Saturday, March 23, 2024

What Are Some Good Responses To Interview Questions

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What Are You Expecting In Terms Of Salary

Tell Me About Yourself – A Good Answer to This Interview Question

How to Answer: We believe that anchoring your salary expectations to your prior salary is the surest way to get very incremental pay raises. Ideally, youve done your compensation research and understand the salary possibilities for the role. If not, and you must anchor your salary expectations to what you have previously earned, dont frame the expectations that way.

Simply state the number you believe you should receive for the role .

Example: Understanding the market and given my experience, I believe that is fair.

Have You Ever Had A Conflict With A Boss Or Professor How Was It Resolved

Note that if you say no, most interviewers will keep drilling deeper to find a potential area of conflict. The key is how you behaviorally reacted to conflict and what you did to resolve it.

A sample response: “Yes, I have had conflicts in the past. Never major ones, but there have been disagreements that needed to be resolved. I’ve found that when conflict occurs, it helps to fully understand the other person’s perspective, so I take time to listen to their point of view, then I seek to work out a collaborative solution. For example”

Focus your answer on the behavioral process for resolving the conflict and working collaboratively. Read more

How Are You Today

This question is tricky, and you should pay attention to cultural differences when you get it in an interview.

For example, in many Spanish speaking countries , asking how are you? is a form of a greeting and they do not really expect an answer .

However, in Slavic countries or in the majority of developed Asian economies, when somebody asks you how you are, they are typically interested in your mood and feelings. So if you get such a question in one of these countries, you can either say that you are feeling great, excited, pumped, because you are just going to interview for your dream job.

Or you can say that you are feeling nervous, for the very same reason :). In both cases this should help you calm down, and break the ice.

Special tip: If you experience anxiety before your interviews, do not forget to read our extensive guide on how to overcome interview nerves.

Read Also: What Are Questions That Are Asked In Interviews

Responses To The Question

These are a few short responses to the question what motivates you that can be combined with your personal knowledge and past experiences.

  • Achieving targets or goals before deadlines
  • Coaching and mentoring others in my area of expertise
  • Being a functional member of a very productive team
  • Leading a team to success
  • Coming up with creative ideas to improve a working system or creating a new system altogether.
  • Learning new things and applying them to my profession in order to improve my efficiency at work.
  • My drive is for me to develop my work rate efficiency in order to improve the services of the establishment I work for.
  • Executing a difficult task and getting validated for the work I have done.
  • Ensuring that the work on a project gets the best result by spotting mistakes and errors and correcting them.
  • I feel fulfilled when I find ways to solve difficult problems.
  • Being productive as often as I can motivate me a lot, even on my days off.
  • I like to challenge myself, improve my potential, and grow on a professional level.
  • I enjoy learning and building up relevant knowledge learning on the job helps me grow not just professionally, but personally as well.
  • I feel a sense of accomplishment when I successfully complete a milestone or accomplish a short term goal.
  • Especially when I have a lot of tasks at hand to execute.

How Would Your Boss Describe You

Ever wondered what interviewers think when they ask these ...

This may give you a sense of the candidates relationship with previous managers. Reliable? Prompt? Efficient? Keep in mind, though, who youre asking. The answer will be simply their opinion of what the boss might have said. Thats why its still critical to check references. Request a list of contacts and give former employers a call to hear how their impressions align with the candidates.

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What Will Your Previous Manager Or Supervisor Say When I Ask Where You Needed To Improve

A good answer goes in-depth and reflects positively on both their manager and the work they did, and lines up with other information you’ve been able to gather. This is one of the top 10 interview questions we recommend for all hiring managers. Candidates will often reveal information here they would not reveal if you asked them “What do you need to improve?”

Red flags: Candidates that speak badly of their previous manager, provide vague answers or seem unprepared for this common question.

What Qualities Do You Feel A Successful Manager Should Have

Focus on two words: leadership and vision. Then tell of how that leadership and vision translated into your personal delivered results.

Here is a sample of how to respond: “The key quality in a successful manager should be leadershipthe ability to be the visionary for the people who are working under them. The person who can set the course and direction for subordinates, keeping them focused on what is most important for delivering the highest priority results. The highest calling of a true leader is inspiring others to reach the highest of their abilities. I’d like to tell you about a person whom I consider to be a true leader and the results achieved while working with her”

Then give an example of someone who has touched your life and how their impact has helped in your personal development and results delivered. Read more

You May Like: How To Interview A Manager

Can You Tell Me A Bit About Yourself

This question, usually the opener, tops the list of typical interview questions. It’s incredibly important, as you can provide the interviewer with a great first impression. Preparation is important, but your answer shouldn’t sound rehearsed. Focus on your skills, characteristics and successes, and how they make you a strong candidate in terms of the job description.

