Perfect Answers For Interviews
Interview Answers: 60 Seconds and You're Hired!
Preparing For The Interview
Before you can develop the perfect answers for interviews you must anticipate the possible questions that may be asked. Obvious questions will be directly related to the skills and qualifications you have on your well-written cover letter and professionally-formated resume.
Common Interview Questions Include:
- What can you tell me about yourself?
- What is your greatest weakness?
- What are your greatest strengths?
- Why should I hire you for the job?
- Why did you leave your last job?
- Why have you been unemployed for so long?
How To Answer These Questions
Questions like these, while seemingly simple, can often lead to answers that will eliminate you from getting the job. There is no such thing as perfect answers to interview questions, however, there are answers that can benefit you during the interview process. The key is to use these answers to your advantage. For example, let´s use the question about your greatest weakness. Let´s say you are applying for a position that requires you to write business letters or other correspondence. Don´t tell the hiring manager that you sometimes make grammar mistakes. Instead you could answer that you occasionally get stumped on a preferred writing style so you keep a copy of Strunk and Whites' The Elements of Style with you for a quick reference guide.
Be sure the answers you give to each question benefit you in some way towards doing the job you are interviewing for. Stick to information that tells them how you qualify for the job and how you can benefit their company. Use terms such as honest, hard working, team oriented, dedicated, and capable of working with little or no supervision. Be sure to incorporate prior experiences that relate to the requirements of the position you want to be hired for.
When formulating the perfect answers to interview questions such as "why did you leave your last job?" or "why have you been unemployed for so long?" continue to accent the positive. Saying you are looking to change your career path or taking time to further your education are better answers than saying you were fired or you didn´t like the people you were working with. Don´t lie but do format your answers to benefit your ability to get hired.
More difficult interview questions:
- What do you know about our company?
- What do you know about the product or service we provide?
To find perfect answers to interview questions like these you need do some research. There are several resources you can use to research companies. Use this research to find information such as:
- What kind of service or product do they provide?
- If they provide a product, are they a manufacturer, wholesaler or distributor of that product?
- Do they provide this service or product to the general public, to other businesses or to the government?
- Are they a fortune 500 company?
- How long have they been in business and how successful are they?
- Where is the company located? Are they located throughout the country or world, or are they just locally situated?
- Are they a parent company or subsidiary?
- Do they trade stock publicly or are they a private company?
How to Research a Company
- The job posting will usually give the company name and location.
- Yellow Page ads often give information about the company product or service.
- Chambers of Commerce.
- The Internet is a great tool for finding information.
- Search in the Business Reference section of your local library.
Depending on the size and status of the company (i.e. publicly traded or private company), you may or may not have difficulty getting the information you need. A publicly traded corporation sells their stock to the public and will be easier to obtain information on. A privately traded corporation does not sell stock to the public and can be difficult to find information on. A subsidiary is a smaller branch of a larger parent company. You may have to identify the parent company to find information about the subsidiary.
Questions For You To Ask The Employer
Towards the end of an interview you will have a chance to ask questions of the employer. This is your opportunity to ask questions such as:
- Who will my immediate supervisor be?
- Will you be making a hiring decision soon?
- Can I put in a few extra hours, at my cost, during the training period?
Keep to a few good questions that show your interest in getting started and learning quickly. Use this time like a closing statement to make a final pitch to convince them you are the right candidate for the job.
Illegal or Improper Questions
Questions related to national origin or place of birth.
- The hiring manager is not allowed to ask a question such as "how long have you lived in the U.S." but he or she can legally ask if you are eligible to work in the U.S.
Questions related to your marital and family status.
- As a former hiring manager I know what it´s like to hire someone only to find out shortly after they are trained for the job that they are pregnant and will be requesting maternity leave. Also as a former hiring manager I know that it is illegal to ask questions related to pregnancy or to discriminate against it.
- The employer may ask if you are available to work a specific work schedule (i.e. 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) if that is the typical work schedule for the job.
Questions regarding any disability you may have.
- The hiring manager is prohibited from asking a question like "do you have any pre-existing health conditions?" but is allowed to ask if you can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation? If they ask one applicant, they are required to ask this of all applicants.
Questions related to religion.
- While it is illegal to ask what your religious affiliation is, it is okay for a hiring manager to ask if you can work weekends if this is asked of all applicants and it is a business necessity.
Questions related to your age.
- In regards to an applicant´s age, the employer is allowed to inquire if you are over the age of 18.
Questions related to criminal records.
- The employer is prohibited from asking you if you have ever been arrested, spent time in jail, or if you have been caught driving while intoxicated. However, he may ask if you have been convicted of a crime.
Other Illegal or Improper Questions
- Whether or not your military discharge was honorable.
- Have you ever sued a former employer?
- Have you ever been hurt on the job and filed for Worker´ Compensation?
- Have you ever been sexually harassed?
- Any questions about your weight.
- Any questions regarding the use of drugs or alcohol.
Be sure to check your local Government for possible changes, elimination of, or additions to any or all of the above ilegal or prohibited interview questions.
60 Seconds to Perfect Answers for Interviews
If you want more assistance with perfect answers to interview questions check out 60 Seconds and You're Hired!
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