Interview Tips

Interview Tips				And finally
Before your interview, find out everything you can				These examples show that when preparing an
about the company Associates can. Think through				answer to the interview question what are your strong
your own career and the questions they might ask				points, it is important to consider whether your
you. You should try to anticipate the general questions				responses could be taken the wrong way. Put
which they will ask and also prepare some questions				yourself in the interviewer's shoes - you can then
to ask them. To do well at the interview you will need				ensure that the potential for a negative interpretation is
to convince the interviewer you are technically qualified				removed
to do the job. You will also need to show that you are				Questions to Ask the Interviewer
sufficiently motivated to get the job done well and that				The interview is a two-way process. The company
you will fit in with the company's organizational				interviewing you will want to find out whether you are
structure and the team in which you will work				suitable to the position and you will want to find out if
				the company and position are right for you. You should
You should dress smartly for the interview and should				therefore ensure that you have enough information to
leave home earlier than you need to on the day of the				make up your mind whether you want the job. For
interview - you may be delayed by traffic or for other				example:
reasons. Be courteous to all employees of the				You're on safe ground here; as this can be true
company. At the interview itself you must be positive				whatever your individual working style. It's not the most
about yourself and your abilities - but do not waffle.				exciting answer, but when presented alongside two
Body Language				others that are more individual, it should offer
When you are being interviewed it is very important				reassurance to the interviewer.
that you give out the right signals. You should always				What will be my responsibilities?
look attentive - so do not slouch in your chair. Never lie				Where will I fit into the overall organizational structure?
to anyone in an interview, your body language and				Who will I report to?
tone of voice or the words you use will probably give				Where does he/she fit in the structure?
you away - classic body language giveaways include				Who will report to me?
scratching your nose and not looking directly at the				How experienced are they?
other person when you are speaking to them				What do you expect me to do in the first 6 months?
Being aggressive or acting in a superior way - nobody				What level of performance do you expect from me?
like this so please don't do this.				Who are your customers?
Making excuses for failings.				Where is the company going? Upwards? Expansion
Interview Questions – You may be asked				plans?
1. Why do you want this job?				What are the chances of advancement/promotion in
Think carefully about this question. Stress the positive				this position? When?
aspects which have attracted you to applying for this				What will be my salary, benefits and bonuses? [Do not
position. Do not mention the negative aspects of your				bring this up too early in the interview - wait until they
current job or the job in question.				are sold on you.]
1. What qualities do you think will be required for this				Will traveling be required in this position?
job?				Will relocation be required now or in the future?
Their advertisement for the job may help you a little bit,				What training do you provide?
but you should also think of the other qualities that may				When will you decide on the appointment?
be required. These may include leadership ability,				What is the next step?
supervisory skills, communication skills, interpersonal				Interview Questions – Not meeting deadlines
skills, problem solving, analytical skills, etc.				The ability to meet deadlines is crucial in most roles.
1. What can you contribute?				Interview questions frequently focus on meeting
This is your chance to shine. Tell them about your				deadlines. The interviewer wants to find out if you are
achievements in your previous position(s) which are				able to meet deadlines or not.
relevant to the new position you are applying for.				The first deadline
1. Why do you want to work for this company?				The moment you arrive for an interview, you are
Emphasize the positive reasons why you want to join				answering the interview question "How good are you
their company, but avoid aspects such as more				at meeting deadlines?" If you are late, the interviewer is
money or shorter hours. These would not endear you				clearly going to think that you are not good at meeting
to a prospective employer.				deadlines.
1. What do you know about this company?				Even if the delay is due to traffic problems (barring
This is your chance to impress the interviewer with				major incidents), the interviewer will recognize that you
your knowledge of their company. Give them a run				failed to allow time for travel set-backs when planning
down of their products/services, sales figures, news,				your trip. If you arrive just on time, the interviewer may
company figures, customers, etc.				note that you cut things a little fine. But if you arrive
1. What interests you about our product (or service)?				early and have time to compose yourself, the
Again, your research into the company should aid you				impression will be that you are well-prepared and can
in answering this question.				meet deadlines with time to spare.
1. What can we (the new company) offer that your				This shows how everything you say and do at an
previous company cannot offer?				interview may be assessed. This is because the
Tread carefully here! Again do not mention money.				interviewer is trying to gauge your approach to work in
Stress opportunities for personal growth, new				general, as well as your application to specific tasks.
challenges, etc.				Most jobs involved deadlines of one degree of
Interview Question – What are your strong points?				importance or another - even if you are not directly
It is important to prepare in advance for the interview				affected, your ability to complete work on time may
question what are your strong points. If you've already				affect somebody else's ability to meet a deadline. For
listed your strengths when preparing your CV /				that reason, interview questions about work
resume, coming up with three answers shouldn't be				prioritization and deadlines can arise with regularity.
too difficult. But be careful. The interviewer is asking				Different ways of asking - and answering
you to sell yourself, but at the same time, they do not				The deadline interview question relates to a series of
want to hear you being arrogant. And while they may				others: "How well do you work under pressure?";
want to know about your personality (if you are over				"How do you priorities your tasks when there isn't time
confident they will certainly learn something about you),				to complete them all?"; "How do you stay focused
do remember that this is still an interview situation, so				when faced with a major deadline?"; "Are you able to
your answers must be relevant to the job in question.				cope with more than one job at a time?"
