End of Interview Questions

 Over the last three weeks, I covered a series of interview questions.

The cream of it is:

Asking Great Questions at the end of an Interview

👍🏻 Remember
Always research and check that the question is relevant to the role that you applied for. Prepare suitable questions for each specific interview.

📌 Tip
Never say that you don’t have questions. The interviewers will think that you aren’t interested in the job. Also, avoid asking questions about pay/benefits.

👉🏻 Most common questions to ask:
✅ What would I be doing on a day-to-day basis?
✅ What kind of training would I get initially?
✅ How will my performance be measured?

👉🏻 Finding out why the employer is recruiting:
✅ Why has this vacancy arisen?
✅ How do you see this role developing?

👉🏻 Asking about learning and development:
✅ What is your policy on staff development?
✅ Are there opportunities to change roles in future?
✅ Does a formal appraisal system exist here?

👉🏻 Turning your questions into exciting discussions; ask open-ended questions:
✅ That’s interesting. How did that come about?
✅ May I ask more about that?
✅ So what does that mean for the organisation?

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Competency Based Questions: Personal Effectiveness

 DAY 14: PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS 🧍🏻‍♀️🧍🏻🧍🏻‍♂️👩🏻‍🤝‍👨🏽

🤔 Here the employer is keen on finding out your ability in how you motivate and develop yourself. How you face setbacks or what do you do when you spot a weakness. These questions are mostly related to personal development.

👍🏻 Remember
Always talk in the first person. This is about YOU!

📌 Tip
Emphasis should be put on your personal enthusiasm for your professional development.


✅ Tell me about a time that you failed to achieve your goals
✅ How did you respond to the last piece of criticism you received?
✅ Give me an example of how you have developed yourself

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Competency Based Questions: People and Customer Skills

 DAY 13: PEOPLE AND CUSTOMER SKILLS 👩🏻‍🤝‍👨🏽👩🏻‍🤝‍👨🏽

👍🏻 You need to demonstrate your skills in how you handle other people. You need to show the employers that handling situations like influencing, persuading, and dealing with difficult colleagues and customers is not a problem for you.

👉🏻 Remember
Make sure to portray yourself on how you managed to work effectively with a difficult colleague or customer.

📌 Tip
When you are relaying your situation, make sure to include or mention the different communication methods you used - face to face meetings, emails, faxes, letters, telephone conversations, etc.


✅ Tell me about a time that you persuaded someone to change their mind.
(Explain your situation. An initial disagreement with your viewpoint. What did you do or say to make the other person understand your viewpoint)

✅ Have you ever had to give someone negative feedback at work?
(Remember it is good to praise publicly and criticize privately. Explain that you gave your colleague some advice on a one to one basis.)

✅ Give me an example of a time you exceeded a customer’s expectations
(Explain your initiative to do something out of the ordinary. Mention if you received a letter of thanks from the customer, praise from your manager or even repeat business)

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Competency Based Questions: Leading and Managing Skills

 DAY 12: LEADING AND MANAGING SKILLS 🤴🏻 👸🏻

🤔 If you have applied for a supervisory or a management role. You are likely to get asked questions on managing others.

👉🏻 Remember
Don't talk about a situation where you implemented Command and Control, that will certainly not help you.

📌 Tip
Talk about a time when you motivated and supported your team members. This will definitely portray an empowering image.

✅ Tell me about a time you inspired a team
(Think of an occasion you motivated or encouraged someone; or offered support when bad news like restructuring or redundancies, was received)

✅ Talk me through how you coached or developed a team member
(Share an example of how you took time to understand a team member’s weaknesses and what you did together to tackle those weaknesses)

✅ Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult team member
(Talk about dealing with a difficult member and how you turned them into a productive member - perhaps through training or coaching)

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Competency Based Questions: Thinking and Planning Skills

 DAY 11: THINKING AND PLANNING SKILLS 🤔

👊🏻 Competencies are usually broken down into different categories. Interviewers are on the lookout for employees who have decision making, planning and organizing skills.

👉🏻 Remember
Use the STAR technique. Have a personal (work-related) example ready. Explain if there were any lessons learned.

📌 Tip
Take a few moments to think of a specific example. If you haven’t prepared an example, just request the interviewer for a few moments. Don’t panic.

✅ Tell me about a significant project you managed
(Talk about the project; what was the project; why was the project given to you; what actions did you take to make the project a success)

✅ Give me an example of a difficult decision that you made
(Talk about a difficult decision; why was it difficult; was it tough; was it right; was the decision tricky; what were the consequences)

✅ Tell me about a mistake you made and how did you rectify it
(Pick a work-related mistake; describe the actions you took; how did you resolve it. Don’t fall into the trap of saying you never made a mistake)

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Competency-Based Questions

 DAY 10: COMPETENCY-BASED QUESTIONS

⚒️ Competency-based questioning is just a technique used by interviewers to understand if you have the relevant skills required for the job, based on your previous experiences. They just want to understand how you describe these skills and how you behaved in those situations.

👉🏻 Remember
The S.T.A.R (Situation, Task, Action, Result) technique works every time. Explain a situation, the task you were faced with, the actions you took, and the result that you achieved. Talk about a single incident and relate it with specific details - names of people involved, approximate dates or even locations. Talk about what you did as a person, not as a team.

📌 Tip
Do not exaggerate. Do not lie. The interviewers will ask you a lot of questions to check if you are telling the truth. So stay calm and answer honestly, as you are bound to “make a boo-boo” if you are caught lying.

