Why do you want this job?
Think
carefully about this question. Stress the positive aspects which have attracted
you to applying for this position. Do not mention the negative aspects of your
current job or the job in question.
What qualities do you think will be
required for this job?
Their
advertisement for the job may help you a little bit, but you should also think
of the other qualities that may be required. These may include leadership
ability, supervisory skills, communication skills, interpersonal skills,
problem solving, analytical skills, etc.
What can you contribute?
This is your
chance to shine. Tell them about your achievements in your previous position(s)
which are relevant to the new position you are applying for.
Why do you want to work for this
company?
Emphasize
the positive reasons why you want to join their company, but avoid aspects such
as more money or shorter hours. These would not endear you to a prospective
employer.
What do you know about this company?
This is your
chance to impress the interviewer with your knowledge of their company. Give
them a run down of their products/services, sales figures, news, company
figures, customers, etc.
What interests you about our product
(or service)?
Again, your
research into the company should aid you in answering this question.
What can we (the new company) offer that
your previous company cannot offer?
Tread
carefully here! Again do not mention money. Stress opportunities for personal
growth, new challenges, etc.
You have not done this sort of job
before. How will you cope/succeed?
Say that you
are the sort of person who aims to succeed at everything you do and that you
are very determined and will do whatever it takes to get the job done.
Why should we employ you?
The answer
to this question will be based on your previous experience and achievements
which relate to the company. At the end you could add that you think there is a
good fit between you and the job, and do ask the interviewer for their opinion.
How long do you think it would be before
you were making a significant contribution to the team/company?
If you think
that you could contribute from day one then say so. Then turn the question
round on them and say how soon would they expect it.
How ambitious are you? Would you
compete for my job?
Depending on
the position you are applying for you may want to sound fairly ambitious, but
do not look as if you are after the interviewer's position.
What do you like and dislike about
the job we are discussing?
Likes:
stress things such as a new challenge or the opportunity to bring fresh
experience to the company. Dislikes: Imply there is nothing to dislike about
the job, which is why you are so interested.
Why did you choose a career in …?
Be positive
about your reasons. If you have changed careers make a logical argument as to
why you did so.
Why are you changing careers?
This
question will only be asked if you are making a radical change in your career.
Always stress the positive aspects of the change rather than the negative
aspects of your previous career - you do not want to come across as someone who
is moving just because you hate your old career. Say why you think you will be
good in the new career - this should come from your experience and
achievements, stress the transferable skills you have, such as leadership
ability, etc.
How much does your last job resemble the
one you are applying for? What are the differences?
The
interviewer is trying to see how well you would fit in to the position you are
applying for. So you should stress the similarities rather than the
differences. When it comes to discussing the differences it will help your case
if you can show that either you have done something similar in the past or that
you can quickly pick up the new skills.
What do you think of the last company
you worked for?
You should
stress the positive aspects of your last company saying that they were a good
company to work for. Tell them about the training you received or the work
related experience you gained.
Why did you join your previous company? Did
they live up to your expectations? Why are you leaving now?
Always be
positive about your reasons for joining and leaving a company. Be very careful
that you do not say anything negative about your present employer. If you do,
the new company will wonder what you will say about them when you leave. You
might want to stress that you are looking for a new challenge and that you feel
that the company who is interviewing you fits the bill!
Explain the organisational structure in
your last company and how you fitted into it?
This sort of
question may be used to find out whether your old job is at a comparable level
to your new job. If the new job being discussed would be a step up the ladder
you will need to show that you are ready for a more demanding position. You may
be able to show that you have already had many of the responsibilities and the
necessary skills which would be required for the next step
How long have you been looking for a
new job?
If you have
been unemployed for a long time this may be a rather tricky question to answer.
But be honest. If you have been away on holiday or done some voluntary work you
could mention this.
Do you prefer to work in a small,
medium or large company?
Remember
where you are! If the company interviewing you is a small to medium sized
company say that you enjoy a close atmosphere with a good team spirit. At a
large company say that you enjoy the stability of working for a large and
established company.
What are you looking for in a new
job?
Make sure
your answer fits in with the company who is interviewing you. A suitable reply
would be that you are looking for a new job where you can apply your existing
skills and learn new ones.
