How To Answer Standard Interview Questions

Preparing to answer any interview question presented to you is arduous, to say the least.  Often, it seems that there just isn’t a way to ease your anxiety.  Time has proven, however, spending extra time preparing prior to an interview results in more improved your answers and that you will be more confident in giving them.  Here are a few standard interview questions:

1.       Why do you want to work for us? 

Your answer should come from thoroughly researching the company including what they do and what the job they are advertising entails.  If, through your research, you determine that the position deals with job aspects which you are uncomfortable with, then you would and should decline an interview.   However, if the company offers a job or jobs which you find interesting and would like to be involved with, then you should stress your interest during the interview.  As an example – if the company does a lot of cold calling of customers and you have a similar background, you can answer this question by stating that upon researching the company you found that they have a great deal of interaction with clients both old and new and that you have previous experience in a call center environment or in sales and really are enthusiastic about this type of work.  Or, if the company is a financial organization and you just love working with numbers, you can discuss your aspiration to work with figures and statistics and stress your meticulous consideration to detail.

2.       Why should we hire you?

If you have thoroughly researched the company, you should have an idea as to why you want to work for them (see #1).  As an example, if the company is a research and development organization, then you might want to emphasize the fact that you like to create new things and possess an out-of-the-box thinking style and state that you appreciate that the company supports this type of ingenuity in its workers.

3.       Tell me about yourself.

Your answer to this question (which is often the first question asked) should be no more than a minute or two in length and should include education, work history, and recent employment history.  The interviewer is going to be more interested in the latter so this is part you should emphasize.  Be sure to incorporate transferrable skills and duties from your past employment to highlight what you can do in the new position.  Emphasize customer service abilities, dealing with deadlines, meeting quotas – to name a few.

4.       What do you find most attractive about the position?  What do you find least attractive?

You should let the employer know at least 3-4 factors about the job you find interesting (from reading the job description) and then add one minor, unattractive or uninteresting item (if you find one).

5.       Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Your response should not contain goals you may have for returning to school or moving to another company (the employer doesn’t want to hear this) but rather should clearly state that you are interested in obtaining a long standing and progressive career within the organization.  In this answer, you also want to demonstrate that you desire to be an integral part of the organization and hope to augment your talents and abilities towards the company’s successes in the future.

6.       What are you looking for in a position?

Your answer should be oriented to the opportunities which are offered by the company you are interviewing with.  You should stress your desire to perform the job duties well and a desire to obtain recognition for great job performance.  Your answer should be from the perspective of opportunity and not your personal well being.

© Copyright Vet2Work/Naturallysilver 2011. No re-publication of this article is permitted without express permission. This is an excerpt from "Successful Career Moves" by C.A. Stapleton. About the author:  C.A. Stapleton, A.S., B.S., M.B.A., is an experienced, published professional career consultant, mentor, and résumé/ biographical writer.  

Ways to Appropriately Answer the Dreaded Salary Question

When you are asked about your salary expectations you should not give the employer an actual figure.

Why?  Because if you give a number that is higher than the actual salary range for the position you have applied (typically the interviewer will inform you that you are too high in your salary expectation) it sets a very negative tone for the remainder of the interview.  Conversely, if you give a number that is too low, the interviewer will probably not say anything in an effort to hire you at the lower salary rate.  

Here are some variations of salary expectation questions you may be asked and some possible responses.
 

What is your current or your most current previous salary rate? “Since this position is very different from the last position I held, can we discuss what my job responsibilities would be and then determine a fair salary for the position?  Generally, an employer would have a hard time arguing when you have used the words "responsibilities" and "fair" in when responding.
 

What salary range are you looking for? “I don't have a range in mind at this time.  I would like to hear about the job requirements and your expectations first, in order to get a sense of what you need for the position.”  

Additionally, some recent research has shown that if you mirror the behavior of the interviewer you are more likely to get the job.  So, be sure to pay attention and watch your tone of voice, enthusiasm, and body language.

© Copyright Vet2Work/Naturallysilver 2011. No re-publication of this article is permitted without express permission. This is an excerpt from "Successful Career Moves" by C.A. Stapleton. About the author:  C.A. Stapleton, A.S., B.S., M.B.A., is an experienced, published professional career consultant, mentor, and résumé/ biographical writer.  

Tell me about a time when you misjudged a person.

Answer Guide:

This question is to find out about well you adjust to the different personalities in your workplace.

Some time back, I had a co-worker that I felt was always extremely moody.  Being an upbeat and happy person, I had a difficult time with her moodiness but I did my best to adjust to it although I didn’t understand it. What I didn’t realize at the time was that she was going through a very painful divorce and she was dealing with it with little or no help from family and friends.  After I left the company a year later, I heard that she left the company a short time after me. One day, I made the decision to find her and call her just to say hello.  It was the best thing I ever did because we during that visit we became friends and we now meet and have lunch often.  I believe the whole experience has made me a much more thoughtful and accepting co-worker.

What is your preferred way to communicate?

Answer Guide:

This question is to find out about your personal communication style (be careful how you answer – saying that you “love to text” may give the wrong message).   

I have several ways of communicating at home.  I use email as one form of communication and also talk with friends and family via phone.  At work, I use only the approved forms of communication.  In the past, my employers have all established guidelines for communication in the office and I have followed those diligently.

If you could start your work life over what would you do differently?

Answer Guide:

This question is to find out if you have any detour that may be blocking your professional career.   

I am a forward looking thinker so this is a difficult question.  Looking back over my career, I don’t think I would really change much.  I have learned from each and every job experience and am always willing to learn more.  Perhaps, the only thing I might have done differently would have been to return to school earlier.  I try not to dwell on the things I could have done and to focus on what I plan to do in the future.

How do you balance your personal life and work?

Answer Guide:

This question is to find out if you have made personal arrangements to avoid calling in (such as daycare).   

I have worked on my organizational skills and feel that I can balance my personal life and my work life   I purchased a day planner which has really helped.  I also find the Outlook calendar very helpful.  I have a backup plan for anything that might come up so that I can full focus on my position and give it 100%.

Gap in Employment

What did you do during the six month gap in your employment?

Answer Guide:

Because I knew I was ready to re-enter the workforce at the earliest available date, I worked on a personal plan to get back to work. I re-vamped my resume, read self help books and internet sites, visited and applied to some employment agencies, and also built up a professional network through LinkedIn, Facebook, and twitter.   I connected with past co-workers who could attest to my work performance and asked them if I could use them as contacts.  I found that the websites offer job opportunities also through job postings.  Although the job search took longer than I anticipated, I learned a great deal about myself during my unemployment and realized that I am a person who really enjoys the challenge of working and will probably work well past my anticipated retirement age (smile).