Top Interview Questions And How To Answer Them

Even getting an interview with a company can be difficult these days so if you have one you must prepare and be ready for the questions they will ask. Thankfully the top interview questions are not so difficult.

A lot of questions will overlap in the answers so try not to repeat yourself too much. They already have your resume so they know a lot of the answers already. Interviews often are just to try an understand your personality. They also want to check what you said on your resume is true and you know what you are talking about.

What can you tell us about yourself?

The standard ice breaking question but don't spoil it by talking about things they really don't want to hear. No one wants to know which football team you support or what your hobbies are. This question is just about business.

What they want to hear is about your current job and responsibilities. What your job title is and how long you have been doing it. You don't need to go into detail but keep to a broad overview of what you are currently employed to do.

You can wrap up with a little personal information if you wish.

Why do you want to work for the new company?

Try to prepare answers that are positive towards the new company and why you would be excited to work for them. They want to hear reasons why the company's business is interests you and not why you would benefit from the company. It's close to your home, the pay is good and they have a free canteen, are not good answers to tell them.

Why do you wish to leave your current job?

Never start to criticize your current or former employer even though you'd like to and they deserve it. Make sure you give the impression that you are looking for more exciting work, greater responsibilities and advancing your career. Any moaning about your current boss, even though he's an idiot, will not help your chances.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Since you are reading this one of your strengths is obviously dedication and planning. Think of a few positive traits you have and list them. Everyone has weaknesses and the trick is to not mention those. Better to pick one of your strengths and claim it as a weakness. For example, your dedication and willingness to help others in the team means you have to work extra hours to get your own work done on time.

Be sure not to lay on the self sacrifice too much or you will just sound insincere.

These are some of the top interview questions and having well prepared answers will make you seem more confident and employable.

Know your skills and abilities

Going out into the job market can be a frightening prospect, especially if you are trying to branch out in a different direction than the type of work you are used to doing. It can seem as though employers are only interested in those individuals who have experience with certain techniques or who have performed similar types of work previously; with a bit of research, however, you will quickly find that there are a number of opportunities available to you so long as you are able to present the skills necessary to do the job.

Unfortunately, many people sell themselves short when trying to list or describe the skills that they possess. If you can't be confident in your skill set and understand the skills that are transferable into new markets, then you'll have a much harder time convincing a potential employer that you're the right person for the job they're offering. This is where being able to identify your own skills and interests can help you to bridge the gap and show that you are more than qualified for the positions that you seek.

Identifying Your Developed Skills
The first thing that you need to do is start thinking about the different jobs that you've had in the past and the various skills that you've developed over the years. Even fairly menial jobs can pass on a variety of skills, including those skills which are highly sought after in the corporate world such as time and project management and even customer relations. The skills that you have were developed with time and hard work, so don't be quick to discount them. List the various skills that you've developed through work and other activities, making notes of any areas that you are particularly strong in. Managing a household or home business requires skills. If this is you, identify what skills you possess.

Finding Your Natural Talents and Abilities
Some things just come easier to certain people, and being able to identify your natural talents can help you to get ahead when trying to get the job of your dreams. Examine exactly what talents and natural abilities you have, and how long you've known that they just come easily to you; many employers are interested in having people with talent and who can do the work that they offer them without struggling to get it completed. Don't worry that it will sound like you're bragging to mention these talents and abilities… that's what interviews and applications are for, to enable employers to evaluate potential employees and determine which ones will be the best for the job. Having natural talent in certain areas and showing documented proof will help to qualify you as being one of the best.

Following Your Interests
When you begin looking for a job, make sure that you try and find potential employers who fall within some of your areas of interest even if you've never had employment in that area before. Often times employers will ask job candidates during an interview exactly why it is that they want to work for the company they've applied at; being able to say that you're genuinely interested in the work that they do and having enough knowledge about the field to back that statement up will help to show them that you'll likely be a diligent worker and that you won't become bored with the work and go off seeking another job. If you have developed skills or possess natural talents which support that area of interest, that's even more of a mark in your favor since you will not only be interested in the work but will also have at least some of the skills and abilities needed to do it. These are qualities that employers are always looking for, and they can help you to land the job even when you thought that you wouldn't be qualified enough.

Job Stress, Beat It!

There are many critical aspects associated with job satisfaction. That you enjoy doing it is the most important of them all. Sometimes, people are in jobs that they enjoy doing and yet they feel stressed out. The reasons could be plenty such as over-work, office politics, not getting enough recognition or rewards, or any other personal reason. This can lead to job stress that not just affects your performance but also your health. You no longer feel satisfied by your work, you feel de-motivated and you even start questioning if you are in the right job at all. These are all symptoms of job stress and as soon as you identify the problem, you must look at ways to rectify it. If it lingers on for long, it can do some irreparable damage to your career.

