North-West University Career Centre: Services to students

Tips for your job search: Get a grip on the interview

Get a grip on the interview

General interview tips
Frequently asked questions
Situational questions
Behaviour-based questions
More interview tips on the web

Preparation is the key to scoring well during an interview. Remember that most employers are looking for enthusiasm, confidence and dependability. Be decisive, confident and enthusiastic. Prepare your answers, in order to respond naturally. Take a few moments to think through your answer before you respond. The key is to know yourself and to know the employer.

Frequently asked interview questions

The following questions are typically used to start the interview:

Tell me about yourself / How would you describe yourself

Know that you will be asked this question – prepare your response ahead of time. Research the employer and the position. Frame your answer as to how you can contribute to meeting the needs of the employer. Provide a brief synopsis of your education, work, volunteering work and interests. This is a opportunity to sell yourself to the employer – know yourself. What are your strengths, achievements, skills and abilities that make you the most qualified for the position

Why are you interested in this position / Why do you want to work for us

You have to research the company. Search the company Website and discover as much about their mission statement and core values in order to make intelligent and insightful comments. This is not only important for your interview, but will also assure you that you are doing the right thing to apply for the position. Talk about the interesting details of the job and why they fascinate you. Highlight the relevant skills you have

What are the key skills and qualifications you bring to this position

Identify the key skills for the specific position you are applying for. Explain your education, training and skills. Mention a course where you excelled or a project that was especially beneficial to your skill development. Remember that the key competencies desired by the employer are the following – communication skills, problem-solving skills, responsibility, leadership and management skills, interpersonal skills, adaptability and computer skills. Be prepared to discuss these skills and to demonstrate WHAT you have done and HOW you have done it.

What are your weaknesses

This is often the most difficult question to answer. You could name a characteristic not essential to the job. Quickly mention this weakness, but then follow with actions you are taking to overcome the weakness.

Also prepare for the following frequently asked questions:

Situational questions

How would you handle an angry customer?
How would you handle a complaint about a product?
How would you handle a conflict situation?
Did you ever have a disagreement/conflict with a supervisor? Why/Why not?
Describe a situation in which you were criticized and how you responded.
Can you handle the situation?

Behaviour -based questions

Describe a situation where you have been under a lot of stress and how you handled it.
Describe a project that you had to complete independently.
Would you rather be in charge of a project or work as part of the team?
Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way.
Describe an instance when you had to think on your feet to extricate yourself from a difficult situation.
Give me a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem.
Give an example of a time in which you had to be relatively quick in coming to a decision.
Describe some time when you were not very satisfied or pleased with your performance. What did you do about it
What steps do you follow to study a problem before making a decision?
Describe a situation in which you had to arrive at a compromise or guide others to a compromise.
Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done.
In a supervisory or group leader role, have you ever had to discipline or counsel an employee or group member What was the nature of the discipline? What steps did you take? How did that make you feel? How did you prepare yourself?

Can you handle the situation?

Behaviour

Team Spirit

For the full list of frequently asked interview questions, visit Quintessential Careers. The website also provides a free book that covers all the essential information job-seekers need to know about job interviewing. See The Quintessential Guide to Job Interview Preparation, by Katharine Hansen, Ph.D., and Randall Hansen, Ph.D. (Quintessential Careers Press).

More interview tips on the web

  Adtalent
  Careers Advice
Career Consulting Corner
  CV Tips
Interview Questions and Answers
  Job-interview.net
  Job Interview Tips
  Monster : your calling is calling
  Professional Career Consultants
  Totaljobs

Updated by Hope Abrahams on 11 November 2012.