There are several common questions interviewers ask at job interviews. While you cannot draw a precise list of what they would ask, you can definitely collate a decent list of questions they are likely to ask. With this list in hand, you can prepare your responses and practise how to respond appropriately in the interviews.There are no best answers for interview questions. So, do not try to frame, learn and recite them. A better approach is to build a good framework to structure the responses. The framework includes three elements. They are:
- The assertion
- A story
- The benefit
Interesting Facts!
* Many experienced managers claim to know whether they would hire a candidate to not within the first 90 seconds of the interview.
To use the framework and its elements efficiently, you need to understand why specific interview questions are asked. This knowledge will help you decide what information you should reveal and how you should put it across.
Given below is some information about popular interview questions and how you should answer them.
Tell me about yourself: This is one of the most commonly asked interview items. The rationale for this item is to understand who you are in the working world. Your responses will help him interpret how you can add value to the company.
This is a classic opportunity to sell your skills and experience. Talk about 3-4 key areas in your resume that would be of interest to the interviewer for this particular role. Focus on your professional life. Do not bore the interviewer with personal details like family, pass time activities, health issues and hardships you went through!
The response to this interview item should be three-fold. The first aspect is assertion, where you talk about a specific skill or trait. To understand the framework, let us use an example of a project manager. His response to, ‘Tell me about yourself’” should be something like,
“
I am a project manager with three years of work experience in IT industry. Time management is one of my strong skills.”
The next aspect is the story, in which you will talk about an instance where you made a significant difference to the company by utilising the skill.
“
When I was working for XYZ.Corp, I took charge of a team that was struggling to meet an impending deadline. The team lead had already given up hope and had started implementing damage control measures. During a chat with him, I identified the problem areas in the implementation of the project.”
Next, talk about what you achieved (the
benefit) through the specific skill.
“
I assured him that we can still meet the deadline and proposed some quick fixes to turn around the situation. With the cooperation from other team members, we could finally meet the deadline.”
This way, you can prepare a framework for the 3-4 points you wish to talk about. If you have received any awards relevant to these points, do mention them in your response.
Be very objective while answering this query. Give due credit to your colleagues wherever necessary to avoid sounding like a braggadocio. Pay attention to the length of time you would be talking. The response should not last more than two minutes.
End the response with another question that would keep the conversation flowing. You can ask the interviewer questions like, “Would you like to know anything more specific?”, “Is there something similar I can do for this company?” etc. based on the context.
For guidance on answering some more common interview questions, watch this space.
Via:
http://www.jobsdialog.com/jobseeker/careerguidance.html#
Being prepared will boost your confidence and help you be relaxed and in control during the actual interview
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