Top 10 Most Common Job Interview Questions

Top 10 Most Common Job Interview Questions

For as long as I remembered, the thought of attending a job interview is as scary as hell. The last interview I had took place almost 9 years ago but the picture of me being “grilled” by 3 “predators” is still very vivid in my mind, as though it just took place yesterday.

The nerves had finally left me when I changed role and became the “predator” and having the understanding of the many facets of job interview techniques. Whew! So, age and experience does make a difference after all!

The following is our compilation of the top 10 most common interview questions job-seekers should expect. All the best to you, guys and gals!

1) Tell me about yourself.

This is usually at the very beginning, after the initial greetings and “ice-breaking” exchanges. At first glance, this seems to be an easy question but watch out, as you have the liberty to say almost anything, you are also being assessed on your “thought organization”. How are you going to start? What should be your starting point – to begin with a history of yourself since the day you were born or the day you graduated? What are the details you should include and exclude? One tip: It’s best to stick with your “professional” history – it means no details on your last break-up or problem with your maid. Smart interviewees should always view this question as an opportunity to “sell” your strengths!

2) Why did you leave your last job?

As much as honesty is the best policy, it is always difficult to convince the interviewer that your immediate superior was a rascal even though he is one. Whining to the interviewer is not going to impress him at all. If that is the sole reason and you really cannot find any other better reason why you had quit, make the explanation as brief as possible. A possible answer: “I had a falling off with my superior due to different opinions over certain issues. We felt the best way to resolve it is perhaps to part ways for the benefit of the organization and our relationship.”

3) What are your greatest strengths?

It is best to elaborate by substantiating with some examples or evidences. For instance, if your strength was “well organized”, perhaps you can give evidence of the recent event that you had help to organize that turned out successful due to the systematic and methodical approach that you had adopted in organizing the event.

4) Why did you choose this career?

This is one of the most fundamental questions but many job-seekers including the experienced ones had overlooked. Perhaps many job-seekers were themselves uncertain of why they had chosen the career in the first place. Your answer will tell a lot about your maturity and the things that you care and value. The interviewer would like to see a match between your personal convictions and the job requirements.

5) How would your boss describe you?

It’s time to recall your most recent performance appraisal. Hopefully you had a good boss that has given you some feedback of your performance and attitude at work. As an interviewer, I realized many Malaysian bosses and superiors do not give feedback to their workers and thus, many interviewees have nothing to share. However, it is best to have an inkling or general idea of what your boss felt about you. Be careful that you do not put words in your boss’ mouth because a reference check with your boss anytime later will reveal all the facts anyway.

6) What do you see yourself in three to five years from now?

It’s always good to have some good and realistic goals crafted even though no one really knows what happens tomorrow. Talk about in terms of growing together with a dynamic company or work towards a position of higher responsibility indicates to the interviewer that you are a serious worker that plans his/her career ahead.

7) What is your greatest achievement so far?

There may be many achievements in the past but select one that gives you an advantage for the job that you are now applying. For example, if you are being interviewed for a Junior Managerial position, talk about your achievements in terms of getting your team together to successfully implemented a project. Talk about the leadership style that you had used that helped to steer the team to have cohesive working relationships.

8) Why should we hire you?

Talk in terms of your strengths and how you can contribute to that position with your experience and skills. The key is to show to the interviewer the confidence that you exudes but avoid “over selling” that portrays desperation. A brief summary should suffice: “With the six years’ experience in database administration and my experience in supervising some juniors in the past, I am confident of leading a small team in this project. You can rest assured of the quality of my work as can be testified by my past customers’ testimonials.”

9) What can you tell us about our company?

It is a question to test your seriousness in working with them. A serious jobseeker would do his/her homework by doing some background findings – the current and past projects/contracts secured by the company. Finding out the background of the company has become easier now as most companies had a web presence. Thus, there is really no excuse for jobseekers to say they do not know anything about the company.

10) What is your expected salary?