Stress cannot be completely done away with. It is part and parcel of the workplace culture. Stress can be both negative and positive. Positive stress is when you are working against time to meet a particular deadline and when you achieve it, you receive due recognition and acknowledgement. Negative stress could be when you put in your extra to accomplish a task and yet nobody acknowledges your effort. This can lead to mental stress. Now, you can’t do much about the external factors causing stress to you but you can alter your perspective and attitude to manages stress in a manner that it is least damaging to you.

If your job bogs you down or you are going through a particularly bad phase at workplace, think about the good times. Remember the times when your professional achievement was applauded and appreciated. Try to remember the reasons that led to that success. How did you approach your work then and what did you different? Thinking about good times will give you a ray of hope and you will realize that all is not lost. Also, you will regain confidence in your own capabilities. If you achieved it then, you can surely achieve it now too.

Keep negative thoughts at an arm’s length. Always remember that negativity begets negativity. If you think that you are not capable of doing something or reaching somewhere, you probably will never achieve that. Instead, think positive and remain positive. Even if a particular assignment at work did not go the way you wanted it to, it does not mean that you are bad at your job. Use positive language; remain in company of positive people. A stressed out person is quite vulnerable and there are elements at the workplace that are ready to take advantage of that. So, stay away from colleagues who do loose talk, are negative or involve in back-biting. They will only add to your stress levels. If there are high targets to achieve, break them down in smaller, more achievable targets in a time-bound manner. This way, you will be able to achieve more in a less stressed manner.

Also, take out time for yourself. While working in a job, it is quite likely that you will lose focus of your individuality or your personal life. Take short breaks after a few days. Even in a day’s time, take small breaks at least twice to relax your mind. Go out for lunch or coffee or just take time out. Don’t just keep sitting on your desk in front of your computer. When you are taking your little break, don’t even entertain a phone call. Just relax your mind and return to work feeling refreshed and more productive.

Monotony is a primary reason of stress. If you keep doing the same work day in and day out, your job will definitely get monotonous and lead to stress. Try to avoid this situation. Identify new work for yourself and ask your boss if you can do it or pro-actively ask your reporting manager to give you new work. If you are able to break the monotony of work, fatigue will not set in so soon. You can even look at learning something new and upgrading your skills. Also, it will make you eligible for new responsibilities at the workplace. Following these simple tips, you can beat the job stress and be more satisfied with your regular job.

Planning A Career Change?

Sometimes a career change is an unavoidable phase in life. In some cases, people may shift to a new career by their own choice. But sometimes, when this change has been initiated by a change of business in a company, the experience can be traumatic for the employee. In such cases, it is best to look at the positive side of things. A change in career is a great opportunity to venture into a new field and discover new opportunities for advancement.

Finding A Career Guide

When you are planning a career change, depending on a good career guide can make all the difference between getting a job you are okay with and getting a job you love. A reliable career guide is one that will provide you comprehensive information on all kinds of careers available to you and what jobs would suit you so that you will be able to make a wise decision when it is time to make a choice.

There are lots of good sources - both offline and online - that offer reliable information on changing careers. While certain career guidance reports may be personalized, others may contain general information related to changing careers.

The internet is a great storehouse of career guides and career interest tests. These online tests assess the answers you provide and then determine the most suitable career change option for you. It would be a good idea to take a career interest test to understand what job would fit your talents, skills, personality and education.

After taking the career interest test and understanding the best career options, it is time to get in-depth information about your chosen career field. Try to determine what courses or training sessions you need to attend to excel in the chosen field.

Preparing For A New Career

Here are some things to remember while preparing for a career change:

- Most people harbor talents and interests that are quite different from their chosen career path. While planning a new career, make sure that it provides ample room for developing your innate talents.

- A good financial system is an essential aspect of planning a change in career. Often, a poor financial situation can hinder your decision to switch to a new career. If you are mindful of your spending habits, if you have adequate savings and if you are not too anxious about how badly your finances will be affected by a career change, you will be more confident about making that change.

- Once you have chosen a career, keep updating your skills and adding new skills so that you remain a cut above the competition. When you get an opportunity to specialize in that career, go for it.

Try adopting these tips to help you be better prepared to face a future with a new career. Use career guides and career interest tests not only to aid you in finding the best career change option, but also to help you emerge successful in your new job.

