I have my first job interview in over a year. I'm beyond nervous because I REALLY want this job, but DOZENS of people have applied for it.
I'm a good worker but I'm not very good at interviews. How can I ace this? And a few questions.
When an interviewer says "So tell me about yourself" <-- What do they really want to know.
What trick questions should I be prepared for? And how do I answer them?
Anything that they might throw at me that I should be ready for?
How do I make a good impression? Ive had interviews before for jobs I had experience for but I never got a call back so I must be doing something wrong.
Any advice/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Answers to Job Interview Questions - How to Deal With Tough Interview Questions
Recommended Answer:I've interviewed lots of people for jobs, so here's some advice:
People make snap judgments about others on the way they look, and it is often said that interviewers form an opinion of someone in the first three seconds of seeing them.
Have freshly washed and cut hair, clean pressed clothes etc. Have a pen and paper with you - they might ask you to write something down. Take a calculator and electronic spell checker to fill out any forms.
DO NOT BE SEXY - A big no-no! Unless you want to be a poll dancer.
SMILE - people like friendly people. Be polite and don't laugh or try and make jokes. They may backfire. Do not rush what you say and never swear or say anything personal or political. Do not tell people about your unhappy childhood, and yes, people do all of the things I have mentioned here.
Have a good handshake. Practice with friends if you're not sure.
Do some research on the company and the job in question. You can ask for a job description in advance. Use knowledge to impress: 'I know you operate in three countries overseas, and my experience in this area would help your oganisation do XXX'. Also, one common question is 'What do you know about our company?'. Also 'What do you think this job entails?'. Have answers to these questions.
Take your own CV with you. You might be asked about dates or duties, and you can refer to it. Plus, sometimes someone else joins the interview and it always looks organised if you can hand out another copy of your CV on the spot.
ANSWER THE QUESTION, and do not go off on any odd stories. Keep it brief and straightforward. .
Many interviewers will look at your CV and pick out bits that interest them with regard to the job in question, so do the same yourself. Ask yourself how each job you have held might help you in the one you want. Look at any weak spots, like strange gaps or short jobs, and have answers ready.
You need to show you act with purpose and have a life plan. People may ask you what you want to accomplish in your career, or where do you see yourself in five years from now and so on.
People will look to see if you can achieve a result, so have examples of how you 'increased sales by 30% or similar to hand.
Other questions are:
What do you think you can bring to this organisation?
What do you think you can bring to this job? What do you think this job involves?
Why do you want this job? (Don't say because I want any job, say something about the company being great and it would fit in with your career path or similar)
What do you do in your spare time? (Say sports, reading (have a book in mind) and going out to dinner in interesting restaurants. Do NOT say you like anything remotely odd - there's no upside to that and that's all the interviewer will remember afterwards.)
What did you enjoy most about your previous jobs? (Say setting goals and achieving targets or something pro-job. Make it personal because you don't want to look too obvious!)
The most popular 'trick' question is 'What did you do when you failed in a task?' Don't say 'I have never failed, you have to say I learned from my mistakes and implemented recommendations to ensure X never happened again. Some mean people will also ask you to describe what happened.
Another 'trick' question is 'What are your personal weaknesses?' Don't say 'I don't have any' it won't go down well. The stock answer to that one is 'I work too hard at my job and I'm a perfectionist'. (everyone says the same thing!)
Keep in mind any great achievements you have and see if you can mention them in your answers without just randomly bringing them in as a list. If you have an olympic gold or have gone around the world in a sail boat definately get it in somehow.
Basically, you have to look at yourself objectively, and look at that organisation and that job and just see how you can make yourself fit in to their needs.
Always remember that the interview doesn't stop until you are out of view of the building.
It is important to smile at the end of the interview and know that the person is still forming an opinion of you. Have some ideas of what to talk about in the lift back down to the front door. It could be about your journey, the weather or the fact that you are off to meet an old friend. Strangely people use this period to get a feel for how you would be as a colleague. Sometimes you can look out of the window and see an interviewee taking his jacket off and being a slob as he leaves, and that puts you off him. Remember this, get away from the interviewer before you relax.
Get a friend to give you a test interview for some experience.
Hope this helps! Good luck!
If they don't call you back don't take it to heart - there are always lots of good people for most jobs, and interviewers select who they like often for simple reasons (they just liked X better) so it is not personal or saying that you're not good or couldn't do the job.
Job Interviewing Skills: Making The Small Differences Count!
