It is easy to find lists and lists of potential interview questions all over the internet.
Often people will download these lists and then practice their answers to every specific question starting with number one, then two, three, four and so on.
However, trying to anticipate and practicing answers to specific questions can be overly focussed.
Companies all over the place have positions with the same job title but can have very different job specifications or responsibilities positions that look the same on paper.
Add to that the company HR will ask questions based on their slant on the position on offer which in turn may have a very different view as to what you might have expected.
All this suggests that rehearsing answers to the specific questions you think you may be asked is not productive.
There are better ways to prepare for interview.
Rather than try and anticipate what someone else might ask I would suggest you put your effort into practicing responses in a more general sense and under different headings.
The competency based interview style is now very much in vogue and this style of interview asks questions that cannot be answered with just a yes or no.
They prompt you to explain your experience in a particular area by relating how an issue or problem arose, what you did about it and the results achieved. So you can see that a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ type of answer will not be sufficient.
This style of questioning probes your responses to any issue where the objective is to ascertain the depth of your understanding of a particular area of work or responsibility.
At interview there are two broad areas that you can be asked about:
1. Questions about the work you have done in the past – Your Career History
2. Questions about you as a person – Your Skills.
If you have made a decent job of your C.V. you will have several bullet points under both of the above headings. If you haven’t then you should add them now.
To prepare yourself for interview questions, first think carefully about your current or last job and the key responsibilities that you had.
Think of about six of the most important or most relevant topics that you were responsible for and write them down.
If for instance your area of work is in order processing then you will probably have responsibilities that will require you to deal with sales persons, possibly with irate customers, call that customer services.
In addition you will probably liaise with the dispatch department, production, accounts, finance etc. Carefully think about two or three situations that arose under each heading. Good juicy ones for the want of a better description, difficult issues that you fixed.
Think through each event carefully, recalling all the circumstances that arose and everything that led you to becoming involved with each particular problem.
Call this ‘The Problem’.
Next carefully recall what you did or how you dealt with these problems.
Call this ‘The Action’.
Lastly document the result of your action for your own reference.
List the successful outcomes of what you did to resolve each problem as it arose and if possible qualify it with € or % or time. Saved 200k per month – Reduced downtime by 20% etc.
Call this ‘The Result’.
If you carefully recall two or three issues you were involved in under each of your areas of responsibilities you will have refreshed your memory in eight, ten or more situations that you can instantly recall in detail.
No matter what you are asked you will be able to use one of these events that you have rehearsed in your mind.
At the very worst you will use a part of any one that’s relevant and you will be speaking about something that you have actually done, it will have conviction.
In this fashion whatever question you are asked in respect of your career history you will have a real example that is very closely related to the question asked and on the tip of your tongue. You will be able to respond immediately, with full knowledge of the event. You will present yourself as knowledgeable and confident. Why? Because you will have recalled every event carefully in advance allowing you to respond promptly with no if’s, but’s or head scratching.
Lastly, refer back to you list of ‘Actions’ and in each case ask yourself, “what skills do I possess that allowed me to manage this problem.
You will quickly identify a list of skills that applies to each action. This will be the basis of your response to questions about you as a person. Like the Problems, Actions and Results but in reverse.
So rather than try to prepare an exact answer to an exact question that you may never be asked, prepare an answers based on your successes under the various headings of your responsibilities and which you are likely to be asked about.
In this manner you can manoeuvre an answer in response to most questions that will be close enough to the information sought along with interesting detail and with your successful results.
That’s what an employer wants to hear.
Do not believe for one moment having given your work history a quick thought you will be able to remember it in detail. Interviews are stressful and even in the most relaxed interview you are guaranteed to forget lots and lots of valuable detail that could be very relevant.
So think, think and think again, think through every moment of every event. Have it fresh in your mind.
With all these events freshly recalled and we’ll practised in your mind, you should cruise through almost any interview with ease.
Colm Cavey has over 24 years’ experience in helping people change careers and find the kind of job they want. Colm can review your CV, help you organise your job hunt and provide one to one interview and presentation coaching or all of those elements together in a full Career Change programme. To find out more about Colm you can contact him directly on 086-3017207 or via his company Professional Career Consulting