each member of staff will have different questions but there may be some overlap so you might find yourself answering the same questions twice!
Closing And Leaving The Interview:
Once the interview has finished and this should be fairly obvious as the interviewer will intimate that it has, you will want to stand, pick up your briefcase or handbag from under the chair, if that’s where you put them; and then shake hands with the interviewer. Again, in a firm but not grip wrenching manner. Try and avoid the temptation to wipe your sweaty hands on your clothes in front of the interviewer. A better tactic is to just clench your hands together and rub them a couple of times gently to remove any wetness. Thank the interviewer for the time that they have afforded to you, say goodbye in a nice smiley manner and leave the room. Some people will escort you out onto the main floor; others may see you out of the building, but whichever, try and stay as professional as possible. Remember the job is not yours until you have signed on the dotted line!
Some of the Popular answers to Interviewers Questions Interview Questions
Generally speaking there are going to be certain questions that arise at your interview that you can pretty much expect to get asked at any interview you may attend. The great thing about this is the fact that you can rehearse your answers to these questions and with enough practice they will flow off your tongue easier than honey sipping down your throat! These questions are likely to be fired at all candidates applying for the job. So, although they may sound personal to you and they are to a degree; these are pretty standard interview questions. So here goes. You have to bear in mind that these are the responses that I would consider giving. They are obviously not set in stone and you will need to adapt answers according to your situation:
Tell Me About Yourself
– Sounds a bit like the sort of question you get asked on a date! This isn’t as straight forward to answer as at first it might seem. Don’t start rambling on about how much you love watching the Simpsons on the TV. Thatisn’t what the interviewer is looking to hear. You will probably need to answer this question with a question. Perhaps you could try saying “What would you like to know about me?” This then gives your interviewer the chance to get you to tell them exactly what information they are looking for. If possible try and keep this part of the interview to a minimum. If you can, see if you can build into your response positives which relate to the job you are applying for. For example; if it’s a sales role you could say “I am a very organised person who enjoys finding a new prospect, working with it and closing the deal, carrying out the completion from start to finish”. Sometimes your interviewer might ask about your hobbies and again you should pick out points that relate to the job you are applying for whether remote or not.
What Is the Most Enjoyable Part Of Your Current Job?
- This is a fairly straight forward question but has a bit of a double meaning. Obviously there are going to be parts of your existing job that you don’t like doing or you wouldn’t be applying for this new position would you? But your job can’t be that great either or you wouldn’t be applying for this job! Don’t get led down this route. Just answer something along the lines of “I do enjoy my present job so I can’t really put my finger on any part of it that I dislike. I am just looking to further my career” and leave it at that. It is possible to use this question to your benefit but you need to make sure you pick something that is going to compliment the job you are applying for.
Tell Us About The Biggest Challenge You’ve Ever Faced In Your Career?
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Oh wow, this is a really great question to help you shine! You are more than likely to be asked this question and it is a really great opportunity for you to blow your own trumpet. Pick a challenge where you have been successful and explain how you overcame it and what the outcome was. This question can also be used by the interviewer to gauge what you consider to be a challenge, so this is a bit of a crafty one as well.
Why Do You Want To Leave Your Present Job?
- This is a bit of a stupid question really as the chances of the interviewer getting a straight answer are fairly limited. Let’s face it; if the job you are in doesn’t pay very well and you want more money, you are going to be looking for a new job. It might be that your current boss is a complete idiot and you don’t like him. It could be you can’t stand working with John in accounts. You aren’t going to say any of these things are you? Well hopefully not! I think a standard response along the lines of “I feel that I have outgrown the company I am in and my contribution as part of a team could be put to better use with a larger or more focused company where I can expand my skills further. I am really interested in……..but my existing employer doesn’t have the resources to let me advance in this area” and leave it at that. Just try not to be negative about the job you are leaving. It doesn’t look good.
What Is Your Present Boss Like?
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Another question posed by interviewers to gauge your loyalty and integrity. It is not a good idea to be critical about any of the employers you have ever worked for. Realistically very few of us actually like our bosses. Well, most of us just placate them and tell them what they want to hear. After all why would you possibly want to be best buddies with a person who holds your career prospects in their hands? If you get asked this question the most appropriate reply is “I like my boss and get on very well with him (or her). I respect their experience and they are good at their job”. You really don’t need to expand any further on this issue at interview stage. You have to remember that the person interviewing you may well, at some point in the near future, become your boss and they are weighing up your loyalty and integrity.
What Do You Think This Job Entails?
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Now, when you are applying for a new job the chances are you are going to know something about what it is all about. For example; if the job is a secretarial role and you are a secretary, you will know what sort of work you are going to be involved with. In any case you will have been given a brief description of the job role and what responsibilities it carries in either the advertisement about it or in a job description that may have been sent with the original application form, so you should be able to make a reasoned reply.
What Do You Know about this Organisation?
- Now if you have taken my earlier advice you will have done your research and read up about what the company is involved in, its products, its turnover and its strategy. You will really impress your interviewer if you are able to show that you have this knowledge. As previously mentioned people like to think that if you are really eager to work for them. You will have done some research about what they do and how they do it. So let’s say you are applying for a job with a major high street retailer you could say something like “I notice that you are one of the leading stores who operate a “Fair Trade Policy” when purchasing your goods from third world countries. I have to say that I am very supportive of this and it would be nice to work for an employer who cares about the impact their business has on people in the outside world”.
What Made You Apply For This Job And Why Do You Want It?
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This is a bit of a double edged question. Your interviewer isn’t necessarily looking for an answer here that is straight forward. You know you are applying for the job because you think you would enjoy doing it, the package is right and you think you would be able to advance your career with this firm, but the interviewer wants to see if there are some specifics that really attract you to it (other than the £ 50,000 per year and company car). So dependent upon what the role is, you could use an answer such as “I am a very well organised person and this role involves exceptional management skills. I thrive under pressure and it makes me perform to my full ability which makes me think that I would really enjoy it”. Obviously you can tailor this answer to whatever role you are applying for.
What Qualities Do You Think You Can Bring To This Job Position?
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Again, you know that you can do this job and that is why you have applied for it. Not only do you know that you can do the job, you will do it better than anyone else, so you will be aware of the qualities you are going to bring to this business. You will have reviewed the job spec and the key responsibilities so you will be able to select several areas where you feel your qualities will stand out. Perhaps you could therefore give an answer along the lines of “I have experience working in the complaints department where a sympathetic touch is required dealing with disgruntled customers. I am very tactful and am able to defuse situations using my personal skills”.
How Long Would You Expect To Work For Our Organisation?
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Let’s face it no employer wants to go through the hassle and cost of hiring a new candidate if the candidate only stays with them for 6 months and then decides to apply to another firm. The recruitment process is a long and expensive one especially where agencies are used to introduce the candidate. This could cost your potential employer as much as 30% of your first year’s package! It’s probably a good idea therefore to intimate that you would like to work for this firm for several years minimum and you could provide an answer along the lines of “I like the way your company is continuing to expand and I would like to be part of that on a long term basis. So I would like to think that I could continue to work for you for a lengthy period of time providing my career continues to progress”.
What’s Your Greatest Strength?
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Only you can answer this question, but it is a question that will more than likely be asked. After all, the interviewer wants to know what you are good at. This question gives you pretty much an open mandate to really show off. However don’t overdue the self praise. When answering this question try and provide strengths that relate to the role that you are applying for, so if the job requires the need to be organised and a good team leader provide these as strengths within your answer.
What Is Your Biggest Weakness?
- Bit of a tricky question this, after all no one wants to show their weaknesses but we all have them. The most comprehensive way of dealing with this question is to try and turn it into a “positive” from a “negative”. So you could perhaps say “my biggest weakness is buying the kids sweets when they ask for them in the shop” or “I really dislike washing the car at the weekend but once I have done it I always feel a real sense of satisfaction”.
Where Do You See Yourself In Five Years Time?
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Don’t say as I have heard so many times “sitting in your job!” Although I have a sense of humour, most interviewers do not. The remark often has an element of truth hanging in the background and you don’t want your interviewer thinking you are potentially a threat to his or her job in the future. I am sure you will have ideas about where you want to be in a few years time. Most people, whether they put them down on paper or not, have a good idea of their long term career objectives. Try and answer the question positively but not too arrogantly. Perhaps you could give an answer such as “I have always been very career minded and ambitious. I would like to keep progressing up the career ladder and feel that your organisation will be able to offer me that opportunity”.
What Would Your Work Colleagues Say About You?
- This question provides another opportunity for you to demonstrate that you are easy to get on with, a team player and a generally amenable person who works well with other people. You could answer this question with a quote such as “I am an organised, approachable, dependable, easy to get on with team member who is always willing to offer my advice or assistance to colleagues where needed”. Don’t go overboard with your answer, making out you are something you are not. You may get away with stretching the truth, but if you are not a “natural team leader” don’t say you are!
What Would Your Friends Say About You?
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Obviously this question is similar to the one above. If you are a popular, kind, caring person who can be counted on and would help a friend out at the drop of a hat then let your interviewer know.
What Interests Do You Have Outside Of Your Work? - This will be a definite question (in my opinion) and is posed by your interviewer to try and ascertain what you are like outside of your working environment. If you don’t like football or snooker don’t say that you do. Just provide honest answers. There is nothing worse than saying you follow a sport and then it turning out that the interviewer is mad about the subject and starts asking you questions you can’t answer. You will look a fool and your honesty will be under scrutiny!
What Type Of Books Or Publications Do You Like?
- This question needs an honest answer. Just because you think the interviewer is looking to hear you tell them that you have just finished “Marketing Skills Made Easy” and that it was the best read of your life, it isn’t a good idea to make it up. If you have genuinely read David Jason’s autobiography or Stephen King’s latest book then tell the employer what you enjoyed about it. Of course if you work within certain industries; read the trade publications and have recently read an interesting article about the latest “blue widget release” then by all means use this as an example.
