You’ve made it to the interview stage – go you!
But then along come the nerves. Now you’ve got to sit through an interview with a bunch of questions thrown at you in a short space of time. It’s not easy, and the pressure of an interview gets to all of us, especially if you haven’t been to an interview for a while.
But there are ways of preparing for all types of interview questions that will help you feel ready for when the time comes.
To a certain point, you know what sort of questions will be asked and these are standard questions that always get asked…Questions like:
‘Tell us about yourself.’
‘Why do you want to work here?’
These are standard questions you can write down some answers for, which are unique to you and the job you’re applying for (I cover common questions in another post).
But, there are always a few questions that catch us off guard and make us freeze, wondering what the heck to say.
I’ve covered a few of the difficult questions and how you can go about answering them:
What’s your greatest weakness?
Oh, this beauty. This question often catches a lot of people out because…why do people want to talk about what their weaknesses are?
Employers want to hear about a skill that you’re not as strong in, and what you’ve done to try and improve it. They want to see development.
Employers know that people aren’t good at everything. They want to know you’re the kind of person who will try and improve, develop or learn something new.
Note: Choose a skill that’s needed as a central part of the job you’re applying for! If you’re applying to be a writer, lean towards working on maths skills, which are not needed as much for the job.
Good answer: ‘I needed to get better at calculating numbers, so I went on a course to help improve my skills.’
Bad answer: ‘I sometimes turn up late for work, but I’m trying not to be.’
Give an example of when you solved a problem.
Of course, you’ve solved lots of problems before, but what’s the best example to use? The employer wants to know that
Think of a problem from your last job – a late delivery, an IT problem, a cancelled meeting.
Now, answer it with a structured approach. The employer wants to know what the problem was, how you overcame it and what the result was.
That’s it.
Good answer: ‘We had a delivery running late and we needed the supplies by a certain time. I arranged for another driver to go and collect the supplies in our spare truck and let the customer know. We delivered a few minutes late but – the customer was happy we had kept them updated.’
Bad answer: Giving the problem and saying it was a team effort – the employer is asking what you did to solve it.
Why do you want this job?
Of course, you might need the money or you like the nice comfortable office with the latest computers – but don’t tell them that.
The employer wants to hear that you know about the company, and that you’re interested in the projects they work on or the clients they work with.
Good answer: ‘Your company has great values, which I can relate to and I’d like to be part of your team.’
Bad answer: ‘I’ve heard the Christmas bonus is really good!’
If you were an animal, what would you be?
This type of question can catch out even the most prepared of people.
Not the most common type of question, but these random, psychological questions do come up sometimes. And really, there’s no right or wrong answer, but you might wonder what the employer wants to hear. They want to get to know you as a person and how you compare yourself to an animal. They may also want to see how you respond to an unexpected question and think on your feet, rather than the answer itself.
There are no good or bad answers to this!
How do you manage a conflict with a colleague?
Ahh, conflicts with colleagues. They always happen. You need to show you’re a team player, but that you also have ways of handling disagreements with people.
Good answer: ‘I noticed a colleague had started ignoring me when I asked for help. I took them aside and asked them if I had done something to upset them. We had an open conversation and found a way of working together that worked well for both of us.’
Bad answer: ‘I haven’t really fallen out with a colleague – I get on with everyone.’
Interview questions are going to be tough, but even the trickiest ones can be answered well. Take a breath before answering, go through it in your head and go for it!
Want help preparing for your next interview? Get in touch with me here.