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On site Interview Tips Part2

On-Site interview Tips part 2

Interview Questions


Before you head out to a job interview, it's a good idea to practice answering the types of interview questions employers will likely ask. The Web can be extremely helpful with that, as interviewing is among the most-popular employment topics. Even so, career advisors can't possibly tell you exactly which interview questions to expect, and especially how to answer them. Interviews are just too personal and situational for that, and there are no single, correct answers anyway. To make it even more complex, there are several interview techniques, resulting in an infinite number of potential questions and answers. But at least career advisors can give you a feel for the techniques, plus lists of typical interview questions. That's what this article is about. Interviewers generally use one or more of the following interview techniques. General or Traditional - Canned and common questions about yourself Behavioral - Probes your competencies and how you acted in certain situations Case or Hypothetical - Challenges your problem-solving skills spontaneously and what you'd do "if" Interviewers usually start with the traditional, canned interview questions and work their way into one or more of the other types, over the course of one or more interviews.

Sample interview questions of the common type are listed below. Answers are included. Practice answering these sample interview questions out loud to yourself or ask a friend or relative to help you.

Don't feel that you have to answer right away. Interviewers know that you're nervous and expect you to think a bit, so do think carefully before you answer. But don't hesitate too long or it'll appear that you're stalling. Interviewers will ask open-ended questions to see where you'll go with them, so try not to ramble while you're thinking of a real answer.

Q.		Tell me about yourself.
A.		This is the dreaded, classic, open-ended interview question and likely to be among the first. It's your chance to introduce your qualifications, good work habits, etc. Keep it mostly work and career related.

Q.		Why do you want to leave your current job? (Why did you leave your last job?)
A.		Be careful with this. Avoid trashing other employers and making statements like, "I need more money." Instead, make generic statements such as, "It's a career move."

Q.		What are your strengths?
A.		Point out your positive attributes related to the job.

Q.		What are your weaknesses?
A.		Everybody has weaknesses, but don't spend too much time on this one and keep it work related. Along with a minor weakness or two, try to point out a couple of weaknesses that the interviewer might see as strengths, such as sometimes being a little too meticulous about the quality of your work. (Avoid saying "I work too hard." It's a predictable, common answer.) For every weakness, offer a strength that compensates for it.

Q.		Which adjectives would you use to describe yourself?
A.		Answer with positive, work-oriented adjectives, such as conscientious, hard-working, honest and courteous, plus a brief description or example of why each fits you well.

Q.		What do you know about our company?
A.		To answer this one, research the company before you interview.

Q.		Why do you want to work for us?
A.		Same as above. Research the company before you interview. Avoid the predictable, such as, "Because it's a great company." Say why you think it's a great company.

Q.		Why should I hire you?
A.		Point out your positive attributes related to the job, and the good job you've done in the past. Include any compliments you've received from management.

Q.		What past accomplishments gave you satisfaction?
A.		Briefly describe one to three work projects that made you proud or earned you pats on the back, promotions, raises, etc. Focus more on achievement than reward.

Q.		What makes you want to work hard?
A.		Naturally, material rewards such as perks, salary and benefits come into play. But again, focus more on achievement and the satisfaction you derive from it.

Q.		What type of work environment do you like best?
A.		Tailor your answer to the job. For example, if in doing your job you're required to lock the lab doors and work alone, then indicate that you enjoy being a team player when needed, but also enjoy working independently. If you're required to attend regular project planning and status meetings, then indicate that you're a strong team player and like being part of a team.

Q.		Why do you want this job?
A.		To help you answer this and related questions, study the job ad in advance. But a job ad alone may not be enough, so it's okay to ask questions about the job while you're answering. Say what attracts you to the job. Avoid the obvious and meaningless, such as, "I need a job."

Q.		How do you handle pressure and stress?
A.		This is sort of a double whammy, because you're likely already stressed from the interview and the interviewer can see if you're handling it well or not. Everybody feels stress, but the degree varies. Saying that you whine to your shrink, kick your dog or slam down a fifth of Jack Daniels are not good answers. Exercising, relaxing with a good book, socializing with friends or turning stress into productive energy are more along the lines of the "correct" answers.

Q.		Explain how you overcame a major obstacle.
A.		The interviewer is likely looking for a particular example of your problem-solving skills and the pride you show for solving it.

Q.		Where do you see yourself five (ten or fifteen) years from now?
A.		Explain your career-advancement goals that are in line with the job for which you are interviewing. Your interviewer is likely more interested in how he, she or the company will benefit from you achieving your goals than what you'll get from it, but it goes hand in hand to a large degree. It's not a good idea to tell your potential new boss that you'll be going after his or her job, but it's okay to mention that you'd like to earn a senior or management position.

Q.		What qualifies you for this job?
A.		Tout your skills, experience, education and other qualifications, especially those that match the job description well. Avoid just regurgitating your resume. Explain why.

Q.		Why did you choose your college major?
A.		The interviewer is likely fishing to see if you are interested in your field of work or just doing a job to get paid. Explain why you like it. Besides your personal interests, include some rock-solid business reasons that show you have vision and business sense.

