The employer will always have three concerns when hiring someone:
1. Are you able to do the job?
2. Are you motivated to do the job?
3. Would you fit in if we hired you?
The interviews are where the employers will make their first impression of you. If you are able to answer these concerns, convince them of your ability to nail the job and to fit in amongst the others in the company, you are much more likely to get the job. It is more often than not the best prepared candidate who gets the job, not the most qualified one. The key is to stay calm, show off your best side and make a great first impression.
Here are some of the most typically asked questions in interviews these days, and a quick guide on how to answer them:
This should be a short summary, not rambling. All the information about you is in your CV already, so you should rather highlight the important parts of who you are and what you can and like to do.
Never say that you do not have any, and never any backhanded ones, like “I work too hard”. Be genuine, and identify a specific area you would like to improve upon. Being able to do that is in itself a strength.
Do not list as many positive adjectives as you can think of, but pick out two or three that you can come up with concrete examples of. Everyone can list up strengths, you need to show and prove that you actually possess them so that the employer can see how that may help their company.
Talk about your ambitions and goals, the employer wants to hire people that wish to improve and progress in the company! Explain how you wish to develop and climb the ladders in the company.
Your chance to show that you have prepared and researched the company beforehand, and that you have some ideas and aspects you like about the company. If you have some thoughts and ideas on how to improve the company as well, this would be a good time to share this.
Demonstrate it properly, use an example of when you have used your ability to build bridges, network or simply got along with people. It is vital for a manager that his or her employees get a long and work well together, and they need to see signs of that straight away. Everyone will say that they are team players, you need back up that claim.
There is never one perfect answer to questions in an interview, however. The interviewer is just interested in getting to know you and see what kind of person you are. Having perfectly remembered answers might make you appear less genuine, so rather speak freely and relaxed about the subjects that are brought up.
Take your time to think about the questions and then to answer them, do not ramble but take the time you need to explain your answers, that is what the employers want from you.
Would you answer any of these questions differently, or do you know of other typical interview questions?
