1. So, tell me a little about yourself.
I’d be very surprised if you haven’t been asked this one at every
interview. It’s probably the most asked question because it sets the
stage for the interview and it gets you talking. Be careful not to give
the interviewer your life story here. You don’t need to explain
everything from birth to present day. Relevant facts about education,
your career and your current life situation are fine.
2. Why are you looking (or why did you leave your last job)?
This should be a straightforward question to answer, but it can trip
you up. Presumably you are looking for a new job (or any job) because
you want to advance your career and get a position that allows you to
grow as a person and an employee. It’s not a good idea to mention money
here, it can make you sound mercenary. And if you are in the unfortunate
situation of having been downsized, stay positive and be as brief as
possible about it. If you were fired, you’ll need a good explanation.
But once again, stay positive.
3. Tell me what you know about this company.
Do your homework before you go to any interview. Whether it’s being
the VP of marketing or the mailroom clerk, you should know about the
company or business you’re going to work for. Has this company been in
the news lately? Who are the people in the company you should know
about? Do the background work, it will make you stand out as someone who
comes prepared, and is genuinely interested in the company and the job.
4. Why do you want to work at X Company?
This should be directly related to the last question. Any research
you’ve done on the company should have led you to the conclusion that
you’d want to work there. After all, you’re at the interview, right? Put
some thought into this answer before you have your interview, mention
your career goals and highlight forward-thinking goals and career plans.
5. What relevant experience do you have?
Hopefully if you’re applying for this position you have bags of
related experience, and if that’s the case you should mention it all.
But if you’re switching careers or trying something a little different,
your experience may initially not look like it’s matching up. That’s
when you need a little honest creativity to match the experiences
required with the ones you have. People skills are people skills after
all, you just need to show how customer service skills can apply to
internal management positions, and so on.
6. How are you when you’re working under pressure?
Once again, there are a few ways to answer this but they should all
be positive. You may work well under pressure, you may thrive under
pressure, and you may actually PREFER working under pressure. If you say
you crumble like a pack of cards, this is not going to help you get
your foot in the door.
7. What motivates you to do a good job?
The answer to this one is not money, even if it is. You should be
motivated by life’s noble pursuits. You want recognition for a job well
done. You want to become better at your job. You want to help others or
be a leader in your field.
8. What’s your greatest strength?
This is your chance to shine. You’re being asked to explain why you
are a great employee, so don’t hold back and stay do stay positive. You
could be someone who thrives under pressure, a great motivator, an
amazing problem solver or someone with extraordinary attention to
detail. If your greatest strength, however, is to drink anyone under the
table or beat your opponent in a game of FIFA11, keep it to yourself.
The interviewer is looking for work-related strengths.
9. What’s your biggest weakness?
If you’re completely honest, you may be kicking yourself in the b*tt.
If you say you don’t have one, you’re obviously lying. This is a
horrible question and one that politicians have become masters at
answering. They say things like “I’m perhaps too committed to my work
and don’t spend enough time with my family.” Oh, there’s a fireable
offense. I’ve even heard “I think I’m too good at my job, it can often
make people jealous.” Please, let’s keep our feet on the ground. If
you’re asked this question, give a small, work-related flaw that you’re
working hard to improve. Example: “I’ve been told I occasionally focus
on details and miss the bigger picture, so I’ve been spending time
laying out the complete project every day to see my overall progress.”
10. Let’s talk about salary. What are you looking for?
Run for cover! This is one tricky game to play in an interview. Even
if you know the salary range for the job, if you answer first you’re
already showing all your cards. You want as much as possible, the
employer wants you for as little as you’re willing to take. Before you
apply, take a look at salary.com for a good idea of what someone with
your specific experience should be paid. You may want to say, “well,
that’s something I’ve thought long and hard about and I think someone
with my experience should get between X & Y.” Or, you could be sly
and say, “right now, I’m more interested in talking more about what the
position can offer my career.” That could at least buy you a little time
to scope out the situation. But if you do have a specific figure in
mind and you are confident that you can get it, I’d say go for it.
11. Are you good at working in a team?
Unless you have the I.Q. of a houseplant, you’ll always answer YES to
this one. It’s the only answer. How can anyone function inside an
organization if they are a loner? You may want to mention what part you
like to play in a team though; it’s a great chance to explain that
you’re a natural leader.
12. Would you rather work for money or job satisfaction?
It’s not a very fair question is it? We’d all love to get paid a
Trump-like salary doing a job we love but that’s rare indeed. It’s fine
to say money is important, but remember that NOTHING is more important
to you than the job. Otherwise, you’re just someone looking for a bigger
paycheck.
13. Would you rather be liked or feared?
The genuine answer should be “Neither, I’d rather be respected.” You
don’t want to be feared because fear is no way to motivate a team. You
may got the job done but at what cost? Similarly, if you’re everyone’s
best friend you’ll find it difficult to make tough decisions or hit
deadlines. But when you’re respected, you don’t have to be a complete
bastard or a lame duck to get the job done.
14. So, explain why I should hire you.
As I’m sure you know, “because I’m great” or “I really need a job”
are not good answers here. This is a time to give the employer a laundry
list of your greatest talents that just so happen to match the job
description. It’s also good to avoid taking potshots at other potential
candidates here. Focus on yourself and your talents, not other people’s
flaws.
15. Finally, do you have any questions to ask me?
I’ll finish the way I started, with one of the most common questions
asked in interviews. This directly relates to the research you’ve done
on the company and also gives you a chance to show how eager and
prepared you are. You’ll probably want to ask about benefits if they
haven’t been covered already. A good generic one is “how soon could I
start, if I were offered the job of course.” You may also ask what you’d
be working on. Specifically, in the role you’re applying for and how
that affects the rest of the company. Always have questions ready,
greeting this one with a blank stare is a rotten way to finish your
interview. Good luck and happy job hunting.