Questions to Ask Employers During Interviews

Preparing Interview Questions to Ask

Ever draw a blank when an interviewer asks, "Any questions?" Interviewers expect you to ask questions. After all, employment is a two-way street. Preparing interview questions to ask in advance, shows that you've done your homework and are truly interested in the job. In fact, some interviewers might be more impressed with your questions than your answers.

It's a professional courtesy to withhold the bulk of your questions until the interviewer asks if you have any. Interviewers typically ask toward the end of an interview or near the conclusion of each phase. Of course, it's okay to ask a few questions to clarify matters, steer topics and such, as the interview progresses. For example, a question such as, "What does the ideal candidate bring to this job?" would be appropriate early in the interview. But wait until it's "your turn" before you fire off a barrage. On the other hand, if the interview seems to be drawing to a close before the interviewer asks if you have questions and you have some, ask if it's okay to ask.

Avoid asking questions just to impress the interviewer, and asking frivolous questions just to have some to ask. Also avoid asking questions that might reveal more about you than the job. For example, the question "What happens if I fail to meet a project deadline?" has underlying implications, such as "I've often irresponsibly missed project deadlines."

Unless the interviewer mentions the topics first, it's not a good idea to ask questions about vacation, sick days, lunch breaks and so on, right off the bat. Granted, they're part of the whole employment picture. But from an interviewer's point of view, asking such questions too early in the interview game might indicate that your priorities are in the wrong order. Ask about what the company can do for you and lesser matters of importance during follow-up interviews. Better yet, wait until you're reasonably sure you have the job offer in your pocket.

It's okay to write down your interview questions to ask beforehand, and then refer to them during interviews. It shows that you're organized and interested enough in the job to have prepared in advance.

To help you prepare in advance, sample interview questions to ask are listed below. You don't need to ask them verbatim. They're just typical, sample questions to help you formulate your own. In fact, it's a good idea to rephrase the sample questions in your words, so that they sound like they're your own.

To further help you formulate interview questions to ask, research the company. Researching the company before an interview will also help to ensure that the questions you ask don't backfire. For example, if you wait until the interview to ask what the company's products or services are, it indicates that you weren't interested enough to have first done your homework.

Sample Interview Questions to Ask about the Job

Which specific skills are necessary to succeed in this job?
Would you please describe the ideal candidate for this job?
How do my skills, experience and education differ from those of the ideal candidate?
What are the day-to-day duties of this job?
Do you have anything to add to the job description that XYZ advertised?
Does this job have any special demands?
How much travel does this job require?
How many hours are in a typical workweek?
What is a typical workday like in this position?
How would you describe the working environment?
Are there specific problems or challenges an employee would face in this position?
If you hire me, which duties would you like for me to accomplish first?
Which projects would you like for me to complete in the next six months?
What are the long-term objectives of this job?
Who would be my immediate supervisor and where does he or she fit into the organization?
Would you please describe your management style?
Who would be my direct reports and what are they like?
What are my potential coworkers like and how many are there?
How much autonomy would I have in making decisions?
What would be my budget and spending authority and responsibilities?
What level of input would I have in determining my objectives and deadlines?
How many projects must an employee in this position multitask at once?
Are there opportunities for pay raises and advancement in this position?
Is this a new position or am I replacing someone?
Why was this new position created?
May I ask why the employee in this position is leaving or no longer fills it?
May I seek success tips from the employee who was promoted out of this position?
Has anyone ever performed poorly in this position? What did he or she do wrong?
How do you measure an employee's performance and provide feedback?
How does an employee know he or she is performing this job to expectations before annual merit reviews?

Sample Interview Questions to Ask about the Company

How does XYZ Company acknowledge outstanding employee performance?
What are this department's goals and how do they fit with XYZ Company's?
How does this department fit in with XYZ Company's five-year plan?
Is this department responsible for its own profit and loss?
Does the department or XYZ Company face any major challenges?
Do you foresee any significant changes in XYZ Company?
What's XYZ's policy about employees advancing their education?
Does XYZ offer employee training?
How does XYZ promote and support professional growth?
What's XYZ's policy for work-life balance?
What's XYZ's policy for employee retention?
What is XYZ's customer service policy?
Has XYZ recently laid off employees and why was it necessary?
How did XYZ handle notification, severance and outplacement services during the last layoff?
Is XYZ planning or considering a layoff in the near future?
Is XYZ profitable? How profitable?
Does XYZ regularly report its market results and profitability to its employees?
How does XYZ compare with its competitors?
How well has XYZ historically weathered poor economic conditions?
May I ask what you like and don't like about XYZ Company?
Is there anything you'd change about XYZ if you could?
How would you characterize XYZ Company?
Would you please describe XYZ's strengths and weaknesses?
Are there any misconceptions about XYZ Company of which I should be aware?
Does upper management have an open-door policy?
What can you tell me about the employees who work here?
May I see an organizational chart?

Sample Interview Questions to Ask in Summary

Is there anything else I should know?
Is there anything else you'd like to know?
Is there anything that would prevent you from offering this job to me?
How do I compare with the other candidates you've interviewed so far?
Do you have any feedback?
Do you have any concerns? What can I do to alleviate them?
When can I expect to hear from you again?
May I follow up with you by phone or email in about a week?
May I schedule another interview with you?
What might we discuss in a follow-up interview?
If you decide to extend an offer, when would you like for me start?
What?s the next step?

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