Tips for a job interview sample questions and answers

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Tips for a job interview sample questions and answers

TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEW

RELAX, RELAX!

Take a deep breath. Before you go in, stretch and relax. If you are nervous, go ahead and mention it. Interviewers are used to nervous job applicants. Simply saying, “I am a little nervous about this interview; the job is important to me,” may help you feel more relaxed.

YOU’RE ON—EYE, VOICE AND APPEARANCE

Shake hands, firmly and don’t do a Montana squeeze. (Avoid the limp fish effect too.) Smile and look the interviewer in the eye when you introduce yourself. Make regular eye contact, but avoid staring. Vary the tempo and tone of your voice. Sit up straight and look alert. Do not chew gum or smoke, even if the interviewer does or invites you to do the same. Smile when appropriate.

USE DISCRETION

Be honest in your answers, but steer away from troublesome areas. You, more than the interviewer, can control the content of the interview. Know in advance what you want to say and look for opportunities to say it. Expand your answers to include points that may not be otherwise addressed. Teamwork is one are of concern to most employers. Provide examples that show you work well with other people.

When you have questions about the job’s duties, ask them early in the interview so you can relate your abilities to the job as the interview progresses. Relate your comments to the employer’s needs rather than to your background and accomplishments.

Prepare yourself some “talking notes” on index cards and practice working those comments into interview answers.

THINGS TO AVOID

Do not talk too much about past jobs. This is a common mistake that job applicants make. Talk about your accomplishments, but do not boast. Instead, talk about the employer’s needs and how you can meet them. Remember, every employer is hiring someone to solve problems!

Do not mention financial or personal problems.

Do not bring up salary, vacations, sick leave policy, insurance or other fringe benefits. Wait for the interviewer to introduce these subjects. The best time to discuss these items is after you have been offered the job. You are then in a much better position to negotiate.

ASK QUESTIONS

The interview is your chance to make sure you get the information you need to decide about accepting the job if it is offered to you. While these should not be your first questions, ask questions that will help you decide whether the job is suitable for you. Some examples of these questions are:

What is the first problem that would need the attention of person hired?

How would you describe your management style?

What is the most important part of this job to you?

Many employers do not make a job offer during the interview because they review the applications and interview results with other members of management. This can take some time, so it is appropriate to ask the interviewer about the hiring process.

SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Everything about you should be viewed as an asset. Be prepared to explain your assets to an interviewer and why you would be a good person to hire. Knowing exactly how to answer questions can be challenging. Here are some sample questions and some ideas to help you develop your personal responses to interview questions.

GENERAL QUESTIONS

These are commonly asked questions. There are as many variations of the basic questions as there are different people asking them! Think through how you can best answer each question. Ask yourself why the interviewer is asking the question. Write down your responses—and practice them!

Q: Tell me a little bit about yourself.

This is a key opening question that allows you to reveal information about your ability to organize and discuss your work experience, achievements and plans. You will be able to convey your energy level, confidence, enthusiasm and communication skills.

Be prepared to give a 30 to 60 second summary of job-related activities you are proud of. Give examples of skills, details of achievements, or previous work experience. Avoid rambling on and on and on…

Select one or two things from your background that will interest the interviewer and make you memorable when it comes to deciding who to hire. You might include hobbies, special interests, volunteer work, etc.

Q: Why do you want to work here?

Interviewers want to know that you have exercised judgment and choice in selecting them.

Your key to answering this is to have done some homework on the company and identified what about it makes it a place you would like to be part of. Your response may be as simple as “I’m looking for a company that is stable and has a variety of job responsibilities that will keep me challenged.”

Q: What are your strengths?

Present your best skills, traits and qualities. Identify work related abilities and skills needed or related to the specific job. Give an honest and organized answer that demonstrates a realistic assessment of your capabilities.

We all have strengths and it is important to know your own and feel confident talking about them. If you are unsure of your strengths, you can take a skill assessment, talk to a career professional, teacher, friend or previous employer who can give you honest answers.

Q: What are your weaknesses?

Although it seems negative, this question offers an opportunity to say something good about yourself. The interviewer is looking for your ability to admit you are not perfect and are willing to grow and change in areas where improvement is needed.

Bring up a weakness that could be seen as a strength in the work area you want to enter. For example, getting bored with repetitive tasks could be positive in a job where job duties are constantly changing. Mention what you have learned about your weakness and how you have corrected it.

Q: Why should you be the one hired for this job?

