Sunday, March 17, 2024

How To Be Good In A Job Interview

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Are You Willing To Relocate

Top Interview Tips: Common Questions, Body Language & More

While this may sound like a simple yes-or-no question, its often a little bit more complicated than that. The simplest scenario is one where youre totally open to moving and would be willing to do so for this opportunity. But if the answer is no, or at least not right now, you can reiterate your enthusiasm for the role, briefly explain why you cant move at this time, and offer an alternative, like working remotely or out of a local office. Sometimes its not as clear-cut, and thats OK. You can say you prefer to stay put for xyz reasons, but would be willing to consider relocating for the right opportunity.

Read More:The Best Responses to Are You Willing to Relocate? Depending on Your Situation

If I Were To Poll Everyone You’ve Worked With What Percentage Would Not Be A Fan Of Yours

At work, you can’t please everyone all the time. The answer to this question will help you find out if your candidate has enough drive and conviction in their own work to have ever conflicted with one or more of their colleagues.

Obviously you don’t want the candidate to be an unlikable person, though, so consider asking follow-up questions to find out why they might have alienated these coworkers: “If I were to interview these people, what words would they most frequently use to describe you?”

A good answer to this question:

The follow-up question about word choice is more important than the percentage they give in the initial question. In their answers, you should be encouraged by words like “passionate” and concerned by words like “lazy.”

Of course, not all negative words are red flags — while words that indicate a lack of work ethic might be a bad sign, words like “stubborn” could show a candidate’s self-awareness — and commitment to things their coworkers would rather move on from.

Arrive A Little Early

It is important to give the impression that youre punctual and you want to feel calm and in control. Arriving early will help to achieve both of these things. However, dont arrive more than a few minutes early arriving 20 minutes before your interview time might put your interviewer under pressure.

Dont wait until the last minute to choose an outfit, print your professional resume, or find a pen and notepad. Do all of these things well in advance and give yourself ample time to get to the interview.

Also Check: What Are Some Good Interview Tips

What Has Surprised You About This Interview Process So Far

This is a question no candidate can really prepare for, and it’ll give you some indication of how candidates are feeling about the whole thing. Plus, you can see how they think on their feet.

A good answer to this question:

You’re looking for specifics here — something about the office space the personality of the team an assignment they were given to complete.

Honest answers are good answers, and answers that are directed at you are even better, as they show the candidate is confident speaking their mind in front of decision-makers. For instance, maybe the candidate was surprised you asked them about something on their resume that they don’t personally pay much attention to.

How To Answer The Most Common Interview Questions

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Are you ready to ace your upcoming job interview? One of the most important parts of interview preparation is being ready to respond effectively to the questions that employers typically ask.

Since these interview questions are so common, hiring managers will expect you to be able to answer them smoothly and without hesitation.

You don’t need to memorize your answers, but you should think about what you’re going to say so you’re not put on the spot.

Your responses will be stronger if you know what to expect during the interview and have a sense of what you want to focus on. Knowing that you are prepared will boost your confidence and help you minimize interview stress and feel more at ease.

Here are the top 10 interview questions employers are likely to ask, plus 100+ more common job interview questions, example responses, tips for giving the best answer, and advice on how to ace the interview.

Also Check: How To Prepare System Design Interview

What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment

Its easy to get hung up on figuring out your single most impressive accomplishment. Instead, think of a few achievements that showcase your work ethic and values. If you can, pick examples that also tie back to the job youre applying for. The STAR method is a great tool to ensure you highlight the parts of your story that employers want to hear.

Example answer:In my last role, I managed all social media content. I noticed other brands were experimenting with videos and seeing great engagement from their customers, so I asked my boss if we could do a low-budget test. She agreed, so I produced a video cheaply in-house that drove double the engagement we normally saw on our social channels. It also drove conversions with 30% of viewers visiting our website within a week of seeing the video.

Read more: Interview Question: What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment?

Print Out The Directions To The Interview And Be On Time:

Allow enough time to get there and anticipate traffic. Its ok to be up to 10 minutes early, but no more than that. Otherwise, the interviewer may not be ready for you. Bring the phone number of your interviewer just in case you get lost or are going to be late. If you are going to be late, call to let the interviewer know.

Follow these tips and you will successfully know how to prepare for a job interview. Interviewers can tell whether or not a candidate has prepared for it or not and they will appreciate it if you did.

