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Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Job Interview - Positivity is the answer

Are you getting ready for a job interview in English? Would you like to know some questions that you might be asked and suggested possible appropriate answers?

We show you below a series of questions and answers (in English) where it is argued that the solution for a satisfactory interview is positivity.

Job Interview

In today’s candidate strong market when you’re up against some fierce competition saying the right thing can mean winning or losing that dream job. Louise Campbell from Robert Walters gives tips on how to give great answers to tough questions.

Q: Why do you want this job?
Be honest with yourself: Are you interested in what the position entails? Or is it just an impressive increase in salary? You should know exactly what will be expected of you. Have you seen a job description? Have you researched the company’s website? A recommended answer could be: ‘I am convinced that the role would very much suit my career aspirations and current skill set’.

Q: Why should I hire you?
This question is all about selling yourself. Try pointing out your strengths by using examples of work you have previously done in relation to the requirements for this role. You could say something like: ‘I believe that the job specification listed many skills I could bring to the organization’.

Q: What is your biggest weakness?
This is known as a negative question, one that interviewers use to test your ability to keep your cool. Let’s face it: we all have weaknesses. But you should try to spin your weaknesses into something positive. A possible answer could be: ‘I think time management is something I could work on, but I am getting better at prioritizing’. Avoid being a ‘perfectionist’ or saying things like, ‘I have no weaknesses that I know of’. This makes you come across as arrogant and overconfident.

Q: Why are you leaving your current role?
Always remain positive when discussing your reasons for leaving. You should have a structured response to this question before your attend an interview. Simply stating that you would like a ‘new challenge’ or ‘change of environment’ can sometimes also send out warning signals to employers, as they may be concerned about hiring a job hopper who is constantly on the look out for something more challenging. Be honest but professional. No employer will want to hire if you are negative about previous employers and you will immediately be seen as unprofessional.

Q: Tell me about yourself?
This is not the opportunity to tell the interviewer your life story. When interviewers ask this question, they are actually more interested to know what you enjoy in your career and as a person and how well you would fit in with the culture of the company. A good answer to this could be something like: ‘I like meeting new people and enjoy being involved with administration for projects and events’ .

Q: Where do you want to be in five years?
Unfortunately, many people are usually not prepared for it, and few actually know where they want to be in five years’ time. A suggested answer could be: ‘I’d like to think I will be working for a successful organization such as this but in a role with increased responsibility’, or, ‘Whatever I do, I want to be doing it to the best of my ability’. It is the way you answer rather than what you say that’s the most important here.
Finally, always remember that the interview is a two-way process, so it is important to have a list of questions you can ask your interviewer at the end. These could include asking the interviewer what motivated them to join the organization, or if they have any reservations about your skill set/experience at this point.
Remember that an interview does not have to be a grueling process if you are well-prepared and know exactly why you are going for the role. The key to a successful interview is to be positive.

Have you done any job interviews in English? How did you find it?

Original article in Metro Ireland

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2 comments:

Michael said...

Wow!

You have a cool blog here. Thanks a lot for sharing this useful information.

A job interview is an important part of our professional life. Even if we have given more interviews than anyone else, still things do not become easy for us. A job interview help before an actual interview is actually invaluable for a job interview preparation.

In preparing for a job interview, you should make every effort to organize how you would present your qualifications, accomplishments and talents so it profits understandably and complies with the necessities of the job - not just thus you can put off on concerning what you are acquainted with and what you have accomplished and what you look forward to. Preparing yourself best for the job interview and especially if it is the job interview for the job you have always longed for could be exceptionally demanding and nerve-racking.

David said...

Thanks for your comments Michael. We’ll be covering all the topics that you talked about in future posts.

 

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