TecSol Incorporated
Interview Tips
Before you walk into any interview, you should know as much about the company and the
position as you possibly can. Your TecSol Account Executive will be able to provide
information for you, however, the more research you do on your own, the better prepared
you will be.
After you have studied the company, prepare a list of questions to ask the employer.
Sample questions:
- Why is this position available?
- What type of training programs will be offered to the person in this position?
- What are your goals for this position?
- What obstacles must be overcome for the person in this position to succeed?
- How will my performance be evaluated?
- What opportunities are there for growth in the next 12 months? Two years? Five years?
- What growth do you anticipate for your firm in the next 12 months?
The best questions to ask are those which begin with who, what, when, where, why, or how.
Please attend to those "lead" words as you ask and answer questions in the interview.
No one can predict the exact questions that an interviewer will ask, and your Account
Executive will be able to give you a good idea of the hiring authority's personality,
his or her typical interview demeanor, and a few important questions that the employer
is likely to ask.
To prepare, think about how you would answer the following questions:
QUESTIONS ABOUT YOURSELF
- Tell me about yourself.
- What do you consider to be one of your weaknesses (strengths)?
- What can you do that someone else can't do?
- What qualifications do you have that indicate you will be successful in your field?
How would they relate to our position? What do you have to offer?
- What are your own special abilities?
- What new skills or capabilities have you developed over the past year?
- What have you done which shows initiative and willingness to work?
- What are your greatest work and non-work accomplishments during the past two years?
- Describe three things that are most important to you in a job.
- What motivates you?
- What have you been doing since your graduation from colleg Since you left your last job?
- How would a co-worker, or friend, or boss describe you?
- What are your interests outside of work, school?
- What qualities do you admire most in others?
- How would you describe your own work style?
QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR CAREER GOALS OR PLANS
- What would you like to being doing five (ten) years from now?
- What type of position are you interested in?
- What are your salary requirements--short term/long term?
- What is success? What personal characteristics will contribute to your success?
- How will employment with us contribute to your career plans?
- What do you expect from a job?
- What are your career objectives - short and long range?
- This job is a total change from previous employment. How does it fit your career goals?
- What are your location preferences?
QUESTIONS ABOUT SCHOOL EDUCATION
- How does your education relate to this position (or how does your education prepare
you for this position)?
- What activities did you engage in at school?
- What classes did you like most in school? Least? Why?
- Why did you decide to go to _______________ school?
- Why did you choose your major?
- Describe your academic strengths and weaknesses?
- What are your plans for continuing your education?
- What career related skills do you possess as a result of your academic preparation?
- What have you read recently in your field?
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE QUESTIONS
- What have you learned from your past jobs?
- How often, and in what way, did you communicate with your subordinates and superiors?
- What were the biggest pressures on your last job?
- How did your job description for your last job change while you held it?
- What specific skills acquired or used in previous jobs relate to this position?
- How does your previous experience relate to this position?
- Why did you leave your last job?
- What did you like most/least about your last job?
- Whom may we contact for references?
QUESTIONS SPECIFIC TO THE COMPANY/JOB
- Why should we hire you?
- Why do you want to work here?
- What do you know about this organization?
- What salary do you expect?
- Why do you think you would like this type of position? Company?
- What kind of boss do you like to work for?
- How long do you intend to stay here?
- What do you think determines a person's progress in an organization?
- What interests you about our product or service? How would you improve it?
- What do you think would be your greatest contribution to our operation?
- How do you solve problems?
- When can you start to work?
- Can you travel overnight?
PROBLEM QUESTIONS
- "Tell me about yourself."
This question is asked to find out about your job skills. Answer it by describing your
best qualifications for the job. Be specific and use examples to support your claim.
- "What is your major weakness?"
Never be negative. Rather, turn any negative issue or weakness into a positive statement
or strength. Examples:
"I'm often too careful about my work. Sometimes I work late to get my job done right."
"I tend to ask questions about what I am told to do so I can be sure I will do it right."
- "How much do you expect to be paid?"
Never state a flat dollar amount unless you know what the job pays. Try a neutral
statement: "I would expect to be paid what other persons in this job are paid" or
state a range that you know would encompass any offer, but which goes a bit higher
than you would find acceptable. Or answer with a question: "How much does the job pay?"
"How much is a new employee usually paid?" If you have experience: "How much do you
usually pay someone with my experience?" Emphasize your skills, and ask the employer
what he or she feels your skills are worth.
- "Why do you want to work for this company?"
The employer expects you to show knowledge of and interest in the company. You can
do this with an answer that indicates that you have researched the company before
the interview. Example: "I've talked with some of your employees and they feel that
this is a good company to work for because..." "I have been reading that your company
is really growing fast. I want to work for your company because the future looks
promising."
- "Why did you leave your last job?"
The employer is trying to find out if you had any problems on your last job.
Never say anything negative about yourself or your previous employer. If you did
have problems think of a way to explain without being negative.
Don't use the word fired. Use words such as "laid off" or "position was cut".
If you were fired and are not on good terms with your previous employer, maybe you
should explain. Try to show that you learned something from the situation.
Tell the employer that the former problem (if it is personal) will not affect your work.
Common reasons for leaving: general layoff, job was temporary, moved to a new area,
company went out of business, no room for advancement, wanted a job that would better
use your skills.
- "What are your future plans?"
Interviewer may want to know if you are ambitious, plan ahead, or set goals for
yourself. The interviewer may also want to know what kind of expectations you have
of the company. Examples: "I hope to become very good at my job and perhaps take some
schooling to become better. I understand the company will pay the cost of schooling
if it is relevant."
The interview is often a tense situation. The better prepared you are the better
you will perform.
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