Common Interview Questions

A seemingly simple question that is often difficult to answer, it can result in a great interview going disastrously wrong.

Here "What interests you about the position offered?" is a problematic question for anyone, even the most prepared interview candidate. It is one of those questions that might decide between selected individuals who have the same qualifications and experience.

When asked "what about this job interests you", the interviewer wants to know why you decided to apply specifically for this job and why do you consider this position fitting you and your career plans.

The best bet is to take the most important element of the said job and talk about it.

For example if the job requires effective team work capabilities, you may construct your answer in this way:

Question: What is the 'thing' that interests you about this job?

Answer: One of the things that are of my best interests in this job is the opportunity to work in a team environment. I always wanted to work with hard-working, professional, experienced people. I love contributing the team effort, bringing out the best in myself and in my teammates for fulfilling our work goals and reaching top results.

I trust that I can perform great by applying sound principles of teamwork as I did in my previous jobs. I seek timely and consistent feedback designed to improve not only my performance as well but the team’s performance as well. I consult with people, try my best and treat everyone positively/equally.

Tips to follow while answering this question ::

1. Be Specific

2. Be Truthful

3. Be Real

At my most recent position, one of my co-workers, John, did an outstanding job of calming an irate customer, solving the customer's problem and completing a sale. When our boss asked me how things were going, I told him everything was going fine and that John had just completed calming an irate customer and closing a sale. It was a win-win-win- for our boss, Johnn and the customer.

There are many things you can say. This type of question doesn't have a wrong answer. All answers will be correct. So the best answer is how good you can make the answer. A mediocre answer will be something like completing a project on time. You can say this, but add another twist to make the answer a little better. Here is an example.

Short Answers :

"To me, success means to have a goal, plan the steps to achieve the goal, implement the plan, and finally achieve the goal."

"Success means to produce high quality work before the deadline."

"Success to me is knowing that my contributions positively impacted my company."

Long Answers :

"Success to me means completing a task and when looking back, thinking I couldn't have done it better. To succeed is to complete a task or assignment on time in an excellent manner. But that's only half of it. The results should be good and the people involved should gain a valuable lesson or experience. For example, if it was a group project, and only two people out of four really did the work, I wouldn't call that success. If everyone participated and worked together providing a valuable deliverable then it's a success. So I think both the result and the process should be great to call something a success."

This answer is showing that you believe in delivering great quality work. Moreover, it is implying how much you value team work. If you value teamwork highly, then it is safe to assume that you would make a great team player.

If you have hired one or more people during your career, your answer might go something like this:

     " Yes, I have hired people.I have also decided whether some internal applicants were right for jobs in my department. The first time I hired someone ,I concentrated on checking off all the right qualificatios.I just went down a checklist.

        Since then,though, I've learned that some candidates who became excellent workers didn't necessarily have every qualification on that checklist.They more than make up for what they lacked in the beginning with enthusiasm and a willingness to work with others".

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If you've never hired anyone? Show the interviewer you appreciate that he or she is trying to evaluate both your management potential and people skills,and try something like this:

     "Not realy,but on several occasions I was asked to speak to prospective applicants and offer my opinion. Ofcourse , in those cases, I was trying to determine whether that person would be a team player and if he or she would get along with the other people in the department." 

Mention the mistake and be honest about it, but always make sure that you follow it up with what you learnt from that episode and the improvements it has brought to your efficiency.

With a positive attitude you see the bright side of life, become optimistic, and expect the best to happen. It is certainly a state of mind that is well worth developing. Not only it enriches one’s experience of life, but it also paves the way for self-development leading one towards attaining the desired results. As regards employment, it is a valuable thing to maintain positive attitude. Whether you are a manager or a subordinate, maintaining positive attitude in the work place brings lots of benefits while allowing you to fulfill your objectives successfully.
A positive frame of mind can help you in many ways, such as:
- Making you feel inspired.
- Identification.
- Believing in yourself and in your abilities.
- You look for solutions, instead of dwelling on problems.
- The most important thing is building relations.

This is a good question to highlight your achievements. Don't be smug or arrogant about the success of a project, especially if it was a team effort. You need to give credit to the team, too. You could say what you contributed to the total project and also give credit to others that helped in your success. Don't be overly modest, either.Here are some pointers:

1. Pick something that was clearly a success and highlight your skills.

2. Pick something recent. If you pick something twenty years ago, they are going to wonder what you have done lately.

3. Pick something important. You may have succeeded in many projects that are not that significant. 

4. Pick something easy to explain. If complicated, give the short version.

5. Be sure to explain what you learned from this success.

You should have a pretty good idea of what your particular market will bear.If you don't know the particular salary ranges in your area (city and state) and industry,do some research. Make sure you know whether these figures represent just dollars or a compensation package, which may include insurance, retirement pograms, and other value-added benefits.

If you're a woman, make sure you know what men are making doing the same job. You're bound to find a discrepancy. But you should request and expect to earn an equivalent salary, regardless of what female predecessors may have earned.