How to Prepare for 10 Common Interview Questions - General

This post is a rehash of one of my first posts. Over the last few months, I think I have become more aware about what I think works and doesn't work in the interview stratosphere. This is why I thought it was worth updating this post. I guess the key difference here is that the original post was targeted towards graduate and entry level positions and wasn't necessarily as applicable to general positions. So for now, let's get into the meat of this post and start exploring what skills or thoughts will make you battle hardened for that upcoming interview.

Watch the scene by clicking here

I thought I'd also add that this post is for your standard jobs and may not cater to those very niche jobs where the employer is looking for very specific attributes. As such, contrary to how Mike Ross got his start in the first season of Suits, these one in a million shots are probably not your best bet. However, one thing you should take away from the scene is confidence. Confidence is the most important thing you will need. If you're confident, anything is possible.

So assuming we aren't all Mike Ross (or Harvey Spector for that matter), for this post I will discuss how the interview will generally unfold and how you can prepare for it. Just keep in mind that the questions will most probably not be worded as simply as those discussed herein. However, if you can understand why these questions are in the interview, you should be able to apply these answers to any question that is thrown at you.  Now, assuming it's a formal interview, the questions in their simplest form will be as follows:

1. Tell me a bit about yourself

2. What are your career goals?

3. Why do you want to work at (*insert company name*)?

4. Why do you want to be a (*insert job title*)?

5. Why should we hire you?

6. Tell me about a time you had to work under pressure

7. Tell me about a time you had to work in a team

8. Tell me about a time you had to show initiative

9. Hypothetical scenario question (not all interviews have this question and sometimes it can replace any of Questions 6 to 8)

10. Do you have any questions for us?

Before I begin, i'd like to point out that each interview question seeks to explore one of two things - 'Whether the interviewer thinks you will fit in at the company' and 'your ability to deliver results in the role.' As such, when you answer 'fitting in at the company' questions, you want to be talking about yourself as a person and not about your accomplishments. The same goes with 'your ability to deliver results in the role.' You want to be thinking about how your actions add value to the cause and not resting on your achievements.

Question 1 - Tell me a bit about yourself

Maybe just don't be as truthful as Frank Reynolds

Question 1 - 'Tell me about yourself,' is the first question tasked with finding out whether the interviewer thinks you will fit in at the company. Surprisingly this is often a difficult question for people to answer. Many people fall into the trap and talk about their accomplishments (i.e. I studied accounting or engineering; I work part time in a bar). Talking about your accomplishments doesn't actually answer the question as it often difficult to learn much about your personality. What I suggest you talk about are things that allow the interviewer to gain an understanding of what you are like as a person. So instead of being the best bartender, talk about your good personality traits, hobbies, favourite sports team etc. You can still be the world best bartender but you must elaborate. Talk about things such as why you like(d) being a bartender (was it inventing new drinks, the customer interactions or the enjoyment you ascertained from hanging out with your co-workers?). What you say will generally have no bearing on the outcome of the interview as long as you say something positive about yourself.

#TIP 1: My tip here is to keep all answers short (around 5 to 8 sentences). The interviewer will miss probably 70% of what you are saying so if it’s not short and sharp, the words will be wasted. Also make sure you conclude your answer by restating the question - In this case you could conclude by saying and 'that’s a little bit about me'. If your concluding sentence fits what you have just said, chances are you haven't spoken 'hard to follow' garbage and congratulations on surviving Question 1.

Questions 2 & 3 - What are your career goals? Why do you want to work at (*insert company name*)?

I've lumped questions 2 and 3 together as I think you should answer both of these questions the same way. Again this question is a 'will you fit in at the company' more than 'chance to shine' so keep your answers simple and save your 'ability to deliver results,' discussions for the next set of questions.

So to answer these two questions, I have found that the most effective process is to separate this answer into the short term and the long term. Start by thinking about your short term career goals (say within 12 months from now) and some longer term goals (say 3-5 years from now). Now the trick here is to ensure that the position/company that you are interviewing for/with can provide or facilitate an environment for you to achieve these goals. This is why it is important to research the company beforehand. If you can speak to someone that works in the company or industry beforehand, that would be even better. A good starting place is to understand the positions possible career paths and tailor your answers around that. Don't be scared to chase big dreams in this part of the interview. Companies love ambition. The same goes for saying things you may be slightly unsure about. What you say in this interview is not bound by law and companies know that interests and ambitions change everyday. What they appreciate though, is that you've taken the time to think about your career and where it could take you.

#TIP 2: It often is looked on favourably if you state you want to become chartered (e.g. engineer, accountant) or the equivalent in other professions. However, before you start talking about MBA's and PHD's, consider if they are actually applicable to the job and career path. My experiences tell me that they carry less importance these days in the majority of professions.