In other words, don't get too personal. So how do you				When answering any interview question relating to not
go about answering the interview question what are				meeting deadlines, it is important to start with a positive
your strong points? The general recommendation is to				point. You could begin by asserting that "I respond well
prepare at least three answers and to relate them to				to the challenge of a deadline", "I enjoy working under
the organization and the vacancy. This means you				pressure", or "I have produced some of my best work
need to tailor your answers. Ensure there is truth in				in such situations". Be ready to describe your ability to
what you say, but do not be too honest, especially it				meet deadlines for projects in your current position.
makes you sound like a less than ideal candidate. Here				Missed deadlines
are some suggested responses and the reasons why				Some interviewers for roles that involve a degree of
they might work in interviews for certain kinds of jobs.				project management might probe deeper: "Tell us
"I am confident and outgoing"				about a time when you missed a deadline" or
This is a response that says something about your				"Describe a time when you missed a deadline due to
personality, but if you are applying for a role where				somebody else's failure".
you need to relate to a lot of people - particularly the				If you are asked directly about not meeting deadlines,
public - it will serve your purposes. However, if the				always state that you learned much from the
vacancy				experience and that this has improved your ability to
Involves consultation, it might be better to say "I have				deliver. For instance, you might state that you have
good interpersonal skills", as this implies that you are				improved your communication with other people to
able to listen to people as well.				ensure that this does not happen again. Planning
"I enjoy a challenge"				meetings well in advance and ensuring that there is
Be careful with this. It is an excellent response if the				always someone to deputies for each person due to
vacancy requires problem solving, or servicing of some				attend would represent a positive response to a bad
kind, working to tight deadlines or project completion. It				experience. But do not be tempted to blame other
will obviously not be helpful if the job is less dynamic				people when answering the question, as this will make
and involves a larger amount of regular, less exciting				you appear unable to accept responsibility. Be honest
duties - the employer might be concerned that you will				about the repercussions. Yet always emphasis
become bored. You could always qualify it to offer a				planning and procedural
more balanced response: "I enjoy a challenge, but I'm				Improvements that you have made to ensure that
also happy completing regular tasks." Then it illustrates				deadlines are meeting in the future.
that you're flexible and responsive to different work				Managing deadlines
situations.				The interviewer may ask about how you cope with
"I'm a strong team leader"				multiple deadlines. Your response should focus on
Clearly, this is appropriate if the job involves managing				effective planning. If you are working singly, you need
people. It's a good idea to show that you know what				to state that you would first order the various tasks in
leading a team involves (although this will no doubt				order of importance, ranging from essential (deadline
come up in other questions too). So, "I'm a strong team				must be met at all costs) to non-essential (deadline can
leader with the ability to motivate others" and "I'm a				be missed with few ill consequences), with a couple of
strong team leader who leads by example" represent				groups between the two. You would then focus on
stronger answers. Draw on your own understanding				fulfilling the tasks that were rated essential, working in
of your management skills plus the job description to				order of their deadlines. If you are in a supervised role
decide what you'll say here.				and it looks unlikely that all the essential deadlines can
"I am ambitious"				be met, you would speak to your manager or
This is a very strong answer and you should use it				supervisor to let them know, in good time, so that an
with care. In the wrong situation, it can sound				alternative solution can be found.
hard-headed and the employer may wonder whether				If you are the manager or supervisor, you would
you'll compete too fiercely with your colleagues, or				ensure that tasks were delegated in such a fashion
even your superiors. However, in a sales role it might				that essential deadlines could be met, communicating
be perfect, especially if you focus your response a				with staff throughout to ensure that problems could be
little more: "I am ambitious and aim to exceed targets".				dealt with as they arose. Tracking the progress of
"I am dedicated and hard working"				work that is subject to deadlines is extremely
You're on safe ground here; as this can be true				important. Be prepared to describe how you do this, on
whatever your individual working style. It's not the most				your own, as a team member, or as a manager
exciting answer, but when presented alongside two				working across departments or even organizations.
others that are more individual, it should offer				Extra hours
reassurance to the interviewer.				Depending on the role you are applying for, do
"I am a good communicator"				consider whether you are being asked if you would
Again, this is a win-win answer. Be prepared to				work extra hours to ensure deadlines are met. If you
expand, though: specify whether you have strong				are willing to do so and it is appropriate to the job, say
writing skills, are good at explaining difficult ideas in a				that you are prepared to work evenings, emphasizing
simple way, or perform well at important meetings.				your commitment to task completion. But do add that
"I work well without supervision"				you would aim to plan effectively and therefore
A majority of employers would be pleased to hear				minimize the need wherever possible. Also, consider
this, providing the vacancy is at a level where they'd				whether the interviewer is concerned that other
normally expect you to need a degree of supervision.				commitments, such as family might reduce your
But be careful not to sound as if you prefer to work				availability. Waive this aside by stressing that you stick
without supervision, as this may sound as if you risk				with a project until it is completed, even if it means
coming into conflict with your supervisor or manager. A				working late hours on occasion.
safer option might be to state "I work well with or				And finally
without supervision".				By its very nature, deadline-driven work is often
"I enjoy learning through my work"				unpredictable and subject to crisis. Yet hopefully, by
Again, this is a safe answer. The interviewer might				answering these questions with composure, you can
then ask how you have done this in the past, so be				demonstrate to the interviewer that you are the right
ready to give details of some hands-on learning or				person to minimize the risks and keep the projects on
special training you've experienced, and to say why				track.
you enjoyed it.

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