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How to Answer 25 Top Interview Questions:
Part 1 of 5
“Remember: the best candidates don’t necessarily get the job: the best interviewee does.”
– Matthew J. DeLuca, Best Answers to the 201 Most Frequently Asked Interview Questions
1. INTRO QUESTION: “What do you prefer to be called?”
Mr. DeLuca says, “This is a considerate question that indicates the interviewer wishes to make you comfortable by calling you the way you wished to be called.”
Many names, especially common ones, have variations. Be forward with your answer, which shows confidence and decisiveness. If the interviewer cannot pronounce your name correctly, even after you say it, this may be an indication that they are not good listeners, which can point to larger concerns to keep an eye on with the company.
If you have a nickname that is not a shorter variant of your first or middle name, you may want to hold off disclosing that name until after you are hired.
EXAMPLE:
Name: John James Smith
Appropriate variations: Johnny, Jay, JJ, etc.
Inappropriate: Smithy, Ace, etc.
Mr. DeLuca adds, “Your name is important to you and you get to determine the impact it has on the interviewer.”
2. PERSONAL: “How do you define Success?”
This answer should be thought out before the interview. Since you’re not speaking to a career counselor, your answer should tie into how you can be useful to the company. The interviewer may also be gauging your drive and awareness of having larger goals than just the day-to-day. Whatever your answer is, it should frame your ability to set a goal, work toward it, and achieve it.
EXAMPLE:
“I am successful if, at the end of the day, I am able to say that I helped somebody, I got to learn and evaluate myself, and I was able to grow.”
3. EDUCATION: “What do you know about the company?”
Mr. DeLuca warns, “If you are unprepared for this one, you should not be sitting in this meeting in the first place.”
He continues, “Consider the question from a selfish point of view:
- Why is this organization for you?
- What makes you take the time to meet with them rather than the practically millions of others?
- What value can you offer to this organization?”
Using this mindset, research as much as you can about the company, but choose what you share wisely. This is not the time to expose any negative information you may have found. Make it known that you are aware of the company’s operations and size/scope/projected expansion/etc. If you find a relevant fact not easily discoverable, it may be valuable to share. Be cautious not to overshare as it may become off-putting.
4. EXPERIENCE: “How would you rank yourself among your peers?”
This is a tough one. The magic happens when you can find the middle ground between not enough and too much. You can use the opportunity to highlight former accomplishments, or awards you’ve received. If you find that you’re not a natural braggart and need to soften the blow (this writer.), Mr. DeLuca suggests using this phrase:
“I believe you will find when checking with my references that I… [insert achievement]”
You can also use this time to address your strengths and weaknesses, potentially answering these forthcoming questions. If you have already answered the strength/weakness questions, you can refer back to your previous answers, giving a sense of continuity and stability to your answers.
5. BEHAVIOR: “Can you describe a situation where you failed to reach a goal?”
Focus on the part of the story where you overcome adversity, not the failure part. The interviewer wants to know how you deal with struggles. If you have a story where you ultimately achieve the goal after overcoming, that one is your winner. The story can be personal or professional, but make sure you stay positive. Here is Mr. DeLuca’s example:
“College may be one example, for instance, if you had to delay higher education because of personal circumstances.”
CONCLUSION
This is the first in a series of 5 blogs, related to Matthew J. DeLuca’s book, Best Answers to the 201 Most Frequently Asked Interview Questions. For more information, or to purchase this, or his follow up book, follow the affiliate links below:
Best Answers to the 201 Most Frequently Asked Interview Questions
More Best Answers to the 201 Most Frequently Asked Interview Questions
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