If you have an interview with a company then you are already half way there, this means they must have liked your resume and cover letter. The next part is answering the interview questions well, if you manage to do this then you have a very good chance of getting the job.
Below I have written a list of possible questions that you may be asked in a job interview, followed by information to help you better answer the job interview questions.
Previous employment and history questions
Q.What companies have you worked for in the past and what was your position?
A. Most employers will want to know about your previous work experience, they will usually want you to elaborate on it more then in your resume, so you must be prepared to talk in detail about your previous employers and your job roles.
Some of the key things you should be willing to explain are:
You may also be asked questions about your previous co workers, you should try not to mention any situations when you did not get along with them, this may make you look like you’re hard to get along with.
Q. Since you left your last job what have you been doing?
A. This question can be difficult if you have no explanation of to why you were out of work, if you do not have a reason why you were out of work then depending on how long you haven’t worked for you could use ‘I couldn’t find/get a job because there was none’. But if you have been out of work for anything over 5 months this doesn’t usually cut it, because if you really wanted to work chances are you could have found a job in that time.
It would be a lot better if you had a genuine reason as to why you were out of work, some examples are:
What ever you say it should be the truth because if they found out that you were lying then it will not look good.
Q. Why were you fired from your last job? (if you were fired)
A. If you have been fired from a job and are not sure what to say you should try some of explanations below, however if you were fired for misconduct then you should be open, honest and admit you were wrong and that you regret it deeply, because they might find out from your previous employer anyway!
Possible replies (some of these could also be used if you were made redundant from your last job):
A. At first when my previous company had to let me go I was scared, but when I looked around for another job I soon realised that it wasn’t so bad and has given me the opportunity to explore new jobs and hopefully move into a company that better suits me, my qualifications and the way I work. This company seems to be exactly what I was looking for.
A. My previous job wasn’t working out to well so me and my last boss sat down and discussed things, we both came to the conclusion that it was time for me to move into a position that better suited me, we parted ways on good terms. And I am here now because I believe this job suits me perfectly.
A. During my last job I had several personal problems which unfortunately affected my work life, these problems have now been 100% resolved. I am now returning to work after a short break and I am eager to exceed expectations and succeed in a new job position
A. I was too eager to get a job, you could say I was desperate, which lead me to make bad decisions and choose the wrong job for my qualifications and previous experience, I will not make this mistake again! This is why I am applying here I have looked into your company and I have been made aware that it is well structured and I believe I can make my true talents shine through in this company.
A. I made a few silly mistakes in my previous job, but I do not regret this as it was a great learning experience, which has now made me not only a wiser but a better employee to anyone who hires me.
A. I usually get on with anyone and everyone but my previous boss and I didn’t see eye to eye on many levels, I am not sure why, I guess not everyone can like you.
Personal job interview questions
Q. What would you say is your greatest weakness?
A. If you answer this question right it can usually be turned into a positive question, you should be able to turn a weakness into a strength in another area for example: If you are a perfectionist and your weakness is that you spend too long double checking all of your work, this could be a negative but it is also a positive because the employer should be fairly confident that when you complete your work you complete it properly and to a high standard every time.
Some more examples are:
A. I am usually not a very organised person, but I spotted my weakness and have created my own system to better my organisational skills. I have done this by taking advantage of a ‘time management system’ which I now use everyday.
A. I used to be terrible about booking appointments in the past, I used to book them the day before a meeting. But now I understand that booking in advance is always the best thing to do.
What ever answer you give to this question you should always try to turn it into a positive, you should never have any negative comments in a job interview.
Q. What would you consider to be your greatest strength?
A. This question is easy, you can say anything that you believe is your greatest strength, a few examples are:
Which every answer you give to this question try to follow it up with a small statement explaining how that skill will help you while working for their company
Q.How quick is your work rate?
A.This is sort of a trick question, never say that you work really fast this could make the employer think you just rush your work. But on the other had don’t say you work slowly because they probably don’t want to hire someone that takes all day to complete one task.
The possible reply you could have to this question is:
“I usually work at a steady pace, I tend to find if you work too fast then you are likely to overlook things or make silly mistake. However even though I like to make sure my work is always maintained to a high standard, I never miss deadlines.”
Q.How do you cope when you are under stress or pressure?
A.This is a very common interview question, and usually you will want to say that you handle it very well. However if this is not the case then you should not lie and say you do because if you are ever under pressure and you do not perform well then they will not be best pleased
One of the best replies to this question I have heard is: “In my life there is no stress, just situations and I deal with them accordingly”
Q. What motivates you in life and in the workplace?
A.You cannot give a right or wrong answer to this question, personally I would say something along the lines of:
“My drive to succeed and success is the thing the motivates me most in life and in the workplace.”
I like this answer because it makes you seem like you not only want to succeed in life but that you are driven by success and will not stop until you have it, this is the type of thing that every employer wants to hear.
Q. Would you rather work on your own or in a team?
A.The best answer you could give to this question is that you enjoy working both on your own and in a team, you feel comfortable working in ether situations. You should then give an example of when you have worked in both environments, for example:
“I am happy to work independently or as part of a team, I feel comfortable working in either situation. In my previous job I was a manager which meant I had to work with my team members, but it also meant I had great responsibility which I had to handle by myself.:
Q.Describe a difficult situation you had in the work place or on a personal projectand how you got around it?
A.You cannot answer this question wrong, but you must give a good example of how you overcame a difficult situation something like:
“In my old job we were understaffed but we were very busy, we did not have enough staff to keep all projects up to date, I overcame this but managing my time well and delegating tasks to my other team members”
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There are more job interview questions that could be asked, to make sure we always provide the best information we will update this page regularly