Welcome to our page on job interview questions. This page will give you an overview of the job interview process as well as some answers to common job interview questions.
Job Interview Q&A Menu
- Job Interview Introduction
- How to Answer Job Interview Questions
Before you begin the process of preparing for a job interview, I would like for you to take a moment and realize how great you are!
You will need to believe in yourself and your unique set of skills if you are going to be successful in your job search.
And if you have been asked to an interview then you have a lot to be proud of already. It’s important to keep in the back of your mind that you were selected from a large field of candidates.
Be thankful for the opportunity to interview and prepare your butt off! Lets go!
Interview Introduction: What’s A Job Interview?
If you’ve never been to a job interview before, then allow me to explain.
A job interview is a business meeting that you are invited to by an employer after you have applied for a job.
During an interview, someone in the company will ask you questions about your qualifications, education, experience, and anything else related to the job.
Interviews are usually conducted in person, but can also be done over the phone.
Being invited to a job interview means that the employer has some confidence you would be a good fit for the job (based on your resume and/or application) and want to find out more about you.
When you break it down, the interview process is a way for the employer to verify the information on your resume and also to make sure you have a personality that fits with what the job calls for.
Continue reading below to find out how to prepare for your first interview:
How To Prepare For A Job Interview
The foundation of being great at job interviews is learning how to be be prepared. There are
How To Practice For A Job Interview
Practice is a crucial part of becoming a good interviewer. It takes time, dedication, and sometimes a helpful friend. But the time you spend practicing will help you feel more confident and pay off in the end.
To practice effectively you should try not to memorize your answers in such a way that makes your delivery boring or stale. People’s minds work in all sorts of ways and there will certainly be details that you need to remember. But there’s almost nothing worse than telling a boring story with no emotion in your voice.
Read more about how to practice for a job interview by clicking here.
How To Answer Job Interview Questions
The STAR method is important because it gives us a rough guideline for how we will answer. STAR stands for Situation or Task, Action, & Result. The situation or task you were asked to perform in your job that presented a challenge. The action you took to overcome that situation in a positive way. And the result of the situation – what happened?
STAR gives us an outline on how to search back through our career and find good situations that we can re-tell as answers. What we also have to do is turn our STAR answers into a story.
Most good stories are made up of three parts: a beginning, a middle, and an end. Your interview answers should also have a beginning, middle, and end. With STAR as your guide, setting the stage with the situation will be your beginning. The lead up and subsequent action acts as the middle of your story. And the result is the resolution of your story – the ending.
A few key takeaways to spinning your experience into a story:
· You are the hero of the story. And every story is a success story.
· The points of STAR will act as place-markers in your story. From A to B to C.
· Your answer should hit two key points for the employer: you have a skill they are looking for and you have experience you can talk about using that skill.
· Your answer should be in the time range of 2-3 minutes. Any outside information you tell during your story that does not advance the idea of how skilled you are is wasting time.
This is a common question that you may be asked. Here’s my answer:
The great thing is that this story works for multiple answers. Obviously, you don’t want to give the same answer to multiple questions, but you can use your answers differently depending on the questions asked and the company involved.
So with the example I give above, if I wanted to use a different story to describe my greatest strength I will still have the above story in my back pocket. I could use it to answer questions like, “why should we hire you?”, “tell me about a time when you had to communicate with your co-workers”, or other similar questions.
How To Answer Common Job Interview Questions
Below are some quick tips on how to answer some of the most common interview questions you will be asked.
Click the READ MORE links to get a full run down on each question.
Tell Me About Yourself
“Tell me about yourself” is often the opening question of many interviews. How you answer can determine the direction and success of the rest of the interview.
Although it seems easy to answer at first glance, this question can lead you into places you may not want to go. Practicing this question will help you set the perfect tone for your interviews and help you land the job.
READ MORE : How To Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” Interview Question
What Is Your Greatest Strength
Talking about what you’re good at and knowing how your skills can help a company are a key part of any interview.
READ MORE : What Is Your Greatest Strength Question
How To Answer Job Interview Questions & Answers Video Tutorial