Some of the toughest and most difficult questions an Interviewer may ask you - be prepared
Tough Interview questions We know all interview questions are tough but these are the real hard ones. Generally these questions aren’t asked to make your life difficult or to make you squirm. They are simply asked so that the interviewer can find out what he wants to know in the best possible way. When you are posed with a difficult question which you find awkward to answer, it puts you under pressure. Therefore there may be certain questions that are delivered to you to see how well you cope. It not unreasonable if the new job you are applying for is likely to carry an element of pressure. Just remember there is no need to get worked up or frightened. As I keep saying, if you have done your research and prepared properly for the interview these questions won’t be half as difficult as you think. When a question is posed to you try and keep calm. Think about the question for a few moments and deliver your answer accordingly. So here we go!
Are You A Good Leader?
- Your interviewer is looking to ascertain whether you can manage or lead well in your job and how you deal with the people who work under you. Perhaps you could answer this question along the lines of “I feel that my team leading qualities are exceptional. I am always firm but fair with the people who work for me and find that I get a good deal of respect by operating in this manner”.
How Do You Feel About Taking Direction From Your Superiors?
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This is a very valid question from any potential employer. If you have a boss who is delegating work to you they will want to know that you are able to deal with their requests and execute them in the manner dictated. You will therefore want to be answering this question along the lines of “I take direction from my superiors well. After all no team can work properly unless they are able to accept instructions from their superior”.
How Do You Feel About Carrying Out Mundane or Repetitive Work?
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Nearly every job carries an element of routine to it so this could well be a frequently asked “difficult” question. The answer could be something like “I understand all jobs have some element of repetitiveness but I take all aspects of my job seriously regardless of whether they are mundane or not. I always give 100% to my job”.
Are You A Natural Born Leader?
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Some of us are natural born leaders and they are usually the people heading up teams or managing departments. Natural born leaders are chosen for the role of management or leadership because of their ability to guide and deal with people. They are people who possess enthusiasm, confidence and good leadership qualities. Try and build something into your answer that shows these qualities. It hasn’t necessarily got to include areas of your work life however it’s better if it does. You could use an example of something in your personal life such as being “head of the local under 16’s football team” or “head of your local cricket team” but whatever you choose try and say something that makes your leadership qualities stand out.
How Well Do You Handle Criticism?
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Everyone gets criticised in the job they do at some point in their career. Whether you feel that the criticism is right or wrong there are always two sides to every situation. An ideal answer to this question might be “We all at some point make mistakes and I am more than happy to take on board any constructive criticism that is given to me as it helps me understand and learn from the situation”.
How Well Do You Work Within A Team Environment?
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Teamwork is very important to an employer. A properly functioning team will create a happy workplace and smooth, efficient production regardless of the product or service involved. Everyone has a different approach to how they deal with their colleagues so you will need to tailor the answer to this question to your own approach. Perhaps you could offer an answer like “I really enjoy working as a member of a team. There is a feeling of comradeship in that we are all working towards the same goal. When we meet our objective we all benefit from the feeling of success”.
What Motivates You?
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Your interviewer is not looking for an answer along the lines of “£ 100,000 per year and a yacht”. Let’s face it that’s what we would all like! Try and give a constructive answer such as “I get a real kick out of completing a project. This drives me along the way and I get satisfaction at each stage knowing that I will have made a contribution to the end result”.
Are You Good At Getting The Best Out Of Your Team?
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An interviewer asking this question is looking for an answer that shows how you manage and run your team in order to achieve the best performance from them. Your answer should include areas that show your leadership qualities and how they benefit the people that work for you, such as communication skills and praise.
You Have Only Been With Your Employer A Very Short Time - Why?
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As I have mentioned before the recruitment process is a long and expensive one. Where recruitment agencies are used to source candidates, their fee may be as much as 30% of your first years annual package, let alone the costs associated with any additional training you may need. The last thing an employer wants to do is employ a candidate who is only going to work for them for five minutes and then look for another job! If you have been with previous employer for a short period of time then you need to find an answer that is going to reassure the interviewer’s doubts and put his mind at rest. It is possible in this situation that you could use a line such as “Yes I have only been with my existing employer a relatively short period of time but have found that I have to move to gain more experience and enhance my career. I think that this can be achieved within your organisation and I feel that I am ready to settle down in a position I am comfortable with for a long period of time”.
How Do You Deal With Interpersonal Problems Within Your Team?
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Nothing runs smoothly all the while and from time to time there will be disputes amongst members of your team. Obviously your answer will probably come from your own experience here, but areas such as being fair by hearing both sides of the dispute, dealing with the problem in private, not causing embarrassment in front of others and looking for a compromise between the individuals may all come into play.
How Would Your Current Boss Describe You?
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“You’re useless and should look for another job before I fire you!!” Just kidding (or maybe not in some cases). Remember at some point in the future the man or woman sitting in the chair opposite you could well be your future employer. When you answer this question provide an answer in a way that you think you would like your boss to actually think of you. So perhaps you can say something like “I get on very well with my boss and we have an excellent working relationship. I think that the reason is due to the fact that we have mutual respect for each other. My boss considers me as a hard working, loyal and efficient employee who is able to work well using my own initiative. He can trust me to carry out the work given to me without having to bother him”. It’s not a terribly good idea to blatantly lie about your relationship with your boss. If it’s horrendous it may come out in references that are taken later. However, under employment law past employers have to be very careful how they word references and are not allowed to tear your personality apart!
What Part Of Your Job Do You Dislike The Most?
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Well the answer to this can’t be “I am completely happy with my job and I enjoy every aspect of it. It fills my daily working hours with joy and happiness. I just wish I could do it 24 hours a day 365 days a year”. Why not? Because you wouldn’t be applying for this job if that was the truth would you? Don’t give answers that are purely motivated by money and benefits, even if that is the case. You might genuinely love your job but the money is no good. That isn’t what the interviewer wants to hear. Perhaps you could use a line like “I really do enjoy my current job and quite frankly there aren’t really any areas that I can say I dislike. However, the company I work for is small and I don’t get much chance to deal with new business very often. This is an area I find exciting and feel that this job would be able to offer me that opportunity”. Of course there may be an area you do dislike in your job but if you decide to bring it up then try and create a positive out of it. For example “I used to find doing my filing at the end of the day a bit time consuming as I would always get distracted by more important issues to deal with. Then I decided that I would come in a bit earlier each morning to deal with this enabling me to start the day fresh and be left with a bit of spare time at the end of each day should something really important come up”.
If You Were Starting Out Again In Your Career Are There Any Decisions You Would Make Differently?
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This is a nonsense question really. No one can turn back the clock so it’s completely irrelevant, but one some interviewers like to pose. The only answer I can think of giving is “I wouldn’t change anything. I have been more than happy with all of the decisions I have made in my career and don’t feel that I would gain any benefit out of looking back and analysing something I cannot change”.
You Have Been With Your Employer A Long Time - Why?
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To be honest I think this question is a bit unfair. There could be many reasons why you have shown loyalty to your existing employer for a lengthy period of time. It might be that you just liked your job and the people you have worked for but circumstances have changed or, that you have had a wide and varied career working in different parts of the company doing different job roles. You may have worked overseas for the same company. People don’t generally stay with the same employer in this day and age predominantly because it isn’t always easy to get promoted internally. This could look to an interviewer like you have been unable to get another job. Of course this probably isn’t the case so build your answer around the facts.
Do You Feel That Your Career Has Been A Success To Date?
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Again, another no brainer question that really has no bearing on whether you are capable of doing the job you are applying for or whether you are even the right person for it. Success can only really be measured by the person who it applies to. What one person thinks is successful another may not. I genuinely feel that very few people actually think their career has been a failure. The only way to address this question is to say “I feel that I have been successful to date and I am more than happy with my career progression. I have always put emphasis on enjoying the job I do and not how much it pays or what benefits I can gain from it. So far I have found that this strategy has worked well for me”.
We Think You Might Be Overqualified For This Job!
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If you were overqualified for this job would you be applying for it? Well I guess in an interviewers mind it could be that you are desperate, or it may be that you are desperate! A future employer doesn’t want to think he is going to take you on if you are going to get bored in five minutes because the job is too easy and then start looking elsewhere again. This is a difficult question to answer but you could intimate that you have a very low boredom threshold and that everything you do, you do to the best of your ability.
If You Were Appointed To This Position How Long Would It Be Before You Would Expect To Be Promoted?
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Let’s face it; most of us want promotion as soon as possible. Promotion usually leads to more money and better employment benefits (of course it also usually entails more work and stress) but you should consider your answer to this question carefully. If you answer “I’d expect promotion within 12 months of being appointed” you allocate a timescale which may not be acceptable to your future employer. They may not be looking to promote you for a good few years and may feel that you would become despondent and leave if you didn’t achieve your goal. In all honesty the right kind of answer to this question is going to be something like “I couldn’t give a time by which I would expect to be promoted. I would need to prove myself to the company in terms of my ability, leadership skills and the experience that I would bring to the business. I feel that promotion is a reward, not a right and as with all rewards I am a great believer in that you have to earn them”.
How Have You Managed To Attend This Interview In Works Time?
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Another naughty question often posed by interviewers but at the same time it does bear some relevance. If you are attending an interview when you would normally expect to be in work then your potential employer wants to know what type of excuse you have come up with to your existing employer. Really this is a question of honesty and the reality is that you won’t have asked your existing boss for time off to attend an interview for another job. It may well be that you have taken the time off by telling your boss that you have had to take your pet anaconda to the vets or you might have thrown a sicky but that isn’t what your future employer wants to hear. One straight forward answer to this question is “I have taken some holiday to take part in this interview”. If you are feeling really clever and you want to impress your interviewer you could say “Unfortunately I didn’t have any holiday left so I asked my employer if I could take a day of unpaid leave because I had a personal issue I needed to deal with. I preferred to take that action as I don’t feel it fair on my existing employer to attend this interview whilst he was paying me. I do not think it’s right to cheat”.
You Have Read The Job Description And A Summary Of The Job Role So What Areas Of This Job Appeal To You The Least?
