Interview Help – Dealing with the difficult questions at an interview

Being invited to an interview is half the battle. That means you have already impressed the potential employer with your CV showing your work experience, skills, and educational history.

He or she has already read about your background. The interview is the opportunity to get to know you as a person and to evaluate your compatibility with the company. During the interview, you will be presented with many difficult questions, some you have never considered before. To ease your nerves, prepare yourself by taking some interview help.

Many people make the mistake of entering an interview expecting to regurgitate what the employer has already read on your CV. You would not be asked about your work history, but rather more personal questions.

Rather, you would be asked such questions as “Tell me about when a project went wrong”, “How do fire an employee?”, “What do you do when two members of your team cannot work together?”, “Where do you see yourself in 2 years?”, “Why did you apply to this company?” Most of the difficult questions asked in an interview have underlying intentions. These questions will test your nerves, honesty, and ability to work under pressure.

Every employer wants honest employees. The interviewer will attempt to pry as much information from you as possible to get a feel for your personality and honesty. Since that is the interviewer’s agenda, be yourself and be honest in the interview. When presented with questions about your personal character, answer with confidence and relate your answers to your prospective job’s objectives.

You will probably also be asked about your previous or past job. When answering any of these questions, especially the questions directed towards why you left or what you enjoyed least about the job, stay professional and answer honestly without demeaning your previous or past job. Do not point blame at the company, rather explain why you felt you were not a good fit for the company, and follow with some qualities of the company you are interviewing for and why those suit you better.

The interviewer knows you are nervous. In the workplace, no matter how nervous you are, you must always maintain your professional composure. Likewise in an interview. The interviewer will ask any question he wants.

There will be very abrupt questions such as “What are your salary expectations?” and “How long do you expect to work before getting a promotion?” These are very straightforward questions that require thought. Take a brief moment to think and breathe before you reply. Do not reply with “I earn £50,000 a year and would like to maintain my current salary.” That does not give the employer much room for negotiation.

Show you are interested in the company and not the salary and are willing to negotiate. A reply similar to “I’m interested in working for the company and am interested in the whole package it has to offer me.”

Before stepping into an interview, prepare. Good preparation will help will relax your nerves and give you the confidence the employer is looking for in a new employee.