You
can never be sure exactly what will happen at an interview, but you can be
prepared for common interview questions. Take time to think about your answers
now. You might even write them down to clarify your thinking. The key to all
interview questions is to be honest, and to be positive. Focus your answers on
skills and abilities that apply to the job you are seeking. Practice answering
the following questions with a friend.
"Tell
me about yourself."
Sounds simple, doesn't it? On the other hand, where do you start? The
interviewer is looking for a quick overview of your career and your academics.
What the interviewer doesn't want to hear is about your family, pets, hobbies,
boyfriend/girlfriend, or the funny thing that happened to you yesterday. What
they're really asking is, "Tell me about your professional
self." The best way to answer this is to give a brief summary of your
career so far, focusing on specific accomplishments. Try something like this:
"My first job was as a receptionist at XYZ Corporation, but I was promoted
after just three months. I worked my way up to sales manager for the Northeast.
I doubled sales in the Northeast, and brought in ten new clients in my first
quarter."
Finally,
explain why you're looking for a job. But don't bad-mouth your current job or
your boss; it will reflect poorly on you. Say something like: "Now I'm
looking for a new challenge." This is also a good time to throw in some of
the information you've learned in your research about the company: "I'm
looking for a company with a dedication to preserving the environment and I
believe your company offers that."
"Why
do you want to work at this company?"
This is where you get to show that you have researched the company and you are
more than just an average applicant. Relate something you learned about the
company and explain why this attracted you to them. If the company has a
commitment to the community, you might say you appreciate their commitment and
that is what draws you to them. Or you understand that they are in a
competitive battle with another major company and you relish the challenge of
helping them carve out a bigger market share. If you heard about the job from a
friend of family member, you could mention that person. But don't forget to
include something that shows that they should want to hire you. "My friend
has worked here for years and says it's a great company to work for with great
people to work with. I think I could really contribute to your team."
"What
did you like/dislike about your last job?"
This is a tricky one, because you don't want to come off as overly critical,
petty, or a problem employee. If you say you hated dealing with the general
public, you can be assured you won't be hired in retail sales or customer
service. If you say you hated your boss, the interviewer will worry about you
hating them someday. Keep your answer positive. If you mention something
you disliked about the company, pair it with something you liked. Let's say
that you worked as a receptionist, and your boss was condescending to you and
never gave you anything interesting to do. You could say, "I enjoyed
greeting the public, and I liked knowing that I could make a difference by
giving people a great first impression of the company, but I felt that there wasn't
room for me to contribute my organizational and teamwork skills. I'm ready for
a position that offers more responsibility and more challenge."
"What
is your biggest accomplishment?"
Be specific. Tell about one thing that you did really well. Preferably, talk
about something that was recognized and rewarded by your boss. You could say
something like, "I created a system to organize my boss's projects and
deadlines, which often overlapped. He was so impressed, he told other managers
in the group, and I ended up training the other secretaries to create similar
systems for their bosses." If you are applying for a position that
involves being part of a team, recount something you did as a member of a team,
and talk about the teamwork and cooperation that was required.
"What
is your greatest strength?"
Even if your greatest strength isn't business-related, find a way to relate it
to work. Your greatest strength may be your ability to memorize lyrics to pop
songs, but if you're applying for a job as a sales trainee, they won't really
care. They will care that you have a great memory and are good at keeping
information organized. If you're a great basketball player, talk about how well
you deal with pressure and work as part of a team.
"What
is your greatest weakness?"
The interviewer who asks this question is looking to see how honest you are
with yourself, and how well you deal with your own shortcomings. Don't pretend
you don't have weaknesses, and don't avoid answering the question. This is your
chance to show that you are honest and take responsibility for your actions. A
good way to answer this question is to mention your weakness, then tell what
you have done to overcome that weakness. If you have been disorganized in the
past, you could say, "I used to be very disorganized, always forgetting
assignments and birthdays. But I managed to work out a computerized system of
to-do lists and reminders that keeps me on top of everything."
"Do
you prefer to work with others or on your own?"
This is a question you should have asked yourself before you applied for the
job. The interviewer wants to make sure that you are appropriate for the job
for which you are applying. If you're going to be part of a team, you should
enjoy working with others. On the other hand, if you're going to be doing data
entry, it might be a good idea if you enjoy working on your own. Remember,
however, that companies don't want to hire workers who need constant hand holding. A good answer might be, "I enjoy being part of a team and
cooperating with others, but I also enjoy working on my own. At my last job,
our team would meet to discuss our goals, then each work on our part of the
project individually. There was a lot of communication and cooperation among
the group, but I was responsible for completing part of the project on my
own."
"What
are your career goals?" or "Where do you see yourself in five
years?"
The interviewer is wondering how dedicated you will be to the job and the
company. If they are going to train you, they want to know that you aren't
going to take the next job that comes along. On the other hand, most companies
don't want to hire people who have no ambition at all. Even if you have no idea
where you want to be in five years, don't say, "I don't know." Be
positive. Say something like, "I hope to be in a position that continues
to challenge me, and that allows me to use my skills and abilities to help the
company reach its goals." Ideally, the job you're applying for is a step
on your career ladder, so you can talk about the career ladder you've
envisioned for yourself. Employers like to hear that you are interested in
staying and growing with their company.
"Tell
me about a time that you had a lot of work to do in a short time. How did you
manage the situation?"
Here, the interviewer is looking for specific strategies that you use to manage
pressure situations. Talk about prioritizing your work, cooperating with
others, making to-do lists, breaking large projects into small batches, and
taking care of your health so you could maintain your concentration.
"Have
you ever had to work closely with a person you didn't get along with? How did
you handle the situation?"
The interviewer wants to hear that you were able to put aside your differences
and get the work done. They also want to hear that you are flexible, and can be
sensitive to the needs and feelings of others. If you don't have a work-related
example, talk about a school project, or about being part of a club and
learning to get along with the various people in the club.
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