The Interview – The questions that we know but hate and the close.

Contributions from John Leese (www.workthing.com), and books ‘Great Answers to Tough Interview Questions’ and ‘Brilliant Interview’.

In no particular order we have listed all the types of questions that you might get during the interview.

The trick is to prepare a response to any of these, one tactic is too “mind map” the interview. What does that mean and is it “psychobabble”. Simple it means sit in a quiet room and imagine each question being asked of you then give your reply. Do this 2 or 3 times then do it with a partner or friend; practice make perfect.

The Questions:

-          "Where do you see yourself in five years' time?" - Think about where you really want to be within a company: in a lead role with a team under you; or a lead consultant; or a director of the company. Be ambitious but realistic and have direction in your answers

-          "What are your strengths and weaknesses?" - Talk specifically about the positive things you've achieved to illustrate your strengths rather than generalising and make them relevant to the role you are going for. Try to show your weaknesses in a positive light and give examples of where you have addressed and overcome your weaknesses.

-          "Why should we hire you?" - Many companies will ask the candidate to sell themselves using their strengths. Prepare a list of your strengths beforehand and think about how they relate to the job. I would advise people not to be modest and to only speak about their weaknesses if they are asked directly. Of course you should avoid being arrogant as much as possible, but arrogance comes across in body language more than anything else.

-          "What are your major achievements in terms of your career, education and life to date?"
Achievement means different things to different people. For example, one person's idea of achievement might simply be the fact that they have completed their studies, particularly if, say, they experienced a tough time going through school. Another person's idea of achievement might be having secured a place on a good graduate scheme. It's not so much the actual achievement that's important in a candidate's answer, but the way they present it. This question always provides a good indication of a person's level of self-awareness.

-          "What motivates or drives you?"
For some people this could be learning or work/life balance, for others it could be money or professional acceleration. The answer really tells the interviewer about what makes someone tick. Not everyone wants to be a board director, and an interviewer isn't necessarily going to see it as a weakness if you don't. It's important to be honest.

-          "Tell me about your depth of knowledge in your subject area?"
Most job interviews are going involve questions about your professional knowledge. We are always interested in how a candidate keeps up to date in their field - what magazines and journals they read, what sort of models they are using in their work, what their network is like, whether they go to conferences - all of these things tell us about how a candidate keeps up their professional knowledge.

-          "Why did you leave…….?" Employers will probe for reasons for job change. If you are currently out of work, they will probe this, too. Rehearse short, simple, positive "stories" to cover these points. This is not telling lies, just a simple, positive summary.

-          "What do you need to earn?” Wrong question. Focus on the value you can add to the employer, not your basic needs. Use a phrase like: "In the range of..." Try not to discuss salary until you are offered the position because then you are in a better position to negotiate terms and responsibilities Find out what the company is willing to pay, or work out what similar employers pay for good people. Always throw pay questions back to the other side of the net.

There are a group of questions that require both preparation and thought when answering. They tend to be open questions and focus one weakness or what would you do …

Negative questions are more about how a candidate copes with the question. They are about putting the pressure on. Interviewers are certainly looking for honesty in the answers, but if the role involves pressure then they want to know how the candidate copes with pressure.

Always answer the 'What are your weaknesses' question with honesty, but be careful in your choice of weaknesses. Don't give a long list. Make sure the weaknesses you talk about are real. Don't just list the classics like I am a perfectionist. Proving that you have a good knowledge of your weaknesses means you know yourself and are comfortable with yourself. List specific characteristics about yourself like I have a big group of friends rather than I am a team player.

It's important to be very open and honest. Don't try to hide things by saying things like 'I encountered this problem, but it wasn't my fault, it happened because I had a bad manager'. Don't be defensive. If you are asked to describe a time you made a mistake, explain exactly what happened and talk about what you learnt and what you would do in the future if faced with the same situation again.

If you are asked about a time when you have made a mistake or had difficulties, always present your answer in terms of what you learned from the situation. Be careful, though, not to come across as too practiced in the way you answer the question. I have seen people who interview very well, they come across as slick and packaged, but there's a sense that they are putting up a front. Interviewers look for honesty, so don't be afraid to inject a bit of yourself into the exchange. Don't be afraid to show that you are human. Don't compromise and don't try to be something you're not.

With any question like 'what would you say your weaknesses are?' employers are testing two issues: first, are you self-aware, i.e. are you able to see that there are things you are not so good at; and, secondly, are you the sort of person who does something to correct it? Avoid giving weaknesses critical to the job.

If they ask what salary you require, avoid being too specific... If you are unsure what to answer, bounce the question back if this seems appropriate.

Another difficult question is 'describe a situation where your work or an idea was criticized'. You are being asked to describe how you handle criticism. It is advisable to describe a poor idea rather than poor work. What does matter is how you handled the criticism. So a good answer, for example, would be: "I asked for further advice, then we worked together to come up with a more viable idea. My supervisor/manager's input was invaluable."

If you're asked where you see yourself in five years' time, they're asking what will keep you motivated. To prepare, think about what has motivated you in the past that would be relevant to the job. For example it could be as simple as knowing that you are doing the job well.

Don’t forget your their to sell yourself so these questions put you in a positive, enthusiastic and well researched light;

1. What is the team working on at the moment?
2. Can I meet the team?
3. Can I look around?
4. What are your strategies for growth?
5. How soon do you want an employee in place?
6. If there was one major achievement that you would like to see happen within the role from the outset, what would it be?
7. Can you describe what made the last person successful in this role?
8. What are the immediate improvements or priorities that need to be applied to this role?
9. What changes would you like to see in the way the job is performed?
10. To ensure I would be able to hit the ground running would you be able to supply any procedures, literature or other supporting information in preparation for my first day in the role.

To find out how well you've performed

I suggest that people ask for feedback at the end of the interview. For example, what's the next step in the hiring process, what sort of chance do I have, and so on. This shows that you're open-minded and mature enough to handle any criticism and advice. It also shows that you're mature enough to learn. Interviews have changed. It's not a secretive process anymore, where the company invites you in to screen you. It's now a transaction. Asking for feedback tells the interviewer that you see yourself as an equal party in a transaction.
Office Team

You must always close the sales process, so ask 'how do you see me fitting in?' and 'what is the next step [in the recruitment process]?'

In Part 4 we focus on your “pitch” a great article from Janice Chalmers.

Part 5 we cover the negotiation, they are interested or they want you, now don’t over play your hand.