Are You Ready for a Job Interview?

Scenario:  You have been at the same job for six years and you feel you are great at your work.  You get consistently good performance reports and things are just routine for you. You want a new challenge and are starting to look for a new job with more pay and better benefits.  You think you can “wing it” and nail the job because you know what they are looking for in a job applicant.

Below are the basics in most job interviews but how you answer these questions will determine whether you get to the next level.  

• Tell me about yourself. …
• Where do you see yourself in five years? …
• Why should we hire you? …
• Why do you want to work here? …
• What do you know about us? …
• How do people describe you? …
• What is your greatest strength/ greatest weakness? …
• When can you start?

Preparing for these questions is recommended otherwise your response could be flecked with uncontrolled body language and eyes darting to the ceiling as if you never thought of how to answer these routine questions.   

The first bullet point, for instance, “tell me about yourself.”  What is it that they want to hear? Don’t talk about your children and pets, the interviewer wants to know about your  accomplishments.

There are many ways to respond to this question correctly and just one wrong way: by asking, “What do you want to know?” That says you have not prepared properly for the interview and are likely to be equally unprepared on the job. You need to develop a good answer to this question, practice it and be able to deliver it with poise and confidence.

• Focus on what most interests the interviewer
• Highlight your most important accomplishments

Hiring managers look for people who are polished, confident and professional.  Do your homework and especially know who you are interviewing with. Look at their website and their reviews.  Get a feel for the business culture and ask yourself if you would be a good fit for them before you sign up for an interview.