Have you ever wondered what it takes to get a job? Most people will say that having a professional resume will get you there although that's not necessarily true. Someone might say it is networking that may grant you employment although without a good resume as well as a successful job interview it is very unlikely. SO We can conclude that successful employment is a result of a combination of factors. The last of these factors (maybe the most important one) is a job interview. After you are invited to a job interview you know that it is probably the final test that will decide whether you are taken or not. That is why smart job seekers prepare for interviews. In this article, we will help those who want to be well-prepared for the interview to answer some of the toughest interview questions.
How Do You Prepare for a Job Interview?
There are many things one can do in order to prepare himself/herself for the upcoming job interview. Research information about a prospective employer, find out the average salary range for the position applied, learn more about specific needs of the company, etc. But we are not going to go into details about these things as we have already covered them all in our previous blog series. We will just list some of the toughest question you might have to face during an interview and you can decide for yourself whether you are ready to answer them in a way that would demonstrate your professionalism and skills.
A lot of interview questions are meant to check one's self-awareness, transparency, and integrity. One of the best questions for doing so is 'Why should we hire you?'. There is a variation of this question: 'Why shouldn't we hire you?' Hiring authorities will be paying a special attention to how you are going to answer this question. It doesn't take much to see whether you are honest and whether you can realistically evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. 'What motivates you at work?' is another tough question you have to be prepared to answer. Is it the determination to succeed? Or is it fear of failure? Neither of this answer can be right or wrong. It can be either honest or not. It is just that sometimes it is important for employers to know whether you can be straightforward during an interview. Lets move on to your professional skills. 'What is your biggest accomplishment?' Have you ever thought of your past accomplishments? No? Well, you should have (at least when you wrote your resume or CV). If asked about your proudest career moment or the biggest accomplishments you have to be ready to mention one or two accomplishments that really stand out. No need to give them the whole list of things you consider your career accomplishments. 'What didn't you include on your resume that you would want to tell us?' You probably know that a decent resume doesn't have more than 2 pages usually because hiring authorities simply don't have enough time to read lengthy documents. There should be something then that you would want to dwell on in more details. It is better if you prepare your speech.
The Ultimate Test
If you can easily answer all of the aforementioned questions it is quite likely that you are ready to undergo a job interview. It doesn't mean that you will successfully pass it and get a job, but it certainly means that you have what to say to a prospective employer. Lastly, don't forget to prepare the list of questions to ask an HR - this will show your real interest in the position and the company.