Keep your answer to less than five minutes. Generally, begin with an overview of your highest qualification and greatest achievements, before running through your work experience and giving examples of the skills that you’ve developed. If your work history is limited, focus on the areas of academia that youve most enjoyed and how this relates to the job.

So When You Answer What Skills Do You Need To Improve Pick A Real Area Youd Like To Get Better At But Make Sure Its Not Something Essential To The Job

How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” Interview Question – 5 Key Tips and Example Response

You can choose something youre already pretty good at, but still trying to improve even more. You can choose something that you learned a long time ago but havent used in recent jobs very much.

You can name something not directly related to your work but something youre passionate about learning. For example, maybe youre an Accountant but someday youd like to be a Team Leader, so youd like opportunities to improve your leadership. You could suggest that youd like to lead a meeting or project to begin, just to build out that skill-set over the long term.

Lets look at some example answers and this will start to make more sense

Ill put that Accountant example above as the first example.

Where Do You See Yourself In 5 Years

There are three big reasons interviewers ask where do you see yourself in 5 years?:

  • They want to see if youve thought about your professional future
  • They want to make sure youre ambitious and hard-working
  • They want to make sure the job theyre offering fits with your goals
  • So, pick a work-related goal of where youd like to be five years from now, and make sure its slightly challenging or ambitious-sounding.

    You dont want to say, I see myself in the same position five years from now.

    And make sure to share a goal that is related to the type of job youre interviewing for. You want to sound like the experience youll gain in this job fits your long-term goals.

    Otherwise, theyre going to be scared to hire you. Why would they offer you the job if it doesnt fit the goals you described to them? Youd be unsatisfied, bored, and would probably quit within the first year. No company wants this.

    • Show youve thought about this topic and question
    • Sound ambitious and motivated
    • Be realistic. Dont say you want to be CEO in five years if youre entry-level
    • Make sure your answer is related to this job. They wont hire you for a job that has nothing to do with your 5-year goal

    Dont:

    • Be sarcastic or give a joke answer like, I plan on having your job
    • Say youre not sure, or say youd be happy staying in the same role for five years

    Example interview answer:

    They may also ask, What are your career goals so prepare to answer that, too. You can read career goal examples here.

    How Do You Prioritize Your Work

    Your interviewers want to know that you can manage your time, exercise judgement, communicate, and shift gears when needed. Start by talking about whatever system youve found works for you to plan your day or week, whether its a to-do list app you swear by or a color-coded spreadsheet. This is one where youll definitely want to lean on a real-life example. So go on to describe how youve reacted to a last-minute request or another unexpected shift in priorities in the past, incorporating how you evaluated and decided what to do and how you communicated with your manager and/or teammates about it.

    Why Do You Want To Leave Your Current Job

    Let’s start with what you shouldn’t say .

    Don’t talk about how your boss is difficult. Don’t talk about how you can’t get along with other employees. Don’t bad-mouth your company.

    Instead, focus on the positives a move will bring. Talk about what you want to achieve. Talk about what you want to learn. Talk about ways you want to grow, about things you want to accomplish explain how a move will be great for you and for your new company.

    Complaining about your current employer is a little like people who gossip: If you’re willing to speak badly of someone else, you’ll probably do the same to me.

    What Is Your Dream Job

    answers to interview questions

    Employers typically ask this question because they want to ensure that your interests and passion align with their job. A good answer will describe a role that matches the one youre interviewing for. Consider using this formula for your response:

    1. Mention the skills you want to use:I enjoy guiding other team members on projects and making sure everything goes smoothly…”

    2. Describe a job in general:“…My dream job would be a leadership position where the other team members are active participants and communication happens daily…

    3. Discuss your values:“…I love seeing a project through to the end and celebrating everyones hard work…

    4. Tailor to the job for which you are interviewing:“…For instance, if youre applying for a leadership position, you might discuss how your dream job would include supervisory responsibilities.”

    Read more: Interview Question: “What Is Your Dream Job?”

    Imagine Yourself In Three Years What Do You Hope Will Be Different About You Then Compared To Now

    is a favorite of ours for a reason. The VP of Product Design at Facebook quite literally wrote the book on how first-time managers can approach building out their teams. Shes graced the pages of the Review before as well, sharing her well-honed perspective on hiring designers, and the essential questions every manager should ask.

