So it therefore behooves both parties to prepare well to both ask and answer these sorts of questions. But where do these “million dollar” questions come from? Do they have to be or are they original? Is there a place to find and prepare for an interview question? It turns out that the answer to both of these questions is Yes! Often they are found in the same place, and now more than ever the best place to look is on the internet.

There is more information concerning interviews—how to conduct and how to survive them—on the internet than ever. The information, depending on how hard you look, can be very specific too! For instance say you are a small software development firm in silicone valley amongst giant sized competitor companies. You thrive on the pressure exerted from and the competition provided by these larger companies and your constant mission is to beat them at their own games. Well you are going to want employees to thrive under pressure right?

So the trick is to find questions that load on the pressure and get the interviewee into a situation where they feel slightly uncomfortable but should be able to reason their way through the interview question and provide an answer that shows that that is what they have done. If you search you will find websites that provide you with gobs and gobs of questions like this. Some even group them into specific areas and some also offer advise for interpreting answers and providing follow up questions and feed back.

On the other side if you are an interviewee, part of the preparation is trying to think ahead. First to the types of skills that will be needed to perform well in this job and then to the types of questions that show case these skills. The nice thing about this is that there are only so many interview questions that exist and if you do the first part of your research on the job well you should have no question finding information about classic questions that are designed to bring out certain qualities. You therefore have no excuse about not being prepared and in the same manner about not getting a great job!

Common questions and what the interviewer is really looking for:

Question: Tell me about yourself?
Answer: The interviewer is looking for you to talk about yourself and to reveal anything that s/he might not otherwise be able to ask.  For example, do you have kids?  Married? Hobbies?  Interests?  Single parent?  Let’s say the job involves shift work, the need to be at work at 7:00 every day or the flexibility to be on call?  Candidates with children are perceived to have more problems getting to work on time, miss more work because of children illnesses, school functions, etc.  Is this fair?  No.  Is this a reality for some hiring managers?  Absolutely.  So what to do.  Talk specifically about previous work, your desire to work, etc.  The only exception would be if you know for a fact you and the hiring manager have something in common that you can use to build interest with him/her and that you would be a great fit.

Question: Tell me about the most difficult person you had to deal with?
Answer: The interviewer could care less about the most difficult person you had to deal with.  What s/he is fishing for here is your ability to get along with people.  Do not answer this one too quickly.  Answering quickly suggests you have had to deal with a log of difficulty people which really suggests that you are the difficult one.  A better approach might be to tell the interviewer that you get along with everybody and that you do not have problems with difficult people.  Assuming that that statement is true, expand on your ability to pull diverse groups of people together to complete a project
Question: If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?
Answer: While the obvious answer would seem to be “this job”, you might also talk about your desire to take the next step thereby giving the interviewer the thought that you are an achiever and willing to work hard.  It always amazes me how many people that I have interviewed are stumped by this question or answer it saying a surfing job.

Question: Tell me what you liked about your last job and what you disliked
Answer:  Here is another one to be careful on.  Do not go on about all the things you disliked.  It leads the interview to think you do not like anything.  Even if your last job was really, really bad, focus on the positive aspects of the job such as the things you learned, the exposure it gave you, etc.  If you talk more about what you disliked, chances are you will say you dislike something that may be a critical part of the job you are applying for.

Question: Tell me about your favorite and least favorite manager
Answer:  Again, this is a tricky question.  If you begin to talk about the things you dislike about your previous manager, the hiring manager will believe you have a problem with authority.  Focus on the things you have learned from previous managers.  Also talk about how you and a previous manager disagreed on an approach and how you worked the issue out.

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, an experienced interviewing has a reason for each and every question. While the question may seem innocent enough, how you answer it could decide whether you get the job or not.  Always to remember to focus on the positive aspect of your past.  Focusing on the negative will give the impression that you are a negative person and probably not the best fit for the position.

