Continuing on with our theme of interviews and how to approach them, we’ve decided to tackle 15 of the most commonly asked questions in these situations and provide you with some insight into how to answer them.
In our last blog entry we covered the first seven, so if you haven’t checked it out yet, you can do so by clicking here. As for this entry, we’ll be talking about the other seven commonly asked questions in job interviews – enjoy!
Describe a situation in which your work was criticised
Don’t get put-off by this question – employers are just looking to see how well you can take criticism and feedback. Be specific about the situation and keep your answer brief. You need to be careful and avoid becoming emotional or defensive over it. Simply state what the criticism was and what you did to improve it, and what you learned.
Why do you want to work for us?
This is another one of those questions that requires a bit of research beforehand. Try to understand the organisation’s goals and vision, and how that links in with your desire to work with them. Talk about the positive things that you’ve heard about the organisation and how working for them can help you meet your career goals. Also mention the values the organisation talks about and how you would like to work in an organisation that has those values.
How would you describe your own personality?
Be sure to come across as balanced and human with your answer. Try to mention a maximum of three useful traits for the job.
Again, be honest, but don’t say things like “I’m a person who loves to talk a lot”, that may come across as a negative. Instead work on rephrasing things. For that example you could change it to “I’m an outgoing and approachable person, I enjoy working with others and I am passionate about aged care”.
What are your goals?
Relate your answer to the organisation you’re interviewing for, rather than giving a broad general answer. Employers will be looking to see that you have some medium to long term goals with them. They are more likely to hire someone who can stay with them for 2 years over someone who only sees themselves there for six months. Also, keep your answer realistic – don’t say anything overly ambitious, as this can be seen as overconfidence.
What are your strong points?
Present around three to four strengths for your answer. Think about these before the interview itself and make sure they relate closely to the job opportunity. Don’t waste one of your points on an attribute that has nothing to do with the work that you’ll be doing if you get the job.
What are your weak points?
Take the time before an interview to think about this question. Definitely don’t say that you have no weak points. However, don’t give more than one. Make sure to pick a weak point that you can turn in to a positive answer like, “I can be a bit impatient sometimes and do the work myself if someone hasn’t done it yet”.
What are some of your outside activities or recreations?
It’s perfectly okay to show that you have other interests like sports, films or reading. This question is just to get an idea of how balanced your life is outside of work. With that said, avoid mentioning so many outside activities that it casts some doubt on how much time you will have for the job. Remember that your hobbies and recreations can give a good insight into your personality!
And there ends our guide on 15 of the most commonly asked questions in a job interview. We hope you enjoyed it. As always, if you have any other commonly asked questions that you’ve experienced in an interview, we would love to know! So leave a comment if you have anything to add.