    At a growing organization, hiring well is the single most important thing you can do, she writes in her book. The most important thing to remember about hiring is this: hiring is not a problem to be solved but an opportunity to build the future of your organization.

    When we followed-up with Zhuo recently to find out what floats to the top as her favorite question after hiring hundreds of candidates over the years, her response had a similar focus on the future. Asking a candidate to describe her vision for her own growth in the next three years helps me understand the candidate’s ambitions as well as how goal-oriented and self-reflective she is, says Zhuo.

    From Strengths And Weaknesses To Decision

    The best interview questions tell you about the person behind the resume, revealing the job candidates personality, strengths, weaknesses, knowledge, skills and abilities.

    The best interview questions also benefit job seekers by giving them an opportunity to speak to details that dont fit on a resume.

    While a savvy interviewer always includes questions tailored to the position, our list of the 10 best questions works across a variety of industries and job descriptions:

    1. From everything youve learned about this role, me and our company, tell me how you feel youd make a contribution.

    This interview question sorts people into two categories: contenders and also-rans.

    Those who have really prepared will love this opportunity to shine and stand out, demonstrating that they have done all the homework that can absolutely be done in todays world of instant information, says Darrell W. Gurney, career coach and author of Never Apply for a Job Again: Break the Rules, Cut the Line, Beat the Rest.

    Those who havent will stumble and try to put some generic response together, which will be obvious.

    2. Why should we hire you?

    This is among the best interview questions because it asks job candidates to define what sets them apart from the intense competition in todays job market, says Doug Schade, principal & supervising executive recruiter, Winter, Wyman & Company New York Accounting & Finance.

    3. If you could start your career over again, what would you do differently?

    Can You Describe How You Handle Tight Deadlines

    Does your team frequently face challenging time constraints? Do you need someone who can work quickly and accurately while under pressure? Ask this interview question of a potential employee and youll at least get their opinion as to how they handle stress and whether they can keep up with the pace of work at your organization. You could also follow up by asking if theyve ever missed a deadline and, if so, how they handled the situation.

    What Do You Like To Do For Fun

    Tell Me About Yourself – A Good Answer To This Interview Question

    This question is designed to reveal more about the candidate’s character. There is no wrong answer here, but the answers are revealing in that you will be able to understand their personality and cultural choices which will help you determine if they will be a good fit for your company.

    Red flag: Since there are no wrong answers, use this question to learn more about the candidate’s personality and if they will fit in with your corporate culture.

    Question: What Do You Know About Us

    This is actually a test. If you know very little, it is an indication that you are not very serious about working there.

    Focus on them: Candidates who are really excited about the prospect of working there have done their homework. If you really want to stand out, learn more than what is listed on their web site.

    Do some heavy research perhaps find some articles on the company that not many would know about. It may even come up in conversation spontaneously, and you can show them a copy of the article .

    What Are You Passionate About

    Youre not a robot programmed to do your work and then power down. Youre a human, and if someone asks you this question in an interview, its probably because they want to get to know you better. The answer can align directly with the type of work youd be doing in that rolelike if, for example, youre applying to be a graphic designer and spend all of your free time creating illustrations and data visualizations to post on Instagram.

    But dont be afraid to talk about a hobby thats different from your day-to-day work. Bonus points if you can take it one step further and connect how your passion would make you an excellent candidate for the role you are applying for, says Muse career coach Al Dea. Like if youre a software developer who loves to bake, you might talk about how the ability to be both creative and precise informs your approach to code.

    Common Interview Questions And How To Answer Them

    Gulp. The interview is looming. How can you make sure you get the job? One way is to be ready with winning answers to common interview questions.

    Youll do better if you understand the psychology behind these questions. Theyre designed to tease information out of you about:

    • Who you really are
    • What you can do for the organisation
    • Why youre switching jobs
    • How much you expect to be paid

    In this article we outline the top 10 most typical interview questions and how to answer them:

  • Tell me about yourself? Dont you just hate this one? The employer doesnt want to know what level you have reached on Candy Crush or your boyfriend. What the employer really wants to know is your experience, your skills and, if youre new in the workforce, your education. Keep it short and sweet.
  • What interests you about this job?This question weeds out people who just want any job. This is your chance to shine. Try: there is a greater scope for me to use my skills which you then outline.
  • What did you like and/or dislike about your current/previous job? The interviewer wants to find out whether your cup is half full or half empty. Its best to focus on what you liked. Talk about the culture and the organisation and post it in a good light.
  • Why are you leaving?This question can give a lot away about you. Focus on the opportunities available to you if you take the job.
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