What Single Project Or Task Would You Consider Your Most Significant Career Accomplishment To Date
Lou Adler, author of The Essential Guide for Hiring & Getting Hired and Hire With Your Head, spent 10 years searching for the single best interview question that will reveal whether to hire or not hire a candidate — and this was the one.
A good answer to this question:
Candidates’ answers will tell you about their prior success and sense of ownership. A great answer will show they are confident in their work and professional choices while being humble enough to show they care about the company’s success. For example, if a candidate built a sales or marketing campaign they’re particularly proud of, listen for them to explain how the business benefited from it. Did it help the company sign a major client?
How Do Good Interviewers Conduct The Interview
Conducting interviews is a complex process. Good interviewers know that conducting a job interview is much more than simply asking questions and listening to candidates answers. Good interviewers also have to keep the interview on the right track, watch the time and be mindful of the candidates and their own body language – all at the same time!
To help you excel at all these important tasks, here are my best practice tips for conducting great job interviews:
How Can You Become A Better Interviewer
Interviewing is an art.
If you want to be a good interviewer, you need to learn how to select the best candidates not only for the job but also for the company. You need to ask the right questions in the right way, maintain the right demeanor and read your candidates body language.
Good interviewers are those who know how to select the best candidates AND provide a great candidate experience.
Being a good interviewer requires a lot of knowledge and practice. In this guide, I will share useful tips and tricks to help you conduct great interviews.
You May Like: What To Say During An Interview
During The Job Interview
You’ve done your research, you brought copies of your resume, and you’ve prepared responses for questions that might arise based on your resume. Now the time for the interview has come, and with that comes the oft-dreaded part of interviewing: the questions.
“Candidates get nervous about job interviews because there’s the potential they’ll be asked an open-ended question that will give the interviewer a secret view into who the candidate really is,” said Rich Milgram, founder and CEO of career network Nexxt. “But the real secret is that a lot of the time the interviewer doesn’t know what the right answer is either, or they’ll admit that there is no right answer, so just relax.”
Glassdoor recently compiled a list of the most asked questions to expect in an interview:
- What are your strengths?
- Tell me how you handled a difficult situation.
- Why should we hire you?
Ask Your Network For Opinions
Seek opinions from trusted, reliable friends and associates. After youve done your research, discuss what youve learned with your network. Ask people you know for the inside scoop on their own companys culture and if there are opportunities. If youre a recent college graduate building your network from scratch, ask university advisors for names of alumni working at your target companies. Consider reaching out to these people for a quick coffee.
Also Check: What Are Some Job Interview Questions
B Teamwork Interview Questions
- Describe a group project you worked on. What was your role and what did you achieve?
- Has your team ever failed to reach a goal? If so, what went wrong and what did you learn from that experience?
- Tell me about a time you had to work with a colleague you didnt get along with.
- Imagine you have submitted a piece of work that you thought was finished, but a colleague returns it to you with multiple corrections and comments that would take you hours to address. What would you do?
- Your manager hates your latest work. What do you do?
- Describe a time you were assigned new tasks How did you adapt?
It Can Be Difficult For Me To Maintain A Healthy Work/life Balance
Finding work/life balance is important to maintain motivation in your job. While it is certainly honorable and shows a strong work ethic to spend your time and energy on work, it is also necessary to prioritize resting, going on vacation, spending time with your family and enjoying hobbies. Doing so can help you feel refreshed when you are at work and can increase motivation, creativity and support a positive outlook.
If this is the weakness you choose to present during your interview, explain the ways you have learned to balance life and work and how you have seen your work improve as a result. You can also explain that work/life balance is something you find important in the role you are applying for.
Before providing this as an example, you should do extensive research about the company culture. If you are interviewing for a position in which it is necessary to have your phone on and available at all times, you might not want to say you turn your phone off at night to achieve work/life balance.
Example:Because I truly love my work and have ambitious career goals, it can be difficult for me to keep a healthy balance between work and my personal life. I have seen a negative impact on my motivation and focus when I ignore my personal needs.
Read Also: What To Expect In 2nd Interview
List Of Weaknesses: 10 Things To Say In An Interview
It can be hard to answer the question, What is your greatest weakness?especially when you expect to be discussing the skills, talents and capabilities that make you the strongest candidate for the job.
