Here is some helpful information about interview questions
from interviewstrategies.com
One of the best ways to prepare yourself for a job interview
is to anticipate questions, develop your answers, and practice,
practice, practice. There are plenty of websites that offer
lists of popular job interview questions, and knowing the
types of questions to expect can be very useful. But knowing
how to answer those questions can mean the difference between
getting the job and getting the "reject letter."
How to Answer Questions
First, know these important facts:
1. There is no way to predict every question you will be asked during
a job interview. In other words, expect unexpected questions--they'll
come up no matter how much preparation you do.
2. Treat any sample answers you find, such as in discussion forums,
books or on Internet job sites, as guides only. Do not use any sample
answers word for word! Interviewers can spot "canned" answers a mile
away, and if they suspect you are regurgitating answers that are not
your own, you can kiss that job goodbye. You must apply your own
experiences, personality and style to answer the questions in your
own way. This is crucial, and it will give you a big advantage over
candidates who simply recite sample answers.
3. Job interview questions are not things to fear, they are
opportunities to excel. They allow you to show why you are the
best person for the job, so instead of dreading them, look
forward to them! The key is to give better answers than anyone
else, and that's where your preparation comes in.
Now, take these actions:
1. Make a list of your best "selling points" for the position.
What qualifications, skills, experience, knowledge, background,
personality traits do you possess that would apply to this
particular job? Write them down and look for opportunities to
work them into your answers.
2. In addition to any sample job interview questions you find
through various resources, you absolutely must develop your
own list of probable questions based specifically on the job
for which you are applying. Put yourself in the hiring manager's
shoes… what kinds of questions would you ask to find the best
person for this job?
3. Write down your answers to likely questions. Study the
job announcement carefully. (If you don't have one, get one!)
Note the phrases they use when describing the desired qualifications.
You'll want to target these as much as possible when developing
your answers. For example, if the announcement says they want
someone with "strong customer service skills," make sure you
include "strong customer service skills" in at least one of your
answers. That will make a better impression than saying "I helped customers."
4. Review and edit your answers until you feel they are "just
right." Read them over and over until you are comfortable that
you know them fairly well. Don't try to memorize them; don't
worry about remembering every word. Practice saying them out
loud. If possible, have a friend help you rehearse for the interview.
Here are some more very important tips:
1. Be a (Short) Story Teller
Make use of this old marketing tip: "Facts tell but stories sell."
During a job interview, you are selling yourself. Whenever possible,
answer questions with a short story that gives specific examples of
your experiences. Notice I said "short." You don't want to ramble
or take up too much time; you want to be brief but still make your point.
For example, imagine two people interviewing for a job as a dog groomer
are asked, "Have you ever dealt with aggressive dogs?" Candidate Joe
answers, "Yes, about 10% of the dogs I've groomed had aggressive
tendencies." Candidate Mary answers, "Oh yes, quite often. I remember
one situation where a client brought in his Pit Bull, Chomper. He
started growling at me the moment his owner left, and I could tell
from his stance he wasn't about to let me get near his nails with my
clippers. I think he would've torn my arm off if I hadn't used the
Schweitzer Maneuver on him. That calmed him down right away and I
didn't have any problems after that." (I know nothing about dog
grooming; I made the Schweitzer Maneuver up for illustrative purposes.)
Don't you agree that Mary's answer is better? Sure, Joe answered
the question, but Mary did more than that--she gave a specific
example and told a quick story that will be remembered by the interviewers.
In today's job market where there are dozens of highly qualified
candidates for each opening, anything you do that will make you
stand out and be remembered will greatly increase your odds of getting hired.
2. Keep the Interviewer's Perspective in Mind; Answer His "What's
in it for Me?" Question
While many questions asked during job interviews appear to focus
on your past accomplishments, here's an important tip: they may
be asking about what you did, but what they really want to know
is what you can do now, for them.
The key is to talk about your past accomplishments in a way that
shows how they are relevant to the specific job for which you are
interviewing. Doing advance research about the company (such as
at their website or at www.hoovers.com) and the position will be
extremely helpful.
Here's another example with Joe and Mary. The interviewer asks,
"What is the most difficult challenge you've faced, and how did
you overcome it?" Joe answers with, "In one job I was delivering
pizzas and I kept getting lost. By the time I'd find the address,
the pizza would be cold, the customer would be unhappy, and my
boss was ready to fire me. I overcame this problem by purchasing
a GPS navigation device and installing it in my car. Now I never
get lost!" Mary answers, "In my current job at Stylish Hounds,
management ran a special promotion to increase the number of
customers who use the dog-grooming service. It was a bit too
successful because we suddenly had more customers than we could
handle. Management would not hire additional groomers to help
with the workload. Instead of turning customers away or significantly
delaying their appointments, I devised a new grooming method that
was twice as fast. Then I developed a new work schedule. Both
efforts maximized productivity and we were able to handle the
increased workload effectively without upsetting our customers."
Joe's answer shows initiative and commitment (he bought that GPS
gadget with his own money, after all). But Mary's answer relates
specifically to the job they are applying for (dog groomer). And
Mary had done research about the company and discovered it was
about to significantly expand it's dog-grooming operations. So
she picked an example from her past that addressed an issue the
interviewer was likely to apply to a future situation in his
company. See the difference?
Here's one more example. Joe and Mary are asked, "What's your
greatest accomplishment?" Joe answers, "I won two Olympic Gold
Medals during the 2000 Olympics in the high-jump competition."
Mary answers, "I was named Stylish Hounds's Dog Groomer of the
Year in 2003 for increasing productivity in my section by 47%."
Joe's accomplishment is pretty spectacular. But remember the
interviewer's perspective. He might be impressed, but he's
thinking "What's in it for me? What does being a world-class
high-jumper four years ago have to do with helping me to
increase sales in my dog-grooming department?" Mary's answer
is much less spectacular than Joe's, but it's relevant to the
position and indicates that she has what it takes to be
successful in this particular job. It tells the interviewer,
"I have what you're looking for; I can help you with your
specific needs."
Looks like Mary has a new job!
3. Do Not Lie
Last but not least, tell the truth. It's sometimes very
tempting to "alter" the truth a bit during a job interview.
For instance, say you quit instead of being fired. But the
risk of being discovered as a liar far outweighs the potential
benefit of hiding the truth.
If you are thinking about telling a lie during the interview,
ask yourself these questions (this technique has helped me
make many major decisions): "What is the best thing that
could happen? What is the worst thing that could happen?
Is the best thing worth risking the worst thing?" In this
instance, the best thing would be getting the job. The
worst thing would be getting discovered as a liar, which
could lead to getting fired, which could lead to unemployment,
which could lead to more job searching, which could lead to
another interview, which could lead to the stress of deciding
whether to lie about just getting fired, and so on… a cycle
that can go on indefinitely. Is all that worth getting the
one job, perhaps on a temporary basis?
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