Here’s a list of what I consider to be the top ten questions you are likely to be asked at interview. Make sure you think through your answers to all these questions very carefully before going anywhere near an interview room.
You are absolutely certain to get asked at least some of these questions (or variations of them), if not the whole lot.
I could add an eleventh question to the list: ‘And do you have any questions for me/us?’ There aren’t many interviews that conclude without this question being asked. But we’ll come to that in Chapter 24: Your own questions.
For now, let’s concentrate on the questions above.
We’ll look at them one by one, alongside possible alternatives and other closely related questions. We’ll analyse the interviewer’s intentions in asking you the question – the meaning behind the question – and we’ll discuss how best you can answer it.
This is an extremely popular question, and is just the kind an interviewer might throw at you at the beginning of an interview to get the ball rolling. They are quite simply placing you centre stage and hoping you will open up to them. Alternatively, they are hopelessly overworked, haven’t yet had time to read your CV, and asking you this question will buy them some breathing space!
This is a very broad question, and you might, therefore, be at a loss as to the approach you should take to answering it.
They are not asking for an autobiography. Focus on discussing major selling points that feature on your CV or application form; selling points that are directly relevant to the job for which you are applying. Don’t start telling your whole life history.
Whilst they do want you to open up and paint a picture of yourself, you’re not on the psychiatrist’s couch here! Keep it professional and avoid getting too personal.
Besides talking about your career, make sure that you have something to say about your education and qualifications and even your hobbies and interests.
I’m a highly driven individual with extensive management experience acquired principally in the aviation sector. Following completion of my degree in International Business (which included a couple of years in Germany), I started my career in administration and have worked my way up to become an export sales manager. I believe I combine a high level of commercial awareness with a commitment to customer care, which helps me to achieve profitable growth in a competitive market. I enjoy being part of, as well as managing, motivating, training and developing, a successful and productive team and I thrive in highly pressurised and challenging working environments. I have strong IT skills, I’m fluent in German and I’m also a qualified first aider. In my spare time I undertake a wide range of activities; I’m particularly keen on squash and I am also currently working towards my Private Pilot Licence.
It’s vital to practise your answer for this in advance, and try to limit your answer to one minute. If you can’t successfully ‘pitch’ yourself in under a minute you risk losing the interviewer’s attention.
How have you described yourself in the professional profile at the top of your CV? A lot of this material can be recycled to help you draft your answer to this question.
The interviewer is probing to see
This is another open-ended question where you might be tempted to say too much. By taking the time to think through your answer to this question in advance, you will be able to remain focused on a few key points.
Your emphasis should be on demonstrating to the interviewer precisely how you match their requirements and, in doing so, demonstrate that you fully understand what the role entails.
If you’ve done your research properly (please see Chapter 2: Researching the job), then you will have a good idea of what it is the company is looking for.
You have been asked what your motivations are in applying for the vacancy, but try to turn the question round so that the answer you give indicates why you are the right candidate for the vacancy.
I’ve applied for this vacancy because it’s an excellent match for my skills and experience and because it represents a challenge I know I’ll relish. I already have extensive experience as a senior quantity surveyor, including previous experience of rail and station projects – an area I’m particularly interested in. I enjoy managing multiple projects simultaneously. I also enjoy overseeing and coaching junior and assistant quantity surveyors. I’m used to dealing directly with clients; developing productive working relationships with clients is definitely one of my strengths. This is exactly the type of role I am currently targeting and I am confident I will be able to make a major contribution.
The interviewer is trying to understand your motivation for changing jobs. They clearly want to know why you want to change jobs but they also want to know how serious you are about changing jobs. Are you really committed to moving or are you just wasting their time?
There are a multitude of reasons for wanting to leave your job; however, they won’t all be positive selling points for you.
Positive reasons include:
Negative reasons include:
If your reason for wanting to leave your job is a positive one, then your answer will be easy enough to construct. Explain to the interviewer what your motivations are and how the move to your next job will help you to achieve your goals. You are making a positive move for positive reasons and intend to achieve a positive outcome simple as that.
