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Job Interview Questions: And The Answers That Will Get You Hired!Job Interview Questions and the Answers: What I have experienced in my time on both sides of the table is that you will find that there are particular interview questions that are the most commonly used. What this means for you is that you can expect certain questions to arise in your interview and you can prepare for these in such a way that you will deliver an answer so comprehensively and confidently that you will blow them away. Hence the reason to provide these samples of job interview questions and answers. However it takes practice and preparation to adapt your answer to your own circumstances, talents and abilities. The following pages will not only help you with the questions you may be asked, they will provide you with what I deem are the most relevant and acceptable answers any employer will be looking for. Some questions can astound you. Regardless of how much preparation you've made, there are some interview questions that will leave you speechless. I don’t know why they do it but some job interview panels devise such wordy questions that no matter what preparation you have done you can never get the essence of what they are asking you.
However as we will see there is a way to plan for and deal with interviewer questions. Remember employers do want to employ you. They want to ensure they select the right person for the post. It is worth remembering that interview pressure can be worse than anything they throw at you on the job. Some questions tend to pop up again and again and these types of questions can be rehearsed and practiced. You will want to ensure you are delivering your answer to make it sound like it hasn’t been rehearsed or practiced. So lets make a start. The following section is a selection of common and quite tough questions you may be asked at interview. These are general type questions that you will often find asked at interviews. I have provided you with a brief explanation and guide to answering these types of questions to help you along. Job Interview Question 1. Why Did You Apply For This Job And What Makes You the Best Candidate for the Post? There are two sides to this question. The interviewer wants to determine what really attracts you to the job. The why part is that you know that you applied for the post because you could perform the duties to the highest level, there may be a chance of advancement within the organization and the salary is good. Depending on the job and job description you could respond “I am extremely well organized and this post will utilize my exceptional management/communication/organizational/delegation/team working/strategic thinking/secretarial/working under pressure/ skills etc. and this job will also help enhance my present capabilities. This is an answer that you can modify to suit the role you are applying for. Job Interview Question 2. Where Do You See Yourself In Five Years Time? This is a serious interview and one thing interviewers don’t have is a sense of humor. So smart, short answers like ‘working for you’ or ‘in your job’ means that you won’t be working for them! It’s a difficult question to answer however you don’t want to communicate arrogance or overconfidence. Whether or not you have career ambitions answer the question confidently. For example ‘My long term career is important to me, this post and your organization with the training and development opportunities offers me the chance to progress further’. 'This is an organization that is known and respected and I want to be part of your team'. Job Interview Question 3. How Would You Handle Criticism From Your Manager or Peers? At some point in your career whether you feel that the criticism is justified or not there will always be some people who will criticize you about some element of what you have done or not done. Sometimes it’s down to misinterpretation or a different view of something or other. Either way it can be demoralizing and upsetting for the individual. However like most things it is worth answering the question positively. For example ‘It is important to reflect on what has been said and try to understand that we all make misjudgments from time to time. I tend to treat these criticisms as an opportunity to learn and I’m willing to listen to any constructive criticism that provides me with a better understanding of the situation”. Job Interview Question 4. How would you motivate a team? Give a positive answer such as “I derive lots of satisfaction in completing projects. I get satisfaction at each stage of the project knowing that my team and I have made a worthwhile contribution to the end result. By encouraging ideas and maintaining effective and open communications we can set standards of performance, provide training where necessary and involve staff in the decision-making and problem solving process. This promotes a good self-image and having completed the project we can celebrate our successes and any good practice’. Job Interview Question 5. How Do You Deal With Interpersonal Problems Within Your Team? Despite all your efforts to maintain good relations you may find that there will be disputes amongst team members. In cases such as this being fair and listening to both sides of the dispute, dealing with the predicament in private and not causing embarrassment in front of others and looking for a compromise between the individuals may all come into play. Your own experience will be crucial in this scenario because you will know the individuals concerned, however depending on the nature and severity of the dispute you may need to take a formal approach. Please see the listed answer in
The Complete Job Interview Success Answers e-book to assist you in developing a more comprehensive answer to this question. Job Interview Question 6. What Part Of Your Job Do You Dislike The Most? If you were completely happy in your job at present, you would not have applied for the one you are being interviewed for. Even if it is the money, the perks, the car etc its not a good idea to include these in your answer. An answer suggesting that there are few things you do not like is acceptable, however you might be moving jobs because there are limited training and development opportunities or little or no room for promotion in your current post. While there may be areas that you do have an aversion to in your job, nevertheless deliver an optimistic response. A perfect example is filing and one we all detest “ I find my filing quite mundane and takes up too much time as I would rather deal with my more important priorities. However I appreciate that it is an important part of my role so I have made the decision to arrive earlier each morning and take a shorter lunch break to stay on top of it. This made it possible for me to deal with the more important aspects of the job throughout the day”. Job Interview Question 7. How Would Your Current Boss Describe You? Remember at some point in the future the man or woman sitting in the chair opposite you could well be your future employer. Answer this question confidently and provide an answer that reflects your positive characteristics. A good response would be “I work very well with my manager and we enjoy an excellent relationship. My boss considers me as a hard working, loyal and efficient employee who is able to work well using my own initiative and as part of a highly effective team. We have mutual respect for each other and he/she can trust me to accomplish the work allocated to me knowing that it will be completed to the highest quality”. Job Interview Question 9. How Have You Managed To Attend This Interview In Works Time? This is basically a question about honesty and integrity. I’m not sure if I know anyone who has informed their current employer that they require time off to attend an interview for a potential competitor. A plausible way to answer such a question is “I have taken some of my leave entitlement to attend this interview’. ‘I chose to do this because I didn’t feel it was appropriate to attend this interview while my employer was paying me, as I believe it is best to be honorable in these types of circumstances’. Job Interview Question 10. What Sort Of Decisions Do You Find The Most Difficult To Make? Making tough decisions is a part of life, be it in your personal, professional or work lives. If like most people you have a conscience, you will realize the consequences of making hard decisions, especially where it impacts directly on a persons work or home life. So if the decision is a negative one it is worth answering in this way. ‘Making decisions that affect a persons work and ultimately their personal lives are never easy to make. Nevertheless depending on the situation, you may not have any alternative other than to follow through on the decision because of purely professional, capability or business reasons. These are the types of decisions that go hand in hand with the responsibilities of the job and are ones that I do not fear making’.
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