Think of this question in terms of how well you match the job. Show the interview you fully understand the requirements of the job. Next, list the most important duties from the job description one at a time and simply explain how your skills and experience match the employer’s needs. Describe details of work experience, be honest and genuine. Sell yourself!

Q: Tell me about your current and previous jobs.

On open-ended question that lets you describe in greater detail the positive aspects of your previous work. Take the opportunity to emphasize your transferable skills. Typing skills can transfer to computer data entry.

Q: What were your responsibilities at your previous job?

The interviewer wants to get a feel for how much you know and how much training and supervision you will require.

Indicate accomplishments, special projects, production goals you met, sales awards, etc. If previous job duties were different from the job you are applying for, concentrate on transferable skills, your attitude, creativity, responsibility and willingness to learn.

Q: What was the best part of your previous job?

Interviewers look for positive comments and problem-solvers or “do it” attitudes. You can provide that information by describing responsibility levels or related work skills. Be sure the information is positive. Name specific parts of the job you like and explain why.

Q: What are your goals?

Long-term and short-term goals indicate motivation and an ability to plan and think ahead. Employers who ask these questions are often looking for commitment and interest in the work. They want to know if you will be comfortable with the job or will soon be moving on. Goals can be as simple as going back to school, completing your GED, owning your own home. Know two or three goals beforehand and be ready to tell the interviewer how those goals relate to the job.

Q: Describe a difficult problem you’ve had to deal with and how you handled it.

It isn’t so much the problem you dealt with—it’s the approach you take to solving problems in general that is important. This question is designed to probe how you think through problems and resolve them.

“Well, I follow a five-step format. 1, I stand back and examine the problem 2, I recognize the possible hidden factors. 3, I make a list of possible solutions, 4, I weigh the consequences and cost of each solution. And 5, I go to my boss, outline the problem, make my recommendation and ask for my supervisor’s advice and approval.”

Q: Describe a situation where your work or an idea was criticized.

Danger! You are being asked to say how you handle criticism and to list your faults. If you are asked this question, describe a poor idea that was criticized, not poor work. (Poor work costs money…)

What the interviewer wants to know is how do you take criticism. So, relate a “it seemed like a good idea at the time” ideas and finish up with how you handled the less than positive feedback. “I listened carefully and resisted the temptation to interrupt or defend myself. Then I fed back what I heard to make sure the facts were straight. I asked for advice, we bounced some ideas around and I cam back later with a better idea in a more workable format.”

Q: Do you have any questions?

YES! Remember, an interview works both ways. You are evaluating the business at the same time they are evaluating you. This question allows you to learn more about the employer and get answers to any concerns you have. Have three or four questions ready to ask. Do your homework ahead of time and try to have 1 or 2 that are specific to each company. For example, at a travel agency, you might ask them what times of the year are the busiest for travel? For a restaurant, you might ask how many people the serve during the dinner hour?

TROUBLESOME QUESTIONS

Having a strategy for handling potentially troublesome questions is very important. Review the ideas here and practice your answers.

There are four basic ways to answer troublesome questions: 1) When asked, acknowledge the problem briefly and in terms that will put you in as positive a light as possible. 2) If possible, put your difficulties in the past. Contrast “then” and “now”, show that you’ve overcome problems, learned from mistakes, or grown from them. 3) Don’t over explain. Be brief and end on a positive note that will lead the interviewer into a subject in which you have more strength. 4) Mainly, disarm the interviewer’s concern that a problem may recur.

Q: Why did you leave your last job?

Changing jobs doesn’t need to be seen as a negative. Explain why your past behavior doesn’t indicate your future behavior or why leaving the job was positive. When describing previous work, employers, supervisors, or co-workers, ALWAYS BE POSITIVE!

Positive reasons for leaving: Learned enough to move; peaked out on current level; was ready for more responsibility. Show the logic for your move and share the motivation for leaving. When describing any medical reason, personal problem, personality conflict, lay-off, firing, lack of work, explain the circumstances and/or give reason it will not happen again.

Q: You have not worked for several years. Explain why.

Not at valuable life experience is gained in the workplace. Your challenge is to show how your skills and abilities have continued to grow while you were employed in an occupation other than a paying working position. Use concrete examples and facts from life experiences, volunteer experience or other activities. Explain what you have learned or accomplished and how this experience can benefit the employer.

Q: Did you drop out of school? If so, why?

A positive response is important. Indicate other avenues of education you have completed: GED, night school, alternative school, workshops, etc. Explain the circumstances and end on a positive note. Take responsibility for the situation and explain the action you took to overcome the situation.

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