The interview is the most stressful and important part of job hunting. This is where the employers make a decision based on his or her impression of whether to hire you for their job. You will want to do your best in this part because here lays the culmination of all your job hunting efforts. Flub it here and all your efforts from application to examinations will go down the drain.

1. Make a Great Impression
Always dress in your best attire for the interview. Your attire should be appropriate. No matter what the company may require for their employees, the first impression for applicants should be conservative business attire.

2. Do a Little Research
One of the best ways to make a good impression on your interviewer is to do a little research on the company you are applying for. This will equip you with material to answer many of the questions the interviewer will ask. One of the main points of the questions you will be asked is how your skills can benefit the company. If you know a thing or two about the company, you will find it a lot easier to answer this question. Plus, dropping a few meaty tidbits about how much you know about the company will go a long way in impressing the interviewer.

3. Watch Your Body Language
Many of the interviewers are well versed in body language, and you will find that, throughout the interview, they will be looking for hints about your personality from the way you act, talk, and move. It would be abnormal to assume a different set of body language during the interview. What you should do is to take note of your body language so that at least it communicates openness and honesty.

Avoid telling lies or embellishing your answers. Experienced interviewers will notice this in an instant. Always keep your palms open and avoid crossing your legs or your arms together. Do not be afraid to make eye contact while speaking; just make sure that you do not come across as intimidating.

4. Confidence
Walk in with a purpose. Answer with a purpose. Try not to be too self-conscious. Make sure you are confident in what you say. If you hit a snag and find yourself in a compromising situation, make sure you handle the situation confidently – even when saying that you do not know an answer to a question.

Confidence reflects competence. Employers always look for competent people to fill their ranks.

Job hunters going on interviews can expect one of two primary styles of interviewing. The following interview styles were tecniques used by Hiring Managers, hiring for Houston Jobs:

Screening Interview

Screening Interview: A member of the human resources department usually conducts the screening interview, which is meant to weed out unqualified candidates. Providing facts about your skills is more important than establishing rapport. Interviewers will work from an outline of points they want to cover, looking for inconsistencies in your resume and challenging your qualifications. Provide answers to their questions, and never volunteer any additional information. That information could work against you.

One-On-One Interview

In a one-on-one interview, it has been established that you have the skills and education necessary for the position. The interviewer wants to see if you will fit in with the company, and how your skills will complement the rest of the department. Your goal in a one-on-one interview is to establish rapport with the interviewer and show him or her that your qualifications will benefit the company.

Stress Interview

Stress interviews usually are a deliberate attempt to see how you handle yourself. The interviewer may be sarcastic or argumentative, or may keep you waiting. Expect this to happen and, when it does, don’t take it personally. Calmly answer each question as it comes. Ask for clarification if you need it and never rush into an answer. The interviewer also may lapse into silence at some point during the questioning. Recognize this as an attempt to unnerve you. Sit silently until the interviewer resumes the questions. If a minute goes by, ask if he or she needs clarification of your last comments.

Lunch Interview

The same rules apply in lunch interviews as in those held at the office. The setting may be more casual, but remember it is a business lunch and you are being watched carefully. Use the lunch interview to develop common ground with your interviewer. Follow his or her lead in both selection of food and in etiquette.

Committee Interview

Committee interviews are a common practice. You will face several members of the company who have a say in whether you are hired. When answering questions from several people, speak directly to the person asking the question when responding. It is not necessary to answer to the group. In some committee interviews, you may be asked to demonstrate your problem-solving skills. The committee will outline a situation and ask you to formulate a plan that deals with the problem. You don’t have to come up with the ultimate solution. The interviewers are looking for how you apply your knowledge and skills to a real-life situation.

Group Interview

A group interview is usually designed to uncover the leadership potential of prospective managers and employees who will be dealing with the public. The front-runner candidates are gathered together in an informal, discussion-type interview. A subject is introduced and the interviewer will start off the discussion. The goal of the group interview is to see how you interact with others and how you use your knowledge and reasoning powers to win others over. If you do well in the group interview, you can expect to be asked back for a more extensive interview.