If, however, your reason for leaving your job is in my list of negative reasons, then giving the right answer is going to be somewhat trickier. Because each situation is so different, I will deal with each of them in turn.
Problems with your boss: Having problems with the boss is the top reason people give (in surveys) for changing jobs. However, you should never say anything negative about either a current or a previous employer. It isn’t professional, it doesn’t portray you as someone who is particularly loyal, and it will reflect badly on you. In almost all cases, I would recommend that you avoid citing this as a reason. Criticising your current employer is considered one of the top mistakes you can make at interview and will most likely cost you the job regardless of whether or not your criticism is justified. Aim to give an answer that focuses on the benefits you will experience in moving to your new job rather than making any reference to your having had problems with your boss.
Having delivered a particularly devastating critique of his current employer, one candidate was rather shocked to discover that his current employer was in fact the interviewer’s brother-in-law!
Problems with a colleague: Maybe you want to leave because of a persistently unpleasant colleague? However, explaining this to the interviewer will most likely open you up to expressing bitterness or recrimination – traits that are not attractive to a potential employer. Again, you should aim to give an answer that focuses on the benefits of moving to your new job rather than drawing attention to your problems.
A financially unstable organisation: You may well have decided to leave your job before your employer finally goes bankrupt, but you don’t want to be labelled as a rat leaving a sinking ship. It doesn’t say much for your loyalty. Avoid giving this as a reason.
Personal reasons: There are many different personal circumstances that might cause you to wish to leave a job. For example, you might simply want a better work–life balance. However, if possible you should avoid giving ‘personal reasons’ as an answer and instead leave the interviewer to believe you are leaving in order to pursue a more promising opportunity.
As for asking what you would write in a resignation letter, you should remember that when it comes to resignation letters it is well worth being as nice as possible about the matter. Harsh words in a letter of resignation could easily come back to haunt you in the future – not least if you ever need a reference from this employer.
After careful consideration, I have made the decision to move on to a new challenge. Naturally, I’d thank them for the opportunities with which they presented me during the course of my employment, reassure them that I will do my best to help ensure the seamless transfer of my duties and responsibilities before leaving and wish them all the very best for the future.
The interviewer is analysing your motivations and probing your expectations of the organisation. Why do you want to work for this one in particular? Whilst this question doesn’t directly ask what you know about their organisation, in order to be able to answer it effectively you are clearly going to have to demonstrate that you have done your homework.
If you have done your research properly (please see Chapter 3: Researching the organisation), you will already be fairly well informed as to the organisation you are applying to join. However, the key to answering this question is how to communicate that knowledge to the interviewer whilst tying it in with why you want to work for them.
Focus on what in particular attracts you to the organisation. We’ll cover the closely related but more generalised question, ‘What do you know about us as an organisation?’ in the next chapter.
I’m particularly attracted by how progressive an organisation you are. I’ve seen how your sales levels have grown the past few years and I’m aware of your plans to expand into the United States. Yours is an organisation that is rapidly developing and evolving, that’s exactly what I’m looking for. I want to work for an organisation which is forward-thinking and isn’t afraid to tackle new challenges.
With this question the interviewer wants to achieve the following:
Everyone has their strengths. The key to answering this question is not to rattle off a long list of what you consider your strengths to be. Instead, you should be looking to highlight a smaller number of specific strengths, discussing each one briefly and, most importantly, identifying how these strengths relate to the requirements of the job you are applying to undertake. You can even elaborate on one of your strengths by mentioning a specific relevant achievement.
Choose your strengths carefully. It can be hard to say anything very interesting, for example, about the fact that you are very meticulous and pay great attention to detail. However, if the recruiter is looking for someone to lead a team, then you can mention team leadership as one of your strengths, citing an appropriate example or achievement.
If you don’t give the interviewer at least one specific example to back up your statement, be prepared for them to ask for one!
I believe my key strength is that I combine experience of traditional film production with extensive experience in the online arena. I’m very aware of current trends in new media and am able to demonstrate excellent creative judgement. I’m also very good at juggling multiple projects simultaneously; in my current role I frequently have as many as half a dozen different projects on the go at any one time, and I’m committed to completing them all on time and on budget. This clearly requires extremely strong project management skills.
