Here are some common interview questions and some tips about the answers
Q - Tell me about yourself
A common opening question, because interviewers want to know more about you. With this question, you get the opportunity to give a summary of yourself whilst engaging the panel with your personality. You have been given complete control and you should take full advantage of it. Stay focused on the role and keep your answer pertinent.
Good answer – Prepare your answer by summarising and rehearsing a 2 to 3 minute long brief summary of your education, interest in the field, work history and experience. Make sure that you are able to justify any gaps in your CV and reasons for leaving jobs. Ideally you will give the interviewer a positive insight into how you would fit into the company as an employee.
What not to say– give your life story and talk about things that aren’t really relevant to the position. Don’t ramble on and just go through your CV which the employer has already seen – rather focus on the elements of your career that you want to highlight to strengthen your pitch.
Q - What are your key skills / strengths
This is another great opportunity to sell yourself. Make sure that you look closely at the job description to see what the company are asking for and then match these skills with your own abilities.
Good answer – A good answer will always have examples to back up each strength. So, for example, if you are a good organiser, then mention an event or project that you organised. If you are strong with numbers, then talk about your experience with spreadsheets and company financials. You need to focus on 3 or 4 key strengths that are most relevant to the role rather than an exhaustive list. Some examples of key strengths and attributes include; likeable, people person, team worker, honest, enthusiastic, good at communicating and building up relationships, excellent customer service, organised, having initiative, being creative, attention to detail, problem solver, attention to detail, good leadership skills, etc.
What not to say – Don’t just say a list of exhaustive adjectives with no concrete examples to back them up. And don’t say skills that aren’t really that relevant to the role.
Q - Can you give me an example of when…..
You will often be asked to provide examples to demonstrate why you are good at certain skills. It is no good saying that you are good at something if you can’t provide an actual time or event when you put this skill into practice.
Good answer - Think of the key skills that employers are looking for and then pick your best example which will clearly and effectively evidence this. Employers often like the STAR system of answering these questions which is thinking of a SITUATION, explaining the TASK, describing what ACTION you took and then explaining the RESULTS and what the positive impact of your actions were.
Here are some key skills that employers often ask you to demonstrate by using an example and some key things to remember:
Building up good relationships
Most jobs involve building up good relationships with other stakeholders so think of effective ways to do this such as lots of regular contact, building up trust, listening and finding out their needs, sharing knowledge, being friendly and approachable. Think of a few examples to support how you’ve done formed strong alliances in the past at work.
Being a good organiser / coordinator
Being a good organiser involves planning ahead, writing lists and schedules, prioritising and paying attention to deadlines, delegating, goal setting, decision making, team management and arranging tasks and resources effectively. Think of an event, process or initiative that you’ve had use your organisational skills to achieve positive results.
Working in a team and being a team player
A good team player is someone who is always ready to help and step in without being asked. The employer is looking for words such as being reliable, communicating well, being flexible and adaptable, working well with others and treating others respectfully, someone who listens as well as contributes and someone with loads of initiative and problem solving skills. Think of a time when you were in a team and you really went beyond the call of duty to help others out to strive for a common goal.
Giving good customer service
Good customer service is when someone responds effectively and innovatively to meet the needs of their customers. You need be attentive, patient, perceptive and be able to be determined to do everything you can to support your customers needs. Think of an example when you have done this and what the feedback from the customer was. You also need an example of when you have had to deal with a difficult customer which again involves demonstrating that you have listened, advised, guided and supported your customer through their frustrations.
A time when you have used your initiative
All employers love employees who take action and ownership to deal with situations effectively without much supervision. These types of employees are reliable, motivated, productive and always do more than what is required of them. Think of a time when you’ve had to use your initiative to drive something forward or find a solution to a problem without any supervision. This is your time to really impress with this question.
Setting up a process or a procedure
In many roles, an employer is required to set up an effective process or procedure. So think of a good example where you have had to design a step by step process to accomplish an intended objective. You usually would have presented this in the form of instructions or commands. Be ready to explain to the panel what the results were and how effective the process was and the impact it had on the operations of an organisation.
Working well under pressure
There are lots of scenarios at work which cause the pressure to rise, whether it’s the running up to an important deadline or event or something that goes wrong to disrupt workflow. The most important thing that an employer wants to hear is that when the pressure is on, you remain calm, don’t panic and think of positive solutions to resolve the problem or deal with the high workload. Think of some good examples for this because nobody wants to employ someone who panics under pressure.
Promoting a change
Change is also common in the workplace and naturally a lot of people are afraid and resistant to change. But often changes bring about new opportunities and positive outcomes. Employers want staff members who embrace change and are flexible and positive when considering new proposals at work. Think of a time when you went through a change and how you responded and reacted and what the outcome was.
What not to say – It’s important to provide a thorough and relevant example to demonstrate what you are saying to your potential future employers. Don’t just say “I am very organised as I organised the staff conference and it went really well.” You need to say what you did in order to organise the conference and what the impact was.
Q - Why are you interested in the position / Why do you want this job
Employers want to know that you are interested in the role and that you would be motivated and enthusiastic if taking on the position.
Good answer - Make notes on why you want this job, focusing on why the position and company excite you. Demonstrate what you know about the company and use the job description to back up why you’re the right person to do the job. Do research into the company and the culture. You might say that the company operates in your chosen sector, that it provides a clearly structured career path and that the organisation has a good reputation.
What not to say – Don’t say vague responses that give the impression that you don’t really know much about the role or the company. It will be obvious by the depth of your answer whether you really care about the role and whether you have done your research, so don’t try and wing it! Avoid saying anything negative about your current employer which makes it seem like you are simply after any job at all.
Is there anything you would like to ask me?
Don’t forget to do your research on the company and get some questions ready to ask the panel to show that you are keen and interested in the role and the company going forward.
And finally......
Interview preparation is essential if you want to impress so get your pad and paper out and start writing down when you really made an impact in your previous jobs!
Good luck with your interview and remember, just be yourself and do your best because that’s all that you can do! The panel are only people and they just want to find out more about you so try not to let your nerves get the better of you.
And if it’s meant to be…..