There are a few different styles of interview that you might encounter. Interviewers may commonly ask competency-based questions which can take some extra thought and consideration. Each question is asked with a particular aim in mind so your interviewer can get a better picture of you as a professional and individual.
The questions you may face in your interview could pertain to topics such as:
It’s important to remember with these types of interview questions to offer real-life examples and that draw upon details that present you in a positive light. You’ll want to have a range of past experiences such as challenges, problems, and successes ready to answer these questions to the best of your ability.
When answering, as a rule of thumb, try to keep your answers concise to around 2 to 3 minutes long to keep the interviewer interested and to avoid repeating yourself.
What is your greatest achievement?
For a question like this, you’ll want to present an example that is relevant to the role you are applying for. Explain clearly and concisely why you feel this is your greatest achievement and offer an objective view of your achievement, such as a customer’s feedback or a progress review from your manager praising your performance.
Why do you think you are right for this role?
To effectively communicate your answer, you should consider reiterating the skills required for the job as presented in the job advert. You can cleverly work these in by stating how these skills are pertinent to the role and including examples of how you practically exercised these skills in a relevant employment role.
Why are you leaving your current role?
It is incredibly important to be mindful when answering this question, so as not to accidentally focus on the negative aspects of your employment. Try to change the negatives you may feel about your current role, into positive and optimistic feelings about what a new position could offer you. Instead of saying “The work I was assigned was getting tedious and boring,” consider saying “I feel that a new role would have new challenges to offer me.”
What are your weaknesses?
Believe it or not, your interviewer doesn’t want to know what you’re bad at or listen to you talk about your shortcomings. This is your opportunity to pick something relevant to the role that you find difficult and the ways you have found work for you to overcome it. For example, you could say “I feel my biggest weakness is delegating tasks, however I have learned that entrusting important tasks and responsibilities to my colleagues usually brings out the best in them, so long as they are qualified and trained to undertake such tasks.”
An alternative approach?
It’s not always easy to think of examples to these types of questions, and you might need to choose a different approach to your answers. For example, if you don’t have a statistical example for something such as how you improved a process within the business, try offering an example of soft skills.
Soft skills are increasingly more attractive to employers so be sure to try and include examples of how you have implemented soft skills to accomplish improvements in the workplace like boosting employee morale.
You should also endeavour to include moments of innovation. Explain how you conceived the idea and the steps you took to bring your vision to fruition. This is incredibly appealing to employers, so make sure to never miss the opportunity to show your initiative.
Things to remember…
To make the most of your interview, anticipate the questions you might be asked and how you want to answer them. Avoid simply stating your skills or things you’re good at without having a real-life example to back it up. Keep your answers short to keep your interviewer engaged while ensuring you clearly express your response.
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