Framing your weaknesses positively can be challenging, but when you combine self-awareness with an action plan, you can quickly stand apart from other job applicants.
The key to preparing for this question is to identify weaknesses that still communicate strength. This will show the interviewer youre introspective enough to know your areas of opportunity.
Tips For After The Interview
When the interview is over, give yourself the best chances of moving forward by doing the following:
20. Ask about next steps. After your interview, it is appropriate to ask either your interviewer, hiring manager or recruiter about what you should expect next. This will likely be a follow-up email with results from your interview, additional requirements like an assignment or reference list or another interview.
21. Send a personalized thank you letter after the interview. Ask for the business card of each person you speak with during the interview process so that you can follow up individually with a separate thank you email. If you interviewed in the morning, send your follow-up emails the same day. If you interviewed in the afternoon, the next morning is fine. Make certain that each email is distinct from the others, using the notes you took during the conversations.
Don’t Miss: What To Say In Thank You Email After Interview
Develop A Connection With The Interviewer
In addition to indicating what you know about the company, you should also try to develop a connection with your interviewer. Know the interviewer’s name, and use it during the job interview. If you’re not sure of the name, call and ask prior to the interview. And, listen very carefully during introductions.
If youre prone to forgetting names, jot it down somewhere discreet, like in small letters at the bottom of your notepad.
Ultimately, building rapport and making a personal connection with your interviewer can up your chances of getting hired. People tend to hire candidates they like and who seems to be a good fit for the company’s culture. Here’s how to get the hiring manager on your side.
Establish Rapport With The Interviewer
Expressing interest in the company, the job, and even the interviewer will definitely boost your likability.
To find ways to establish rapport with the interviewer, do some social media research, and then go old school: Check with friends or professional colleagues to see if they know the interviewer and can give you background information.
Knowing things like “He is very serious and numbers focused” or “She is a die-hard Cardinals fan” can help you connect. And it can help you raise topics of mutual interest.
That way you can answer questions like “Tell me about yourself” with responses slightly tailored to the individual. For example, “I have worked in finance for the past 10 years. I got my start at Ernst & Young as an analyst. I was interested to see that you started there as well.”
Read Also: How To Conduct A Behavioral Interview
Situational And Behavioral Interview Questions
Situational questions and behavioral help you understand how a candidate works through specific examples. They can be hypothetical or set the candidate up to share actually situations theyve experienced. Asking a candidate about a challenge theyve experienced in the past isnt a bad question but these unique interview questions give you more insight into their thought process.
- Tell me about a time you were the hero in your workplace.
- Describe a time when you werent pleased with your work and why?
- What personal or professional accomplishments are you most proud of?
- If you were our CEO, whats the first thing you would do?
- How would you pitch our product/service to a person you meet on the street? .
What Are Your Greatest Weaknesses
It can feel awkward to discuss your weaknesses in an environment where youre expected to focus on your accomplishments. However, when answered correctly, sharing your weaknesses shows that you are self-aware with an interest in continued growth and learningtraits that are extremely attractive to many employers. Consider using this formula for your response:
1. Select an actual weakness that is honest but professionally relevant:“Im naturally shy…
2. Add context:“…From high school and into my early professional interactions, it sometimes prevented me from speaking up…
3. Provide a specific example:“…After being a part of a workgroup that didnt meet our strategic goals two quarters in a row, I knew I owed it to my team and myself to confidently share my ideas…
4. Explain how you overcame or are working to overcome it:“…I joined an improv acting class. Its fun and has really helped me overcome my shyness. I learned practical skills around leading discussions and sharing diverse perspectives. Now, in group settings, I always start conversations with the quieter folks. I know exactly how they feel, and people can be amazing once they start talking.
Read more: Interview Question: What Are Your Greatest Weaknesses?
Don’t Miss: How To Conduct A Technical Interview
Send A Job Offer To The Selected Candidate
The best way to inform the candidate that they got the job is to pick up a phone and them! When candidates confirm accepting your job offer via phone, you should send them a formal job offer letter or email as soon as possible! Formal job offer letter/email should include information on the position, compensation, additional compensation such as bonuses, working hours and different types of benefits. Make sure you also outline the next steps and provide necessary onboarding details.