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Hmm….It’s a nasty one this isn’t it! At this point in your interview you don’t want to go and start making out that there is anything at all that you don’t fancy doing in this new job. I am not one for one sentence answers but if you get this one dropped on you I think it’s good to get off the subject as quickly as possible and use the damage limitation technique. I think a simple “Having reviewed the job summary and description I have to say that I can’t find anything that doesn’t appeal to me in this job at all”. If you do find something about the job that looks less than appealing make sure it isn’t a major part of role and if you can’t find any way of turning the duty from a negative to a positive leave it well alone.
What Sort Of People Do You Find It Difficult To Work With?
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There’s always someone in the office that doesn’t work with the team and the rest end up carrying them, but that’s life at the end of the day. It’s up to your boss to sort that problem out. This often causes bad feeling amongst the team and irritates the other members. However, when you are attending an interview you really don’t want to be seen to be moaning about individuals in your current organisation. The easiest way to deal with this question is to give your answer based on the fact that although you are very amenable and easy to get on with, you are very much a team player so the most difficult people you find to work with are the ones that do not carry the same high standards in their work as you do.
Have You Attended Other Interviews As Well As This One?
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This is a great question and one that you can manipulate to your advantage. If the interviewer thinks that one of their competitors is after you it makes you a much better catch to them. You have to remember many, but not all, employers are like sheep and the bigger the company the more likely it will be that they are after a stereotypical candidate. One that’s just a little bit better than the last. If you give the impression that you are talking to other firms as well and that you have made the last batch of interviews with them, you are going to be a far more attractive prospect. So whether you are or are not talking to other companies make sure you give the impression that you are in demand.
What Do You Think About The Conflict In Iraq, The Credit Crunch, Barack Obama (or something that has a social political bearing)
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The idea behind this question is for your interviewer to see if you take an interest in what goes on in the world, current affairs and so on and to show that your interest in the world doesn’t stop when you shut your front door at night. Your answer is likely to give your interviewer an insight into your values whether they be moral or otherwise and how you address life itself. Politically correct answers aren’t always the right ones. What you need to do is show the interviewer that you have the ability to see and recognise all sides of a debate. That you don’t see things simply in black and white and that you have the ability to debate a subject properly, At the same time you need to show that you are open minded enough to form your own opinion on a subject. What you don’t want to do is jump on your high horse and fire off your own political views. This type of question can be particularly relevant to certain industries. For example, if you are applying to work for an oil company you may be asked your opinion on global warming and whether the work green peace does is right or wrong. Alternatively if you are applying for a job working for a company that manufactures make up you may be asked for your views on whether the work that animal rights campaigners carry out is justified: you get the picture?
What Sort Of Decisions Do You Find The Most Difficult To Make?
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“Should I have prawn or beef sandwiches for lunch!” or “Should I buy the 28 or 32 inch flat screen TV”. Most of us at some point have had to make difficult decisions whether in our personal or work lives. If you have ever had to fire someone or make them redundant it’s not a nice decision to make, or job to carry out for that matter. This is not from the point of view that you don’t really like the person, but most people have a conscience and realise that if they take away a person’s job it will have a direct impact on their whole life. This is therefore a good example to use as an answer to this question.
What Is Your Current Bosses Biggest Weakness?
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Wouldn’t you just love to say it; “Lunchtime Binge Drinking”. You must remember regardless of what an idiot you think your boss is; the person that is sitting in front of you may one day be the same boss you are criticizing. Anyway it wouldn’t achieve anything and would only make you look cheap. So if you get this one thrown at you why not try something like “My boss is great really and we get on very well. He is good at his job, one which he wouldn’t have got in the first place if he wasn’t. I respect him for that. I am sure he may have weaknesses but I have to say that if he has I haven’t picked up on them”.
What Do You Think Of Your Existing Company?
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Now you might think that your existing company is a cheap skate, runs old machinery, never wants to invest in the plant or the future of the business, use every spare amount of cash they have to improve the cars parked in the Directors car park and so on. However that just isn’t the right answer! Your standard response to a question such as this should be that you have really enjoyed working for your current company and that you are thankful for the opportunities, training and career progression that they have afforded you to date.
What Is Your Current Salary?
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It’s a bit of a cheeky question this one and you want to give a non committal answer. You must try and remember that all companies want to save as much money on salaries as they can and if you are offered the job the chances are they are going to indicate a package either similar or slightly more than the one you’re on. If you go straight in with “I earn £ 23,000.00 plus expenses plus a car and free weekend tickets to the Manchester United games” you are setting a bench mark that you may find difficult to negotiate around. Therefore an appropriate answer to this interview question might be “it’s not really the salary that is important to me it’s the whole package that I would be more interested in”. By saying this you are being non committal and it will make negotiating an acceptable package far easier
What Salary Would You Be Expecting For This Position?
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Again another cheeky one which, ideally, you don’t want to be too committal over. If you commit to a salary at this stage you won’t be able to negotiate later on and if you ask for too much they will think they can’t afford you. If you don’t know what level of salary a position pays you can do some research on the internet. There are several sites that collect data about average industry and job role remunerations. So you could ask the interviewer a question in response to his question such as “What level of salary would you be expecting to pay for this position?” If the interviewer doesn’t want to divulge this then it’s not unreasonable for you to decline to answer too. If your interviewer quotes you a salary of say £ 19,000 then try and come back with something like “Well I was looking for a salary in the region of £ 22,000 to £ 24,000”. Your employer will always start with their bottom figure first so by asking for a little more it sets you a slightly higher bench mark. It may be that your interviewer can only go to the level he quotes but it’s fairly unlikely.
I have A Pen Here – Sell It Me!
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I’ve been on loads of sales courses and this has always been a question posed to me to see how good I am at selling the benefits of a product, not just the product itself. This is an interesting question and some employers will ask you to do this even if you aren’t applying for a job that involves selling. As I have said the reason behind this is to see if you can sell the benefits of the pen rather than the object itself. For example as a pen itself: it is just a biro with a roller ball and plastic coating. However, its benefits would be: it’s a biro and the roller ball is really smooth and gives excellent presentation. It is leak proof and slim and sits discretely in your pocket. This is all about the bigger picture. If you are able to outline the benefits of the pen you will impress your interviewer. Obviously if you are applying for a sales role the chances are your interviewer will definitely ask you this question. However, it might not necessarily be a pen. It could be something else sitting on your interviewer’s desk.
How Well Do You Work In A Stressful Environment?
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Most jobs carry an element of stress whether it’s working to very tight deadlines or handling lots of different projects and having to manage your time effectively. Your answer to this question should encompass examples of situations where you have operated well under stress and also point out that you get a buzz out of a working in stressful environment as it keeps you mind focused and it assists you in your performance.
Some questions you Could ask the Interviewer
Want to know what to ask?
At some stage of the interview you are going to be asked if you have any questions to put to the interviewer. Now is the chance for you to show your interest in the company and the position. Try to prepare some questions in advance that could demonstrate your experience for the role. Other questions could be about the company which would give you more information about the organisation. This could be crucial to you deciding to accept any offer that may subsequently be made to you. Not asking any questions at all should not be an option as an interviewer will take this as a sign of disinterest. However you can blow the interview completely by asking the wrong type of question. It is never a good idea to rush straight in and ask about holiday entitlement, length of tea breaks, lunch breaks etc. This will give the employer the sign of your priorities in the workplace and it won’t be a good one. I would go so far as to say that second to not asking anything at all, questions such as these could seal your fate completely.
Below are some ideas. You can adapt them to suit the type of vacancy you are applying for. For example if you are applying for a managerial position it is almost inevitable that you will have some staff reporting to you. However if you are an assistant administrator you will be unlikely to be in that position. Remember only you know the job you have applied for and the answers to some of these questions would be obvious. If that is the case don’t ask them.
Will I be working in a department or in an area on my own?
Who else is in the department and what do they do?
What training will I need and how will I be given this?
Do you train in house or use external courses?
To whom am I responsible?
Which members of staff are responsible to me and what are their roles?
Is this a new position and if so why has it been created?
If it is an existing position, why has the previous person left the post?
What are the opportunities for promotion?
When would you be looking for the successful candidate to start?
Are you interviewing many people for this position?
When will you let me know if I am to be offered the post?
Source:http://www.redgoldfish.co.uk/
Well done. Following your successful job application you have now been offered an interview for that new job. You have obviously impressed your future potential employer with your CV and application form to be offered an interview in the first place. You will have no doubt have probably beaten a number of other applicants but something in your application has made you stand out from the other candidates.
An employer isn’t looking to employ any old person to fill their job; hence they have already sifted through all of the applications and compiled a shortlist which you are now on! All the interviewer needs to do from there is choose the candidate to fill their job. The only way they are going to do this is meet each applicant in person. There are many variables in choosing a new person for a job. What one employer classes as an important quality, another may not. Some feel experience is an important factor. Others value qualifications or team management skills or a combination of both. What you have got to remember is that you will have to make a lasting impression on the interviewer to get you nearer to securing that new job. Your future employer is going to have to make a choice from several applicants. This will inevitably be a hard decision to make. After all, summing up candidates suitability in a few short hours isn’t easy for anybody, so you must make an impression. It’s no easier sitting in an interviewer’s shoes than being a candidate. If you go well prepared then you are able to manipulate an interview to your advantage and get across your strengths.
Prior To The Interview:
Remember your employer knows all about the job they are looking to fill; what it entails and what qualities they are looking for in a potential candidate. They also have a fair amount of information about you; your CV and application form. It is always a good idea to take a copy of these with you to the interview. The interviewer will have a checklist of areas they are looking to satisfy themselves about to ensure you can do the job. These will encompass some general interview questions and others specifically about you as a person, such as your interests, hobbies and what you like to do outside of the workplace.
How Will The Interview Be Structured?
Most interviews follow a fairly similar simple format. Usually you will be invited into the interview room, offered a drink of tea, coffee or water etc and then sometimes a bit of casual chat such as “How was your journey?” Get the idea! Next, your interviewer will ask some general questions, such as “Tell me about yourself” or “Are you an organised person?” They may then ask you questions about your CV such as “You say you are good at time management, can you give us an example?” Once the interviewer feels that they have satisfactory answers to all their questions they will then give you the opportunity to ask any questions you may have about the job, the company etc.
