Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Job Interview Questions and Answers

By Ray James

There is no doubting that interviews are stressful, however, if one is properly prepared then there is every opportunity that the interview will be successful. The job interview questions and answers not only assess a candidate's intellect but it also their presence of mind, patience and overall attitude. Every candidate who goes for an interview should be properly prepared. An unprepared person will appear foolish in the interview room. Every candidate who is to be interviewed has almost the same qualifications and the same ambitions, so it is vital for a candidate to distinguish himself from the rest; personal branding of oneself is a necessity and it always plays a fundamental role in a candidate?s success.

There are no guides available at present concerning job interview questions and answers that focus on a personal USP. USP is a marketing notion that and is an acronym for "unique selling proposition". A person?s USP has the ability to create an individual representation of them in the mind of the interviewer which will differentiate them from the rest of the candidature. The job interview questions and answers session tests a candidate's nerve, preparation and capacity to persuade the interviewer. The following list is of typical questions:

"Describe yourself." "Why do you want to join our company?" "How do you personally manage stress?" "Do you consider yourself to be a team player?" "What would you expect as a starting salary?" "Why should we consider employing you over another person?" "What are your work ethics?" "How would you describe your dream job?" "Why did you leave your previous employment?" "Describe your previous employment." Would you like to ask any questions" etc

Whilst a candidate should prepare their personal profile, it should not appear rehearsed when they are delivering it at the interview. Within this personal profile should be the candidate?s educational qualifications, family background and achievements. Any achievement that is relevant to the field for which the candidate has applied should be highlighted. Answers should be precise and succinct. The candidate should address everybody whilst replying to questions, maintain appropriate eye contact, use suitable body language and always have a pleasant smile.

The applicant should affirm that they have appropriate qualifications for the position and that they are a team player for whom job satisfaction has more importance than money, but care should be taken to not overstate this point. An applicant should be honest as to why they left their previous position but should not allow the focus to dwell on this point. If asked about their expected salary level, the applicant should not make the first statement as he may end up losing if the employer was willing to pay more. Job interview questions and answers are slightly different for a newcomer and for an experienced worker. For a newcomer, the questions focus primarily on educational qualifications and other relevant skills whereas for an experienced person they tend to focus on previous work. No job interview question and answer guide is of any use to an applicant unless and until they begin to believe in their own ability.

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