Anxiety and fear of interviews is a common problem. As a business coach, I have worked with clients whose fear has crippled their career development and earning potential. My clients are very capable and know their anxiety is irrational but sometimes that’s not enough. It takes time and effort to understand and overcome such emotions but all is possible with the right help.
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.
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.
Pictures speak louder than words…………………This is particularly true in an interview situation where body language plays a significant factor in determining whether an employer sees you as a trustworthy, confident, capable individual who has a future with their company. Interestingly, research has shown that words by themselves account for only 7% of the impact of your message, a hefty 38% of the message is transmitted by tone of voice and the remaining 55% is communicated by body language.
As most of us have no idea how we are perceived by other people we underestimate the significance of non verbal forms of communication and how it can lessen the impact on what we are saying. I have highlighted below, the four most common pitfalls for interviewees. By modifying your behaviour in these areas, you will dramatically increase your interview performance and your ability to influence the final outcome.
Once an employer is satisfied that you can do the job, they will focus their attention on your communication skills. Specifically they’ll want to know how you’ll interact with colleagues/ senior management /customers, how skilled you are at resolving conflict and how adept you are in the art of negotiation. By anticipating questions that will be asked, you can prepare examples that show your competency in these areas and prove that you are a great fit for the role.
Humour and interviews do not often go hand in hand. But in the spirit of the New Year, we would like to share some amusing interview moments with you to help you start your job search on a happy note……………
Group interviews are a popular way for employers to assess a large number of applicants in a cost effective and timely manner. They’re often used so to determine qualities such as communication/ influencing / leadership skills and are a good way to test how well job applicants will behave in a stressful environment.
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