Knowledge Centre
Interview Questions - Be Prepared
Written By - Channon Sharples - June 24,2014
Interview Questions – Be Prepared
When attending an interview, the most common fear in all of us is the part that reaches the questions. Why do you want this job? What can you bring to our team? The best thing you can do is this – avoid surprises — interviews need preparation. It is certain that you will go into your interview with much more confidence if you feel prepared. The only way to feel prepared is by revising the questions and readying your answers. Some questions come up time and time again — usually about you, your experience and the job itself. We’ve come up with our most common questions – and which is the best approach to answer them. Keep reading to find them out.
1.Your Skills
The most common questions your interviewer will ask:
•What are your strengths and weaknesses?
•What can you do for us that other candidates can't?
•What would your colleagues and friends consider as your best qualities?
•Why should we hire you?
What the interviewer really wants to know: can you do the job?
Know your strengths, and mention ones that are relevant to the job you're being interviewed for. It's important to quote examples of when you used the skills; it's not enough to just say you have the skills.
2.The Employer
Typical questions:
•Why do you want to work here?
•What do you know about our company?
•What can you do for us that someone else can't?
What the interviewer really wants to know: Do you know what we do? Why have you chosen to apply to this company?
The interviewer wants to know you've done your homework and that you know about the organisation and its aims. They want to know you've thought it through and you've chosen to apply to them for a good reason. Show your knowledge of the company by having some facts and figures at the ready.
3.About the Job
Typical questions:
•What will the main tasks and responsibilities be in this job?
•What do you think the main challenges will be?
•What would you do in the first day/week/month/year?
What the interviewer really wants to know: Do you know what the job's all about?
The interviewer wants to know if you fully understand what the job will involve. They want to know why you think you'd be good at it, and how you'd approach it if they offer you the job. To answer this question well, make sure you read the job description thoroughly and research how the organisation operates.
4.Your Ambitions
Typical questions:
•What are your goals?
•Where do you see yourself in five years time?
What the interviewer really wants to know: How ambitious are you?
This is your chance to show how enthusiastic you are to get on. (You should avoid sounding too aggressive and over-ambitious: 'I want to become managing director in three years'.) Avoid sounding unenthusiastic and passive: 'I'm not sure - I'll see how it goes'.
5.Your Work History
Typical questions:
•Why did you leave your last job?
•Tell me about a typical day in your current/previous job
•What experience have you got from previous jobs?
What the interviewer really wants to know: What have you done in your previous jobs?
When talking about previous jobs, focus on the positives. Even if you think your previous or current job wasn't very demanding, if you jot down the tasks and responsibilities it will sound more impressive than you think. You will have learned something, so mention it. Focus on the skills and experience that are relevant to the job you're being interviewed for.
Don't bring up negative things like having a dispute with a colleague or your boss. And don't criticise previous employers.
6.Team Work
Typical questions:
•What makes a good team?
•What makes a good team member?
•What makes a good team leader?
What the interviewer really wants to know: Can you operate effectively in a team?
Employers value team-working very highly. They want to know you can work effectively in a team, whatever your role within it is.
Source: https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/getajob/interviews/Pages/default.aspx