About the Author - Answering Interview Questions
Copyright © 2006 - 2007 Money-Zine.com
There are two ways to think about an interview. The first is that the purpose of the interview team is to try to trip you up with their questioning. The second way to think about a job interview is that the dialogue creates opportunity to for you to explain exactly how you can contribute in a meaningful way. So, depending on your point of view, answering interview questions is a battle of wits or an opportunity.
We're going to stay on the positive side, so here we are going to discuss how you can present yourself in the best light. That means your strategy for approaching the interview needs to be planned in advance. And being able to effectively answer difficult interview questions takes practice.
Using Examples to Answer Questions
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Just like the saying that a picture paints a thousand words, using examples to answer interview questions is an extremely effective technique. You will have far more creditability during an interview if you're able to answer those tough questions not just with a positive response, but with an example of how you've done it in the past.
For example, if you're asked if you've ever worked in a team setting, it is better to answer the question not just by responding positively with a simple yes, but also by describing what the team set out to do, your exact role on the team and the outcome of the team's effort.
When answering questions by using examples, much can be learned from behavioral interviewing techniques. The acronym STAR is helpful in remembering this strategy for answering questions:
- Situation or Task - describing the situation you were in or the task that needed to be accomplished.
- Action - describing the actions you took to accomplish the task.
- Result - describing the results of the effort.
Taking Control During Interviews
Many of you might be uncomfortable with the thought of taking control of the interview process, but the point here is you need to make sure that you remain in control of the interview. That means you want to be able to avoid falling into certain traps when answering questions.
For example, let's say that you're on a job interview and the interviewer wants to know if you like working independently or in a team setting. Your approach to answering this kind of interview question needs to be a diplomatic one. In other words, you probably don't want to take one side or the other.
Most jobs require us to work both independently and with others. So rather than picking one side over the other, one strategy you might want to take in answering this type of question is to describe your success in working in either situation.
Always keep in mind that you want to provide the interviewer or interview team with the reasons to hire you. Said another way, you want to avoid providing information that can be used to against you later on when a hiring decision is made by the interviewer.
Giving Clear and Concise Answers
One of the challenges of interviewing is balancing the time you need to answer a question adequately with the typically short duration of an interview. You need to squeeze in as much insightful information as possible when answering interview questions and that means giving clear and concise answers.
So just how can you strike such a balance during an interview? Here are a couple of tips for providing the right kind of answers to interview questions in the right amount of time:
- Before responding, take the time to think through your answers. It is much better to take your time and pull your story together in your head then to provide an empty and thoughtless response.
- Stick to the facts when you're responding to an interview question. You want to avoid talking about "personalities" or "characters" that you've encountered in the past. They're not on a job interview - you are - so you can leave their quirky habits out. Besides, you don't want to sound judgmental of others.
- Check in with the interviewer. Remember that an interview should be a dialog between you and the interviewer. So it's okay to ask a question about adequacy of your response. A simple - Is that what you were looking for? - is fine.
- Finally, it's always a good idea to prepare for an interview by running through some examples in your head or by practicing your responses with a trusted friend.
You don't want to sound rehearsed, but you do want to sound confident. And this last tip we've got to offer can help you during an interview because even if you hadn't thought through the exact question asked during an actual interview, if you've challenged yourself by going over some of the tougher interview questions, then you'll be prepared for a wider range of questions.
Answering Tough Interview Questions
If you're going to prepare yourself for tough interview, then the logical question is - What does a tough interview question look like? Well, for one thing, tough interview questions are often vague. Unlike in a behavioral interview, where very specific questions are asked, vague questions can sometimes lead to vague responses and that's a big mistake to make when answering interview questions.
If the question is a vague one, then that affords you a lot of latitude in your response. You want to take advantage of that situation and really put your best foot forward.
Examples of Tough Interview Questions and Their Answers
Here are some examples of tough interview questions and some guidance on how to answer these tough questions:
- Tell me a little bit about yourself. You want to be careful with this one because you could wind up going somewhere you don't want. The recommended approach in answer this question is to talk about three things - education, where you've worked in the past and some of your recent work experiences.
- So what do you know about our organization? It is a common interview mistake to not come to an interview prepared. If you're really interested in working for a company, then you should know a little bit about the company itself. You should know marquee products / services, market reputation, competitors, and have a feel for the size of the company in terms of revenues and employees.
- Why do you think we should hire you? This is a big opportunity for you to talk about the value you will bring to their organization. You'll want to talk about your skills and achievements and how you can bring that same winning behavior to their organization.
- How long do you intend to stay with us? This is another example of how you can turn a tough interview question around to your advantage. The key here is to state that you are interested in a career at the new organization and that you need to stay challenged. As long as you're challenged and the company can offer you a career path, it's a win-win.
- Why are you thinking about or why did you leave your last job? Here you need to be as honest as you can without hurting your chances for a new job. When answering this tough interview question, steer clear of personality clashes - especially with your old boss. If it was your decision to leave, let the interviewer know. If you were terminated, then stating something like "there were differences of opinion that we could not come to closure on" is probably a safe and accurate statement.
Keep in mind that when answering any of these interview questions, you want to remain as confident and as upbeat as possible. You never want to play the victim.
Answering Questions over the Telephone
More and more frequently, potential employers are using telephone interviews as a way of screen candidates. Phone interviews can minimize expenses associated with travel and they can save everyone a great deal of time if a good match isn't in the making.
Whenever you're actively seeking a new job, it's important to make sure you're prepared for a phone interview. So you need to start preparing answers to interview questions as soon as you start to circulate your resume.
So besides the tips we've already given you, here are some more tips that can help you through a phone interview.
Prepare for the Interview
You want to prepare for a phone interview in the same way you'd prepare for an in-person interview. Run through your response to tough questions in your head and find as many interview questions as you can to help you practice.
Remove Distractions
Make sure you can stay focused on the caller and their questions. If that means closing the door or keeping the kids out of the room, then do it. You've got enough pressure on yourself without worrying about others hurting your chances of making a good impression.
Interview Cheat Sheets
One thing that you can during a phone interview that you cannot do in person is referring to an interview cheat sheet. Keep a copy of your resume handy and write down some of you more impressive accomplishments. You don't want your answers to sound like you're reading from a script, but there is nothing wrong with sounding prepared.
Smile when Answering Interview Questions
Finally, it sounds funny but you want to make sure you're smiling when you're answering interview questions - especially over the phone. It may seem odd or unnatural to someone observing your behavior, but studies have found that if you're smiling while you're talking, you project a much more positive image over the phone.
About the Author - Answering Interview Questions
Copyright © 2006 - 2007 Money-Zine.com
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