General Tips For Interviews
How to impress from the start....
Maybe you are trying to land your first job. Perhaps you are returning to the workplace after a while out of work, or maybe you are looking for a step up the ladder to progress your career.
Why do you want to work here?
To answer this question you must have researched the company. The best answer to this is that you have heard and researched that it's a very good company to work for.
How do you feel about your progress to date?
This question is not used solely to rate your progress; it also rates your self-esteem. Be positive, yet do not give the impression you have already done your best work. Make the interviewer believe you see each day as an opportunity to learn and contribute, and that you see the environment at this company as conductive to your best efforts.
What would you like to be doing in 5 years from now?
The safe answer is to be regarded as a key member of the company and team player.
What are your biggest accomplishments?
Keep simple and true. This doesn't have to be work related, it could be "bringing up your 3 children alone" or "managing to learn another skill" - the interviewer is looking for your personality here, rather than finding out if you flew to the moon on a space shuttle.
The real you...
Tell me about yourself
This is not an invitation to ramble on. Be precise and focus on your answer, for example if you choose "team player" you can tell a story about yourself outside of work - perhaps as a member of a sports team - that also speaks volumes about you at work.
How do you feel other people rate your job performance?
References or letter of recommendation best shows this whenever you leave a job, or gain feedback from training or courses. Don't thrust these under your interviewers nose, but when you are asked the question, you can produce them with a flourish. If you don't have written evaluations, try to quote verbal appraisals, such as "my boss said only a month ago that I was the most valuable engineer in the workgroup, because...."
What is your greatest strength?
Its best to stick to simplified statements here, such as pride in your work, reliability and the ability to stick with a difficult task, yet change course rapidly when required.
What is your greatest weakness?
This is a direct invitation to put your head in a noose. Decline the invitation. If there is a minor part of the job at hand where you lack knowledge you will obviously pick it up quickly - use that. For instance: " I haven't worked with this type of spreadsheet before but, given my experience with six other types, I should be able to pick it up in a few days". Another option is to change the answer so that your weakness changes into a positive, for example; " I always give each project my best shot, so if I sometimes feel others aren't pulling their weight, I find it a little frustrating, I try to overcome this with a positive attitude that I hope will catch on".
Under the spotlight
Why do you want to leave your current job? Or why did you leave your last job?
You should have a good reason for leaving every job you have held but if you don't, pick one of the six acceptable reasons from this employment industry CLAMPS formula;
Challenge -You weren't able to grow professionally
Location - The journey to work was too long
Advancement - There was nowhere for you to go
Money - You were underpaid for your skills
Pride & Prestige - You wanted to be with a better company
Security - The company was not stable
Do you have any questions?
Almost always, this is a sign the interview is drawing to a close, and you have one more chance to make an impression. Create questions from any of the following:
- Find out why the job is open, who had it last and what happened to him/her
- How many people have held the position over the last few years?
- To whom would you report?
- Where is the job located? What are the travel arrangements, if any?
- What type of training is required and how long will it take?
- What would your first assignment be?
- What are the realistic chances for growth in the job?
- If there is a written job description, can you see it?
Always bear in mind that every interviewer is trying to evaluate you on 3 criteria;
- Are you able to do the job?
- Are you willing to put effort in to make the job a success?
- Are you manageable?