Your hard work of sending all those attractive cover letters and your resume has finally paid off and you are invited to a face to face job interview. You will need to work very hard to perform well in an interview, so it is best to be prepared.

There are dozens of other highly qualified applicants wanting the job, so you are going to have to prove yourself superior to them. The only thing that will be of assistance is to practice giving answers to certain questions as this will improve your “selling” skills as regards your unique qualities.

* Tell me about yourself.
This is a typical introductory question in any interview. Your answer should be short, specific and will have to envelop four important topics: early years, education, work history and recent career experience. Don’t waste time here.

* Why did you leave the last job?
Always give a positive answer to this question and under no circumstances discuss any major problem you may have had with the previous company. Never speak negatively about the supervisors, co-workers or the company as it shows your lack of adaptability. Talk about positive aspects such as that you chose to leave for fast growth.

* Do you consider yourself to be a successful person?
You should always say yes and give a brief supporting statement. One excellent explanation would be that you have set goals that you are trying hard to achieve.

* What are the opinions of your colleagues about you?
Be prepared with a positive quote or two from your colleagues eg that you are a really hard working person with dedication to your work. The comments should be accompanied by their name.

* What do you know about our company?
This is related to how knowledgeable you are about the company, and your willingness to work there. Investigate all the things related to the company since its foundation to any recent projects or recent news about its services, products, branches across the world etc.

* Are you applying somewhere else?

Be honest but don’t waste your valuable time in explaining why. Remain focused on your goal.

* What attracted you towards our company?
Such questions can often play a very considerable role in your selection but only if you are prepared with your answers. The answer will be entirely dependent upon your research; for example, in what area is the company growing, whether it is research and development, finance, or management, so you should provide an answer that relates back to the company requirement.

* What exceptional things you can do for us that someone else cannot ?
Give details about your previous achievements and records of successful completion of projects in time. Discuss your abilities and interests as you listed them in your resume and make yourself appear invaluable to the interviewer.

* What kind of salary you are expecting?
This can be very tricky question if you don’t answer it sensitively. Try to avoid answering it directly, instead asking a counter question such as “Can you tell me the salary range for this position?”

By: Ray James

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