Category: Charting Your Career for Success

Hard interview questions: The most difficult interview questions are open-ended. These questions require a discussion to answer. They give the interviewers more detailed, meaningful answers. Additionally, open-ended questions display your ability to think and to express yourself effectively.  By contrast, the easier questions are closed-ended questions. These questions have yes-no or simple fact answers.

Examples:

• How do you handle stress?
• Why are you changing jobs?
• What does your boss say about you?

Hard Interview Questions

In this chapter, I will cover some of the more difficult open-ended interview questions.

“What Is Your Greatest Weakness?”

“What is your greatest weakness?” is a tricky interview question. Although you want to be forthcoming with an interviewer, you don’t want to give the hiring manager a reason not to hire you.

Furthermore, from my experience, things you say about yourself can affect how people see you after you go to work for the company. I made the mistake of answering this question honestly during an interview for a promotion. I did get the promotion. However, my new supervisor had an annoying habit of reminding me of my answer (my greatest weakness) during our work together.

Show How You Deal with Your Weakness

What should I have said when he asked me about my greatest weakness? I could have discussed weaknesses as growth areas. For example, a person has a weakness of scheduling too many projects.  However, the person can learn to start each day by prioritizing work.

Another suggestion is how you become anxious before appointments. You dread being late. Pressuring yourself for time creates more anxiety.  The way you are working with this anxiety issue is you arrive to meetings with enough time to relax and organize your thoughts.

Another example might be that you tend to take over meetings. You have found that your behavior annoys other people.  However, you are developing the skills to get other people involved in a couple of ways. Sometimes all you need is just to listen. In other cases, you may ask people for their input.

Preparation

Prepare your answer based on something that is true about you. You want to be able to show the skills you have developed to turn your weakness into a strength.

Be specific about the steps that you are taking. Have examples how the steps you have taken will make you more effective at the hiring company.

What is Your Greatest Strength?

Answering this question gives you an opportunity to shine as the perfect applicant for the job. When preparing for your interview, think specifically about how your strengths fit the job.

First however, a little discussion of skills and talents is in order. Understanding the differences will help you present your strengths most effectively.

Soft Skills, Hard Skills, and Talent

There are three elements that determine your ability to perform a task: Hard skills, soft skills, and talent. Each of these qualities has value depending on the requirements of a job. Again, target your presentation to show you how your greatest strengths match the qualifications and requirements of the job. Write these qualities in your resume. Practice presenting them in your interviews. Show how your strengths make you the perfect candidate for the hiring company.

Hard Skills

These skills come from your education and your work you have done. They are the strengths that you can take from one job to the next. These type skills are core qualifications for any job.

1. Accounting
2. Brand Development
3. Computer Programming
4. Data Management
5. Education
6. Financial Management
7. Internet Programming
8. People Management
9. Planning
10. Mathematics
11. Typing
12. Writing

These hard skills normally appear as requirements in a job description.

Soft Skills

Soft skills are tricky. Some hiring managers and recruiters overlook soft skills in a resume. In other cases, hiring managers and recruiters think of listing soft skills as puffery in a resume. However, discussing soft skills is effective when you show how those skills specifically relate to the job for which you are interviewing.

• Interpersonal Communication skills
• Enthusiasm & Attitude skills
• Teamwork skills
• Relationship skills
• Problem Solving & Critical Thinking skills
• Communication Skills
• Determination and Persistence

Talent or Natural Ability

One of my favorite subjects is talent. Talent is a gift. However, everyone can strengthen their natural talents. Gifted athletes are naturally faster or stronger or have greater agility from birth. However, less gifted athletes find that they can build on their athleticism thought effort. Therefore, with repeated effort a person can raise the level of their natural gifts.

In conclusion, discussing your greatest weakness or your greatest strengths give you opportunities to show how you are perfection for the job.

Knowing how to show why the company should hire you is simply to succeeding in an interview.

Furthermore, preparing to answer this question creates a framework to help you prepare to interview for any job. This question challenges you to think about your qualifications as they offer value to the hiring company.