Effective Job Search

When people have a goal in mind or want to find something, there's one simple process that needs to be carried out - that of actively going after or searching for that prize. The search for a great job is no different, and while mass communication makes job hunting easier, there's still a lengthy process involved when you're trying to find the job you want. Here are a few tips and pointers that will help you on your journey to employment.

Are you wondering why you still haven't landed a job? More than likely you have made the same mistake as most other people, which is that you are searching through only one source. Don't look at only the local newspaper; broaden your search to other sources. Also, by keeping track of where you have submitted your application from the beginning, you can circumvent the difficulty of managing multiple sources and avoid duplicate submissions.

As always, an excellent source for current job listings is the newspaper. Job listings can also be found on the Internet (job listing sites). When searching online, try to scan several sites to expand your chances. Don't underestimate the ability of networking. Friends may know of a place that is seeking new employees, but also consider asking a former coworker or even previous employers. Often, they can give you a lead on a job that's open. To start networking, it is suggested that you expand your search horizons. It is imperative that you commit to allow time for an in-depth search, despite your busy schedule, since the results will be rewarding.

It can sometimes take a fair bit of time before you do find employment, and you may have to send out many applications or go through a few interviews before landing a job. You'll need to make sure you stay motivated to stick with your search, as most people end up giving in to frustrations and quitting the hunt. Certainly, if you do stop looking for employment, you'll never gain a job, so you should find ways of making sure you continue looking, by giving yourself small rewards or by applying some guilt to yourself. Any method that keeps you on the hunt and far away from discouragement is the right one to choose.

Just remember, it's not really a "job search" if you aren't actually searching. It's never really easy to find a good job, even now with the availability of the Internet. It is necessary for you to devote a great deal of time and effort to it rather than just waiting for something to appear out of the blue. If you are lucky enough to have that sort of luck come your way, then jump on it. Otherwise, you have to go out there and find opportunities rather than wait for them to find you.

The last thing to make sure you do during your search for employment is to research your field of profession thoroughly and take an in-depth look at companies you apply to. You may find that the industry you want to work in is saturated in your region, which will tell you to find a different spin on what you can do and expand your horizons, or you may find that an attractive company really isn't that pretty, once you find out their history. To be successful in your search for employment, be persistent and knowledgeable, always on the lookout for information that will help you land that perfect job.

Preparing For Various Interview Types

If you've been on multiple job interviews then you know that you might encounter a different environment depending on the company you interview with. This is pretty common because every company has its own culture. And more importantly, each company - and even department - instills its own interviewing strategy.

Sometimes you know what type of interview you're going to walk into and sometimes you don't. So to be prepared for anything, let's take a brief look at varying interview types.

The Screening Interview

Often times, when you apply for a job, the company will look over your resume and cover letter as a sort of filtering process to determine whether you're generally qualified for the job. However, on occasion, a company might go one step further by conducting what is known as a screening interview. In this interview - which might be conducted in person or over the phone - a representative will ask you some questions to determine your interest in the job and basic qualifications.

Structured Interview

Another interview type that you might be prepared for is the structured interview. In this type of interview, the interviewer will ask specific, predetermined questions meant to explore experience, skills and personality traits. The goal of this type of interview is to find the ideal candidate. Very often, this interview is the determining factor in whether you will be hired for a position.

Stress Interview

This type of interview style is rarer than others because it is a bit unorthodox. During this interview, the interviewer will try to intentionally upset you to see how you might react under pressure. You might be asked questions designed to make you feel uncomfortable. Or the interviewer may interrupt you while you're speaking.

Group Interview

The group interview is pretty much just what you think it is. It is a number of representatives from the company opting to interview you at the same time. Often times, each member of the group is designated a style of questions to ask (ex. stress). However, other times, the interviewers may be allowed to start a sort of "free for all" as long as they don't step on the toes of other interviewers.

Multiple Interviews

If you have been moving up the corporate ladder, over the past few years then you may have noticed that you first started with structured interviews only. However, as you're moving higher up the chain, you may be participating in multiple interviews.Multiple interviews are usually a combination of several types of interviews you're already familiar with. For instance, you may first undergo a screening interview so they can determine whether you're qualified to move on to the next step. Then you may attend a group interview where multiple representatives will have an opportunity to determine your qualifications. Finally, you might go to an informal interview - possibly at a lunch - where you meet with one or more interviewers to talk casually about the job.

There are other interview types out there to consider, including targeted and situational. By knowing what's out there, you can more easily prepare for any interviewing scenario you find yourself in.