Recommended Reading: How To Go For An Interview

Consider Your Answers To Common Interview Questions

While you wont be able to predict every question youll be asked in an interview, there are a few common questions you can plan answers for. You might also consider developing an elevator pitch that quickly describes who you are, what you do and what you want.

There are some jobs that may involve a test or evaluation during the interview process. For example, if you are interviewing for a computer programming, development or analytics role, you might also be asked to write or evaluate lines of code. It might be helpful to consult with colleagues in the industry for examples of tests theyve been given to prepare.

You should also prepare to discuss your salary expectations, just in case. If youre unsure about what salary is appropriate to ask for the position youre applying to, visit Indeed’s Salary Calculator to get a free, personalized pay range based on your location, industry and experience.

Here are a few examples of common interview questions:

Why do you want to work here?The best way to prepare for this question is to learn about the products, services, mission, history and culture of the company. In your answer, mention the aspects of the company that appeal to you and align with your career goals.

Example:Id love the opportunity to work with a company thats making a difference. Finding a company with a positive work environment and values that align with my own has remained a priority throughout my job search, and this company ranks at the top of the list.

Set Aside The Time Necessary To Research Properly

Job Interview….good example

Its important to note that this research does take time. If its not possible for you to set aside several hours at one time, break it up into dedicated 20-minute blocks. Dedicate each block to researching a different part of the company. Heres an example of what your research calendar might look like:

A guide wouldnt be much help if it didnt have a few troubleshooting tips. If you lose your way or hit a wall, here are a few final suggestions to help bring you back to your destination:

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The Complete Guide To Researching A Company

Researching potential employers is vital to an effective job search. This research comes in handy at three pivotal times during a job search: first when youre deciding what kind of employer youd like to work for, then when you are ready to apply, and finally when youre interviewing and your knowledge of the company is put to the test.

Guide: How To Be A Good Interviewer

Learning how to be a good interviewer is extremely important if you want to hire the best candidates. A good interviewer knows how to select the best candidates, but a great interviewer will also provide an exceptional candidate experience for all interviewees.

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Common Mistakes To Avoid When Answering What Is Your Greatest Strength

Equally important, avoid these pitfalls:

  • Dont ramble. Long-winded answers going on and on about everything you excel at can give the impression that youre the best at everything or your nerves are getting the better of you, and you dont perform well under pressure.

  • Dont brag. Try to keep a humble, matter-of-fact tone. Describe your strengths in a practical sense that focuses on your professional career or education instead of narcissistically going on and on about how great you are and how lucky the company would be to have such a talented, amazing, perfect employee.

  • Dont make jokes. Unless youre applying for a job as a comedian. Even then, its probably not a great idea to brush off a serious question with anything less than a serious answer.

  • Dont lie. This should be a no-brainer but still needs to be said. You never know just how deeply an interviewer is going to check your references. Some hiring managers have been known to reach out to former colleagues through social networking sites like LinkedIn, even if those contacts werent listed as references.

    Plus, even if you dont get caught in the lie right away, its going to be pretty embarrassing if you get the job and then have to admit that you dont actually know something you claimed was one of your greatest strengths.

  • Dont exaggerate. In most situations, its better to undersell and over-perform than vice-versa. You dont want to set high expectations and then fail to meet them.

Tips For Great Job Interviews

Pin by Hired Design Studio on Job Interview Hairstyles ...

From researching the company to handling certain key interview questions, make sure you make a great impression and ace your next job interview by following these 20 tips.

Want to ace your next interview and land thatopen job youve been seeking? Here are 20 tips to help you prepare.1. Research the industry and company.An interviewer may ask how you perceive his company’s position in its industry, who the firm’s competitors are, what its competitive advantages are, and how it should best go forward. For this reason, avoid trying to thoroughly research a dozen different industries. Focus your job search on just a few industries instead.

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Key Takeaways On Becoming A Great Interviewer

A good interviewer knows how to select the best candidates and provide a great candidate experience.

To be a good interviewer, it is not enough to follow the best practices for conducting job interviews. A good interviewer knows that the key to successful interviews lies in the preparation. A good interviewer also completes a number of important tasks after the interview takes place.

In this guide, I outlined all the important steps you need to take before, during and after the interview in order to make your interviewing process effective and efficient.

Implement these tips to ensure a smooth interviewing process and hone your interviewing skills!

