Interview Tips
The following interview cheat sheet is a summary excerpt from Resume Companion’s Interview Guide PDF, available free to Pro Customers. The Interview Guide PDF contains over 50 of the most commonly asked interview questions, and how you should answer them. We’ve provided 10 below.
Why do you want to work here?
If you have done your initial research this should be easy. Describe one or two things about the company that are special and caught your interest. Perhaps the company has the best customer service in the industry. Or the company recently came out with a new product that you personally have used and enjoy.
Why are you leaving your current job?
Focus on lack of growth in the company or lack of challenge. Emphasize why you think the position you’re interviewing for would provide the challenge and additional responsibilities you desire.
What are your salary expectations?
The key is to turn the question around. Ask the interviewer what the salary range is for the position. Then ask the interviewer how your qualifications rate compared to the average requirements for the position. The idea is to position you towards the highest pay bracket possible.
Why should I hire you?
Resist the urge to repeat your resume verbatim. Instead, describe how you stand apart from other job candidates and why you are passionate about the job. For example, you might describe how you’ve used the company’s products since college. You might describe your participation in industry associations and thought leadership in the field.
What are your strengths?
Describe one or two of your skills that are most relevant to the job. Describe them in detail and how they could be applied to the new job. For example, you might talk about your ability to communicate cross functionally and how important that will be in the new position in managing a customer support center.
Why have you changed jobs so frequently?
Professional growth, a larger budget, or other career enhancing experiences are all valid reasons for moving on. Convince the interviewer that you’re interested in his or her company for the long haul.
Why do you want to leave your current position?
The interviewer wants to know why you want to change careers. Show the interviewer that you arrived at your decision through careful consideration. Explain why you decided upon this particular position and how the position will allow you to pursue your passion and interests.
Have you ever been passed up for a promotion that you felt you deserved?
The correct answer is to provide evidence that you possess patience and maturity. Describe how you believe that the quality of your work and your actions has always been recognized by your peers and supervisors.
What would you do if I told you that I thought you were giving a very poor interview?
Ask the interviewer if there were specific areas of the interview that he or she felt you did not address sufficiently. Tell the interviewer that you would be happy to respond more fully and appropriately, given the opportunity. Remember to stay calm, confident and relaxed.
Describe a time when you failed to resolve a conflict.
The key is to describe a conflict that was not yours to solve in the first place (e.g.; downsizing of an adjacent division). If you must discuss a personal conflict, choose a lighthearted one and focus on the positive steps you’d take if you could go back and do it over again. Describe what you have learned as a result of the conflict.