Obviously, no one can know exactly what questions will be asked at interview but there are certain topics that will almost certainly come up.
Basic Principles
Obviously, no one can know exactly what questions will be asked at interview but there are certain topics that will almost certainly come up.
Listen
It’s actually surprisingly easy for your thoughts to stray elsewhere and for you to fail to listen properly to a question. You are in a stressful situation and you have a lot on your mind; it’s perfectly possible to get distracted. If you do fail to hear a question properly, then don’t be afraid to ask the interviewer to repeat the question. It’s not ideal but it’s certainly better than failing to fully answer the question – or guessing at what you’ve been asked, going off at a tangent and giving the answer to a totally different question
It’s also possible that you might fail to understand a question the first time around. Again, don’t be afraid to ask the interviewer to repeat or to clarify the question. At the very least it gives you valuable extra thinking time. But don’t make a habit of it
Try to understand the meaning behind the question
Why have they asked the question? What is it they are trying to find out?
I wouldn’t go as far as to say that all interview questions have hidden meanings, but it is true that the intentions of the interviewer might not immediately be apparent from the question. If you can work out the meaning behind the question, then you are at least 80 per cent of the way towards determining the optimum answer
There are three key areas that the interviewers will be considering when matching a vacancy with the best possible candidate
- Can you do the job? Do you have what it takes?
- Will you do the job? Or will you just go through the motions?
- Do you fit in with the other employees and organisation as a whole?
All of their questions will address one of these three areas in one way or another. Therefore, in trying to understand the meaning behind any particular questions you need to first identify which of the above areas the interviewer is trying to tackle
Beyond that, you need to make sure you see the world from the interviewer’s point of view. When asking you a particular question, what exactly is going through their mind?
As well as questions probing different areas, there are also different ways in which interviewers phrase their questions. You need to be aware of the different techniques they will use because it will naturally impact on the way you answer. In general terms, most questions can be classified as either ‘open’ or ‘closed’
A ‘closed’ question is one which can be answered very quickly – often with just one word
- Are you creative?
- Do you thrive under pressure?
- Are you a risk taker?
- Do you have sales experience?
An ‘open’ question on the other hand, is one that will force a lengthier answer.
- In what ways would you say that you are creative?
- Can you tell me about a time when you were under significant pressure and how did you handle it?
- How do you feel about taking risks?
- Can you tell me about your sales experience?
A good interviewer will normally ask open questions because these are the questions that will extract the most information from you. Conversely, a poor interviewer is likely to ask you a much higher proportion of closed questions.
Regardless of the type of question (or interviewer) you are faced with, you should always avoid ‘yes’ and ‘no’ answers to questions unless you are sure it is appropriate – because they tend to be conversation stoppers
Engage the brain before opening your mouth! Think before you speak. Pause to give yourself the necessary time to construct an answer, so that you answer the question to the best of your ability. If you have prepared properly, then it’s unlikely any question will come as too much of a shock to you. You should already have an answer more or less ready
Make sure you that you answer questions fully without waffling unnecessarily. Nervousness can too easily cause you to say too much and give too much away.
Wherever possible, you should try to integrate real – life examples into your answers rather than just speaking hypothetically. Flagging up specific relevant examples from your own experience is an ideal way of reinforcing your points in the interviewer’s mind.
Never lie at an interview and say something that you cannot substantiate. For many candidates their trouble start even before they’ve been invited for the interview because a large percentage of people seem to think it’s permissible to tell a few small lies when writing their CV. Many think it’s acceptable because ‘everyone else does it’, and it is a fact that many prospective employers do not check an applicant’s information as they should. I would always strongly caution anyone against telling anything but the truth on their CV. You can easily become unstuck during an interview as a result
By James Innes
