JOB INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT AND WHAT TO SAY
THE KEY TO GIVE BETTER ANSWERS THAN ANY ONE ELSE. To this you must:(1) Anticipate likely questions;
(2) Develop excellent answers;
(3) Practice!
Be enthusiastic and confident when responding to questions. Don๒t rush your answers, but don๒t ramble on and on, either. Try to, um, avoid, like, using unnecessary words, right? And um, repeating your self or, like, annoying phrases, you know?
A good technique is to write out your answers to the questions you anticipate, and then edit them to make them more concise. Then practice your polished answers out loud, over and over. If you can have some one to help you do a ๒˜๒mock interview,๒๒ that would be the best way to do this.
Most questions will relate either to your ability to do the job or the type of employee you will be. Here๒s one that is very commonly used to help the interviewer learn about both:
๒˜๒TELL ME A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR SELF.๒๒
When responding to this request, you should focus on both your personal and professional values. Always be honest, but talk about your best traits only, especially those that relate to the position for which you are applying.
Highlight experiences and accomplishments you are most proud of. Here๒s an example:
๒˜๒I๒m an experienced communications specialist with extensive knowledge of public information tools and techniques. I๒ve developed comprehensive communication plans for major public events, written dozens of articles accepted by worldwide publications, and created specialized educational programs for adults and students. I am always eager to learn new methods and procedures, and have implemented continuous improvement techniques in my past positions that saved money and increased productivity. I like working with people and enjoy group projects, but am also a self-starter who doesn๒t mind working on my own. I๒m a volunteer with the local chapter of Special Olympics and enjoy participating in community events. My goals are to complete my master๒s degree and broaden my experiences with community relations.๒๒
Remember to tailor your response to the specific job. By studying the job announcements, you๒ll get a good idea of the skills and experience being sought. Work those in your response.
Consider this your own personal commercial. If the interview consisted of only this ONE chance to sell your self, what would you say?
๒˜๒WHAT DO YOU FEEL HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST WORK-RELATED ACCOMPLISHMENT?๒๒
Choose one example from your past that was important to you and helped the company you worked for. Give specific details about what you did, how you did it, and what the results were. Try to pick an accomplishment that relates to the position for which you are applying. Employers like to hear about accomplishments that reduced expenses, raised revenues, solved problems or enhanced a company๒s reputation.
๒˜๒WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST STRENGHT?๒๒
This is a great chance to highlight your best skills. Don๒t pick just one. Focus on your top three or four. Some examples are: leadership skills, team-building skills and organizational skills. Determine which
Strengths would fit best with the position for which you are applying. For example, if the job announcement stresses the ability to handle multiple tasks, you could say: ๒˜๒I๒m good at organizational skills, prioritization and time management. But my greatest strength is my ability to effectively handle multiple projects and deadlines.๒๒
๒˜๒WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST WEAKNESS?๒๒
Be careful with this one. Most interview guides will tell you to answer it with a positive trait disguised as a weakness. For example, ๒˜๒I tend to expect others to work as hard as I do,๒๒ or ๒˜๒I๒m a bit of a perfectionist.๒๒ Interviewers have heard these ๒˜๒canned๒๒ answers over and over again. To stand out, be more original and state a true weakness, but then emphasize what you๒ve done to overcome it. For example: ๒˜๒I๒ve had trouble delegating duties to others because I felt I could do things better my self. This has sometimes backfired because I๒d end up with more than I could handle and the quality of my work would suffer. But I๒ve taken courses in time management and learned effective delegation techniques, and I feel I๒ve overcome this weakness!
IMPORTANT: Be sure the weakness you talked about is NOT a key element of the position!
๒˜๒HOW DO YOU ANDLE STRESSFUL SITUATIONS?๒๒
Give some examples of stressful situations you๒ve dealt with in the past.
Tell how you use time management, problem-solving or decision-making skills to reduce stress For example, tell them that making a ๒˜๒to-do๒๒ list helps. Site stress-reducing techniques such as stretching and taking a break. Don๒t be afraid to admit that you will ask for assistance if you are feeling overwhelmed.
If it๒ true, say you actually work better under pressure.
Thank you for having the time to read my post.