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Popular Interview Questions, Competency Questions, Interview Questions

What do employers look for in competency interviews?

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.

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Tell me about yourself
Popular Interview Questions

Tell me about yourself

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?

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What do you know about this company interview question
Popular Interview Questions

What do you know about this company?

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.

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Promotional Interview
Popular Interview Questions

What are your strengths?

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. 

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What is Your Greatest Weakness Interview Question
Popular Interview Questions

What is your Greatest Weakness?

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.

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Questioning the Interviewer
Popular Interview Questions

Questioning the Interviewer

When asking employers for feedback as to how they selected their preferred candidate in a closely run interview contest, the answer often comes down to the quality of questions asked at the end of the interview.  Yet whilst preparing for such meetings, job-seekers often neglect spending time in selecting the most appropriate questions to ask.  

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Salary Negotiation
Popular Interview Questions

Salary Negotiation

Negotiating salary is an exercise that many people find uncomfortable, even in a buoyant market.  It is worthwhile remembering that regardless of the economic climate, good candidates are always hard to find.  An employer is looking for a specific combination of qualities – relevant work experience, technical and IT skills, cultural fit, ability to fit in with the team – so when they identify their preferred candidate they are usually willing to negotiate on salary.  With this in mind, how can you increase your influence at the negotiating table?

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Interview Nerves Interview Coach
Popular Interview Questions

What have you been doing since your last job?

Losing your job is ranked by experts as one of the most stressful life events that people experience.  Being made redundant can knock your self-esteem, strain your personal relationships and of course negatively affect your bank balance and quality of life.  To compound matters, just as you’re learning to cope with the aftershock of this trauma, you’re required to be at your personal best to perform well in interviews and convince employers that you are their ideal candidate.

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