Convincing Your Interviewer & Offering Them Reassurance:
It is really important at the interview stage that the interviewer feels happy about all the areas they have covered. They may keep going back to specific questions if they don’t feel they have got the answer they require. This is often a good sign as it means they are taking your application seriously and they may just want reassurance on one or two points. If you can put their mind at rest it will make you a far stronger contender. If you haven’t been asked any questions, you have either done a fantastic job at clarifying all of their concerns and queries, or you are unlikely to have got the job. Try and be as open as you can without going on and on. I know it’s not always easy to judge, but if you think there is a subject that the interviewer has covered and is not comfortable with, try to get your point across. There are certain areas that can and will cause concern to an employer, such as lack of experience or missing periods of employment during your career. These may have simple answers to them, but if the interviewer doesn’t have a good understanding, because they haven’t asked you the right questions, they are going to be wary. If you think something is bothering them try and give a good explanation. If you are well prepared before the interview and you think there is something in your career history that might be of concern you will have a sensible answer ready. You will then avoid feeling speechless when asked “Why is there an 18 month gap in your employment history?”
Being Interviewed For A Job By Your Existing Employer:
An interview is an interview! Should you be applying for promotion or a change of job in your existing company then your employer will already have a lot of the current information about you, such as timekeeping or time management skills, personal details etc, etc. Other than this information the interview will follow the same structure as any other interview. However specific questions about your current position may well come into play and have a more dominant effect on the meeting. It could be that although there are certain areas they already know about, they may still ask you about them. Things like “How well do you work under pressure and meeting targets?” They are already aware of your capabilities as you work for them but they want you to answer this question anyway. Just go ahead and give them the answer they want to hear!
Just because you already work for them don’t treat this any differently to an interview being conducted by a new employer. Yes, the interviewer may already know you, so they may well be a little less informal in their greeting but once you get down to business treat the situation the same as if you were applying for a job outside of your current employer. A good point of useful information; don’t crack jokes about people you work with or chit chat about Joe in accounts. It isn’t perceived professional and it will do you no favours in your career advancement.
Be Prepared For The Questions That Will Be Asked:
It’s almost impossible to know exactly what questions are going to be asked at the interview but you can expect certain areas that are likely to be explored. Brief yourself on the skills required for the job, including the experience that you have to do it. Think about questions that may arise from the answers you gave on your application form and lastly consider any questions that may arise regarding your CV. As previously mentioned, breaks in your career, work experience and so on. If you work in a sales role you will already understand the importance of preparation prior to meeting a new customer or trying to close a deal. It is no different when presenting yourself for an interview to win a new job. You need to Prepare Your Offensive, Do Your Research, and Prepare for the Meeting. The better organised you are the more professionally and accurately you will be able to answer each question. This will put both you and the interviewer at ease.
How To Prepare Prepare Your Offensive:
Now going into an interview is no different from going into battle. The end result is to come out the winner! The better your offensive, the more chance you have at winning the interviewer over. Your objective is to succeed. How are you going to do this? Well you need to know where you are going and how you are going to get there. You need to know what traps or pitfalls there are along the way, so the best practice is to plan and be prepared. Simple isn’t it; so what have you got to do? Well you have got to win over the interviewer. The only way of doing this is by convincing him, or her, that you are the man, or woman, for the job. You are going to achieve this by showing the interviewer that you know about their organisation, know about the job, know how to do the job and would be the best person for the role. The is done by preparation so you can present yourself as cool, calm, collected but not too cocky! If you have ever played a new computer game or purchased a new item of equipment you know that your job is going to be much easier if you get the instructions our first to work out how to operate it, rather than rushing in all with guns blazing without doing any research.
Do Some Research About The Employer:
Now I am no easy employer to work for. I have allocated my time for you to attend an interview and I have also spent some time reading through your CV and application form. In return I think that after inviting you to come along and see me, the least I can expect is for you to have spent some of your time doing a bit of research about my company and what we do. Not every employer takes this stance but many do. By doing a little research this will show the interviewer that you have put some effort into trying to get this job. Besides which, are you really looking to apply to work for a company you know nothing about? If so, you can’t really be that serious about the interview. It’s really simple to do research on a company. Get hold of the company’s sales brochures, reports and accounts. The easiest way to obtain this information is to ring up the receptionist and ask for a copy. You could say something like “I’ve got an interview with your company and I would like to find out a bit more about your organisation. Please could you send me some of your literature?” This is not so easy if it’s only a small employer. However you can also look at the company’s web site if they have one, research local news items by visiting the local library and searching the newspaper archives outlining press releases. It’s easy to do this. Visit your local branch and explain what you are after and I am sure they will help. Remember you get out of life what you put in. Invest time and effort and you will be rewarded.
Be Prepared For The Interview:
There are several areas that you must be ensure you have covered when preparing for the interview. The first fundamental one being not to be late! Before the big day, plan your route. If you are going by car have a trial run and see how long it takes you to get there. The same rule applies if you are going by bus or train. When you have determined how long it is likely to take you, add half an hour to the journey. If you are early, don’t worry. You can always have a drink or read your magazine, but one thing is for sure you will be calm and more relaxed, whereas if you are running late you will be on edge; not a good start to an interview. Take a phone with you (or money to use a phone box) just in case something happens. It is very discourteous to be late and it really annoys most people, so you aren’t going to get off to a good start on that basis. Just as a pointer it’s always a good idea to take a pen and paper with you or alternatively a briefcase or handbag with a pen and paper in it.
Making the Right First Impressions at the Interview First Impressions Do First Impressions Count? You Bet They Do! You would be very surprised at what can be ascertained from the first few moments in someone’s presence. Indeed, it is an accepted fact that a decision can be made in the first few minutes. An interviewer or employer will discover a great deal about you in a relatively small amount of time by use of their experience in body language. It’s a bit like when you make new friends, generally speaking you know within a few moments of meeting a person for the very first time whether you will like them or not (despite knowing very little about their background). I personally think it is some form of basic primate instinct. So your first few seconds are fairly vital when you walk into that interview room or when you are greeted by your employer. We all give out different signals and these can be influenced by the way you dress, to your body language. In my opinion good body language starts with a firm handshake, (that’s firm, don’t shake their hand off!) and being smartly dressed. Don’t bathe in perfume or aftershave as strong smells often give off an overpowering smell and can be very off putting. Not everyone has the same taste in cologne and there is nothing worse than being stuck in a room with a smell that makes you feel ill. It’s always best to be clean and neutral!
Prior To Attending Your Job Interview:
It’s always a good idea (and I think a courteous one which shows manners and initiative) to confirm with your prospective interviewer the interview arrangements by letter once you have been invited to attend the interview. This doesn’t need to be a long winded letter. It can just be brief, confirming the time and place of the interview. It also gives you the opportunity to send in any documents that the interviewer may wish to see in advance or anything you may have omitted to send when you originally enclosed your CV and job application form.
Dress Code - What Clothes Should You Wear For Your Job Interview?
It’s always a tough call when trying to decide what to wear for a job interview. Traditionally men always wore their smartest suit and tie and the same could be said for women; either a nice skirt and blouse or a suit. However things have changed a lot since the old days. For example if you are going to work for an IT firm or Graphic Designers then the dress code may be smart but casual. By the same token if you are going to work for a firm of Solicitors, Accountants or Insurance Brokers then the chances are the dress code is going to be formal. It can be a hard call to decide what to wear for your interview. If you are applying for an internal job then this won’t apply to you as you will already know what standard of outfit is or isn’t acceptable at your place of work. There are two fairly simple ways to ascertain what type of dress code your potential future employer demands and these are as follows:
1. Drive up to the offices or workplace at a time when the staff will be arriving or leaving. This will give you a good indication of what types of clothes the other employees are wearing.
2. Pick up the phone and ring the interviewer’s secretary and ask whether the company has a dress code.
As a pointer it’s always a good idea to “Dress above the Rest” at an interview. Remember you are out to make a special impression. Although you will want to fit in if you get the job, you need to be appointed first! So a pretty simple rule. If the dress code is casual then you need to be dressed casually but a little smarter. For example if the other employees are wearing trousers and open neck shirts then it would be a good idea for you to wear trousers, a tie and a smart jacket. If the dress code is a suit and tie then you will need to wear your best suit and tie – get the picture. It’s pretty easy for you to judge for yourself. Another good point is when you are invited into the interview don’t ever remove your jacket without be asked. If the room is hot, well quite frankly that’s just a bit of tough luck. I have to admit I have always kept my jacket on even when my interviewer has asked me if I would like to remove it. My reason being that we all perspire during stress and there is nothing worse than seeing perspiration marks around the arms of your shirt! A manger once recalled a very funny story about a lady who was interviewed on a hot sunny day. After the initial greeting the applicant asked “It’s so hot out there, do you mind if I take my shoes off?” Without waiting for a reply she then proceeded to do exactly that. The interviewer spent the whole of the time being distracted by brightly painted red toes wiggly about. Needless to say the interview was quite short and no time was spent even considering whether to make a job offer or not. So what type of clothes should you wear at your interview? Well it’s an individual’s choice. However I would steer clear of bright outrageous ties if you are a man as not every interviewer will share your love of cartoon characters such as the Simpson’s. Whether male of female try and settle on neutral colours. Finally as previously mentioned it’s a bad idea to wear overpowering aftershave or perfume. It can be very off putting to others.
On Arrival At Your Job Interview:
If you are organised you will have arrived at your interview in good time and you will have a few moments to compose yourself and utilise the rest room before your big moment. If there are some bathrooms in the waiting area (if not just ask someone to direct you to them) go and make a few final checks on your appearance. You might want to comb your hair, use the lavatory or adjust your make up. This time will give you the opportunity to make sure you are ship shape and looking a million dollars. It will also give you reassurance so that once you are in the interview you don’t have to worry about whether you have done your zips up, your hair looks tidy or your lipstick is smudged; issues that are important but that you don’t want to have to worry whilst trying to win over the interviewer. It’s always a good idea if you have a briefcase and are wearing a tie to take a spare, just in case you spill something down it before going into the interview. It’s easily done. I was once attending an interview and on the way I stopped to drink a can of coke as I had arrived early. To say I was mortified when I spilt it down my tie is an understatement. I had no spare and apologised profusely to my interviewer, who was very kind and said it didn’t matter. However I still spent the entire interview worrying about it and my performance was definitely hindered by it. A lesson learned to say the least!
