I Need Job Interview Skills Help!?
Can you PLEASE help me answer the following questions that they might ask? Please give me examples on what to say because I am clueless on what to say.
1) Tell me about yourself.
2) What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
3) Why do you want to work for this company?
4) Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Please help. Thanks!
Answers:
What have you done in a nut shell that is semi exciting.
I enjoy (tennis and golf and reading)
I spend a great deal of time at the beach or loving a sports team. Cooking.. whatever it is that makes you - you.
Well. I am reliable, people trust me. I enjoy working with people. I don't have any weakness just improve daily.
I want to work here because (really you need the job but?)
the hours, it's great to work from home?
In 5 years I hope this experience enables me to ?
Or it's just the job perfect for me because -----
Just embellish the truth. :O)
Let's face it, interviewing is stressful enough without having to answer stupid interview questions. But unfortunately, many interviewers, because of habit, lack of preparation time, poor training, or yes, even laziness, often ask stupid questions.
1) Tell me about yourself.
They want to know about you the candidate as a potential employee. They don't want to know about your family, your last vacation, your hobbies, your religious beliefs, that you like the Cubs, or that you are a proud member of AA. Yes, I have had candidates give each of those responses to the infamous "Tell me about yourself" question. I don't recall any of them ever getting hired by the employers who interviewed them.
Interviewers also think it is improper, a sign of your lack of preparedness, or even rude, for you to answer their "Tell me about yourself" question with a question of your own like, "What would you like to know?" If you are prepared, and seriously thinking about making a career change, you will have a prepared and thoughtful answer to this question BEFORE you begin interviewing.
Why? I am glad you asked, and I think one example should convince you I am right.
answer if candidates answered with a prepared and well thought-out initial marketing statement of themselves and their skills, which are applicable for the open job. This sounds pretty straightforward, but few of the thousands of candidates I have interviewed in the last 15 years have EVER been able to answer this question in this intelligent manner. The best candidates typically respond with a narrowing question like: "What would you like to know?" But let's get one thing straight: It is extremely poor form to answer the opening interview question with another question. Yet, that is how the BEST candidates do typically answer this question, due to its ambiguous nature. Though it seems to be a logical approach, you must prepare to do better.
Candidates must teach themselves to answer this question with a three-part, pre-planned marketing statement that can more or less be reused from interview to interview. Part one of that three-part marketing statement is always a one-sentence summary of the candidate's career history. For example, let me share with you a former candidate's opening sentence:
"I am a five-year veteran of LAN/WAN Admin and Systems Engineering with substantial experience using Novell , NT , Cisco, and Lotus Notes/Domino."
2) What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
Always turn a negative into a positive. Cite an example of a minor weakness and how you have overcome it or are currently working on it. This is no time to be honest about your compulsive pencil stealing habit.
3) Why do you want to work for this company?
You have to ask yourself that prior to the interview. Investigate the company, remember what you like about the company (it's products/services, positive things it has done for the community/society, where the company is headed in the future, if it's an established company (for job security), how you think you can help the company succeed, etc.) it really depends on what type of job you are applying for (professional compared to part-time high school/college job.
Just make sure to investigate the company, if you're in the US you can see if it's a member of the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org) if it's a company you've never heard. And let them know you're interested in them because of the positive things they have done and give examples, or of a problem they may be having and how you are the solution to that problem.
Here is more advice:
I think the most important thing is to be honest and genuine. For example, Why you want to work at the Disney Store? Why are you applying there instead of somewhere else? Is it because you think the environment will be fun and energetic? Do you think it will suit your personality and that you might fit in there? The interviewer wants to find out if you're the sort of person who will succeed at the company. That's what you want, too. You don't want a job you'll fail at. So, like I said, I think it's important to be open and honest. Be yourself. Show your genuine enthusiasm for the position.
You need to research the company you are wanting to work for and read their job description. When you are asked the question, then you can tell them how your background qualifications are transferable, and to work for XXXX will be a challenge and rewarding.
Here's an example: "Based on the research I?ve done, the company is an industry leader. When I visited you web site, I found some impressive information about the future projects you have planned. I was also impressed with the founders' backgrounds and the current financial statements. This is the company I've been looking for, I want to be where things are developing, changing, and growing. And I want to make a meaningful contribution to that development and growth."
The best way to answer this question is to RESEARCH the company first. Yep, whether you are applying at McDonald's or applying at a Fortune 500 Company. Do a search online. Look at their website. Find out who they are, what they do and why you'd want to work there. The WORST thing you can do is showing up at an interview knowing nothing about the company! Once you know about the company you can answer this question more easily (for example: "I've read about how this company's growth is on the rise and also how involved it is in the local community.") Do NOT make the answer all about you. The employer does not care if you want to advance your career, make more money or get better benefits. In this portion of the interview and with asking this question, they want to know what YOU are going to do for THEM.
Because, after EXTENSIVE (<-emphasize that) research, I have found that this company is best suited to my personal needs and therefore will allow me to make a greater contribution to your company than any other. Plus there's an endless supply of hot (you pick) 1. babes 2. dudes that work here. This has been another successful installment of Wha Bam's self help service.
Usually asked to find out how much do you know about the organization?s product and mainly culture. Do your research online prior to the interview. Most private and publicly held companies have investor relations or ?about? pages. So do your research and connect to the company?s mission statement and the company?s core values.
"I think this company would fully enhance my career growth as well as my professional growth."
4) Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
There are many open ended questions during an interview, and 'where do you see yourself in 5 years?' is one of the most common among them. This is one question which cannot have a standard right answer, because the answer of this question will actually reflect your nature, your goals, and your objective of life.
What you need to keep in mind while answering this question is that the interviewer wants to hear something that reassures him/her that you are the right candidate for the company. Hence, answers such as 'I plan to finish my higher studies' or 'I would like to be own my own company one day' do not really fit in their future plans of a perfect candidate.
Your answer should as much as possible assure him that you are a person who puts the company first; at the same time, it should not show that you are not looking at your own professional growth as well. It is best to show that you have a given a good thought to it and that your future goals are parallel with that of the company.
This is definitely an answer which should be prepared well before hand. You should use your best traits and past experience to project achievable short and long-term goals. These goals, while using your best talents, should be in conformity with the company's growth and goals. In order to be able to do this, you need to do some heavy research on what the company envisages in its future plans - as well as what exactly your job entails.
Here's what the resume advice company Resume Edge recommends as a sample answer to the question, "Where do you see yourself in ten years?"
In ten years, I endeavor to have refined my strategic and client relations skills. I intend to be a leading expert in estate planning. After having proven myself as a senior manager, I hope to help shape the strategic direction of estate planning services. I could do this in any number of official roles. The important thing is that I will continue contributing my abilities in a challenging and rewarding environment.
When they ask about you be honest...to a degree not to a fault. As a boss I ask this question in order to get answers to questions I can't ask such as married, kids etc. this helps me know what hours your available and such.
greatest strenghts...dedication, hard-working, ability to multi-task, attention to detail...etc
weakness...again be honest...mine is I am a perfectionist..sometimes to a fault.
The company usually likes to hear why you think their company is better than the other. For instance...Coke is better than Pepsi because their drink isn't as sweet or isn't blue.you get the idea.
In five years...they want someone who is dedicated and committed.they want to know in 6 months they aren't going to have to retrain someone because you quit.
Good luck!!
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