Prepare Specific Examples Of Your Work

The interviewer will likely want to see examples of your work, so it’s helpful to be prepared. Have physical examples ready, such as a portfolio, or think of specific work you can describe. Use numbers to give the interviewer a better perspective of your work. For example, you could say you lowered customer wait times by 20%. If you have an online portfolio, add the link to your resume so hiring managers can review it before the interview.

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Whats A Time You Disagreed With A Decision That Was Made At Work

The ideal anecdote here is one where you handled a disagreement professionally and learned something from the experience. Zhang recommends paying particular attention to how you start and end your response. To open, make a short statement to frame the rest of your answer, one that nods at the ultimate takeaway or the reason youre telling this story. For example: I learned early on in my professional career that its fine to disagree if you can back up your hunches with data. And to close strong, you can either give a one-sentence summary of your answer or talk briefly about how what you learned or gained from this experience would help you in the role youre interviewing for.

What To Do During An Interview

Interviewer Technique – Getting it right

Your qualifications and skills are only a part of what the hiring manager is looking for when conducting an interview. Whether you get the job depends largely on how you behave at the interviewwhat you do, what you say, and how you say it. From the first door you walk through to the final handshake on your way out, this lesson will help you learn how to behave during an interview. It will help you identify basic business etiquette that can improve your chances, as well as show you how your tone of voice and body language can be interpreted by an interviewer. It will also outline the basic rules for answering questions well.

Read Also: How To Prepare For Machine Learning Engineer Interview

Acting Overconfident Or Entitled

Valerie Streif, marketing manager at GetMyBoat, warns job candidates to pay attention to their tone.

“Something that hurts a lot of job seekers is being overconfident and unaware of how they sound in an interview,” she said.

While being confident of your skills and excited about the value you can add to a company will benefit you, there is a fine line between poised and arrogant. Acting as if you are entitled to a position will instantly seem rude, no matter how qualified you are. Remember that you were invited to interview, and stay quietly confident and humble.

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Whats Your Work Style

When an interviewer asks you about your work style, theyre probably trying to imagine you in the role. How will you approach your work? What will it be like to work with you? Will you mesh well with the existing team? You can help them along by choosing to focus on something thats important to you and aligns with everything youve learned about the role, team, and company so far. The question is broad, which means you have a lot of flexibility in how you answer: You might talk about how you communicate and collaborate on cross-functional projects, what kind of remote work setup allows you to be most productive, or how you approach leading a team and managing direct reports. Just try to keep it positive. And remember, telling a story will almost always make your answer more memorable.

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In Five Minutes Could You Explain Something To Me That Is Complicated But You Know Well

This is a much better test of intelligence than a college GPA, and it’s also a great gauge of a candidate’s passion and charisma outside of their core job responsibilities. Candidates who are passionate and knowledgeable about something — and can convey that well — are more likely to be enthusiastic and influential at work.

A good answer to this question:

The “something” in this question doesn’t have to be work-related — it can be a hobby, a sports team, something technical … anything, really. Good responses will tell you how well your candidate comprehends complex subjects and that they can articulate that subject to someone who doesn’t know much about it.

Explanations that use analogies also make good answers, especially if it’s a topic that is filled with industry jargon. This shows that the candidate can solve problems by drawing comparisons to things that are more universally understood.

Is It Better To Be Perfect And Late Or Good And On Time

10 Tips to Become a Successful Interviewer: Do

If your candidate responds with “It depends,” hear them out — the interview question itself is phrased in such a way that candidates can sense there is a right and wrong answer, and they’ll be looking for signs from you that they’re heading in the right direction.

A good answer to this question:

For most companies, the correct answer is “good and on time.” It’s important to let something be finished when it’s good enough. Let’s face it, every blog post, email, book, video, etc. can always be tweaked and improved. At some point, you’ve just got to ship it. Most managers don’t want someone who can’t hit deadlines because they’re paralyzed by perfection.

Try to remain neutral as they feel out their response, though. They might not be able to relate to work that’s measured purely by quality and deadline, but it’s important that they can express how they prioritize their tasks.

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How Did You Hear About This Position

Another seemingly innocuous interview question, this is actually a perfect opportunity to stand out and show your passion for and connection to the company. For example, if you found out about the gig through a friend or professional contact, name-drop that person, then share why you were so excited about the job. If you discovered the company through an event or article, share that. Even if you found the listing through a random job board, share what, specifically, caught your eye about the role.

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