When Your Interviewer Comes Out To Take You Into The Interview – Or When You Are Called Into The Interview Room:
OK, in my opinion this is the most stressful time of the interview and when my heart beats the most! It’s when you are entering the unknown; new surroundings, new people (sometimes as many as four or five) and a strange room. As I have stated before, you need your maximum concentration at this point as “First Impressions” do count. So how do you greet your interviewer? Firstly look your interviewer in the eyes and smile. Everyone likes a smiley face. I don’t mean beam like a Cheshire cat; just a pleasant friendly smile. Secondly, offer your hand out to shake. Don’t squeeze the interviewers hand until it turns blue, just a firm professional handshake will suffice. At the same time give a greeting. ”Hello very pleased to meet you” or something like that. Your interviewer will then either take you into the interview room, or you may already be in there as you have been called in, and offer you a seat. Please do not just sit down when you enter the room. Wait to be offered a seat. It is good manners.
The interview is going to start along the lines of chit chat. You will probably be asked how you journey was etc, etc and then offered a drink. Depending on the type of person you are and how well you cope with nerves, which we all have, from the person applying for a job flipping burgers to the Executive applying for a new £ 250K per year position; it’s up to you whether you decide to accept one. You won’t be thought of any less should you not accept. If you think your hands are going to be shaking like a coconut tree in a hurricane every time you pick your cup up, it’s probably a good idea to decline. That way you won’t chance spilling the liquid all down your front should you really lose your nerves!
Projecting The Right Image during an interview - What does your body language tell the employer? During The Interview – Projecting the Right image Selling Yourself
So, I have explained the ins and outs of preparing for your new job interview and dealing with the stress element leading up to this; and then entering into the interview environment. You are now well dressed; have greeted your interviewer (s) correctly; created your comfortable sitting posture and are now ready to convince your interviewer that you are the man or woman that they have been searching for to fill that job opening. To some the actual performance comes easily. For others they have to work at it. Some people are natural born sales people and know how to sell themselves others are not so lucky. Generally speaking if you already work in a sales role, as I do, what I will explain next is really second nature and it is unlikely that I will be offering you anything that you don’t already know. Sales people are natural born performers whether it is due to their personality or due to the nature of the work they have previously carried out. The term “life is a stage and you’re on it” has never spoken truer than at a job interview. I have been on hundreds of sales courses and read many sales books over the course of my career such as “how to win friends and influence people” but it all comes down to one thing and that is getting a stranger to believe in you and, or, your product. At an interview you are the one that needs to put on a good performance. There are many different qualities the interviewer is going to be looking for in their potential candidate. These will encompass qualifications, experience, you as a person and the way that you integrate with others. Also they will consider your previous employment history, your enthusiasm towards your career, along with many other factors. So here are a few areas to think about. They are all really interlinked and if you can employ all of them at interview stage you are well on your way to getting that new job.
Show Your Interviewer That You Are Enthusiastic:
So what exactly is an employer looking for? Well firstly I would say enthusiasm. If someone asks you a question and you give a one word answer it doesn’t really look very enthusiastic. So the way to deal with this is to answer the question as deeply as you can. For example; Interviewer “Your background is in commercial liability underwriting but I see you are now involved in commercial property underwriting”. Don’t simply answer with a Yes or No answer, expand on it. You could answer along the lines of “Yes I was originally trained in liability underwriting, an area I spent several years working in which I thoroughly enjoyed. However I had the opportunity to expand my overall underwriting skills to encompass property underwriting so I jumped at the chance as I felt it would enhance my experience overall within my team”. Obviously you can tailor this to your own circumstances but you see what I am getting at. Be enthusiastic. Don’t just give one word answers. Make your interviewer interested in you and what you have done. Show him that you really are passionate about everything you do. To the interviewer this shows that you will have enthusiasm and dedication to your new job should they decide to employ you.
Show Your Interviewer You Are A Confident Candidate And That You Know Your Stuff:
Another area where all sales people are naturals is confidence! I know it’s not always easy when you are under pressure and nervous to ooze confidence, but this is a really important area. The more confident you are the more chance you will have of bagging the job. Try and expand on your answers again in this area. If you are asked a negative question try and respond with a positive confident answer. For example: Interviewer “You don’t appear to have done much cold calling for a while and this job will involve quite a large amount of self lead generation how do you feel about that?” You could answer along the lines of “Yes I haven’t been involved in cold calling for 6 months which has been quite disappointing to me as I thoroughly enjoyed it and felt that it was one of my strong areas. I really have missed this element of my work because I got the opportunity of speaking to new people each day. I really got a buzz when I finally closed a deal that I knew I had generated from start to finish. Cold calling is an area I am keen to get back into and it’s a talent that I feel comes naturally to me”.
Show Your Interviewer That You Are Positive:
It’s easy to become negative about anything in life, but in work life and a career environment, a positive person in the workplace can be a real asset to an employer. Positive people give off positive vibes and those good vibrations nearly always rub off on other employees. The end result creates a happy, proactive, enthusiastic work force which ultimately creates a better working environment and more efficient team. If you can demonstrate this quality to your interviewer at interview stage you will definitely impress them.
Watch Your Body Language:
Body language is an area that many interviewers will take seriously. What we do and how we do it can show underlying areas that can be picked up upon. Body language is an area that has been analysed for many, many years by professionals and interviewers alike. It really is amazing what you can learn from someone just by their mannerisms. As I have stated before I am no expert, but to give you an example, if you ask a person a question and their eyes gaze up thoughtfully to the left hand side of their eyeball you know that the chances of their answer being true are high. If on the other hand they look up to the right of their eyeball the chances are they are searching for a made up answer to your question. There are certain exceptions to the rule but the theory is based upon the fact that the left side of your brain is where you retrieve data from and the right is the fictional side of your brain! Interesting isn’t it and one to be aware of. Other areas that give off body language signals, without you knowing about them, are as follows:
Don’t: 1. Cross Your Arms: It makes you look defensive.
2. Sit on the edge of your seat.
3. Mess with your face or play with your jewellery or hair.
4. Rock on the seat.
5. Interrupt when being asked a question.
6. Give one word answers (unless the answer dictates a one word answer).
Do: 1. Smile as frequently as possible (especially when you are asked a question and respond to the person who has asked the question) but don’t overdo it!
2. Keep your hands in your lap; don’t wave them around all over the place.
3. Keep eye contact at all times (I don’t mean stare out your interviewer). If there is more than one interviewer, flick from person to person.
4. Be articulate and listen carefully to each question before giving your answer.
5. Keep calm and don’t panic!
The Day of the Interview - Information to Assist The Interview
General Interview Guidelines – The Do's and The Don't's!
Once your interview gets under way and the list of general questions that need to be asked by the interviewer are answered; and provided at his point you haven’t managed to throw your tea cup 6 foot into the air because you have the jitters, you should, if you have taken in what I have already said, begin to be feeling a little less nervous so you can really get down to business. Try and answer all of the questions the interviewer throws at you in a precise and confident manner. If your interviewer is asking a question and halfway through you wish to make a comment, don’t interrupt unless you really think that it is very, very appropriate. It is bad manners. Ideally wait for the question to be fully delivered to you and give your answer; even if it means saying to your interviewer “Can I just go back on the point you made in a previous question?” It is really difficult in this instance where you feel you want to pass comment on something you really feel passionate about but you have to try and bite your tongue. Nobody likes being interrupted and in my experience interviewers are all full of self importance and feel that their question is more important than your answer!
Answering Questions Posed To You By The Interviewer:
Your potential new employer is looking for a candidate that can do the job and will fit into his or her business. The chances are that the candidate is undoubtedly going to need to be a team player and a person who can listen and give enthusiastic and positive input into their job and daily work life. As the questions start to flow try and remember not to go on and on when giving your answers.
Try and keep your answers as precise as possible, but not yes and no answers. If you are asked a specific question that requires you to provide an example of how you have dealt with a situation or closed a sale then give an example that makes your achievement stand out. If you have won the salesman of the year award then give a little background into how you achieved it. Inevitably there will be times when you run out of steam and these moments can be quite frustrating, so just sit back and relax and take a few seconds to compose yourself before you deliver your answer to the question.
There are some people who think that talking is more important than listening, but they would be totally wrong. Being able to listen to a question without interruption is an art especially if you are genuinely interested in the subject. By showing this quality you will make a good impression. If you are asked a question, that you do not know the answer to, do not to be tempted to lie. If you do you had better make sure you keep your story straight. Answering a question with a lie can get you into big trouble and really achieves very little. After all, the questions have been laid down to see if you are the person the interviewer is looking for and if you can’t give a straight answer then the chances are you are not the person for the job. Don’t do it, it will all end in tears!
There are some employers that will ask you what you think of your current boss. This is a trick question. They are really not in the slightest bit bothered whether you think they are a complete moron. All they are trying to ascertain is whether you are a loyal employee and can act in a professional and neutral manner. After all if they offer you the job they will be your next boss! You also have to bear in mind that what goes around comes around; slating your boss won’t achieve anything other than making you look petty and bitter. Save that experience for when you are in the pub with your mates!
Different Types Of Interview Questions:
An interview will have a structured format and there will be several different types of interview questions set to enable the interviewer to gauge your response to technical as well as hypothetical questions. For example a Technical Question may involve specifics about the way a certain type of application is dealt with. Let’s say you are applying for a job in the construction industry there may be certain questions set out to see how you would deal with a particular problem within a mechanical process. Hypothetical Questions can apply to any type of job role and they are designed to ascertain how you would deal with a situation or chain of events. Some less professional interviewers may also throw questions at you which are deliberately set to get your back up, to judge how you deal with the situation.
This is fairly rare and in any event to be honest any interviewer who engages in this type of underhand maneuver I don’t think would be a particularly good employer. Just my opinion!