The Competition

You don’t know anything about the other candidates. The things that you do know are the facts of your qualifications: that is, the things that make you the person the company wants to hire.

Furthermore, you not only want to show that you have the experience and education for the job. You want to show that you have a record of accomplishments that add value to the hiring company.  

The Sales Pitch

Prepare a short pitch on the job, your successes and qualifications, and your desire for the job.  

1. State the objective of the job.
2. State a list of successful things you have done to achieve and exceed these types of objectives.
3. State that the reason that you are interviewing for the job is that you enjoy performing the type of tasks the job requires.
4. Furthermore, state why you want to work for this company.
5. State that the person the company hires will be lucky to get the job. Then say that you hope that the company hires you.

Rehearse Your Answer

Before you go to an interview, rehearse your pitch on how your experience shows that you can perform successfully. Give your presentation in front of a mirror.  If possible, give your presentation in front of other people. performed the same job. Say that they should hire the most qualified person for the job.

Conclusion

In conclusion, prepare for the question, Why should we hire you?  This type of question challenges you to think about your qualifications. In your preparation, you can practice giving answers that show that you are an outstanding applicant for the job. Answering the question with a positive, enthusiastic statement about how much you want the job will help seal your opportunity in getting a job offer.

Photo by Diego PH on Unsplash

Job Interview Jitters: At a time when you want to feel confident, you are tense and uncomfortable. Believe in yourself.  Take these simple steps to create poise and confidence.

Believing in Ourselves is the First Step to Poise and Confidence. ~ www.jaywren.com

Job Interview Jitters and Stage Fright

Stage fright comes from thinking about ourselves. However, the audience is there to hear our message. Confidence comes from changing our focus from ourselves to what our audience needs to know.

Likewise, job interview jitters come from thinking about ourselves. However, instead, we can focus on the information the interviewer needs to know.

Arrive Early

Clear your schedule to arrive early and have time if the interview runs late. Getting to the interview early relieves you of the stress of trying to beat the clock. Additionally, when a hiring manager must wait for you to arrive, you risk frustrating the interviewer in ways that could cost you the job.

Eat Before Your Interview

Being hungry can make you feel nervous. Take a light snack and a bottle of water with you. Find a comfortable place to relax. Enjoy your snack about thirty minutes before your interview. Give your body time to digest the snack and get the food into your system. Hungry alone can create job interview jitters.

Reduce the Caffeine

Before an interview, avoid dark chocolate bars and caffeinated drinks. They are great for energy. The sugar and caffeine can give you an energy boost. However, as the sugar wears off, you can feel an energy drop. The caffeine can leave you feeling on edge. Caffeine, added to the adrenaline of having interview pressure can give you a heavy case of the jitters.

Prepare Thoroughly

Know the details of the company. Know the details of the job for which you are interviewing. Review your resume. Know how to discuss your experience in terms of how are qualified for the job.

Questions About the Company

Having questions about the company will show that you are interested in the job. Additionally, having written questions will help you to remember to ask the questions that you will need answered.

Anticipate Interviewer Questions

Try to expect questions that the interviewer might ask. Focus on situations in your background that make you feel uncertain about your skills and employment history. Write those situations in the form of questions and write your answers. Continue to practice giving your answers until you feel comfortable.

Breathe

Baseball players use this simple technique often. Watch pitchers right before the windup or batters right before stepping into the batter’s box. The players will take one or two deep breaths. You don’t need to master any complex breathing meditation. Just take a deep breath and release it slowly.

Script the Match

Research the company thoroughly. Create a script: list reasons why you want to work for this company; list reasons why you are the best candidate for the job and the company.

The Interviewer’s Background

Research the interviewer’s background. Be able to tell the interviewer positive things you know about them and their accomplishments. If you have things in common that are relevant to the job interview, mention those things. Use the interviewer’s name during the interview.

Job Interview Jitters: Conclusion

Poise and confidence are always inside us. We just need to know how to find them.

Remember that the interviewer wants to speak with you. The person sees things in your background that show that you are qualified for the job.