The employer got this information through an ad that was placed in the paper, referred by someone in the company or a headhunter, or by a person who simply submitted an application via the company’s website.

The first impression employers always look at is your resume. Given the many that apply, this usually takes about 30 seconds and so with the limited words, one must be sure that the resume is well written and grammatically correct.

During the interview, most employers want to know more about person since the resume only gives certain information such as the person’s name, age, address, contact number, social security number, past and current employment.

The employer will likely ask about the experiences, lessons and accomplishments one has done and learned working for another employer. This will usually include how the person handled a situation in the company, the challenges of the job and the relationship with coworkers.

Another question will be the relationship between the applicant and family members. This shows character with how the person interacts with people who are close and those that know the person for a long time.

The employer will usually ask why the person applied in the company and where you would like to be in 5 to 10 years. Long term questions such as this will show if there is dedication for the job at hand and if the company can provide something beneficial for both the applicant and the employer.

Companies follow a certain budget in hiring qualified personnel which is why the interviewer will ask how much one desires to get for the job. If what is being asked is too high, the employer will usually ask if the salary is open to negotiation.

After the employer asks questions, room is usually given for the applicant to ask questions in return. This is the best time to know a little bit more the company one might be working in and to get a feel of the potential company.

If there are no more questions, the interviewer will then end the meeting and call the applicant back if the person has passed the initial interview so that the next phase of the application process can begin.

In my opinion preparation is the key to most things in life and it certainly is for people who want to gain employment.

When I was in my early twenties, I decided to leave the company where I had worked since leaving school. I wanted to become a financial advisor and had already passed all of the relevant examinations. Now all I needed to do, was to a find a company who was willing to take me on.

I decided to join a specialist financial services agency to help me with my search. I went and met a man who had been assigned my case etc. His name was Mark and he was very professional and knew his stuff. He quickly managed to secure me an interview and asked if I would meet him so that I could have a dummy run with him. He was aware that I had not attended an interview for a number of years and probably felt that I needed the practice.

To say that he was not impressed with my interview technique was an understatement and he quickly started to give me advice of where I needed to improve.

This is what he advised me to do:

Produce a personal profile of myself. This should include my c.v, any examination certificates, any other qualifications that I have such as first aid, information about my interests and anything else that makes me look good etc. This should all be put into a quality folder and can then be presented to the people conducting the interview when they ask me to talk about myself. They will see how much effort I have put in and will hopefully be impressed.

Try to predict what questions will be asked and prepare good quality answers to these questions. This is something which sounds so obvious but which I had never done before. When you have attended each interview you then try to remember all of the questions which were asked and then add them to your list. When returning home, you then think about the best way to answer these questions in the future, if they are ever asked again.

Find out information about the company with whom the interview is with. You may be asked at the interview if you know anything about the company you are hoping to join. It will sound a lot better if you can reel off a number of important facts rather than just saying something which is obvious. To find out this type of information you can use the internet, ask friends or go to the library.

On the day of the interview it is a good idea to have a bath before you go. A bath is a well known form of relaxation and can help to soothe and loosen up your muscles.

These tips that Mark gave me soon helped me to find work and I hope that they help you in your quest to gain future employment.

Steve Hill

From the first contact, you make with your prospective employer you will be assessed as a prospective employee. You will be evaluated on your level of professionalism, language, and interest in the position.

Do Not Leave Anything to Chance
Most people find the preparation for the interview more stressful than the interview itself. Your preparation for the interview should not leave anything to chance, as you can be sure, neither will your prospective employer. You should have a specific plan of action:

• Prior to the interview, do some online research so you know as much as possible about the company and its corporate objective and mission. Make sure your responses at the interview are a good fit for the company.
• Be sure of the interview format: what do you need to bring with you; whether you will be required to make a presentation, and how long the interview is likely to last.
• You should be dressed appropriately for the occasion – neatly and professionally.
• Check out the time required to reach the venue of the interview, and plan to reach at least 10 to 15 minutes early.
• Rehearse your answers to possible questions.
• Act with poise and be relaxed.
• Always carry extra copies of your resume, in case the interview panel needs a copy.
• Prepare your own set of questions to ask the employer.
• Be well prepared to answer how your experience, education and skills will be an asset to the position you have applied for.