What would your ideal job be?
Again,
remember where you are! Describe the job in terms of the criteria they have
used to describe their job. An ideal job might include things like challenging
work, a fair rate of pay for the job, nice colleagues, good career prospects,
good team atmosphere, opportunity to learn new skills, apply old skills, etc.
Are you considering any other
positions at the moment?
If you are
say so, but do not give too many details away - it will weaken your negotiating
position later. If you do not have any other job offers at the moment just say
that you have a few irons in the fire.
What did you think of your
manager/supervisor?
Say that
he/she was the sort of person you could learn from and you communicated well,
which meant that the task in hand was completed on time.
What did you do on a day to day
basis?
Stress the
positive things you did including your achievements. Even if some or much of it
was paperwork, you can still show your interest in the way it was tackled.
Did you increase sales or profits in
your last job?
This
question is only relevant for senior managers or sales people. If you have
increased sales and/or profit then do not be afraid to shout about it. If you
have not increased sales say why not, e.g. general downturn in the market, etc.
It might then be a good idea to mention an achievement in a previous job if
your performance was better there.
Have you reduced costs at your last
company?
If you have
reduced costs say so - companies are always looking for ways to reduce costs.
How would you describe yourself? /
How would others describe you?
Pick your
best attributes and achievements from your career.
Do you consider yourself successful?
You should
say you do. Pick some work related achievements that are in line with the
position that you are discussing.
What was your greatest success? How
did you achieve it?
You should
pick an achievement which is related to their needs.
What has been your biggest failure?
Try to pick
a failure which you were later able to correct or something that is not really
important.
How could you improve yourself?
Do not
mention anything negative about yourself - the interviewer is looking for a
chink in your armour.
Did you feel you progressed
satisfactorily in your last job?
If you
progressed faster than normal you should say so. If growth was not as good as
expected then be careful how you phrase this.
Are you a leader?
State how
you have successfully acted as a leader, giving examples of your successes.
How do you handle criticism?
Your answer
should be along the following lines: "I always think that it is important
to get feedback on how I am performing so that I can improve any areas which my
manager/supervisor highlights. Do you have regular staff appraisals and a staff
development plan?"
What sort of manager are you? / What
makes a good manager?
You should
say that it is someone who listens to other people and can delegate whilst
maintaining overall control of the task at hand, bringing in the project on
time and to budget. Good planning skills are essential.
Do you work well with others? Or are
you a loner?
Some jobs mean that you have to work very
closely with other people whilst other jobs mean that you are largely working
on your own, so you need to say that you are happy in both situations.
Do you need other people around to
stimulate you or are you self-motivated?
You need to
say that you are self-motivated.
Are you accepted into a team quickly?
Hopefully
you can answer a resounding "Yes" to this question.
Can you act on your own initiative?
You should
say that you can. You could ask how much responsibility you would have.
How do you run a meeting?
You could
say that you must start with an agenda and stick to it. You could add that you
would try to get the views and ideas from everyone present, working in an air
of co-operation. If people moved off at a tangent you would bring them back to
the item being discussed.
What motivates you?
Our
suggestions are career growth, opportunity to learn new skills, good
co-workers, etc.
What management style gets the best
results out of you?
Try and
think about how you have reacted to different managers and which factors have
motivated you. Do not say too much in reply to this question, because if your
answer is contrary to the management style of the company they will not be keen
to employ you!
Do you know how to motivate other
people?
Hopefully
you can say "Yes", and say that you have to find out what motivates a
person and give them recognition for a job well done. You should always give
them encouragement and help them when required.
Are you competitive?
Your answer
depends on the sort of job you are doing. If you will be working as part of a
team you will need to show that you can work in the best interests of the team
and not just for your own benefit.
Are you aggressive?
If you mean
by this someone who gets things done, then the answer is "Yes". You
need to defuse the implications of this question.
What do you dislike doing?
Say that you
are prepared to do whatever it takes to get the job done well and on time and
try to do disagreeable things first to get them out of the way rather than
putting them off.
What problems did you encounter in your
last job? What annoyed you about your last job?
