Interviews, and the questions you may be asked

There are so many different questions people could ask you in an interview. Each interviewer/agent/employer has developed their own unique set of questions. So it's difficult for us to fully prepare you for a “set of questions” what we can however do is provide you with a few examples of the types of questions you could expect in the interview:

Some examples of questions you could expect in a job interview:

• What positions are you applying for?
  
• What attracted you to the advertised position?
  
• What do you want to learn from this position?
  
• For how long do you see yourself doing this particular job?
  
• What would you want your next job to be?
  
• Why do you want to work for this company?
  
• Tell me about yourself and what makes you the ideal candidate for the vacancy?
  
• What is more important to you: Money or the actual Job?
  
• Would you say you are a team player?
  
• Why would you say you are a team player?
  
• What do you most enjoy about working in a team?
  
• Can you work in solitude?
  
• Would you say you are self-motivated?
  
• What motivates you?
  
• What do you understand if I say: WORK ETHIC?
  
• What is your definition of: career progression?
  
• How long do you think you would need to be in one position before the possibility of promotion becomes an issue?
  
• Tell me about your ability to cope with pressure?
  
• Would you say you're a deadline driven?
  
• Tell me about your “dream job”
  
• Where do you want to be in 5 years time?
  
• What are you looking for in a new employment opportunity?
  
• What are you looking for in a new employer?
  
• What type of working environment are you looking for?
  
• Small, medium or large company? - Which do you prefer and why?
  
• What are your salary expectations?
  
• Do you want to study further?
  
• Do you expect your employer to contribute towards these studies?
  
• Do you prefer working for a man or a woman?
  
• What is your biggest strength?
  
• What is your biggest weakness?
  
• Do you prefer a corporate or more casual work environment?
  
• Do you believe that stability of track record is a good or a bad thing? (motivate your answer)
  
• What type of person would you say you are?
  
• Describe yourself in five words.
  
• What part of your current job do you enjoy the most?
  
• What part of your current set of duties do you dislike the most?
  
• Do you think creativity or experience is more important?
  
• How would you deal with conflict in the office?
  
• How would you deal with gossip in the office?
  
• Can you handle criticism?
  
• Have you ever been involved in a dispute of any nature (describe the dispute and how you dealt with the situation)

Management Interviews:

Management interviews are in most cases very different than other interviews and will include some of the above mentioned questions but will also include questions like:

• What in your mind makes a good manager?
  
• Would you say you have the “good-cop” or the “bad-cop” management style?
  
• Have you ever had to retrench or dismiss an employee
  
• How up to date are you with current employment legislation?
  
• Describe a particularly difficult situation you have had in your team?
  
• How do you motivate a team?
  
• How do you stay motivated in tough times?
  
• Have you been involved in the hiring process?
  
• Where does “on-the-job” training fit into your management style?
  
• Do you believe in leading by example … if so - how do you implement this?

Technical Interviews:

Just like management interviews - being interviewed for a technical vacancy will include some of the above mentioned questions but will ALWAYS be followed by a set of questions relating directly to your chosen vocation - be it in IT, Engineering, Development or whatever.

What else could you expect during an interview?

The verification and testing processes used during interviews have become quite advanced and depending on the position you are applying for could include one or more of the following:

• Psychometric testing
  
• Computer proficiency and typing speeds
  
• Spelling and grammar tests
  
• Technical assessments
  
• Criminal clearance verification
  
• Credit history clearance
  
• Verification tests on qualifications presented
  
• Lie-detector testing (this is very popular in the security industry)
  
• Verification of drivers licenses
  
• Verification of working papers and citizenship

So how do you approach the answers?

• Answer only the questions asked - don't provide more information than necessary;
  
• Make sure you answer the question. Many people talk, but don't listen to what is being asked;
  
• If you don't understand a question tell the interviewer that you're not clear on what they are asking and politely ask them to rephrase the question;
  
• Keep your answers short and to the point;
  
• Be honest with everything you say and present. The smallest of lies could end up being the reason why you don't get the position.
  
• Avoid answering a question with a question.

Being interviewed is a stressful event - even if you have done it countless times. The best advice we can give you is to get prepared and to realise that you are not the only person applying for a particular position. Make it impossible for the interviewer to forget you!

Article courtesy of Unidas