A job interview can be tough going. No matter how much you prepare for them, you still have that fear you’ll forget your clever answer to a question you expect, or that you’ll be asked something you weren’t expecting. Improve your preparation by expanding your scope to include a wide range of hard interview questions, then practise with friends or family until you feel confident and natural. Practise, practise, practise is the key. The more you do, the better chance you will give yourself of nabbing that dream job you want.
1. Tell me about yourself
Being who you are is important. And it’s just as important to convey that to others so that they know you ⎯ and you, hopefully, know them. But during an interview, it’s probably best to keep your answer to ‘work related things’ and not to include too many ‘personal details’, like the fact that you’re a raving Breaking Bad lunatic who’s in love with their cat.
2. Tell me about your dream job
No matter how silly you think others might think it is, your dream is still your dream. So whether you aspire to something completely outrageous like the head of a company, dream away, but be realistic when you answer this one. Rather than saying you’d like to take over the top job, express it with qualities the recruiter will find attractive, such as “opportunities to develop my leadership abilities” and “further my team-building skills”, “a continual roadmap of interesting challenges” and “opportunities to keep growing”.
3. Why did you leave your last job?
Honesty is important, but no one said you have to reveal everything. If you left your previous job on reasonably bad terms, stick to the “I am in pursuit of greener pastures” response and not the “…ill-tempered boss at the workplace…” response. No matter how toxic your last workplace, denigrating it will only reflect badly on you.
4. What is your weakness?
Knowing your weakness can take a lot of self-reflection. But even if you’ve done that deep thinking, in the interview, don’t list all your personality disorders like they’re your shopping list.
Focus on weaknesses that are actually strengths. Or ones that make you seem a better prospect when you say you are addressing them. This is the art of naming a weakness, but presenting it in a way that wins the recruiter.
A good example is: “I’ve been told in the past I was too ‘hands-on’ but have since been focusing on being able to delegate when appropriate … although I always still like to have hands-on experience of what my staff have to deal with”.
Or: “In the past I’ve been guilty of a little too much perfectionism, and I’ve worked on realising that sometimes parts of a project that are not perfect can be fixed up on the run after launch”.
See? With both those weaknesses, you’ve shown yourself to be hardworking and meticulous. Win-win.
5. What are your strengths?
Like your weaknesses, knowing your strengths take self-reflection. Focus on your achievements in past jobs, and identify which of your strengths contributed to them. When you answer, use the projects to highlight your strengths.
6. What do you know about the type of work we do?
This is crucial. And in fact, sometimes you shouldn’t even wait for the question, but weave some of your knowledge about the company into earlier answers.
Research the company using their website, any published Annual Reports and other material, and even mentions in the media. If you have a contact who works or has worked there, pump them.
You’ll get top marks for knowing what the company does, and super-top marks for knowing about any challenges they currently face – and which you can help with.
7. Why should we hire you?
This would be the perfect time to bring up all your strengths and reasons why you’re perfect for the job. Particularly focus on anything that could help them with any challenges they are currently facing (see no 6).
However don’t forget, modesty is a good thing and don’t compare yourself with other candidates.
8. Do you consider yourself successful?
Sure, it’s the first thing people usually think of when you say the S word, but success doesn’t only have to be about your career. Much less ‘controlling the whole world’.
Talk about your success and achievements with particular past projects, and show that you measure your success by the success of the company you are working for.
9. Why have you been unemployed for such a long time?
Here is where you might have to get rid of any stigma they could attach to you being out of work for a while.
Your best defence is to have been studying or doing further training while unemployed, and also to have been doing any kind of internship or placement that will extend your skills.
If you’re not doing this now, start on a plan to do it. Today.
So, when asked, you’re able to say you’ve been attending other courses or doing training work to develop my skills. Not, “I’ve been sitting on my couch eating chips”. Put those chips down and get out there.
10. What do co-workers say about you?
If you’re leaving your job, then it wouldn’t be the worst time to ask co-workers what they think of you as a worker. You can then take any of their feedback, positive and negative.
So, when you’re in an interview, you can relay the ‘regular compliments your colleagues used to give you’.
11. How long would you expect to work for us if hired?
This can be tricky to answer. Your best bet is to deliver an answer that lets them know that you’re dependable, but not going to be a deadweight that ends up being rusted onto the office furniture. A good answer is something like “I know that these days many people change jobs about every two years, but I believe your company can offer me interesting challenges for several years more than that”.
12. Do you think you are overqualified for this position?
Okay, if you weren’t qualified for the job, then why would you have applied in the first place. But when a recruiter asks you this, it’s a very loaded question. If they think you are over-qualified, they will be concerned that this is just a fill-in job for you until you find something better in a couple of months.
If you really do want this job, you should answer something along the lines of: “I know my formal qualifications and skills are higher than you are seeking, but there are other challenges in this job that really excite me”. There, you’ve just reminded them how qualified you are, and that you’re energetic and a go-getter as well.
Remember, interviews are basically a test. So, when you prepare for an interview, try to prepare for every possible scenario. And remember, being nervous is healthy. But no matter how many questions your interviewer throws your way, try to be as calm and confident as possible. And the key to that – as we’ve said above – is practice.