When answering questions, be specific but succinct - try to not respond with long, drawn out answers. Your complete demeanor should reflect your confidence. Neatly fill out the application form. Greet everyone with a firm handshake, and wait to be invited to sit before taking a chair. Do not slouch in the chair and sit up. When talking, smile and always maintain eye contact. Know all your interviewers by name and address them appropriately.

Post Interview Actions
Once the interview is over, thank everyone present and comment about enjoying being there and your continued interest in being considered for the position. It is crucial that you follow-up with a thank you letter that is short and brief. It should reiterate no more than 3 of your strongest skills that you can offer the employer. Do call the employer and do not email the employer unless you have express permission to do so. This will convey your interest for the job, and will demonstrate your follow up skills and enthusiasm for the job.

The impression you have left, your confidence, poise and posture, along with your knowledge on the subject will be an opening for a follow up interview.

Now that you have secured an interview, you need to prepare for the tough questions that lie behind the employers’ door. The majority of people considers the expected questions and prepare for these. Many rehearse the answers so that they sound confident while answering them. Practicing responses in advance keeps a check on nervousness, and you sound professional and confident. However, with the job market so competitive and so many applicants applying for the same job, employers have come up with a way to weed out applicants and let the cream rise to the top. Employers will ask questions that are difficult, make your pulse race and be tough to answer.

Tough Questions You Can Expect
Let us take a closer look at some of the tough questions you may be asked and what a likely response could be:

• You have no experience. Why should I consider you? – You need to be persuasive. Mention your ability to overcome deficiencies. Also, mention how you increased your knowledge through education, internships and summer jobs. Perhaps explain how your ability to master new technology made your colleagues turn to you for advice. Detail how your budding management skills would have a positive impact on the organization.

• How did you resolve a conflict, if you had any, with your professor or last employer? – You need to accept that you had disagreements with your professors or past employers that required resolution. Give specific examples of how you coped and resolved the issue without being judgmental of your professor or previous employer. To answer this question correctly, you need to show that you are able to see the other persons view in the dispute, consider all options and then act rationally. That is what the employer is looking for. The employer really does not care who was right or wrong but what is important is how you handled yourself and the situation.
  
• How would your professors (or last employer) describe you? – Explain that all would agree that you were a very energetic person who always accomplished whatever task was at hand. You were dependable, creative and possessed a keen eye to apply your knowledge in a very practical sense. Inform the interviewer that you have references for his consideration to backup your comments.

• In your opinion, what are the qualities of a successful manager? – Be brief, clear and meaningful with your answer – as this is a true quality of an excellent manager. Some qualities you could mention are collaborative leadership, visionary planning, understanding the corporate objectives. Also, highlight how to interpret these to increase revenues and service the clientele. You can finish your response by giving an example of a person you consider to be a true leader.

• What is your greatest weakness? – Everyone has one so never answer this question in a lame manner. Be precise and confident in expressing to the employer what you feel your greatest weakness is. Then immediately explain how your main achievement has been to recognize your greatest weakness and work on overcoming the issue.

1. Schedule interviews at times that work for your metabolism. Are you a morning person? Why would you accept a 6PM interview? If you are a person who functions best in the afternoon, try not to accept early morning appointments. If you are a person who needs to be conscious of their blood sugar, try to schedule your appointments at times when you are at your peak. If forced to accept one of your less ideal times, have a quick bite prior to the interview to avoid “fading.” Avoid overeating.