Tip#: Watch The Body Language
Good interviewers pay attention to candidates body language. Candidates body and face send many different nonverbal cues that can provide extremely useful insights. However, avoid making assumptions unless youve studied good practices for reading your candidates body language. Keep in mind that your body sends out signals as well!
Don’t Miss: How To Prepare For A Substitute Teacher Interview
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.
Tell Me About A Time You Set Difficult Goals
If you’re looking for a candidate who is goal-oriented and results-driven — as most hiring managers are — this question will help you gauge whether they’ll be able to handle the audacious goals you have in store for them. Ask follow-up questions like, “what did you do to achieve them?” Have the candidate walk you through the process and purpose of the goals they set out for themselves.
A good answer to this question:
A good answer to this interview question shows they understand what difficult goals are, and that they put a lot of effort into attaining their goals while maintaining a high standard of work quality. Listen for answers that describe a lofty goal and show why this goal challenged their normal targets. Responses that admit the candidate came up short of this goal can also indicate self-awareness and confidence despite a lack of success.
Read Also: How To Crack Amazon Data Scientist 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?
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.
Don’t Miss: What Questions Are Usually Asked In An Interview
How To Have A Good Interview For A Job Search
How to have a great interview for a job
How to have a good interview for a job étudiant
It’s not the cheapest but it offers good service, an easy-to-use app and integration with popular smart home devices and features. Vivint prides itself on its ability to streamline home automation with just a single app. When shopping for a security system, you can go with: A large, national player like ADT. You may get a comparable price with ADT, but you may not also be able to integrate a doorbell camera or other smart home features you may want. Smart home integration is really where Vivint stands out among the pack. A medium-sized, local company. You may choose one of these simply to get local service. Local service is nice, but not always priced competitively. SimpliSafe: a national, high-tech low-cost security company. With SimpliSafe, you install the service yourself, but get access to monitoring services. A DIY home security system can be a good alternative if you’re looking to save money. It might be a bit pricier, but we think that having all the smart home features at your fingertips in one app makes Vivint worthwhile.
Saturday, 07-Aug-21 23:24:26 UTC
Review Related Local News Stories Forums And Business Journals
If youre interested in working for a smaller private company, you may have difficulty tracking down information online. Fortunately, there are thousands of media sourcesincluding national and local news, trade publications, business journals, forums, and blogsthat provide articles and product reviews. Also, try your local Chamber of Commerce offices or the Better Business Bureau.
You May Like: Where Can I Watch The Meghan Markle Interview With Oprah
A Cliche Interview Questions
You might have noticed that many of the common questions to ask in an interview are missing. These are questions were all familiar with such as Whats your greatest weakness? or Why should we hire you? The biggest problem with these questions is that theyre some of the most asked interview questions and candidates likely have prepared their answers ahead of time. There is plenty of content online for candidates instructing them how to answer these questions, meaning you may not get a truthful answer at all.
Plus, you cant be sure what exactly the answers to these questions indicate. Granted, if someone says I dont have any weaknesses or offers the covert brag of Im too hard-working, youll know they may not have the attitude youre looking for. But, most candidates will likely take the middle road naming a weakness thats small and unimportant. So, how do you compare answers of different candidates? You probably cant at least not confidently.
So, every time youre thinking of asking a well-worn, cliched question, consider a refreshing alternative not to catch the candidate off-guard, but to get a more genuine answer from them. Here are some examples:
Old question: Why should we hire you?
Better alternative: If you were hired, how do you think you could help with this project?
Old question: What is your greatest weakness?
Better alternative: Describe a time when you failed in your previous job.
Old question: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Choose Your Interview Attire
The day before your interview, choose what you intend to wear so you don’t feel rushed. Make sure your clothes are free of wrinkles and stains and they fit correctly. If you’re unsure of the dress code at the company, it’s best to dress more professionally to make a good impression. You can also call or email the person you’ve been communicating with to get more information about the dress code.
Don’t Miss: How To Get Podcast Interviews
