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23 QUESTIONS YOU HEAR OVER AND OVER AGAIN IN THE INTERVIEWS
So far, you have prepared yourself and the interview, following our suggestions from the previous 11 chapters of the book. We suggest you to read this chapter, which includes everything we have seen and analyzed, one day prior to the interview.
1. Tell me a bit about yourself.
This question seems very simple, but it is not. Prepare it. It is usually used as a starter to begin the conversation. It won’t speak in your favor if you can’t tell your history properly. If you have doubts, you can ask: “Do I start with my early years?” Or: “Beginning by my current/last job? Or: “Do you want me to talk about my studies or about my work experience?” In this way you will know precisely what the other person expect you to talk about.
2. Why did you leave your last job?
This question can be referred to your last job –if you have no job- or to the previous one, if you are working. Have your answer prepared, they will ask you for sure.
If you left your job “in bad terms”, prepare a real explanation about what happened, but with no emotional connotations. The most difficult situation is that in which you acted in an incorrect way, it can be explained if you calm down and look for the best words.
This is the moment – besides - to comment if you left a previous job and you sued your ex employer because of salary differences or because of unjustified firing. If the reasons is on your side or not, you should comment it. Don’t forget that this can be known in some moment and it is better for you to inform it.
3. What do you know about our company?
In Chapter 8 we gave ideas about how to find out information about the company in which you will be interviewed. Take these ideas or others you may think of, but get information before the meeting.
4. Tell me about your last job.
Detail the most important things about your current job, but most of all, point out the aspects that are directly related with the position you are applying for; for that we strongly recommend you to learn as much as you can about the required profile, re-reading the advertisement you replied.
If you don’t know it, you can ask: “Could I know something else about the position in order to comment about my current job the aspects that are more relates with this search?”
You shouldn’t give the idea that you want to get the truth out of a lie in those situations in which the interviewer doesn’t want to mention the name of the company; just to know more for you to stand out better and be more helpful to the other.
5. What are your strong and weak points?
We have given ideas of how to make a list of your preferences and your strengths and weaknesses in previous publications.
If you haven’t done it yet, this will be the moment. As in other points, the most important thing is previous preparation.
Take a pen and paper and begin with this exercise in the quietest place possible. An ideal situation is a sunny day, drinking a coffee in a cafeteria on the street; if you don’t want to drink coffee you can sit on a bench on a square or a park. This is an individual exercise and you should do it to help yourself, not to get depressed thinking in the negative things you may have.
How to do it? Divide the sheet of paper in two columns and write the strengths in the right side and the weaknesses on the left. Consider that each thing can be written down in one column or the other, depending on how you see them and the strengths can sometimes turn into weaknesses and vice versa.
Be realist. Don’t fool yourself. Don’t overestimate or undervalue yourself.
With this real list in your hands, find the best way of expressing it in front of the interviewer. If you have a person that you trust –once you have finished with the exercise-, you can have them control the result.
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