Information to help you in your search for a perfect position

Interview Guidelines

-Creating an Interview Strategy

-The Key to Interview Success

-Common Interview Questions

-Essential Homework

-The Day of the Interview

-Interview Tips/Ideas/Questions

-CV Template

Common Interview Questions

1. Why do you want to work here?

In order to respond properly to this question, you will need to do your research and create a file on the company. Emphasise the strengths of the business, explain that these attracted you to apply, and say that you believe the company will provide you with excellent opportunities for professional development. You can make reference to the company’s reputation as a good employer and say that you believe you would fit well with the corporate culture and philosophy.

2. What aspects of your previous job did you like or dislike?

This question identifies your working style and the interviewer is trying to avoid hiring “problem” employees or people who will not fit in well with the company ethos. You should be extremely positive about your last role and stress that you formed excellent working relationships. You should only make one negative comment, if necessary, and it must relate to the job on offer. For example, “the only drawback in my last job was that I didn’t get a chance to develop personal relationships with clients. That’s what actually attracted me to this role – the opportunity for interaction with others, as I have excellent interpersonal skills and really enjoy working with customers.”

3. Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?

You should base your answer on a desire to be respected in the company and to be regarded as a team worker, with an excellent professional record. You should find out how the organisation sees the career path and professional development of somebody in your targeted position and use this as a basis for your answer.

4. What do you consider to be your biggest achievements to date?

Your answers must be job-related. Do not, however, be tempted to make up accomplishments or over-exaggerate your input to a project. Instead, say that while you have a lot to achieve and are very ambitious, you are proud of your contribution to a larger project (describe this) in a previous job, and what you learned. E.g. “I learned that even at the lower levels of an organization, attention to detail makes a big difference and I was proud of undertaking administration tasks in a competent and efficient manner.”

5. Do you work well under pressure?

Do not give a one-word, yes or no answer. If you do, you will forgo an opportunity to sell yourself. You can refer to your time-management skills and ability to keep calm in stressful situations – use examples if possible.

6. Why should I employ you?

You should give a brief and appropriate answer. Outline your personal attributes and how they match the employer’s needs. Round off your answer with a checklist: “I have the credentials you are looking for (name these), I would fit in well with your company as I am a team player and thrive in a demanding work environment, and I feel that I could contribute well to this company and succeed here.”

7. How well do you take direction?

Here, the interviewer is trying to establish whether you are a troublesome employee who does not respond well to guidance, or an open-minded person who can listen to others’ suggestions and take them on board. Obviously, it is essential to show that you belong firmly in the latter category. You must state that you are always open to new ideas and ways of doing things, especially when another person is taking a real interest in your work. You should also say that you are not afraid to ask questions before beginning a new project, so that your work matches expectations.

8. Tell me something /information about yourself.

The main mistake that people make here is to ramble on about irrelevant things from their past. You must keep your answer succinct and you can ask the interviewer if there is a particular aspect of your background that he or she would like to know more about. This will enable you to find an appropriate strain of conversation. You can use this question as a platform for demonstrating your personal attributes – integrity, honesty, friendliness, team skills or language skills. You can choose elements from your personal life that would transmit well to the workplace, such as communication skills or the ability to get on with different kinds of people.

9. Tell me about a time you found yourself in a difficult situation.

This is an answer that you should prepare in advance, as it can be quite tricky. The interviewer is trying to find out what you classify as “difficult” – i.e. what kind of work or people are problematic to you. You should talk about use a work situation as opposed to a personal one, but try to choose something that shows you in a good light. For example, you could say that you found it difficult when colleagues were not committed to a project as you always give one hundred percent. Alternatively, you could say that you once had to juggle many different elements of work (for example if a colleague was taken ill) but that you learned essential time-management skills and how to prioritise a workload.

10. Do you work better with others or on your own?

Your answer should be pertinent to the job in question. If the position you are applying for involves teamwork, then you will need to strongly state that you enjoy working with others and perform best as a member of a team. However, if the position is an individual role, then you could say that you enjoy both kinds of work but really love having personal responsibility and the opportunity to be creative and self-managing.