How To Be Prepared For The Dreaded Interview Questions

Going on an interview can be a nerve-racking experience. You have done your research and have successfully made it to the gate of the company where you are applying for employment. Though all is not clear, what lies ahead; will your nerves show, will you be clear and concise, and what kind of impression will you make?

You have heard the scary stories of the “dreaded” interview questions. Fortunately, you can prepare your answers and sound like a professional once you understand the reasoning behind the questions asked by the recruiter.

Interview questions are the most efficient and effective method for the recruiter to gain valuable insight into the candidate’s personality, experience, creative ability, cognitive skills, and overall suitability for the position. A resume can’t give these personal insights, and the answer to these questions can give the recruiter a clearer idea of who you are and whether you would be a good fit for the company.

The questions need not make you nervous because, after some practice, they can actually become quite easy to answer.

Tell me about yourself.

Answering this question makes an important first impression. Know what you want to say, practice, and you will be able to introduce yourself in a clear and concise manner. You don’t want to be stumbling over your words.

Limit your answer to 1-2 minutes; there will most likely be follow-up questions later. Begin with what you are doing currently, and then work backwards from there. Review any of your experiences with internships, courses, projects and any skills that are most related to the position.

Even though you’ve rehearsed your answer, be conversational.

Why are you interested in our company?

“I just found your job listing online” is not the best reply. You have already done your research and have discovered why you want a job in this particular organisation. If someone gave a good review about the organisation, that would be a good place to start.

You are interested in the position because you will be able to utilise the skills, experience and education you have. This question is asked to determine what motivated you to apply for that specific role. More importantly, they want to know how valuable you will be and if your skills align with what they are looking for.

They also want to know how much training the new employee would require. Therefore, they expect an answer that would depict how positive and dedicated you are towards the organisation.

What is your biggest weakness?

This is a tough question, and it is difficult to know how to answer. Luckily there is no wrong or right answer. You could choose a weakness that is not mentioned in the job description and would not detract from achieving the job goal.

Or you could mention a weakness that is not considered a weakness for the job:

“I get impatient when projects run over the deadline.”

While expressing outward stress or frustration over missing a deadline could be considered a weakness, employers value workers that place importance on deadlines and strive to keep projects within the planned timeline.

Whatever you choose, show how you’ve worked on the weakness so that it’s not much of a problem anymore. If you prepare your answer before your interview and rehearse your response, the question will seem less intimidating the next time an interviewer asks.

What are your salary expectations?

Not only is it difficult for many people to talk about money. You don’t want to price yourself out of getting the job, nor do you want to compromise yourself by asking for a far lower salary than they were willing to pay. The salary package will be discussed and negotiated later with human resources after the job is offered to you.

After having done your research into the market-related salary, which you can do on a JOB search like Executive Placements, you will have a clearer idea of what to negotiate for.

Therefore, avoid talking about salary in detail during the interview.

Tell us about a bad experience with an employer or colleague

No matter what happened or how you were treated, you will incriminate yourself if you appear as someone who is negative and often gets into conflict. A bad response to a difficult work situation would reflect negatively on you, so rather keep it to yourself.

You’re not going to get very far if you present yourself as someone who is willing to damage an employer’s brand. Also, you don’t want to come across as incapable of finding a constructive, diplomatic way of raising concerns through the appropriate channels.

It’s not a good idea to suggest that you lack enthusiasm, dedication and pride in where you work. Recruiters like to see evidence of a strong work ethic, and enthusiasm is seen as a proxy.

This question is used as a test of your ability to come up with a diplomatic response. This can also show the ability to deal with adversity and difficult situations.

Why should we hire you?

By answering this question, you can focus on providing reasons to hire you over someone else in the best way you can. Try not to sound conceited or be completely unrealistic.

The interviewer wants to hear how you would be creating value.

One of the best ways to answer this question is to make a short list of all your advantages and create points that will show the positive aspects that you would bring to the new job position. This is also the time to draw the interviewer’s attention to your key skills and strengths, namely – quick learning, communication skills, teamwork, leadership etc.

In addition, your professional ambitions should be made clear – the motivation and dedication that you have for the profession and the position you are applying for.

Your body language when you answer the question is important too. Along with your clear, concise conversation, your body language should make it evident that you have thought it over and given a carefully worded answer instead of coming up with an unprepared, unprofessional answer.

To conclude the interview process

In conclusion, you should practice answering these questions but don’t try to memorise the answers. Instead, the dreaded questions will be much easier to deal with if you understand the reason for each question and use the answers provided as a guide to formulate your own responses.

About the author

Julia Baker is the Marketing Manager at Executive Placements, a leading Job Portal in South Africa. She enjoys writing about the interesting and varied situations that job seekers and employers find themselves in when in the market for a job or a candidate for their company.

She believes finding suitable employment in South Africa, with our high unemployment rate, can be significantly helped through technology like job portals and assisting people in using them can significantly help with finding jobs.

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