Being interviewed is a skill, but if you do the preparation you should ace it every time.
The underlying question in every interview is “why should I hire you?” The interviewer’s objective is to accurately assess your competency, fit and motivation; form an impression about your personality and abilities, and determine the degree to which your experience matches the employer’s needs.
So every answer to every question must demonstrate why you are the best person for the job.
1. TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF
This question gives you a chance to set the tone of interview. There’s no one right way to answer this or any interview question; different interviewers have different things they’re looking for. This is where the magic of matchmaking takes over – on both sides – and it doesn’t pay to get too nuts about figuring out the “right” thing to say. So when you do answer the question, remember to:
- Be natural and poised
- Focus exclusively on the parts about yourself that paint a picture of someone who fits the job you’re interviewing for
In other words…while your childhood may be fascinating, unless something about your youth clearly relates to the company or the work you’d be required to do, it is probably best to start with a strong simple statement about your strengths, passions, experiences, and why you believe you’re the right person for the job.
2. WHY DID YOU APPLY FOR THIS POSITION?
The employer wants to make sure you know what the job involves, and how you match it. Here is where you get to speak passionately about the job you are applying for. You need to cite particular things about the job that motivate you. Let them know that you have investigated the job & company thoroughly and then clearly explain what it is that excites you most. Pick an aspect of the role that is essential and show your outstanding skill in being able to deliver the task in an exceptional way. Be positive, reassuring and persuasive.
3. WHY DO YOU WANT THIS JOB?
The interviewer is trying to gauge your enthusiasm for the role as well as your level of knowledge about the company. Give specific examples of things that attracted you to the company and elaborate on your strengths, achievements and skills and how they match the position description, making you the right ‘fit’ for the job. The secret here is to be very positive about the new job and refer to the fact that this is exactly the right opportunity for you and that you feel you could make a contribution to the company and be a valuable member of the team.
4. WHAT ARE YOUR STRENGTHS?
The interviewer wants to know what you are particularly good at and how this would fit into the role. Choose a few of your key strengths that are required for the role and give examples of how you have demonstrated them successfully in the past. Strengths could include the ability to learn quickly, problem solving, composure under pressure, ability to multi-task, team focus or your ability to work by yourself.
5. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST WEAKNESS?
This is one of the most challenging questions to answer. You obviously don’t want to say something negative about yourself to a potential employer, so the trick here is to turn a negative into a positive. The important part is not what your weakness is, but that you’re aware of it and have learned to overcome it. “Staying organised used to be a challenge, but I developed a time management system that works for me and that has really helped me to get organised.”
6. WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT?
The employer is looking for self-motivated employees. An interview is not the time to be shy or lacking in self-confidence. You will need to have prepared this question in advance. You must know your strengths and potential, and be able to talk about the areas of your life where you set and achieved goals. Make sure to talk about the particular strengths that will add value to the job you are being interviewed for.
7. HOW DO YOU HANDLE STRESS?
It's a good idea to give examples of how you have handled stress to your interviewer. That way, they get a clear picture how well you can work in stressful situations. You could answer: “I react to situations, rather than to stress. That way, the situation is handled and doesn't become stressful.” or “I'm the kind of person who stays calm under pressure, and handles stress fairly easily.”
8. WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE FUTURE?
A sense of purpose is an attractive feature in an applicant, so this question is designed to probe your ambition and the extent of your career planning. Describe how your goal is to continue to grow, learn, add value and take on new responsibilities in the future that build on the role for which you are applying. The reality is nobody can predict with 100% certainty where they will be in five years time, so it is best not to get caught up in the time frame of the question.
9. WHY SHOULD WE HIRE YOU?
This is where you link your skills, experience/potential, education and personality to the job itself. This is why you need to be utterly familiar with the job description as well as the company culture, and show the hiring manager that you are uniquely suited to fill the position. Be the candidate who solves their ‘problems’.
10. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS TO ASK ME?
This will be your final chance to address any concerns the interviewer might have of employing you. Thank the interviewer for the opportunity and express your enthusiasm for the position. Unless an employer is interested in recruiting a passive employee, the interviewer is likely to be attracted to proactive candidates who ask intelligent questions.
Here are some questions you could ask:
- What is the typical career path of employees in this department?
- What would you consider to be the most important aspects of this job?
- How would you measure my success if I got this job?
- What do you think is the most challenging aspect of this position?
- What were the qualities of the person who did this job the best?
- What are the next steps in the interview process?
What not to ask:
- What does your company do?
- Can I do this job from home?
- What are the hours?
- What will my salary be?
- Will I have my own office?
- How soon can I take a vacation?
- When will I be eligible for a raise?
- Do you do background checks?
- How long is lunch?
- Do you monitor email or Internet usage?
- Did I get the job?
“Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers”.
Tony Robbins