Interview Tips
Before you walk into any interview, you should know as much as possible about the company and the position. Your recruiter should be able to provide you with some information, or do the search yourself. For additional information, search the web or go to the library. In today’s world of mass communication, there is no excuse for lack of research.
The interview process should not be intimidating – remember that it is a chance for you to interview the company! You should be coming in with the attitude that you are interviewing to see if you want to work at their company!
Questions you should ask at the interview
- Why is this position available?
- What are your goals for this position?
- What type of training programs will be offered to the person in this position?
- What obstacles must be overcome for the person in this position to succeed?
- How will my performance be evaluated?
- What opportunities are there for growth?
- What growth do you anticipate for the company over the next 12 months?
Think about how you would answer the following questions
- Tell me about yourself. Keep your answer to the professional realm only. Review your past positions, education and other strengths.
- What do you know about our organization? If you’ve done your research, you should have no problem with this one. Be positive.
- Why are you interested in this position? Relate how you feel your qualifications match the job requirements and express your desire to work for the company.
- What are the most significant accomplishments in your career thus far? Pick recent accomplishments that relate to this position and its requirements.
- Describe a situation in which your work was criticized. Focus on how you solved the situation and how you became a better person because of it.
- How would you describe your personality?
- How do you perform under pressure?
- What have you done to improve yourself over the past year?
- What did you like least about your last position?
- Why are you considering leaving your current position?
- What is your ideal working environment?
- How would your coworkers describe you?
- What do you think of your boss?
- Have you ever fired anyone? What was the situation and how did you handle it?
- Are you creative?
- What are your career goals?
- Where do you see yourself in two years?
- Why should we hire you?
- What salary are you looking for?
- What other types of jobs/companies are you considering?
Practice the answers to these questions and think about how you can keep a positive attitude in your answers. Don’t forget to look at our list of Do’s and Don’ts to help make your interview a success!
Once you are comfortable with the interview basics, it is time to close the interview.
A new popular interview method is the Behavioral Interview. Many of the questions above are applicable, but the process is much more detailed.