2. Give yourself extra time to get to their offices. There are few things worse than getting to an interview late.

3. Arrive at the office building 7-10 minutes early. If it is summer, you want to wait in the lobby to cool off; no one likes shaking sweaty hands. If its winter, warm up; you don’t want someone’s early impressions of you formed by shaking a cold hand. Take a few minutes in the lobby to get focused on what you will say. Allow a few minutes to get through building security so that you actually arrive at your interview on time and ready to go.

4. Properly introduce yourself to everyone you meet by saying. “My name is __________ and I have a 1:30 interview with ________________.”

5. If you are asked if they can hang your coat, accept the offer; if offered a beverage, accept a beverage. You don’t have to drink coffee or tea. Soda, bottled water or water is fine. Thank whoever helps you. Declining the offer may be rude in some cultures.

6. Take your seat in order to face the greatest number of entry points into the room so tat you can see someone approaching you. Being startled is not a good way to start a meeting.

7. If you are given an application, complete it and complete it accurately and neatly. Do not attach your resume and write, “See attached resume.” An application is a legal document and failure to complete it accurately can be grounds for termination.

8. If you are not sure about the month you started a job or your exact salary, write “approx” (for the word approximately) next to the item. If asked, indicate you are not absolutely certain of the exact month and don’t wish to deceive anyone. Obviously, if you can ascertain your salary or starting date prior to interviewing, do so; for some people, the date or salary may be so far in the past to make it impossible to determine.

9. Write legibly (or as legibly as you can). This may be the twelfth application you’ve completed, but it is the first of yours that they’ve seen. In many professions, sloppiness is seen as a flaw.

10. When you hear your name announced, stand, and smile, shake the hand of your interviewer and immediately size them up as a person. Are they smart (or not). Aggressive (or not). If you were meeting this person socially, I’m sure your instincts would be right. Unfortunately, because people think interviews are important, they think they have to feel the interviewer out. Doing that is a mistake. Hard and fast impressions of you will be formed during the next ten minutes that will be difficult to change. If you tend to be right in social situations about the people you meet, trust your instincts in professional ones, too.
Using these ten steps as a check list will get you started well than your competition. What you do after that is up to you. Good luck.
By: Muhammad Sadiq Javed - Sameers
http://www.constructionjobsnet.co.uk
Construction Jobs Network - The easiest way to find your next UK construction job.
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interview questions, and even in your body language. An applicant who shifts, plays with things like their shirt cuffs, or who loses track of the subject under discussion, is sabotaging their own chance at success.

Okay, so you have some weak points. Maybe there was a time two years ago, that you were out of work for eight months. Or the job that is open demands a certain skill level that you haven’t quite achieved yet. Neither of those things can knock you out of contention like a lack of confidence in yourself.

We have a simple, two-part solution: First, make the best out of your “worst”, and then make the company’s priorities, your own.

Study the weak points in your resume and build on them. If you’ve had a period of unemployment, think about the experiences you had during that time, the businesses you visited, and what you learned about the current economy and job market. Show that you are attentive to detail, and enjoy learning from unexpected opportunities.

Express enthusiasm for the chance to expand on your present skills. Apply the same strategy to any other “weak” points you may have. Even a job that you left due to a personality conflict, can be given a positive light by emphasizing the experience you gained. Whatever you do, leave bitterness and pity at home. An employer wants someone with the desire to move onward and upward.

That brings us to the second item: presenting yourself in a way that makes you compatible with the company’s needs, and highlights how you can benefit their present or future plans. Study the company’s general business, and the department where you are applying, in particular. Find out why they are hiring someone (Did an employee quit? Retire? Are they expanding?) then emphasize the skills and experience that make you not only capable of filling the position, but of bringing new ideas and a positive attitude to it.

Find an “up” to every down point in your work history or resume. Then sell your skills and personality with an eye on the company agenda. The combination of competence and enthusiasm is often the formula for a successful interview.

This article is provided by http://www.101perfectinterviews.com, the best place for learning insider interviewing techniques.