With questions of this kind the interviewer wants to achieve the following:
Yes, this is a tricky one. Whilst it is superficially a somewhat negative question, it is in fact full of opportunities for you to turn it around to your advantage and make your answer a positive point.
Don’t be perturbed by the question or let it throw you off balance. Your answer should be right on the tip of your tongue. You should only ever discuss a professional weakness, unless the interviewer specifically requests otherwise (unlikely).
Your first thought might be to say, ‘I don’t really have any particular weaknesses.’ But this is definitely not the answer the interviewer is looking for – and is definitely not the answer you should be giving.
Telling the interviewer your weakness is ‘kryptonite’ – as one candidate did – is unlikely to amuse an interviewer. But it may possibly be better than the candidate who said he was a ‘workalcoholic’!
The interviewer wants to know that you are able to look at yourself objectively and to criticise yourself where appropriate. If you honestly don’t think you have any weaknesses and say so, then you risk coming across as arrogant, and nobody wants a perfect candidate anyway.
Clearly, you don’t just want to come up with a straightforward list of what you consider your weaknesses to be, so you have two choices:
The problem with the first option is that you risk running into cliché territory. I’m talking about the kind of people who answer:
You risk sounding as though you plucked your answer straight out of a 1990s manual on interview technique.
Personally, I prefer the second option: talking about a weakness that you turned (or are turning) into a strength because you are answering the interviewer’s question by highlighting a definite weakness, before reflecting positively on it by outlining the active steps you are taking to overcome it. You are demonstrating a willingness to learn, adapt and improve, and you are showing that you have the initiative required to make changes where changes are due.
Choosing a weakness that has its root in lack of experience and has been (or is being) overcome by further training is ideal because it is a weakness that is relatively easily resolved.
When I started my current job my first few months were an uphill battle dealing with a backlog of work I inherited from my predecessor. I recognised that I have a weakness when it comes to time management. I have since been on a time management course, read a couple of books on the subject and I believe I’ve made a lot of progress. But it’s something I’m still very vigilant about. I make a concerted effort to apply the principles I’ve learned every day and to put in place procedures which enable me to most effectively prioritise and process my workload.
This example is a good and comprehensive answer meeting all the objectives we’ve outlined above.
Unless the question is qualified by specifically mentioning, for example, your last job, it is important to remember that the interviewer isn’t necessarily looking for a work-related achievement. They are looking for evidence of achievement, full stop. However, a work-related achievement is normally what they will be expecting.
Make sure you have thought this question through carefully before the interview and have selected both a key professional achievement as well as a key personal achievement to cover both bases.
Try not to go too far back; try to pick a recent achievement. If you’ve included an achievements section in your CV (which I would recommend you do) then this will be a good starting point for you to generate ideas.
Describe clearly to the interviewer
What was the benefit? Try to phrase this in such a way for it to be self-evident that this would also be a benefit to any prospective employer.
My greatest achievement so far in my career would probably be winning the manager of the year award last year. I made numerous operational changes at my branch, including a massive reduction in stock levels, which significantly boosted our working capital. I also drove up sales levels, especially by increasing the uptake of after-sales insurance packages. The net effect was that we smashed the previous branch sales record by an impressive 37 per cent and profits rose in line with this. This directly resulted in my promotion to the management of the flagship Edinburgh branch.
The interviewer is directly asking what your ‘unique selling point’ is. They are looking for at least one significant reason that you should be their No. 1 choice for the job.
Well, what does make you the best candidate for this job?
I’ll level with you – this isn’t necessarily a top ten question in terms of how likely you are to get asked it. However, it is very much a top ten question in terms of the importance of your having prepared an answer to it. You need to go into every interview with a thorough understanding of what it is that you have to offer. If you don’t know what it is that you’re offering then how can you hope to sell it effectively?
