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| A
Perfect Way To Attending An Interview |
| Introduction |
| Preparation for an interview is very important. There are different things you need to think about before attending an interview, such as updating your documents, planning what to wear and thinking about how you should behave. The main focus of this module is on handling interview questions but you can refer to the last part of this document to locate sources for information about preparation for other areas. |
| How questions will be asked |
In a job interview you need to be prepared to answer different kinds of questions. Generally a skillful interviewer avoids asking questions demanding only Yes/No answers. In order to find out whether or not you fit the job well, the interviewer would like you to speak more so that he or she has more time to listen to and evaluate what you say. To encourage you to give a full answer, the following expressions are commonly used by the interviewers:
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Examples of Interviewing Questions
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Education and training
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| What should you stress?
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| Of course you want to impress the interviewer and demonstrate that you have the qualities needed for the post. To achieve this, you need to plan ahead for opportunities to sell yourself. Think carefully about what strengths you can capitalise on and the best timing to do it. Be specific and confident. You can use language like:
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| Techniques of handling questions
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Apart from knowing how to answer questions you can predict, be prepared to handle unexpected and difficult ones. Here are some strategies you can use:
Before any attempt to answer a question, make sure you really understand it. If you are not sure you do, you may clarify the question by rephrasing it:
Sometimes it is difficult to think of an answer straight away. You need to give yourself a few moments to think but you should not just sit and look at the interviewer in silence. To give yourself a little more time to organise your thoughts you can begin your answer with short phrases such as:
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| How to handle difficult questions?
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| Some questions are more difficult than others. The interviewer may, for example, ask you about your weaknesses. One suggestion is that you should give weaknesses that sound more like strengths, such as:
I sometimes take my work too seriously. And I always work outside office hours to get something done. I am a very easy-going person. I will do the jobs that no one else wants to do. Some interviewers may welcome positive answers like these while others will probably feel that they are too good to be true. To avoid appearing insincere, you can mention one of your real weaknesses (but no more than one!) which would not stop you from getting the job. For instance, an accountant who says his weakness is his poor analytical ability would probably not get hired. However, an accountant who said that he felt weak in his ability to speak Putonghua but that he was taking an evening class to improve his ability would probably not be discounted. For any weakness you mention, you need to have thought about how to deal with it. This is very important because employers want to hire people who are self-aware and who can help themselves. Also, you may begin by mentioning a strength and that might reduce some of the negative impact created by the weakness. For example, you may say: Although I’m very fluent in English, I always feel that my Putonghua is not good enough. I’m taking an evening class to improve it. I think I am improving and gaining the confidence in speaking Putonghua. I think my strengths are ... Well, my weakness is I lack some confidence; however, I think that with time and after I get more work experience, I will feel more confident about working. I have a tendency to say ‘yes’ to too many responsibilities. For example ... But I soon realised that I could not do too many things at the same time. This experience helped me learn to prioritise. Money is a sensitive subject. You should research the salary range for the job ahead of time. When asked how much you expect to be paid, you may mention the bottom-line figure you have in mind or give neutral responses like:
Your firm is a young organisation with many innovative ideas. It has been very successful in an expanding market since its establishment 10 years ago. Working for you would be exactly the sort of challenge I am looking for. This is a well-established university. It has excellent tradition and reputation that any employee can be proud of. For people who have work experience, you might be asked why you left your last job. The interviewer is trying to find out if you had any problems on your last job. Do not say anything negative about yourself or your previous employer. Common reasons for leaving are budgetary cutbacks, the job was temporary, the company went out of business, there was no room for advancement or you wanted a job that would allow you to better use your skills. If it involved personal reasons, such as difficulty in getting along with your previous colleagues, child care, health problem, etc., try to explain without being negative and show that you learned something from the situation and that the problem will not affect your work anymore. The interviewer may also ask about your future plans to find out if you set goals for yourself and what kind of expectations you have of the company. You can mention your study plans or professional interests which are not likely to affect your abilities to fulfil the job requirements. Your answer may show that you know where the job might lead. I know that generally it is possible to move from this position to a management position with two years experience in the company and I would look forward to having the responsibility for training and supervising new members of staff. From there, I know I could move into ... I have an interest in marketing and I would consider graduate study in business in the future. I think my goals will become more clear as I gain experience in sales and marketing. Some employers find it rude for interviewees to ask about salary and benefits. To play it safe, you should avoid this subject at this stage unless the interviewer initiates it. |
| Questions you may ask:
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Towards the end of an interview, you are usually asked whether you have any questions. Take the opportunity to ask questions you have prepared beforehand to show that you are interested in the company and the position you are seeking. You can ask:
I think that you have covered all the important points already. But if I have any questions later I will contact you. Finally, if you have prepared something important, e.g. your strengths, but you had not been asked about it, you can make use of this opportunity. You may begin by saying: If you don’t mind, I would just like to add a brief comment about the sort of person I am. My background has already demonstrated my academic achievements and professional abilities; however, in addition, I would like to highlight my personal strengths. |
| Panel and Group Interviews |
| The format of interviews can be slightly varied. You may be interviewed by a panel or with some other candidates at the same time. When that happens, try to stay calm and present yourself as you would in a one-to-one interview. Generally speaking, you have more than one listener in these interviews so you can expect a different interaction pattern. Try to maintain eye contact with everybody there. Questions in a panel interview tend to be more rapidly paced because the interviewers have more time to frame questions while you are answering someone else. You need to have very good concentration so that you can follow the questions and think quickly to organise your answers.
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