Types Of Interview:
If you haven’t had a lot of experience with attending interviews then you will not be aware of the different ways that employers are able to conduct interviews and the way that they are held. Aside from a traditional interview i.e. one candidate and one interviewer, there are three different types of interviews and dependent upon the position involved will depend upon the type of interview you may have.
Firstly there is the Telephone Interview. This involves an interviewer calling you up and having a chat with you over the phone to judge your telephone skills. This often happens where the job may entail working in a call centre and the emphasis is on how well you perform on the telephone. This method is also used if the interviewer is trying to shortlist a group of candidates in a quick manner and is often carried out by an external recruiter such as an agency. You may or may not be told that you will be having a telephone interview. It depends on the employer. If you have applied for a job where heavy telephone use is likely to be a major part of the job, then this may be the option chosen. The interview should be treated as any other and it’s a good idea to make notes as you go along if you can. If you are successful it may be that you will be asked there and then to attend a face to face interview, so make sure you have a pen and paper to hand.
Another type of interview is what is known a Panel Interview. These are a bit more tricky and stressful than a one to one interview. A panel interview will usually have anything from three to six interviewers sitting in on the meeting. Basically this is a way of cutting down on time where the decision for the applicant needs to be discussed by several different members of the business. It could be that you are applying for a sales post and the interview needs the Sales Manager, HR Manager, Head of Department and, if the role involves some form of IT work, one of the IT Managers. It’s always difficult attending these interviews as it can feel like you are one against many but it’s not set up like this for any nasty reason. It’s just easier for the company. If you are faced with a Panel Interview always try and answer each question posed by each member of the panel back to the individual who has posed the question, whilst casually glancing at the other people present. Also when you enter the room you will obviously shake hands with the head of the panel or the person who has taken you in but whether you decide to shake all of the panel’s hands is a decision you will need to make at the time. If they all stand and offer their hands your decision will be made easier.
The final type of interview is a Sequential Interview. This can also be a tough type of interview leaving you feeling absolutely drained. Basically how this works is you will be interviewed by a series of different people. It might be that the HR Manager interviews you first, then the Sales Manager and then the Local Director. The chances are that each member of staff will have different questions but there may be some overlap so you might find yourself answering the same questions twice!
Closing And Leaving The Interview:
Once the interview has finished and this should be fairly obvious as the interviewer will intimate that it has, you will want to stand, pick up your briefcase or handbag from under the chair, if that’s where you put them; and then shake hands with the interviewer. Again, in a firm but not grip wrenching manner. Try and avoid the temptation to wipe your sweaty hands on your clothes in front of the interviewer. A better tactic is to just clench your hands together and rub them a couple of times gently to remove any wetness. Thank the interviewer for the time that they have afforded to you, say goodbye in a nice smiley manner and leave the room. Some people will escort you out onto the main floor; others may see you out of the building, but whichever, try and stay as professional as possible. Remember the job is not yours until you have signed on the dotted line!
Some of the Popular answers to Interviewers Questions Interview Questions
Generally speaking there are going to be certain questions that arise at your interview that you can pretty much expect to get asked at any interview you may attend. The great thing about this is the fact that you can rehearse your answers to these questions and with enough practice they will flow off your tongue easier than honey sipping down your throat! These questions are likely to be fired at all candidates applying for the job. So, although they may sound personal to you and they are to a degree; these are pretty standard interview questions. So here goes. You have to bear in mind that these are the responses that I would consider giving. They are obviously not set in stone and you will need to adapt answers according to your situation:
Tell Me About Yourself
– Sounds a bit like the sort of question you get asked on a date! This isn’t as straight forward to answer as at first it might seem. Don’t start rambling on about how much you love watching the Simpsons on the TV. Thatisn’t what the interviewer is looking to hear. You will probably need to answer this question with a question. Perhaps you could try saying “What would you like to know about me?” This then gives your interviewer the chance to get you to tell them exactly what information they are looking for. If possible try and keep this part of the interview to a minimum. If you can, see if you can build into your response positives which relate to the job you are applying for. For example; if it’s a sales role you could say “I am a very organised person who enjoys finding a new prospect, working with it and closing the deal, carrying out the completion from start to finish”. Sometimes your interviewer might ask about your hobbies and again you should pick out points that relate to the job you are applying for whether remote or not.
What Is the Most Enjoyable Part Of Your Current Job?
- This is a fairly straight forward question but has a bit of a double meaning. Obviously there are going to be parts of your existing job that you don’t like doing or you wouldn’t be applying for this new position would you? But your job can’t be that great either or you wouldn’t be applying for this job! Don’t get led down this route. Just answer something along the lines of “I do enjoy my present job so I can’t really put my finger on any part of it that I dislike. I am just looking to further my career” and leave it at that. It is possible to use this question to your benefit but you need to make sure you pick something that is going to compliment the job you are applying for.
Tell Us About The Biggest Challenge You’ve Ever Faced In Your Career?
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Oh wow, this is a really great question to help you shine! You are more than likely to be asked this question and it is a really great opportunity for you to blow your own trumpet. Pick a challenge where you have been successful and explain how you overcame it and what the outcome was. This question can also be used by the interviewer to gauge what you consider to be a challenge, so this is a bit of a crafty one as well.
Why Do You Want To Leave Your Present Job?
- This is a bit of a stupid question really as the chances of the interviewer getting a straight answer are fairly limited. Let’s face it; if the job you are in doesn’t pay very well and you want more money, you are going to be looking for a new job. It might be that your current boss is a complete idiot and you don’t like him. It could be you can’t stand working with John in accounts. You aren’t going to say any of these things are you? Well hopefully not! I think a standard response along the lines of “I feel that I have outgrown the company I am in and my contribution as part of a team could be put to better use with a larger or more focused company where I can expand my skills further. I am really interested in……..but my existing employer doesn’t have the resources to let me advance in this area” and leave it at that. Just try not to be negative about the job you are leaving. It doesn’t look good.
What Is Your Present Boss Like?
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Another question posed by interviewers to gauge your loyalty and integrity. It is not a good idea to be critical about any of the employers you have ever worked for. Realistically very few of us actually like our bosses. Well, most of us just placate them and tell them what they want to hear. After all why would you possibly want to be best buddies with a person who holds your career prospects in their hands? If you get asked this question the most appropriate reply is “I like my boss and get on very well with him (or her). I respect their experience and they are good at their job”. You really don’t need to expand any further on this issue at interview stage. You have to remember that the person interviewing you may well, at some point in the near future, become your boss and they are weighing up your loyalty and integrity.
What Do You Think This Job Entails?
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Now, when you are applying for a new job the chances are you are going to know something about what it is all about. For example; if the job is a secretarial role and you are a secretary, you will know what sort of work you are going to be involved with. In any case you will have been given a brief description of the job role and what responsibilities it carries in either the advertisement about it or in a job description that may have been sent with the original application form, so you should be able to make a reasoned reply.
What Do You Know about this Organisation?
- Now if you have taken my earlier advice you will have done your research and read up about what the company is involved in, its products, its turnover and its strategy. You will really impress your interviewer if you are able to show that you have this knowledge. As previously mentioned people like to think that if you are really eager to work for them. You will have done some research about what they do and how they do it. So let’s say you are applying for a job with a major high street retailer you could say something like “I notice that you are one of the leading stores who operate a “Fair Trade Policy” when purchasing your goods from third world countries. I have to say that I am very supportive of this and it would be nice to work for an employer who cares about the impact their business has on people in the outside world”.
What Made You Apply For This Job And Why Do You Want It?
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This is a bit of a double edged question. Your interviewer isn’t necessarily looking for an answer here that is straight forward. You know you are applying for the job because you think you would enjoy doing it, the package is right and you think you would be able to advance your career with this firm, but the interviewer wants to see if there are some specifics that really attract you to it (other than the £ 50,000 per year and company car). So dependent upon what the role is, you could use an answer such as “I am a very well organised person and this role involves exceptional management skills. I thrive under pressure and it makes me perform to my full ability which makes me think that I would really enjoy it”. Obviously you can tailor this answer to whatever role you are applying for.
What Qualities Do You Think You Can Bring To This Job Position?
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Again, you know that you can do this job and that is why you have applied for it. Not only do you know that you can do the job, you will do it better than anyone else, so you will be aware of the qualities you are going to bring to this business. You will have reviewed the job spec and the key responsibilities so you will be able to select several areas where you feel your qualities will stand out. Perhaps you could therefore give an answer along the lines of “I have experience working in the complaints department where a sympathetic touch is required dealing with disgruntled customers. I am very tactful and am able to defuse situations using my personal skills”.
How Long Would You Expect To Work For Our Organisation?
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Let’s face it no employer wants to go through the hassle and cost of hiring a new candidate if the candidate only stays with them for 6 months and then decides to apply to another firm. The recruitment process is a long and expensive one especially where agencies are used to introduce the candidate. This could cost your potential employer as much as 30% of your first year’s package! It’s probably a good idea therefore to intimate that you would like to work for this firm for several years minimum and you could provide an answer along the lines of “I like the way your company is continuing to expand and I would like to be part of that on a long term basis. So I would like to think that I could continue to work for you for a lengthy period of time providing my career continues to progress”.
What’s Your Greatest Strength?
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Only you can answer this question, but it is a question that will more than likely be asked. After all, the interviewer wants to know what you are good at. This question gives you pretty much an open mandate to really show off. However don’t overdue the self praise. When answering this question try and provide strengths that relate to the role that you are applying for, so if the job requires the need to be organised and a good team leader provide these as strengths within your answer.
What Is Your Biggest Weakness?
- Bit of a tricky question this, after all no one wants to show their weaknesses but we all have them. The most comprehensive way of dealing with this question is to try and turn it into a “positive” from a “negative”. So you could perhaps say “my biggest weakness is buying the kids sweets when they ask for them in the shop” or “I really dislike washing the car at the weekend but once I have done it I always feel a real sense of satisfaction”.
Where Do You See Yourself In Five Years Time?
