Interview Tips and Questions
The interview is a vital part of the application process. It is the employer's chance to get to know you and see how you perform under pressure. You should try to appear relaxed and confident throughout, not to fidget, yawn or look bored, never give one word answers and keep any reservations you have about the job to yourself at this stage.
There are several questions you are likely to be asked in any job interview. It is important to remember to keep everything brief and to the point; if faced with a difficult question, to not avoid it or give a long rambling answer and to take a moment to think about your response before you start speaking. Below is some advice on answering the more typical questions — remember these are only a guide and it is important to be personal in your answers.
Q: Tell me about yourself
A: Describe some of your main skills and attributes and relate these to your qualifications and career history, highlighting anything that is particularly relevant to the role.
Q: What have you achieved in your career so far?
A: Pick a specific achievement that is fairly recent, mention the skills you used to achieve it and exactly how it benefited the company you were working for.
Q: What are your strengths?
A: This will almost certainly come up, so be prepared to pick out 3 or 4 strengths you have and back them up with specific evidence.
Q: Tell us about a difficult situation you have had to face, and how you dealt with it.
A: Here the employer wants to you know what you consider difficult. You need to demonstrate an ability to use logic to solve a problem. Choose a situation that you did not cause and briefly explain how you dealt with it, and why you did what you did. Always finish positively.
Q: Why have you applied for this particular job?
A: Use your knowledge of the role applied for and the organisation to describe what interests you about the position. The interviewer is looking for evidence that you are well suited to the role and that it fits in with your career goals and the person you are.
Q: Why do you want to leave your current job?
A: Looking for new challenges, responsibilities and experiences. It’s not usually appropriate to say you are mainly motivated by money and you shouldn’t be too negative about your current employer.