Whilst it is impossible to anticipate all the questions that might be asked in interview, you should however prepare for the most common ones that professional interviewers tend to rely on. I have outlined below the ten most popular interview questions and given some guidelines on how to best answer them.
In 1918 Irish women got the right to vote. 1973 heralded the abolition of the marriage bar; 1977 saw the introduction of the Employment Equality Act. Girls now consistently outshine boys across the globe in exam results. Having made so much progress, why are women still underrepresented in political circles and the upper echelons of business?
Most people I coach find this question particularly challenging. They assume that the interviewer is looking for an example of a highly charged situation where there’s a complete breakdown of a relationship.
Relax, your examples don’t need to have Hollywood style plots and drama. The key to answering this question well is simply replacing the world conflict with disagreement.
Most graduate recruitment is done through online application forms so before you start typing, here’s a few things you need to consider to get past the first hurdle.
In a world where extrovert qualities are extolled, and society rewards those who are gregarious, dominant and comfortable in the spotlight; how can those of a quieter, more reflective disposition make an impact in interview and secure their career advancement.
Behavioural interviews (also known as competency based interviews) are becoming increasingly popular in the contemporary recruitment process. They are regularly used by Multinationals and the public sector and are seen to be a good predictor of future employee success. As many “traditional” interviews have also started incorporating behavioural questions into their structure, it is important to be fully prepared for this style of questioning – to both understand what is being asked and how best to present your answers.
This is a hugely popular interview question and at first glance looks little more than an “ice breaker”. In reality it’s probably one of the more challenging questions asked as it’s not immediately obvious what the interviewer is looking for. What do you focus on – your professional or personal life? How much detail should you give? How long should your answer be?
This is a very popular interview question and when answered well is a great way to mark you out from other job applicants. Employers are interested in establishing what you know about their company as it helps them determine:
How interested you are in working for the company. Making the wrong decision reflects very poorly on a recruitment manager and they will do everything possible to minimise this risk. By showing a genuine interest in the company, you will position yourself as a credible applicant with a desire to succeed, fit in and develop with the role.
Your commercial awareness. By demonstrating in interview that you have extensively researched the company and have taken the time to understand their positioning in the marketplace, their key business drivers and the commercial pressures they face – you will show your ability to think outside the box and the value added you are bringing to the organisation.
Although it is impossible to anticipate every interview question– being asked to describe your strengths is an old favourite and should be prepared for. As part of the recruitment process, employers will already have identified the essential qualities required in a prospective employee and by showing that your strengths compliment the job requirements, you will immediately stand out from the crowd.
Why is this question asked?
Like so many people, I used to cringe when asked this question and wondered how it could add value to the interview process. After all, nobody in their right mind admits weaknesses in interview – do they?
Interestingly, an employer can learn quite a lot by asking this question. Many times their interest does not lie in identifying the actual weakness…instead they want to see how self aware you are, if you are happy to maintain the status quo or if you are constantly looking for opportunities to learn and develop.
