Interview Advice: The Key To Success Is In The Answers

Some of the best interview advice I can give you is to make sure you have prepared answers to all the interview questions that come up every time. In addition, I suggest you start your own list of questions that you expect to be asked and include the one you DON'T want to be asked.

An interview is a conversation between an interviewee and an interviewer in which the interviewer asks questions in order to understand your opinions, attitudes, values, beliefs and behaviours. Most interviews are carried out face to face although they can be conducted via the telephone, interactive job interview video or even on a computer.

You can get lots of interview advice and help with interview techniques, questions and answers by using the free information and advice on this site starting with interview help which is laid out to direct you before, during and after your interview.

Types Of Questions

The questions asked in interviews may be of following types:

• Open Questions: These are usually subjective questions where you need to provide sufficient detail to explain your answers and respond in a few sentences.

  Example: Tell me about yourself [see how to deal with this at tell me about yourself]

• Closed Questions: In these types of questions there is usually no need for any explanation. Most experienced interviewers try to avoid these questions because they only require a YES or NO response which adds little to their understanding of you.

  Example: Will you have to give one month's notice?

• Technical Questions: These questions are specific to the job itself and you need to display specific knowledge in order to be seen as a viable candidate.

  Example: Explain why you need to temper a metal tool after it has been forged.

• Behavioral Questions: These questions are used to determine your competence in given situations and the same questions are asked of every candidate.

  Example: When assigning work to one of your direct reports, how did you determine how much instruction to give? Give me an example of when you applied this.

Sometimes interviewers make things more difficult by asking obscure or tricky questions, aimed at probing your depth of knowledge and to see your reactions to a particular scenario. In the course of the interview, answer the questions briefly and accurately. My interview advice is to be honest at all times. Do not be afraid to sell yourself but do not be overconfident.

My interview advice would be to project an air of confidence that shows you are sure of yourself and your skills and capabilities.

You may also put yourself in the employer's shoes. Ask yourself, if I were on the other side of this desk, what qualities should I look for in a potential employee? Would I profit if he worked for me and would he contribute to the development and success of the enterprise?

Now you can also read these sample interview answers.

Types of Job Interview:

• Informal Interview: These are usually 'getting to know you' interviews where only a limited few job related questions are asked. Because they are informal, they are most often unstructured and relaxed.

• Formal Interview: These interviews are usually held in the employer's offices and the interview questions may be asked by one interviewer or a panel of interviewers and are part of the formal selection process.

  Within the formal interview category you may also come across the increasingly common type of job interview which is the competency based interview based on the assumption that a job candidate's previous behaviors at work will be the best indicators of future performance.

  In these interviews, the interviewer asks each of the candidates the same set of questions, which is to recall instances where the job seeking candidate was faced with a specific set of circumstances, and asks them to describe how they reacted.

• Second Interview: These interviews are conducted when the candidate has gone through the first part of selection and the interviewer needs to ask more questions to follow on.

• Group Interview: These are often conducted as part of an assessment centre and are carried out to measure the social and team interaction capabilities of the candidate.

• Panel Interview: A panel of interviewers from different departments of the organisation or different disciplines come together to assess the capabilities of a candidate.

As you near the end of the interview, make sure that all bases are covered. Now is not the time to discuss or even ask about the salary and the benefits that you will receive once employed. There will be ample time for that once you do get the position and you are discussing the job offer.

Wrap things up by asking a couple of intelligent questions relating to the job and lead you into summarising your strengths and pointing out your positive traits. Finally, as you end the interview, my interview advice is be sure to thank the interviewer again for his or her time, thus leaving a lasting impression.

Interview Advice

• If you prefer watching interview advice on video rather than reading, then the Interview Video Library will guide you smoothly through the whole process of interviewing.

• Don't try to tell your whole life story - they really only want to know what you can do for the new enterprise. See the answer to tell me about yourself.

• Keep to simple language and be easy to understand. Do not use shortcuts or technical jargon.

• Try to make it sound interesting. Let the interviewer enjoy your accomplishments, especially if they relate to the new job.

• Credit the interviewer with having read your CV. (Even if he hasn't) and don't repeat what's on it.

• Be specific: cite facts, not generalisations. Don't fall into the "I've got a lot to offer" trap. Say exactly what you've got to offer.

• Quantify your results - numerically, if possible: how much, how many, how fast are useful prompts.

• Gently dramatize the problem so your results can be important.

• Use I, not we. Claiming an accomplishment ain't bragging if you did it. And it's you they might hire!

• Use concrete examples.

• Tell what you did that is unique. Leave out the methodology unless they ask how you did it.

• Be relevant to the interviewer’s questions.

• Always make a point which favours your cause.

• Help the listener conclude that she wants to employ you. Tell her what is relevant about your accomplishment: ‘which means that…’

Yes there's a lot to think about, but this interview advice will stay with you once you've read through it all.

Job Interview e-Book

In response to all of the questions about interview advice, I have put together everything you need in my Career Change Guide to Top Interview Answers (see the image in the right column).

This interview e-book has recently been revised and expanded to include over 70 best interview answers.

You can also get everything you need to know on a video of interview techniques and skills here: Interview Video Library. Using a job interview video to practise with, suits some people best.

You are here: Interview Advice

Go on to read my interview overview page for more details of the different types of interview you may come across or go to best interview answers for some exact answers to use in your interview.

Return to Interview Help or go back to the home page of Your Career Change

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