Interview Questions UK

There is nothing like a good hard interview question to strike fear into the heart of even the most qualified applicant. This is a great chance for both parties—the applicant to strut their stuff, and the potential employer to see if the potential employee has the mettle that it will take to perform the job in question well.

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!

You have just been through a grueling interview.  The questions were tough and some just seemed off-the-wall and some were rather innocent.  What was the interviewer really looking for?  What did s/he mean by those questions?  Well, you can be certain that if you were interviewed by a seasoned interviewer, each and every question had a very distinct purpose.  Listed below are some common and not-so-common questions with the potential purpose of the question.

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.

So, you’ve submitted a killer Curriculum Vitae and supporting documents. You’re ahead of the pack and have just received a call for an interview. What do you do next?

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 interviews are all about finding the right fit between the employer and potential employee.

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 second step in getting a job is having an interview with a potential employer. The first step was sending your application and after careful review by the company, you are seen as candidate for the vacant position.

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.