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How to Succeed at Interviews - Part 2

6th October 2016

So your CV has secured you an interview? Following on from last week's blog post this is part two of how you can succeed at an interview. In this blog post we are looking at the types of questions you could be asked.Here are some of the types of questions you can expect.

Tell me something about yourself or how would you describe yourself?

These are two very common questions which are often used as, what you might call, an ice breaker. They allow you to relax into the interview and describe something about your history or yourself. Leave any family or personal details out, that isn't what they're after here, focus on your job history and relevant details. Describe your highlights and achievements and link these to the job specification. They are looking at how you could fit into their company and along with that they will expect to see a friendly and enthusiastic potential employee.

Tell me about your job or what do you not like about your job?

This is an opportunity to describe potentially three things that will transfer into your new role. Keep them positive, even if they ask about something you do not like, by turning it around into a positive. For example explaining how you may have overcome the problem.

Why are you leaving your present job or why do you want to work for this company?

These two questions which allow you to talk about what you want from a company, that potentially you haven't had before, and why you now want to move into something that is going to provide you with something more positive. Think about what you can do for the company and what they can do for you. Work your skills and interests into this discussion. Link these in with the job description details and consider the company research. Look at something the company does well

and that is relevant to you and your interests.

What are your strengths and weaknesses or how do other people see you?

Consider what are the most important job requirements and be prepared to align your strengths with these. The interviewer will be looking for things such as ambition and enthusiasm, decisiveness, motivation and organisational skills. How you communicate this to them will also be an indicator of your strengths. You can look at some weaknesses which you strived to improve. Bearing in mind that an employer is looking for self awareness and that nobody is perfect and everybody has weaknesses. It is important however to think about how you either have or would overcome these weaknesses in the future.

What drives you to reach your objectives?

The employer will be looking at what motivates you and examining your required leadership or management style and your goal orientated. Think about this carefully and be honest with yourself, however it is important the interviewer understands what makes you tick! That they understand what makes you passionate about your job and the company you work for to ensure they can manage your expectations properly. When you recognise your motivations you will be other to pick out an example for them as proof.

What will you be doing in five years time?

With this long term objective you need to think about the role you are applying for. How long would it take to become competent in the job for example? At what point may you be looking for new challenges and promotion? Has the company got a development program for its staff? Your potential employer wants to know and sense if you're a long term investment so think very carefully about how you answer this question. Of course there may be some altruistic goals which you could highlight for example being happy in your role or wanting to push yourself further. You may also just be happy to be in the same job within the same company in five years time. There are no right or wrong answers however it is worthwhile considering this point as part of your preparation for interview.