✅ Give me an example of a time when you. . .
✅ Tell me about an occasion when you. . .
✅ Talk me through a situation that you have been in when. . .
✅ Can you tell me about an instance in which you. . .

If you hear questions like these, the interviewer will want a specific example that you have experienced.

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Interview Series: Why Have You Been Out Of Work?

 DAY 09: WHY HAVE YOU BEEN OUT OF WORK FOR SO LONG? 🤔

👉🏻 Given the job market situations in recent months and the unstable economy, employers and interviewers are aware of this, but what they need to know is how well have you been utilizing your time.

✅ Remember
You must be able to relate your answer in a processed manner. Start by telling the interviewer what steps you have taken to find a job. Talk about rejecting offers because you are keen to find the right organization to work for where you can make a difference.

📌 Tip
Don't forget to mention that you have had other job offers too, as this increases your worthiness in the interviewer's eyes.

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Interview Series: Have You Ever Been Fired?

 DAY 08: HAVE YOU EVER BEEN FIRED? 🤔

😔 This is a sensitive question and the safest answer is “No”. Unless you have been really fired from your recent job, think about how you would want to explain your circumstances. Keep your answer short and to the point. DO NOT LIE! Because your ex-manager would likely mention this, if they are approached for a reference.

📌 EXAMPLES THAT YOU COULD WORK WITH
✅ It may be a blessing to have been let go by my previous company. Because now I have the opportunity to explore jobs that suit my skills and interests. My research takes me to the opportunity, waiting on your table. So would you like to hear more about what difference I can bring to your company?

✅ I am afraid to say that I was let go from my last job. It was not the right career move and I should not have taken the job. The only reason I took it was because it offered a huge salary. But I never got to highlight my strengths and because of this, I kept missing out on my targets. My manager talked to me a couple of times, resulting in me getting disheartened and an ultimate dismissal. But the outcome of all this is that I can now focus on the job that does utilize my skills.

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Interview Series: Why Were You Selected For Redundancy?

 DAY 07: WHY DID YOUR LAST EMPLOYER SELECT YOU FOR REDUNDANCY? 🤔

Redundancy to some can be a disgrace, but never think low of yourself because it isn’t your fault. In the modern workplace, and in this age of cost-cutting and downsizing, redundancy is just the new norm of working life.

👍🏻 Remember:
It is natural to feel hurt when asked this question. But don’t allow your feelings to get to you. And don’t show any resentment or hostility towards your former managers. This could only backfire and reflect badly on you.

📌 Tip:
Try and explain that your redundancy was due to a cost-saving decision that was taken by the management - and not a personal decision. Or alternatively, you could say your role was made redundant due to the restructuring of a team in the company.

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Interview Series: CV Gaps And What You Did During That Time?

 DAY 06: YOU HAVE A GAP IN YOUR CV. WHAT DID YOU DO DURING THAT TIME? 🤔

✅ This question needs to be answered positively, in the ways you spent your time off. You could have taken time off to care for an ill family member, or you took time off to travel, or learn a new skill or even do a certified course. Or you could have even spent a lot of time researching and looking for a new job.

👍🏻 Remember:
Be well prepared to answer this question leaving no elbow room for a “doubting Thomas”. The interviewer could be a little aggressive in asking this question but you need to stay calm and answer truthfully.

📌 Tip:
Whatever you plan to say, you need to convince the employer that you weren’t reluctant or lazy to work. Looking for a job is a full-time job in itself with a lot of groundwork involved. So explain yourself on how you used your time constructively.

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Interview Series: Explaining Career Gaps

 EXPLAINING CAREER GAPS AT AN INTERVIEW

Over the last few decades, there have been drastic changes in the working environment. The previous generations have relied on joining one company and working their way up towards promotions until their retirement. Employers were expected to look after their employees by providing them with extensive benefits, in return for total loyalty.

The norm was - A job for life, but not anymore. Redundancies, cost-cutting and downsizing is the new age. Employees can find themselves without a job at very short notice.

Also, having one employer for your entire career can go against you. Recruiters advise employees to change companies at least every three to five years. This can definitely help to avoid the struggle to find a job after a redundancy.

Interviewers are normally concerned about any career gaps or the length of time out from work. Trying to cover up with a few lies could be very tempting, but remember employers check for references.

How do you tackle this situation?

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Interview Series: Where Do You See Yourself In 5 Years?

DAY 05: WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 5 YEARS?

Don't forget to mention your goals and also, keep in mind where you would like to be, be it five or ten years. What is your end goal?

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Interview Series: Why Should We Hire You?

DAY 04: WHY SHOULD WE HIRE YOU?

This is possibly your final chance to sell yourself to the interviewer. Keep in mind your body language and try to answer calmly and confidently.

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Interview Series: What Are Your Biggest Weaknesses?

DAY 03: WHAT ARE YOUR BIGGEST WEAKNESSES?

Not having examples of weaknesses may come across as egoistic. Make sure you are ready with any relevant weaknesses and compensatory measures to show that you have thought about and analyzed the situation and will work on them.

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Interview Series: What Are Your Greatest Strengths?

DAY 02: WHAT ARE YOUR GREATEST STRENGTHS?

Key point: Prepare examples and situations in which you have showcased your strengths and skills. This will help you "show" and not just tell the employer.

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Interview Series: Tell Me About Yourself

💯 A successful interview depends on plenty of research and preparation.

✅ To accomplish this, you should research the company and carefully review the job description to understand why you would be a good fit

👉🏻 For the next 5 days I will review the most common interview questions. I will try and share some quick tips with you on what interviewers actually want to hear, so you can win them over.

DAY 01: TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF

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