Conversely, you could also answer these two questions as follows:

Tailor your answer around where the company sits in the industry's pecking order (i.e. if it’s near the top, say it’s one of the biggest companies; if it's new, say it’s an up and comer; if it's small, say it’s a niche company and so on). The second part is to then talk about how the company is different from its competitors - companies are just like people; they like to be seen as unique. The difference doesn't have to be ground breaking, just something you like about them that a competitor hasn't done (even if it’s helping a local community that you identify with, or personal phone calls when a natural disaster occurs). By stating the company's position in the market, appeals to your career path you've done yourself a great service in appearing like a good fit.

NOTE: This is the weaker answer of the two answers. However, it is good to have a backup answer on the off chance the interviewer asks both questions 2 and 3.

Questions 4 & 5 - Why do you want to be a (*insert job title*)? Why should we hire you?

Questions 4 and 5 may initially seem similar to questions 2 and 3. This is because they are still mainly focused on your personality and 'your ability to fit in.' Now before you get too confused, many of the interview questions will overlap so depending on how you answer each question, the interviewer may skip any number of questions.

So going back to what you could say, you need to think about your personality and how it positively applies to your skill set. If the job is a sales position and you like to talk to people then you should link the two. Diversity is currently a big thing in the work force at the moment so if its applicable, things like being 'well travelled' or 'enjoying the experience of other cultures' will be looked on favourably. Flexibility is another big thing as well. Wanting to travel or at the very least being open to travel will be another positive tick in your column.

Depending on how you've answered the previous questions, you could being to discuss what you will 'bring to the job.' A good starting point is to talk about something that will separate you from other people competing for the same job. Things like being multi-lingual, diversified skill set (as long as it's useful to the company) and strong personal networks should be mentioned. You could also introduce some of the ideas which will be discussed in Questions 6 to 9. Just remember, to question yourself why you are telling the interviewer these facts about you.

#TIP 3: I suggest only saying things that you feel you can say naturally. Kudos to you if you're comfortable at the art of bullshit but for the majority of us, overselling yourself without conviction is a disaster waiting to happen.

Questions 6 to 9 - Tell me about a time you had to work under pressure, Tell me about a time you had to work in a team, Tell me about a time you had to show initiative, Hypothetical scenario question.

We are now into the business end of the interview where you get your chance to shine and discuss your ability to 'bring value to the role.' Questions 6 to 9 can come in any order or number (i.e. they might ask the same question in 2 different way), so I suggest you have two examples for each question (especially questions 6 to 8).

I'd like to point out here that the interviewer will be looking for at least 1 of the following 3 things when they assess your abilities to 'bring value to the role.' These are:

A) How you react under pressure
B) Can you work productively in a team environment?
C) Can you show initiative if required to do so?

Often any example you think of for each of these 3 criteria, will invariably incorporate 2 of them to some degree. Hence, it is important to have 2 examples prepared for each aspect. Nothing is worse than for everything to be going well and then for you to completely stuff up one question because you didn't have a well prepared answer. This will be remembered by the interviewers and many of your good answers will count for a lot less.

Hence, when preparing answers for these questions, I suggest you set them up as follows:

A) Set the scene - (don't say any more than you have to as you are just wasting words)

B) Present the problem - (sometimes this is already done in point A)

C) Discuss how you SPECIFICALLY influenced the situation

D) What was the outcome

#TIP 4: I suggest you choose examples where there was a positive outcome (everyone loves a happy ending) or if you can only think of examples with have negative outcomes, choose an example where you learnt a life lesson (i.e. you learnt you needed to take more ownership or you learnt there's no point arguing when things go wrong and so on). Keep these episodes simple and relatable. The interviewer must be able to understand the point you are trying to make.

Question 9 tackles the same themes that questions 6 to 8 address, except they analyse your 'on the spot' thinking. Just make sure you talk your way through the scenario and don't be scared to ask for clarification from the person who asked the question.

#TIP 5: Good things to say are what options you are considering. Discuss why you are considering them and whether you think they will or won’t work.

Question 10 - Do you have any questions for us?

This question is the enigma of the interview. This is because it often seems entirely useless but could quite possibly be the most useful one of the entire interview. The reason I say this is because it's the one opportunity for you to ensure that the interviewers actually read your resume. In many cases, the interviewers will consist of a HR person and a technical manager. You can be quite sure that the technical manager (who probably has final say over whether you get hired), will have only read your resume 30 seconds before the interview (note: they may not have even looked at it). To give yourself the best possible chance of success, ask if there is anything on your resume that you could elaborate on further. Assuming the things you have talked about are consistent with your resume, this question reinforces the ideas that you have discussed and will make you more memorable to the interviewers.

Additionally, if there is anything you think the interviewer should know which you haven’t been able to talk about until now, this is your chance.

#TIP 6: Finishing by saying you are really thankful for this opportunity, is a nice way to conclude the interview. 

So there you have it. Rehashed and updated. I hope this helps. Comments and sharing of ideas that you may have, are always appreciated. Also if anyone's interested, I'd be happy to share my thoughts on things such as 'what to wear to an interview' and 'how to make your resume standout,' if anyone is interested.

#Hanbaobao

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