The world’s labour market has become so complex today that if you do not know someone who knows someone, it will be difficult to land yourself a job. However, certain things can salvage this situation, and these things are being given little or no consideration when going for an interview. In an attempt to turn this labour market to favour market, you have to let go of laxity for fluxity, positive fluxity. The format and presentation of your CV, how you dress for the interview, your sitting position, your communication skills, and how you attempt the interview questions thrown at you go a long way in determining if the contract will be placed on your desk. We won’t be exhausting all of these today. However, we will focus on possible questions you will likely encounter in your interview and how to smash these questions. Thankfully, most interviews and interviewers are stereotypical to these questions. Here you go.
1. Why are you here?
Most interviewers will start with this question to throw you off balance. It may sound weird because they invited you for the interview, called you in and have your file in their hands. Well, when you get a question like this, it may sound lame to reply, ‘I’m here for the interview.’ Everybody says that, and it doesn’t make your application stand out. Be practical when you get this question. Let them know how you got to hear about the job vacancy, and how you can be useful to them. Something like: I got a notification from a job agency that there’s a vacancy for the position of an accountant in your company, Company A. So, I applied because I can function efficiently and effectively well in that position.
This tells them of your confidence and gives them the impression that you know what you are doing. They would not want to be in a hurry to see your back because you may seem to be sounding interesting.
2. Tell Us about Yourself.
When you get this humble request, begin with a smile, and thread with caution so that you can maintain humility through your confident poise. Give them a quick summary of your work persona. (No one cares to know where you are from, what school you attended, what you graduated with. They have seen all of that in your resume.) You can tell them about your hobbies and more interesting things about you. I know a friend who always ended this question with: …and I’m happily married to a beautiful wife (flashing his wedding ring) and blessed with two lovely daughters. And this guy grabbed the employment letter twice he did this. Though for the first interview, he said, ‘And I’m newly married to a virtuous beauty queen.’ He was truly newly married then.
3. What are your Strengths?
This question requires a plural answer. So, give a minimum of two and probably a maximum of four strength perspectives. Giving as much as seven or eight may give the impression that you are showy or not genuine. Try to be honest about your strengths. Have you not thought about your strengths before now? Well, this is a chance for you to take a pause and do this which you are supposed to do before submitting your resume. In case you are still trying to wrap your head around something, here are a few suggestions: Working effectively under pressure is one of my strengths. My colleagues say that they will always choose to work with me over and over again. Maybe I should say that I am great at collaborating with others. I also communicate clearly and effectively.
4. What are your Weaknesses?
Most people may want to answer this question using a disguised strength like, ‘I care too much ‘, ‘I’m uncomfortable seeing things not done appropriately, and more.‘ These are clichés. They know that and probably most people may say the same thing or something similar. I’ll advise that you honestly identify a mild weakness of yours (Please, I say “mild”. You can’t have your interviewers in front of you and mention lateness, lack of motivation, or inconsistency as your weakness and you expect to get the job.) Identify a genuine mild weakness and quickly follow up with how you have been working to correct the weakness.
5. Why are You Interested in this Position?
To answer this, tell them you can function effectively in that capacity and blend your experiences into this answer. Talk about how you can add value to the company if you work in that position and admit that the company is an avenue for you to harness your skills and experience in that regard. When talking about your interest, highlight how your previous experiences and positions are relevant to the new job you hope to get.
Using the tips above, you should ace your interview. This is not all, but some interview questions you will likely encounter in any interview. However, there is more to these and we will address them in our subsequent posts.
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