The night before the interview, read your resume. Make notes about your accomplishments. Write specific titles and names of the people with whom you have worked. Make a list of the specific skills you have used to create your accomplishments. Read your scripted notes about the interviewer. Review the match between you and the job opening. You should sleep better knowing that you are prepared. A good night’s sleep will give you even more confidence and poise.

Interview Attire: Different companies have different dress codes. Nonetheless, each company has attire that is standard in their workplace. Moreover, making a point to understand the hiring company’s dress codes will help you feel more comfortable when you walk in the door for a successful interview.

Dress at or Above the Company Dress Standards

Sometimes, the way that hiring managers respond to attire appears capricious and unfair. Here are two examples.

In one case, the applicant wore a colored dress shirt and tie. In another case, an applicant wore business casual to an interview at a weekend company meeting. The employees attending the meeting were wearing business casual as well.  In both cases, the hiring manager passed on the job applicant for not wearing attire that matched the company’s business dress code.

Business Professional Interview Attire

In business professional interviews, avoid brightly colored shirts and ties. Professional attire for women is a dress, pants suit. An open-collared white button shirt or blouse is appropriate. Professional attire for men includes a navy blue or charcoal grey suit, a white shirt, and tie.

A level below this attire is for women or men to wear slacks and a jacket.

Footwear for women is typically close-toed black heels or flats.  For men, laced-up or tasseled dress shoes are common.

Business Casual Interview Attire

Many companies have a business casual dress code. Women wear skirt or slacks, and open-collar shirts or blouses.  Similarly, men wear khakis or slacks and cotton or knit, open-collared shirts.

Footwear for business casual includes running or walking shoes. loafers, boat shoes, Oxfords, or lace-up leather shoes.

Salaried or Hourly Employee Interview Attire

So far, I have been discussing office attire. Depending on the type of job, hourly employees or skilled workers may need to dress ready to go to work. Whether the purpose of the job is to make surfboards or to build bridges, knowing what to wear to work may be based on what you will be doing. Again, if you are uncertain, you might call ahead to get some insight into what people wear to work at the hiring company. In other cases, you may go by the workplace to see what other workers are wearing.

Job Interview Preparation: Are you frustrated with rejection when you have the qualifications for the job? Understanding these three elements will help you understand what happens in an interview. Moreover, these steps will help you prepare for a successful meeting with a future employer.

There are three distinct elements in preparing for an interview.

Everything About You

In the first step, review your qualifications.  This step will organize your thinking about the things you want the interviewer to know about you.

In writing your resume, you will have begun to work on this step.  Ensure that you can discuss from memory the dates and places where you where you have worked.  Furthermore, prepare to present your qualifications as accomplishments.

In the United States, applicants for jobs in research, education, and medicine often use a curriculum vitae.

Everything About the Company

The second step in preparing for an interview is to research the company and research the people at the company where you are interviewing.

The Internet is a powerful tool in this step. Research the directions to location of the interview. Your smartphone can direct you to the location.  However, having to follow your smartphone in traffic is stress that you don’t need.  Additionally, know where to park before you arrive at your destination.

Furthermore, is this a location where you want to work?

Then, research the details of the company business.  What is unique about the company?  Why do you want to work for this company?  Can you explain to the interviewer the reasons you find the company attractive?

Additionally, learn about the people you will meet.  Are these people you want to work with every day? Can you tell the interviewers why you are excited to meet them?

Thoroughly understand the experience and qualifications listed in the job description.  If the company does not publish a job description, find job descriptions for similar jobs at other companies.

Why the Company Should Hire You

Prepare to discuss how your qualifications are a match for the job and for the company that is interviewing you.  In this step, merge the preparation you have done on presenting your qualifications with your research on the company.

Furthermore, show how you experience makes you the perfect match with the job requirements.

Based on your research, make a list of the things you don’t know about the job and the company.  Prepare questions that you fill in the gaps between what you know and what you need to know.

Do mock presentations.  Become confident that you can show that you are the best candidate for the job.

Job Interview Preparation: In Conclusion

You are competing against other candidates.  Most of them have the qualifications to get the job.  Separate yourself from the competition by using the steps in this article to prepare for the interview.