Job interview: 8 questions to master right now in order to get your dream job!
Job interview: 8 questions to master right now in order to get your dream job!
Job interview questions are probably one of the main sources of nervousness during the job search that we can face.
Here are some tips!
There are key questions that can either get us to the next round or leave us out of the process.
The good news is that these job interview questions address a topic you know better than anyone else: yourself.
8 job interview questions you need to master.
It is not only to inquire about your work experience, your knowledge and your academic preparation, the interview is also focused on knowing your personality, how you will face the challenges at work, how you relate to people.
That’s why we give you some tips to answer these job interview questions:
- Tell me about yourself
It has a well thought-out objective for the recruiter: to know what you have to offer, as an employee and as a person, to the company.
How you work, in what areas you have experience and why you can be a valuable asset to an organization.
These types of job interview questions add personal experiences that can complement your profile, such as how disciplined your habits are, your desire to learn by watching documentaries, or how you enjoy reading a new book.
Be sure to be honest in your answer!
- Why are you looking for a job / Why did you leave your previous job?
It’s a big mistake to complain about how badly you were treated at your former company.
Instead, focus on the new goals you are looking to achieve and the challenges you expect from a new job.
If you talk negatively about the company, boss or coworkers from your previous job, you will give a bad impression, even if you are right. Talk about improvement and growth, not dissatisfaction.
It is not bad to mention that you feel stagnant or that you do not think you have more opportunities in your current company, but always highlighting your desire to move forward.
It is also not bad to mention that the company had to make staff cuts, unfortunately the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted small and large companies, so it is important to be honest with the reason for your departure.
- What is your biggest flaw?
With this type of job interview question, the recruiter is interested in two key aspects of you:
- Your ability to own up to your mistakes.
- Your ability to correct them
They want to know if you are the type of person who welcomes criticism and strives to improve, or rather the type who denies mistakes and is reluctant to change habits.
Don’t fall for the cliché answers: ‘I’m too much of a perfectionist’, ‘I’m too responsible’, ‘I get stressed if something doesn’t go right’. They don’t help you and many people answer that.
We suggest you take a psychometric test that reveals your areas of opportunity (at OCCMundial you can take a free test) or focus on a skill that is important for your career, but not determinant for the position.
For example, if you are a web programmer you can say that your weakness is public speaking; that is, it would be good if you learned to let yourself go when speaking in front of an audience, but your job will be programming, not organizing events. This way you will be honest, but you will not put your job at risk.
- Why did you have a short tenure in your previous job?
This question will come up if the recruiter identifies a short tenure or a pattern of short employment relationships in your history.
This is normal: they are concerned that you are unstable.
It’s okay to argue that you’re looking for a more challenging opportunity, or that the job didn’t turn out to be what you expected. Remember that it is not a good idea to speak negatively about former employers.
- What are your salary expectations?
If it’s your first interview, you don’t want to put a price tag on yourself just yet.
You can make time with answers like “I am looking for a competitive salary but it is not the only thing that interests me, I would like to know more about the functions and challenges of the position” or “I think I need more details about the position to know what would be the right salary”.
“If from the first job interview you are looking to talk about salary you can get burned out. The first interview is about getting to know each other”.
Gerardo García, salary consultant and chief information officer at Mercer.
Although there may also be occasions in which from the first interview all the details of the position and the company are discussed, so if you are sure and you already know how much salary you are looking for, it is also a good time to talk about it.
In many occasions it is according to how the interview flows.
- Tell me about a time in your work life when you made a mistake, how did you solve it?
This type of questions are classic in a job interview and are focused on going beyond the answers given and questioning the candidate on how he/she reacts to different situations.
You may be asked for examples of conflict resolution, stress, honesty, integrity, etc.
The objective is for you to demonstrate with examples what kind of employee you are and how you act or react to these types of situations. Be prepared in advance to give concrete examples from your professional life.
- Why should we hire you and not other candidates?
Leave your insecurity aside and sell yourself. This is the time to speak well of yourself, highlight your skills, qualities and experience.
Example: “The experience I have acquired in X area allows me to have the necessary skills to meet and exceed your expectations for the position”.
- How do you balance work and life?
People ask this interview question for all kinds of reasons. Some want to assess your dedication to work, while others want to hear that you’re not the kind of person who only lives to work.
Example: “: I am pretty good at balancing work and life. I am able to leave the day behind me and shift gears to spend time with friends and family. I think it’s really easy for me to get by”.
Use your knowledge of your interviewer’s values and the work culture to tailor your answer a bit, without making up a story about yourself that isn’t true.
It will also help to talk about the company, for example: “I know that the company is looking to position itself in the market, and I am interested in being part of the team in charge of meeting that goal. Show your passion and talk about how you will work to achieve the company’s key goals.
Should you like to practice with us, this is the right place! Feel free to visit!
