How to answer to the interviewer?
Job Essentials / Getting the Perfect Job
It is important to be prepared to respond effectively to the questions that employers typically ask at job interviews. Since these questions are so common, hiring managers will expect you to be able to answer them confidently, smoothly and without hesitation.
You dont need to memorize an answer, but do think about what youre going to say so youre not put on the spot during the job interview. Your responses will be stronger if you prepare in advance, know what to expect during the interview and have a sense of what you want to focus on during your interview.
Tip : Whenever you can end your answer with another question, do it! That will help move the interview out of Question and Answer mode to become a real, live, human conversation.
Here we put common Questions & Answers as for example, which may help you to answer in your interview.
Interviewer : Tell me about yourself?
Just about every job interview starts with an ice breaker that is meant to get you talking. It’s a chance for you to introduce yourself. The thing is, it’s not really about you. It’s about your candidacy. Yes, they want to know if your personality is a good fit for their company, but more than anything, they want to know that you can handle the job.
Your answer, therefore, should focus on your professional experience and interests and anything that shows you are the right candidate for the role. It’s not, however, the time to recite your CV. Think of it as a quick recap of who you are in a professional sense – an elevator pitch of your career. Yeah, it might be interesting if your hobbies include leathercraft and Brazilian martial arts, but this isn’t relevant here.
Example of what you should say :
You: I’m a web-obsessed SEO Manager with 10 years of experience managing all aspects of digital marketing – from paid ads to microsites – for companies of all sizes.
Example of what you shouldn’t say :
I’m Youtube vlogger and that’s all I really care about. I’m really looking for laid-back full-time work that will let me focus on my channel on the side.
Interviewer: Why do you want this job ?
To answer this question, you have to talk about the job not about yourself. This is an opportunity to make it clear that youve read the job ad, thought about it and understand and you have at have an idea what the job is about.
You : It sounds like this position has a lot to do with keeping projects on track and thats something I love to do. I want to run bigger projects that involve me in this job. Am I on track with that idea?
Interviewer : Whats your greatest strength ?
This question is lame, but you can turn it into a story-telling opportunity like as follows:
You : I think its my ability to see beyond the immediate facts of a situation to the larger picture. I can explain you by example: We had a crisis at my job last year. A competitor threatened to sue us over a trademark issue. We knew their complaint had no merit and that if we got sued we would win, but some of our companys leaders wanted to back off on our marketing activities for that product in case things didnt go our way.
I broke down the marketing plan to show which marketing activities were already committed and which could be put on hold — and then it was obvious that there was no benefit to slowing down, much less stopping, our marketing efforts for that product whether we ended up getting sued or not.
We didnt get sued and that product is still going strong, but my analysis helped guide us through a sticky situation. The companys executives really appreciated the insights we got from taking apart the marketing plan piece by piece. That was a huge learning experience for me!
Interviewer : Whats your greatest weakness ?
You: I used to stress and obsess about things I didnt think I could do as well as I should have been able to. Eventually it hit me that Ill never be good at everything in life — who is? The key for me is to focus on getting better at things I do well. There are so many things I have no business doing, like building Excel spreadsheets and writing code. I need to focus on what Im good at and love to do, especially writing website copy and creating powerful messaging for customers.
Interviewer : With so many talented applicants, why should we hire you ?
You: Great question! Lets see if I understand what youre looking for. My impression is that you need someone to support the sales team with customer callbacks and prospecting so they can focus on closing big deals. I see the job as preserving the sales teams time and energy by taking care of their day-to-day customer support and making sure they dont waste a minute talking to unqualified prospects. Is that pretty close to what youre looking for?
Interviewer : Where do you see yourself in five years ?
You: Five years from now I expect to continue exploring the world of investor relations and strategic communication. Given how much Ive learned about those topics in the three years Ive spent in the field and the incredible pace of change in the business world, theres no telling what a role like mine will look like five years from now. Im excited to see what these next five years bring!
Interviewer : What would your last boss say about you ?
You: My last boss would say that I supported her both by helping to carry out her agenda and also by playing the devils advocate role to anticipate issues she might not have thought of otherwise. She would say that I gave my best to the job and wasnt afraid to get tough issues out on the table. Thats one reason my boss and I worked together so well.
Interviewer : Whats your greatest career accomplishment so far ?
You: My greatest professional accomplishment has to be managing my job while making room for my personal life, my health and my outside commitments. Im thrilled that I am able to serve as VP of Programs for the International Society of Frogs and Toads in addition to holding down a busy job. The two roles reinforce one another. I think professional associations are incredibly important for anyone operating in the global business community. What do you think?
Interviewer : What would you like to achieve in this company ?
You: Im interested in learning more about your structure and culture and especially, your long-term mission and strategy. I love to take on new challenges and would never say no to the chance to dig into a meaty assignment, but I care less about titles and promotions than I do about working on issues that will have a big impact on the organizations future. How do you see the company evolving over the next year or two?
Interviewer : Do you consider yourself a team player ?
You: Heres a quick story about that! I worked on a team with fifteen people based in four continents. It was hard for us to connect in real time. We worked out ways to stay in the loop, all based on mutual trust. If anybody had an issue with another team member, or any kind of miscommunication, we made sure to bring it up rather than keeping silent or complaining to somebody else about the problem. It was a huge learning experience but I grew muscles during that project, and so did my colleagues.
Interviewer : What are your salary expectations ?
You: What are you looking for in terms of salary? It seems like a simple question, but your answer can knock you out of the contest for the job if you overprice yourself. Heres the best way to answer questions about salary.
Interviewer: How do you feel about working nights and weekends ?
You: My working style is to give everything during the day and then shut down my operation for the evening, and recharge my batteries. I try not to take work home, and I seldom have to worry about it because Im very careful in making commitments. I take due dates seriously. I almost never work on the weekend unless theres an emergency. If there is an emergency, I try to make sure the same issue doesnt flare up again.
Ive learned over the years that if I burn out then Im no good to myself, my employer or the people who rely on me. Whats your take on work/life balance?
