CAREER TOOLS > FROM JOB HUNT TO CAREER
Here is a list of questions you should be prepared to answer in any interview:
- Why do you want the job?
- Where do you see yourself in 2,5,10 year's time?
- What qualities do you think will be required for this job?
- What are your strengths?
- What are your weaknesses?
- Why do you want to work for this company?
- What do you know about this company?
- Why did you apply for the job?
- Why should we employ you?
- What makes you different?
- Would you compete for my job?
- How ambitious are you?
- How competitive are you?
- What do you like or dislike about this job?
- What is the reason why you are leaving / have left your most recent employer(s)?
- What did you do on a day-to-day basis?
- Were you happy with the way your progressed in your previous role?
- Are your prepared to relocate?
- Are you prepared to travel?
- How do you handle criticism?
Competency based interviews
Sometimes interviews are ‘competency based’ this means the employers looks at the competencies involved in your role and asks you behavioural or situational questions based around these competencies. It depends on the job, but example competencies can be: (these are just a few examples)
- Team member skills
- Planning and organisation skills
- Time management skills
- Selling skills (sales jobs!)
- People management skills
- Communication skills
Therefore a question may be:
Can you give me an example where your ‘time management skills’ were put to the test?
The interviewer is looking for you to come up with a specific example, maybe a time where you had a project to work on with a deadline. The interviewer is looking for you to tell them about this situation.
You tell them, and then they ask you further questions…
- So, what did you do?
- What was your objective?
- How did you feel?
- What actions did you take?
- Who else was involved?
- Did you achieve your goal?
- Would you do anything differently?
The interviewer is drilling down, finding out how you coped, how you behaved and if this example is definitely something that you personally did.
It is a good idea to look at the job description of your role, think of the key competencies and think of some good examples of how you have performed these competencies in the past.
It all helps with your interview preparation.
If you do not prepare, remember your competition may have done so, give yourself the edge.