Good Answers to Common Interview Questions
There are certain questions that the vast majority of interviewers like to use. Interviewers want to know about the decisions you have taken to get you where you are in your career, why you are looking for a new job, and why you believe you should work for them.
But whatever question is asked in the end, remember to provide examples whenever possible . Claims are nothing if they are not substantiated. Examples make a much stronger impact in the mind of the interviewer than generalised statements or opinions that you may make about yourself. Almost all interviewers will ask some of these questions:
So, tell me about yourself.
Many interviewers like to begin by asking this question. The open-ended nature of the question means that you could potentially answer it in any number of ways. So start by checking how much information the interviewer wants: ''Is there any part of my CV that you would like me to focus on?'' The interviewer's response should hopefully direct you to the areas that he or she is most interested in.
Even if the interviewer does not give you any further guidance, you should avoid talking about your family, hobbies and interests outside of work, or goals in life. After all, if you want to convince the interviewer that you are the right person for the job, you should focus on the skills that are needed to fill the vacancy - unless the interviewer specifically asks you to talk about any of those areas.
To prepare for this question, look at the job advert. What skills and qualities does the advert talk about? If it says that they are looking for 'a head teacher with excellent planning and problem solving skills', then be prepared to talk about your planning and problem solving skills in your initial response.
As an example, consider the following excerpt from a job advert:
Growing London-based accountancy firm is looking to open a regional office in Birmingham . We are looking for an office manager to set up an office and recruit a team of secretarial staff to support eight accountants .
A candidate might then respond along the lines of the following: ''As you can see from my CV, I have six years' experience of office management from two companies - the most recent of which has been for a law firm, so I have plenty of experience working for demanding and highly motivated professional services staff. In my current job, I look after all of the office functions - from the computer, photocopying and telephone systems, to managing a team of three secretaries to ensure that the solicitors get the support that they need. Shall I go on?''
What does your day-to-day job involve?
Rather than giving a blow-by-blow account of what you do in a typical day, you should be selective in your response. Try to include in your answer the sorts of tasks that you would be doing if you were to be offered the job.
What do you like/enjoy in your work? What do you most like about your job?
Your tactic for responding to this question should be very similar to that for dealing with the previous question about your day-to-day job. Again, think about the main responsibilities - such as meeting prospective customers, writing proposals, and presenting at meetings - in the job that you are being interviewed for. Then incorporate these into your reply.
What motivates you?
Ideally, you should be able to tell the interviewer that you are most motivated when you are helping the organisation to achieve its goals. If, for example, you were being interviewed by an aggressive American investment bank, they might like to hear you talk about your financial motivations: ''I get a real kick out of negotiating good deals with clients that will bring revenue into the company and make me a wealthy person in the process.'' Then proceed to give a concrete example of when you have negotiated a good deal.
Or if you were being interviewed by a not-for-profit organisation: ''I like to know that my work is making a difference.'' Again, continue by giving an example of when you have done something worthwhile.
What frustrates you about your current job? What do you most dislike about your work?
An interviewer will not believe you if you say that you enjoy every single moment of your job. A good trick is to talk about inefficient systems, unwieldy processes or bureaucracy. However, when you do give your example, either allude to the fact that it is entirely out of your control or that you have tried to improve the situation but have good reasons for not being able to change it. It would be even better if you can say that the situation is currently being fixed due to your efforts.
How would you describe your current company?
Some interviewers have it in their minds that a candidate that knocks a current or previous employer could be a troublemaker. It may not be fair or right - but if you want the job, you should ideally be able to give the impression that you enjoy working at your current company, but that there are just one or two aspects of your interviewer's organisation that are even more attractive.
What do you know about this company?
This question should never be a problem if you have done your research. Your aim in answering the question should be to show that you have done some reading or speaking to colleagues, then finish by providing a short example of a skill or some aspect of your previous experience that ties in to the organisation's needs.