Stick to the
problems that you were able to solve, i.e. "I had problem X, which I later
managed to resolve by doing Y". Show that you are a person who can solve
problems rather than someone who lets things get on top of them.
What would you like to avoid in your
next job?
You need to
be positive here and say that there is nothing in particular that you would
like to avoid.
Do you feel you are ready to take on
greater responsibilities?
Show how you
have progressed throughout your life and how you have accepted and taken on
responsibility for the actions of yourself and others. If you have not really
had many work related responsibilities you can mention other responsibilities
you have had outside work.
Can you work under pressure?
You need to
say that you can. You could ask how much pressure the job involves.
How many hours are you prepared to
work?
You would be
prepared to work the necessary hours to get the job done on time.
Do you mind working for someone older than
yourself? Younger than you? Of the opposite sex?
Here you can
say that you are prepared to work with anyone.
What are your career goals?
Link in your
goals with the company who is interviewing you.
How did you get on with your previous
manager/supervisor, co-workers and subordinates?
Hopefully
you can say that you got on well with everyone.
Have you been responsible for implementing
ISO9000/BS5750 or Total Quality Management (TQM)?
If you have,
state how you implemented it successfully. If you have not, you will need to
show that you are used to working to company quality standards or that you have
a methodical approach to carrying out work.
What interests do you have outside
work?
Your hobbies
and interests can tell an employer a lot about you, including whether you are
sociable or solitary, and whether you can take on 'leadership' roles. So you
should think about which interests will paint the right picture of you given
the position you are discussing.
If you have changed jobs a lot you may be
asked how long you would stay in the new job.
You should
state that you are looking for a long-term opportunity where you can learn and
develop. You could then ask them if this applies to the job being discussed.
Have you ever been fired?
If you have,
you will need to handle this question with great care. Try and put yourself in
as favourable light as possible without being too dismissive. If you have later
been able to correct any deficiency which resulted in you being fired you
should tell the interviewer.
Are you too old for this job?
Tell them
that you feel that your extra experience would enable you to make a bigger
contribution to their company sooner than someone younger and less experienced.
Are you too young for this job?
"No, I
do not think so!" is the answer you should give and then state the reason
why you are not too young. If you have a lot of experience gained in a short
time, say so.
You may be over qualified for this
position?
Tell them
that you feel that your extra experience would enable you to make a bigger
contribution sooner than someone with less experience.
Are you prepared to relocate?
If you are,
say so. If you do not want to move then you do not have to accept the job - try
and come across as someone who is positive.
Are you willing to travel?
Again if you
are, say so. You want to sound positive, so find out how much travelling is
involved before you turn down the job.
How often are you off sick?
This can be
a difficult question to answer if you are frequently off sick or you have just
recovered from a prolonged period of illness. If you have generally enjoyed
good health and this period of illness is not typical then you should say so.
What did you earn in your last job?
You have to
be very careful when answering this question because once an interviewer knows
your current salary they will try and fix your next remuneration based on this
figure. This may be satisfactory if you only wanted a modest rise in salary and
your current salary is in line with their salary range, but, what if your
current salary is substantially lower than the rate for the job, or if you want
a substantial salary rise? In these cases you would be best advised to say that
you do not really want to prejudice yourself by being too high or too low. Ask
if you can discuss this later after the responsibilities for the job have been
discussed; you may also want to ask them what the range for the job is (if you
do not already know).
What level of salary are you looking
for now?
Be very
careful when you answer this question - you do not want to appear to be greedy.
If you are applying for a specific vacancy you could ask them what the salary
range is. Once they have answered you could say "I think my experience
would place me at the top end of your range, don't you?" If they ask you
this question fairly early on in the interview you could delay answering by
saying "It is hard to discuss salary without first knowing a little bit
more about the job and the responsibilities."
What will your referees say about
you?
Say that you
expect excellent references.
Difficult questions
If you
cannot answer a question you might reply with "That's an interesting
question - how would you tackle it?"
Fantasy questions
These sort
of questions can be very difficult to answer. Such questions might include:
"What would you do if you won the National Lottery?" You should give
the answer, which in your opinion will give you the best chance of getting the
job.
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