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.
The interview process is a highly competitive one and like any elite sport the difference between winning and losing is marginal. With this in mind, it’s useful to look at the characteristics shared by successful candidates.
They reposition themselves from job applicant to business partner:
When coaching clients, I always encourage them to understand the world from the interviewer’s perspective. I invite them to focus on what they need to be successful in their new role and explore how they can add value to their new employer. This injects pace and passion to the interview……
Competency questions are still hugely popular and form part of most interviews. Whilst recent research has questioned their value in predicting success in fast moving environments (Harvard Business Review Feb 10th 2016), you’d be well advised to anticipate competency questions and have examples to hand.
Here’s a few things to consider in the lead up to your interview:
Be strategic with your examples:
Review the last 5 years in your job, identify your biggest wins and build your examples around them. Choose examples that most closely align with your target role. For promotion interviews, try to choose examples where you’ve already “acted up” in your role – eg where you’ve deputised for your manager or taken a lead role in a project.
What’s the biggest mistake we make in interviews?
Interviewing for the job we’re in, not the job we’re going for.
The easiest way to avoid falling into this trap is to approach the interview as you would any part of the business – strategically. Look for overlaps between your current role and the desired position, then show you’ve the abilities required to adapt to the higher level of responsibilities demanded.
Areas to look out for:
Stakeholder management:
Strategic input:
Emotional Intelligence:
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?