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Don’t say as I have heard so many times “sitting in your job!” Although I have a sense of humour, most interviewers do not. The remark often has an element of truth hanging in the background and you don’t want your interviewer thinking you are potentially a threat to his or her job in the future. I am sure you will have ideas about where you want to be in a few years time. Most people, whether they put them down on paper or not, have a good idea of their long term career objectives. Try and answer the question positively but not too arrogantly. Perhaps you could give an answer such as “I have always been very career minded and ambitious. I would like to keep progressing up the career ladder and feel that your organisation will be able to offer me that opportunity”.
What Would Your Work Colleagues Say About You?
- This question provides another opportunity for you to demonstrate that you are easy to get on with, a team player and a generally amenable person who works well with other people. You could answer this question with a quote such as “I am an organised, approachable, dependable, easy to get on with team member who is always willing to offer my advice or assistance to colleagues where needed”. Don’t go overboard with your answer, making out you are something you are not. You may get away with stretching the truth, but if you are not a “natural team leader” don’t say you are!
What Would Your Friends Say About You?
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Obviously this question is similar to the one above. If you are a popular, kind, caring person who can be counted on and would help a friend out at the drop of a hat then let your interviewer know.
What Interests Do You Have Outside Of Your Work? - This will be a definite question (in my opinion) and is posed by your interviewer to try and ascertain what you are like outside of your working environment. If you don’t like football or snooker don’t say that you do. Just provide honest answers. There is nothing worse than saying you follow a sport and then it turning out that the interviewer is mad about the subject and starts asking you questions you can’t answer. You will look a fool and your honesty will be under scrutiny!
What Type Of Books Or Publications Do You Like?
- This question needs an honest answer. Just because you think the interviewer is looking to hear you tell them that you have just finished “Marketing Skills Made Easy” and that it was the best read of your life, it isn’t a good idea to make it up. If you have genuinely read David Jason’s autobiography or Stephen King’s latest book then tell the employer what you enjoyed about it. Of course if you work within certain industries; read the trade publications and have recently read an interesting article about the latest “blue widget release” then by all means use this as an example.
Some of the toughest and most difficult questions an Interviewer may ask you - be prepared
Tough Interview questions We know all interview questions are tough but these are the real hard ones. Generally these questions aren’t asked to make your life difficult or to make you squirm. They are simply asked so that the interviewer can find out what he wants to know in the best possible way. When you are posed with a difficult question which you find awkward to answer, it puts you under pressure. Therefore there may be certain questions that are delivered to you to see how well you cope. It not unreasonable if the new job you are applying for is likely to carry an element of pressure. Just remember there is no need to get worked up or frightened. As I keep saying, if you have done your research and prepared properly for the interview these questions won’t be half as difficult as you think. When a question is posed to you try and keep calm. Think about the question for a few moments and deliver your answer accordingly. So here we go!
Are You A Good Leader?
- Your interviewer is looking to ascertain whether you can manage or lead well in your job and how you deal with the people who work under you. Perhaps you could answer this question along the lines of “I feel that my team leading qualities are exceptional. I am always firm but fair with the people who work for me and find that I get a good deal of respect by operating in this manner”.
How Do You Feel About Taking Direction From Your Superiors?
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This is a very valid question from any potential employer. If you have a boss who is delegating work to you they will want to know that you are able to deal with their requests and execute them in the manner dictated. You will therefore want to be answering this question along the lines of “I take direction from my superiors well. After all no team can work properly unless they are able to accept instructions from their superior”.
How Do You Feel About Carrying Out Mundane or Repetitive Work?
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Nearly every job carries an element of routine to it so this could well be a frequently asked “difficult” question. The answer could be something like “I understand all jobs have some element of repetitiveness but I take all aspects of my job seriously regardless of whether they are mundane or not. I always give 100% to my job”.
Are You A Natural Born Leader?
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Some of us are natural born leaders and they are usually the people heading up teams or managing departments. Natural born leaders are chosen for the role of management or leadership because of their ability to guide and deal with people. They are people who possess enthusiasm, confidence and good leadership qualities. Try and build something into your answer that shows these qualities. It hasn’t necessarily got to include areas of your work life however it’s better if it does. You could use an example of something in your personal life such as being “head of the local under 16’s football team” or “head of your local cricket team” but whatever you choose try and say something that makes your leadership qualities stand out.
How Well Do You Handle Criticism?
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Everyone gets criticised in the job they do at some point in their career. Whether you feel that the criticism is right or wrong there are always two sides to every situation. An ideal answer to this question might be “We all at some point make mistakes and I am more than happy to take on board any constructive criticism that is given to me as it helps me understand and learn from the situation”.
How Well Do You Work Within A Team Environment?
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Teamwork is very important to an employer. A properly functioning team will create a happy workplace and smooth, efficient production regardless of the product or service involved. Everyone has a different approach to how they deal with their colleagues so you will need to tailor the answer to this question to your own approach. Perhaps you could offer an answer like “I really enjoy working as a member of a team. There is a feeling of comradeship in that we are all working towards the same goal. When we meet our objective we all benefit from the feeling of success”.
What Motivates You?
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Your interviewer is not looking for an answer along the lines of “£ 100,000 per year and a yacht”. Let’s face it that’s what we would all like! Try and give a constructive answer such as “I get a real kick out of completing a project. This drives me along the way and I get satisfaction at each stage knowing that I will have made a contribution to the end result”.
Are You Good At Getting The Best Out Of Your Team?
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An interviewer asking this question is looking for an answer that shows how you manage and run your team in order to achieve the best performance from them. Your answer should include areas that show your leadership qualities and how they benefit the people that work for you, such as communication skills and praise.
You Have Only Been With Your Employer A Very Short Time - Why?
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As I have mentioned before the recruitment process is a long and expensive one. Where recruitment agencies are used to source candidates, their fee may be as much as 30% of your first years annual package, let alone the costs associated with any additional training you may need. The last thing an employer wants to do is employ a candidate who is only going to work for them for five minutes and then look for another job! If you have been with previous employer for a short period of time then you need to find an answer that is going to reassure the interviewer’s doubts and put his mind at rest. It is possible in this situation that you could use a line such as “Yes I have only been with my existing employer a relatively short period of time but have found that I have to move to gain more experience and enhance my career. I think that this can be achieved within your organisation and I feel that I am ready to settle down in a position I am comfortable with for a long period of time”.
How Do You Deal With Interpersonal Problems Within Your Team?
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Nothing runs smoothly all the while and from time to time there will be disputes amongst members of your team. Obviously your answer will probably come from your own experience here, but areas such as being fair by hearing both sides of the dispute, dealing with the problem in private, not causing embarrassment in front of others and looking for a compromise between the individuals may all come into play.
How Would Your Current Boss Describe You?
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“You’re useless and should look for another job before I fire you!!” Just kidding (or maybe not in some cases). Remember at some point in the future the man or woman sitting in the chair opposite you could well be your future employer. When you answer this question provide an answer in a way that you think you would like your boss to actually think of you. So perhaps you can say something like “I get on very well with my boss and we have an excellent working relationship. I think that the reason is due to the fact that we have mutual respect for each other. My boss considers me as a hard working, loyal and efficient employee who is able to work well using my own initiative. He can trust me to carry out the work given to me without having to bother him”. It’s not a terribly good idea to blatantly lie about your relationship with your boss. If it’s horrendous it may come out in references that are taken later. However, under employment law past employers have to be very careful how they word references and are not allowed to tear your personality apart!
What Part Of Your Job Do You Dislike The Most?
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Well the answer to this can’t be “I am completely happy with my job and I enjoy every aspect of it. It fills my daily working hours with joy and happiness. I just wish I could do it 24 hours a day 365 days a year”. Why not? Because you wouldn’t be applying for this job if that was the truth would you? Don’t give answers that are purely motivated by money and benefits, even if that is the case. You might genuinely love your job but the money is no good. That isn’t what the interviewer wants to hear. Perhaps you could use a line like “I really do enjoy my current job and quite frankly there aren’t really any areas that I can say I dislike. However, the company I work for is small and I don’t get much chance to deal with new business very often. This is an area I find exciting and feel that this job would be able to offer me that opportunity”. Of course there may be an area you do dislike in your job but if you decide to bring it up then try and create a positive out of it. For example “I used to find doing my filing at the end of the day a bit time consuming as I would always get distracted by more important issues to deal with. Then I decided that I would come in a bit earlier each morning to deal with this enabling me to start the day fresh and be left with a bit of spare time at the end of each day should something really important come up”.
If You Were Starting Out Again In Your Career Are There Any Decisions You Would Make Differently?
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This is a nonsense question really. No one can turn back the clock so it’s completely irrelevant, but one some interviewers like to pose. The only answer I can think of giving is “I wouldn’t change anything. I have been more than happy with all of the decisions I have made in my career and don’t feel that I would gain any benefit out of looking back and analysing something I cannot change”.
You Have Been With Your Employer A Long Time - Why?
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To be honest I think this question is a bit unfair. There could be many reasons why you have shown loyalty to your existing employer for a lengthy period of time. It might be that you just liked your job and the people you have worked for but circumstances have changed or, that you have had a wide and varied career working in different parts of the company doing different job roles. You may have worked overseas for the same company. People don’t generally stay with the same employer in this day and age predominantly because it isn’t always easy to get promoted internally. This could look to an interviewer like you have been unable to get another job. Of course this probably isn’t the case so build your answer around the facts.
Do You Feel That Your Career Has Been A Success To Date?
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Again, another no brainer question that really has no bearing on whether you are capable of doing the job you are applying for or whether you are even the right person for it. Success can only really be measured by the person who it applies to. What one person thinks is successful another may not. I genuinely feel that very few people actually think their career has been a failure. The only way to address this question is to say “I feel that I have been successful to date and I am more than happy with my career progression. I have always put emphasis on enjoying the job I do and not how much it pays or what benefits I can gain from it. So far I have found that this strategy has worked well for me”.
We Think You Might Be Overqualified For This Job!
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If you were overqualified for this job would you be applying for it? Well I guess in an interviewers mind it could be that you are desperate, or it may be that you are desperate! A future employer doesn’t want to think he is going to take you on if you are going to get bored in five minutes because the job is too easy and then start looking elsewhere again. This is a difficult question to answer but you could intimate that you have a very low boredom threshold and that everything you do, you do to the best of your ability.