If you do get asked this specific question, then don’t be afraid to answer it quite candidly. It’s a bold question and warrants a bold answer. The interviewer is putting you on the spot to sell yourself. But do be very careful to avoid coming across as arrogant because that’s the last thing you want to do. It’s a fine line you need to tread.
Feel free to cite an example from your past where you demonstrated that you are someone who is capable of going the extra mile. It’s all very well to say that you’re someone who gives 110 per cent (although it is a bit of a cliché), but if you can actually throw an example at your interviewer then you’re going to be a whole lot more credible.
An ex-army candidate for a management role replied, ‘I can shoot someone at 300 yards.’ What is more amazing is that he actually got the job! This is a rare example of a sense of humour working to the candidate’s advantage.
Having now been working in this industry for over a decade, I have developed successful relationships with key decision makers in numerous companies, enabling me to achieve a sales conversion rate much higher than average. This is undoubtedly a very challenging role, requiring considerable drive and determination, but I believe my previous sales record is clear evidence that I am more than capable of achieving what it is that you need.
The interviewer is trying to ascertain what your long-term career ambitions are and to get a better understanding of your motivations. They will invariably be looking for someone who is keen to learn, develop and progress. However, they are recruiting for a specific role and will want someone who is prepared to commit to that role for a reasonable period of time.
You may think this question is just a cliché and doesn’t really get asked in practice. Trust me it does and far more frequently than you might imagine.
Lots of people think they’re displaying a great sense of humour/ambition/self-confidence to reply, ‘Doing your job!’ I wouldn’t recommend it because it may come across as arrogant and aggressive.
Avoid being too specific. It’s very difficult for most people to know exactly what job they will be undertaking in five years and so it can be unrealistic to quote a specific job title you are aiming for. Try to present your answer more in terms of what level you hope to have reached – what level of responsibility, of autonomy. It’s also a good idea if you can phrase your answer to communicate that you hope still to be with this same organisation in five years’ time.
Five years from now I expect I will have progressed significantly in my career and be making an even greater contribution. Having proved my value to the organisation I would hope to have been given increased responsibilities and greater challenges. I’ve clearly given a good deal of thought to working for you and I can see that there are indeed a lot of opportunities both for promotion and for ongoing professional development. My career is very important to me and I want to push myself hard to deliver the very best of which I’m capable.
There are a variety of possible reasons interviewers might ask this question.
Besides knowing whether you’re capable of doing the job, most employers are keen to know what sort of a person you are to work alongside. Employers are generally keen to have a diversity of characters within their team and are always on the lookout for someone who can add a new dimension.
Whilst nobody has yet conducted a survey specifically to research this, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence of recruiters deciding to call someone in for an interview purely as a result of what they have included in their CV under interests and activities. I, for one, will admit to having done so when hiring.
This is a very simple question to answer provided, as always, that you’ve prepared for it in advance. If you have a hobby that makes for an interesting talking point at the interview then it will reflect positively on you as an individual.
Remember, you need to be able to back up everything you’ve listed on your CV. If you mention playing chess to give your CV some intellectual clout, but haven’t played since you were at school, then you could well come a cropper in your interview if your interviewer turns out to be a chess fan and asks you which openings to the game you favour!
It’s always a good idea if you can subtly slip in mention of any positions of responsibility you hold outside work. If your passion is, for example, football, and you’re also the captain of the local team, then do say so.
Besides the obvious selling point of football being a team activity (and hence your being a team player), you’ve immediately communicated your leadership qualities, your ability to take responsibility for others, your ability to commit yourself to a project etc.
I’ve always been fascinated by planes. I remember my first flight as a child; it was a thrilling experience. Even though I understand the science behind it, I’m still in awe each and every time I see a plane clear the runway. It’s quite an expensive hobby to pursue but, as soon as I could afford to do so, I started taking flying lessons. I gained my Private Pilot Licence, went on to qualify as an instructor and I’m now a senior member of my local flying club. Whilst it’s not something I’ve ever wished to pursue as a career, I do enjoy giving the occasional lesson and generally participating in the club community. It’s definitely something about which I’m very passionate.