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Twenty good answers to help you master the most grueling employement interview
Most people make two devastating mistakes when being interviewed
- Failing to listen to the question. Annoying the interviewer by either giving an answer to a question that wasn’t asked, or by giving out a lot of superfluous information.
- The attempt to answer questions with virtually no preparation. The glibbest person on earth, even the most skilled debater, cannot answer questions off the cuff without damaging the chances for success.
Below you will find twenty of the most asked questions-regardless of the job classification. If you study these questions carefully and develop a strong response for each one, your candidacy will receive prime consideration.
- Why do you want to work here?
- Why do you want to change jobs?
- Why have you changed jobs so frequently?
- What interests you most about this position?
- What is your greatest strength? (Have at least 5 strengths to share)
- What is your energy level like? Describe a typical day.
- How have you helped sales/profits/cost reductions?
- How many people have you supervised?
- What are the reasons for your success?
- Why aren’t you earning more at your age?
- Would you like to have your boss’ job?
- What would you like to be doing five years from now?
- How long will you stay with the company?
- What kind of experience do you have for this job?
- What kinds of decisions are most difficult for you?
- Have you done the best work you are capable of doing?
- What are your biggest accomplishments?
- What training/qualifications do you have for a job like this?
- How do you feel about your progress to date?
- Why should I hire you?
Why do you want to work here?
Because you have done your homework on the company, you know exactly why you want to work there. Just organize you reasons into several short hard-hitting sentences. Ex: “You make the best product on the market today.” Your management is farsighted enough to reinvest the company’s profits so that you will soon be the leader in this category.
Why do you want to change jobs?
This is one of the first questions interviewers ask. Be sure you are ready to answer it satisfactorily. If you are currently in a dead-end position, locked out of advancement opportunities, explain this. The interviewer will understand. If your job has become routine, and void of learning experiences, say so. If you feel your present employer is losing ground to competition through no fault of yours, the interviewer will also accept that. If you say that you hate your boss, you might also end up hating the interviewer. If you say you are bored, they’ll view you as just another job-hopper. Be careful.
Why have you changed jobs so frequently?
This question is crucial. In fact, an unsatisfactory answer to this one is among the top reasons why candidates fail to get the jobs they want. Convince the interviewer that your job-hopping days are over. If you feel it was a mistake leaving previous jobs so soon, say so, and at the same time remind the interviewer that your performance was never in question. Honesty is appreciated. If something in your personal or business life has recently changed and would affect your future stability, come right out with the facts.
What interests you most about this position?
Give a truthful-but-brief answer such as, “The challenge” or “The future”, “The environment” or “The competitiveness”. This response will force the interviewer to ask you to explain, giving you yet another opportunity to demonstrate your profound knowledge of the company.
What is your greatest strength? (Have at least 5 strengths to share)
Isolate high points from your background and build in a couple of the key value profiles from different categories. You will want to demonstrate pride; reliability and the ability to stick with a difficult task yet change course rapidly when required. You can rearrange the previous answer here. Your answer in part might be: “I believe in planning and proper management of my time. And yet I can still work under pressure.”
What is your energy level like? Describe a typical day.
You must demonstrate good use of your time. You believe in planning your day beforehand and that when it is over, you review your own performance to make sure you are reaching the desired goals. No one wants a part-time employee, so you should sell you energy level. For example, your answer might end with: “At the end of the day when I’m ready to go home, I make it a rule to always type one more letter (make one more call, etc.) and clear my desk for the next day.
How have you helped sales/profits/cost reductions?
Have your hero stories ready and be willing to prove that you have made significant contributions in one or more of these basic areas. Keep your explanations short and try to include specific dollar amounts.
How many people have you supervised?
Similar to the “hired/fired” question, the interviewer is trying to determine the depth of your experience. Do not exaggerate!
What are the reasons for your success?
It is best to keep this answer very general, permitting the interviewer to probe more deeply. Offer a short list of positive character traits that describe YOU. Ex “I like to work hard.” “I get along with all kinds of people and I know how to listen.” or “I pay close attention to details; I know how to watch costs and keep difficult customers smiling.”
Why aren’t you earning more at your age?
This is currently a favorite question which can frighten the wits out of an unsuspecting candidate. One of the following responses should cover your situation. “I have been willing to sacrifice short-term earnings in order to gain valuable experience” “I have received (been promised) company stock (Or other benefits) in lieu of a salary increase” “I was reluctant to gain a reputation as a job-hopper, preferring instead to build my career on solid, long-term achievement.””
Would you like to have your boss’ job?
By all means, “Yes!” Ambitious, hungry people are always preferred over those who would settle for a safe routine. If you sense that this answer may threaten your interviewer’s security, you might want to add, “when I am judged qualified” or “should an opening develop in several years.”
What would you like to be doing five years from now?
To answer this question, make sure you know exactly what can or cannot be accomplished by the ideal candidate in you shoes. Too many job-hunters butcher this question because they have not done their homework and have no idea where their career will lead them. If you see yourself at another company or in another department of the company you are interviewing with, then tread lightly.
How long will you stay with the company?
A reasonable response would be, “As long as I continue to learn and grow in my field.”
What kind of experience do you have for this job?
Summarize four or five key areas of experience you know you can bring to your new job. Demonstrate how each one will help the interviewer”s company solve their problems. For example, “My experience in new product introductions will be very helpful to your entire marketing effort” or “My industrial design background will strengthen yours sales-force capability in dealing with large clients.
What kinds of decisions are most difficult for you?
Be human and admit that not everything comes easily. But be careful about what you do admit. “I find it difficult to decide which of two good employees must be let go.” Or, “It is difficult for me to tell a client when he’s running his business badly.”
Have you done the best work you are capable of doing?
This is best answered with some degree of self-effacement. “I would be lying if I told you I was perfect, but I have always tackled assignments with all my energy and talents.”
What are your biggest accomplishments?
Keep your answer job related. If you exaggerate contributions to major projects you will be accused of suffering from “coffee-machine syndrome”. The afflictions of the junior clerk who claimed success for an Apollo space mission based on his relationships with certain scientists established at the coffee machine.
What training/qualifications do you have for a job like this?
Deliver a short, fact-filled summary of your two or three most important qualifications. “I have a background in accounting. I’ve demonstrated proven selling skills. I’m capable of handling several projects simultaneously.”
How do you feel about your progress to date?
Never apologize for yourself. This is a good time to drop hero stories. “I think I’ve done well, but I need new challenges and opportunities.” “No one in my company has advanced as fast as I have.” “I think you’ll agree that I’ve accomplished quite a bit in the last five years.”
Why should I hire you?
The interviewer does not want a lengthy regurgitation of your resume. They do not want a barrage of facts and figures. They are interested in testing your poise and confidence. So give a short generalized summary like, “I have the qualifications to do the job that needs to be done and my track record proves it.”