If You Were Appointed To This Position How Long Would It Be Before You Would Expect To Be Promoted?
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Let’s face it; most of us want promotion as soon as possible. Promotion usually leads to more money and better employment benefits (of course it also usually entails more work and stress) but you should consider your answer to this question carefully. If you answer “I’d expect promotion within 12 months of being appointed” you allocate a timescale which may not be acceptable to your future employer. They may not be looking to promote you for a good few years and may feel that you would become despondent and leave if you didn’t achieve your goal. In all honesty the right kind of answer to this question is going to be something like “I couldn’t give a time by which I would expect to be promoted. I would need to prove myself to the company in terms of my ability, leadership skills and the experience that I would bring to the business. I feel that promotion is a reward, not a right and as with all rewards I am a great believer in that you have to earn them”.
How Have You Managed To Attend This Interview In Works Time?
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Another naughty question often posed by interviewers but at the same time it does bear some relevance. If you are attending an interview when you would normally expect to be in work then your potential employer wants to know what type of excuse you have come up with to your existing employer. Really this is a question of honesty and the reality is that you won’t have asked your existing boss for time off to attend an interview for another job. It may well be that you have taken the time off by telling your boss that you have had to take your pet anaconda to the vets or you might have thrown a sicky but that isn’t what your future employer wants to hear. One straight forward answer to this question is “I have taken some holiday to take part in this interview”. If you are feeling really clever and you want to impress your interviewer you could say “Unfortunately I didn’t have any holiday left so I asked my employer if I could take a day of unpaid leave because I had a personal issue I needed to deal with. I preferred to take that action as I don’t feel it fair on my existing employer to attend this interview whilst he was paying me. I do not think it’s right to cheat”.
You Have Read The Job Description And A Summary Of The Job Role So What Areas Of This Job Appeal To You The Least?
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Hmm….It’s a nasty one this isn’t it! At this point in your interview you don’t want to go and start making out that there is anything at all that you don’t fancy doing in this new job. I am not one for one sentence answers but if you get this one dropped on you I think it’s good to get off the subject as quickly as possible and use the damage limitation technique. I think a simple “Having reviewed the job summary and description I have to say that I can’t find anything that doesn’t appeal to me in this job at all”. If you do find something about the job that looks less than appealing make sure it isn’t a major part of role and if you can’t find any way of turning the duty from a negative to a positive leave it well alone.
What Sort Of People Do You Find It Difficult To Work With?
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There’s always someone in the office that doesn’t work with the team and the rest end up carrying them, but that’s life at the end of the day. It’s up to your boss to sort that problem out. This often causes bad feeling amongst the team and irritates the other members. However, when you are attending an interview you really don’t want to be seen to be moaning about individuals in your current organisation. The easiest way to deal with this question is to give your answer based on the fact that although you are very amenable and easy to get on with, you are very much a team player so the most difficult people you find to work with are the ones that do not carry the same high standards in their work as you do.
Have You Attended Other Interviews As Well As This One?
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This is a great question and one that you can manipulate to your advantage. If the interviewer thinks that one of their competitors is after you it makes you a much better catch to them. You have to remember many, but not all, employers are like sheep and the bigger the company the more likely it will be that they are after a stereotypical candidate. One that’s just a little bit better than the last. If you give the impression that you are talking to other firms as well and that you have made the last batch of interviews with them, you are going to be a far more attractive prospect. So whether you are or are not talking to other companies make sure you give the impression that you are in demand.
What Do You Think About The Conflict In Iraq, The Credit Crunch, Barack Obama (or something that has a social political bearing)
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The idea behind this question is for your interviewer to see if you take an interest in what goes on in the world, current affairs and so on and to show that your interest in the world doesn’t stop when you shut your front door at night. Your answer is likely to give your interviewer an insight into your values whether they be moral or otherwise and how you address life itself. Politically correct answers aren’t always the right ones. What you need to do is show the interviewer that you have the ability to see and recognise all sides of a debate. That you don’t see things simply in black and white and that you have the ability to debate a subject properly, At the same time you need to show that you are open minded enough to form your own opinion on a subject. What you don’t want to do is jump on your high horse and fire off your own political views. This type of question can be particularly relevant to certain industries. For example, if you are applying to work for an oil company you may be asked your opinion on global warming and whether the work green peace does is right or wrong. Alternatively if you are applying for a job working for a company that manufactures make up you may be asked for your views on whether the work that animal rights campaigners carry out is justified: you get the picture?
What Sort Of Decisions Do You Find The Most Difficult To Make?
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“Should I have prawn or beef sandwiches for lunch!” or “Should I buy the 28 or 32 inch flat screen TV”. Most of us at some point have had to make difficult decisions whether in our personal or work lives. If you have ever had to fire someone or make them redundant it’s not a nice decision to make, or job to carry out for that matter. This is not from the point of view that you don’t really like the person, but most people have a conscience and realise that if they take away a person’s job it will have a direct impact on their whole life. This is therefore a good example to use as an answer to this question.
What Is Your Current Bosses Biggest Weakness?
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Wouldn’t you just love to say it; “Lunchtime Binge Drinking”. You must remember regardless of what an idiot you think your boss is; the person that is sitting in front of you may one day be the same boss you are criticizing. Anyway it wouldn’t achieve anything and would only make you look cheap. So if you get this one thrown at you why not try something like “My boss is great really and we get on very well. He is good at his job, one which he wouldn’t have got in the first place if he wasn’t. I respect him for that. I am sure he may have weaknesses but I have to say that if he has I haven’t picked up on them”.
What Do You Think Of Your Existing Company?
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Now you might think that your existing company is a cheap skate, runs old machinery, never wants to invest in the plant or the future of the business, use every spare amount of cash they have to improve the cars parked in the Directors car park and so on. However that just isn’t the right answer! Your standard response to a question such as this should be that you have really enjoyed working for your current company and that you are thankful for the opportunities, training and career progression that they have afforded you to date.
What Is Your Current Salary?
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It’s a bit of a cheeky question this one and you want to give a non committal answer. You must try and remember that all companies want to save as much money on salaries as they can and if you are offered the job the chances are they are going to indicate a package either similar or slightly more than the one you’re on. If you go straight in with “I earn £ 23,000.00 plus expenses plus a car and free weekend tickets to the Manchester United games” you are setting a bench mark that you may find difficult to negotiate around. Therefore an appropriate answer to this interview question might be “it’s not really the salary that is important to me it’s the whole package that I would be more interested in”. By saying this you are being non committal and it will make negotiating an acceptable package far easier
What Salary Would You Be Expecting For This Position?
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Again another cheeky one which, ideally, you don’t want to be too committal over. If you commit to a salary at this stage you won’t be able to negotiate later on and if you ask for too much they will think they can’t afford you. If you don’t know what level of salary a position pays you can do some research on the internet. There are several sites that collect data about average industry and job role remunerations. So you could ask the interviewer a question in response to his question such as “What level of salary would you be expecting to pay for this position?” If the interviewer doesn’t want to divulge this then it’s not unreasonable for you to decline to answer too. If your interviewer quotes you a salary of say £ 19,000 then try and come back with something like “Well I was looking for a salary in the region of £ 22,000 to £ 24,000”. Your employer will always start with their bottom figure first so by asking for a little more it sets you a slightly higher bench mark. It may be that your interviewer can only go to the level he quotes but it’s fairly unlikely.
I have A Pen Here – Sell It Me!
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I’ve been on loads of sales courses and this has always been a question posed to me to see how good I am at selling the benefits of a product, not just the product itself. This is an interesting question and some employers will ask you to do this even if you aren’t applying for a job that involves selling. As I have said the reason behind this is to see if you can sell the benefits of the pen rather than the object itself. For example as a pen itself: it is just a biro with a roller ball and plastic coating. However, its benefits would be: it’s a biro and the roller ball is really smooth and gives excellent presentation. It is leak proof and slim and sits discretely in your pocket. This is all about the bigger picture. If you are able to outline the benefits of the pen you will impress your interviewer. Obviously if you are applying for a sales role the chances are your interviewer will definitely ask you this question. However, it might not necessarily be a pen. It could be something else sitting on your interviewer’s desk.
How Well Do You Work In A Stressful Environment?
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Most jobs carry an element of stress whether it’s working to very tight deadlines or handling lots of different projects and having to manage your time effectively. Your answer to this question should encompass examples of situations where you have operated well under stress and also point out that you get a buzz out of a working in stressful environment as it keeps you mind focused and it assists you in your performance.
Some questions you Could ask the Interviewer
Want to know what to ask?
At some stage of the interview you are going to be asked if you have any questions to put to the interviewer. Now is the chance for you to show your interest in the company and the position. Try to prepare some questions in advance that could demonstrate your experience for the role. Other questions could be about the company which would give you more information about the organisation. This could be crucial to you deciding to accept any offer that may subsequently be made to you. Not asking any questions at all should not be an option as an interviewer will take this as a sign of disinterest. However you can blow the interview completely by asking the wrong type of question. It is never a good idea to rush straight in and ask about holiday entitlement, length of tea breaks, lunch breaks etc. This will give the employer the sign of your priorities in the workplace and it won’t be a good one. I would go so far as to say that second to not asking anything at all, questions such as these could seal your fate completely.
Below are some ideas. You can adapt them to suit the type of vacancy you are applying for. For example if you are applying for a managerial position it is almost inevitable that you will have some staff reporting to you. However if you are an assistant administrator you will be unlikely to be in that position. Remember only you know the job you have applied for and the answers to some of these questions would be obvious. If that is the case don’t ask them.
Will I be working in a department or in an area on my own?
Who else is in the department and what do they do?
What training will I need and how will I be given this?
Do you train in house or use external courses?
To whom am I responsible?
Which members of staff are responsible to me and what are their roles?
Is this a new position and if so why has it been created?
If it is an existing position, why has the previous person left the post?
What are the opportunities for promotion?
When would you be looking for the successful candidate to start?
Are you interviewing many people for this position?
When will you let me know if I am to be offered the post?
Source:http://www.redgoldfish.co.uk/