Answering Interview Questions
From Adviceopedia
Answering Interview Questions Advice and Tips
Don’t Forget the Obvious
Remember that the person interviewing you doesn’t know anything about you. A strength or accomplishment that you take for granted may not be obvious to the potential employer. So, a good tip for job interviews is to point out every good thing about yourself to the interviewer.
Expand Beyond the Question Asked
The questions that the interviewer asks may not allow you to share certain information about yourself, or ideas that you have, for the job or company. Make your points by looking for opportunities to expand on the questions you are asked.
Be Specific and Give Examples
The key to answering interview questions is to give specific details or examples as part of your answer. Don’t just say that you are a hard-working, reliable person, for example. Instead, mention how you once worked 16-hour days for two weeks straight to finish a project on time and how you never used a sick day in the last two years.
Tell Me about Yourself
This very open-ended question can be very difficult for some people to answer despite appearing to be an easy question. When answering interview questions such as this one, you really should think of your answer ahead of time. Practice until your answer is brief—no more than 2 or 3 minutes long. And focus on your skills and background, and why you are the best person for the job.
What is Your Greatest Weakness?
A common method to answer this question is to choose something mostly positive, such as being a perfectionist, but then present it negatively. This can come across as being insincere, however. A better choice is to take an actual negative, but then put a positive spin on the problem. For example, mention how you have taken classes to improve, or how recognizing your weakness has caused you to compensate, in a good way, for your deficiency.
What is Your Greatest Strength?
If you have only one strength that is clearly better than all of your other qualities, then select it as your answer. But, if you have difficulty deciding what your best strength is, then choose the one that is most appropriate for the job.
Where Do You See Yourself 5 Years from Now?
You don’t need to know for certain where you want to be, but be able to demonstrate that you have given your future some thought. If you don’t know what is available, then research higher positions in the company that you may be eligible for within 5 years—and you just may discover a career path to strive toward.
Why Should We Hire You?
This question is really what the whole interview is all about, so synthesize the pertinent details that have come out in the interview (if this question is asked near the end). Be very specific about your skills or background instead of mentioning generalities.
Why Do You Want to Work Here?
This question is asking why you want to work for the employer, rather than why you want a specific job. Research the company before the interview to help you when answering interview questions like this one. Find something unique about the company that appeals to you and then share it as part of your answer.
Why did you Leave your Last Job?
If you haven’t left your current company, then the question will be rephrased to “why do you want to leave.” Either way, you need to be careful not to sound negative or bitter about your employer. You may have the worst boss ever and are leaving to escape him or her, but find a different reason for this question. Try mentioning how the company or position you are interviewing for is a much better fit for you.
Prefer to Work Alone or in a Team?
Try and say that you like both work situations, unless you know that the job requires constant team work or isolation. Give an example of how you handled working in a team and by yourself.