This is the most common question and you are expected to give a range of salary for the interviewer to assess whether the hiring of you would meet or exceed their budget. If you have no clue on the going rate, then it is only proper to ask politely. However, it is always wise to check out the going rate for the job prior to the interview –evidence of proactive attitude is always a big plus. This is a question that is usually asked at the end of the interview only.

What NOT to Ask or Say in A Job Interview

Job search ethics and protocols are important. The more you know about them, the more prepared are you in handling a job interview. A big part of them has to do with what NOT to ask or say in an interview.

Below are the top 10 common gaffes made and they do not resonate well with the interviewers.

1.What kind of business does your company is involved in?

By asking this question, you are telling the interviewer how unprepared and how uninterested you are in the job. No excuse for not knowing when you can easily do a google search now.

2.How much can you pay me?

A valid question and at some point of time, this subject need to be settled. However, it is a mistake if you chose to ask this question right at the beginning of an interview. Some even asked before the interviewer has a chance to pose their first question – “Before we begin, how much can you pay for this job? Honestly, I don’t wish to waste anyone’s time if you can’t offer what I’m expecting.”

3.What kind of benefits does the company provides?

Again, it’s a question that you have every right to know the answer but it should not be raised right at the beginning of the interview. Keep the question until the end of the interview or if there is more than one interview, it should be raised only at the second interview or until the interviewer make the first move in discussing the subject.

4.I really needed a job now. Please hire me. I can do anything.

You may be desperate but there is no need to beg. Stay professional by putting your best self forward. Remember employers do not hire out of sympathy.

5.Is this a stressful job?

Why are you asking this question? Is it because your intention of getting another job is to get into a comfortable 9-5 job with no overtime? Even if that is your purpose of changing jobs, you can bet no employer may be that keen to hire someone that put in the time and take the paycheck at the end of the month without much contribution. It just doesn’t resonate well with employers that believe employees will either make or break the company. Employees that make the company are those that enjoy challenges, excited about growth, take on extra responsibilities and willing to walk the extra mile.

6.Avoid slangs and Manglish

Slangs are usually used by graduates that had just returned from their overseas study. Perhaps with the intention of making an impression, you try to please the interviewer with your American or Australian slang. Do not do that because slangs denote disrespect to your listeners that are trying to figure out what you are saying.

And avoid Manglish that ends with lah, nah or mixed with other local dialects. Remember you are not having a conversation with friends and do not think by being casual in your language, you are projecting yourself as friendly. Speak proper English with the right use of grammar.

7.Avoid debate on sensitive issues related to politics and religion

Be clear of your objective. This is a job interview and not a platform to influence and convert the interviewer to your views and beliefs, even when the interviewer get distracted and started the subject first. Stay focused.

8.Do not bad-mouth your previous employers

Criticizing your ex-employers in any way lets the interviewers realize you may do the same to them should you be hired and left the company one day. Whatever fall out you may have in the past with your ex-bosses is best left in the past. Make your statements short and try to stay as objective as possible. Do not let bitterness get the better of you.

9.Stay away from sharing personal stuff

One of the common questions asked by interviewer is, “Tell me about yourself”. Don’t tell your life story. Stick to your professional self as much as possible although you can touch a bit on your school life or outside interests but they should be kept at a minimum unless the interviewer probe further. Any other personal issue such as related to your recent divorce or in-laws should not be brought up at all.

10. One or two word answers

There will be times whereby one word answer is the only way of answering but if throughout the whole interview, the replies that come from your mouth are one word or short answers, you are in trouble. You have just succeeded in getting into the nerves of the interviewer and managed to convey one clear message – lack of interest.

Body Language In Job Interviews

It was researched and discovered that there is one time, the only time, when a candidate’s body language is significant, and that is right after an interviewer ask a question. That moment is a brief one, barely a 10th of a second.

Two things to watch out in terms of body-language cues:

1. The physical distance between the interviewer and the candidate

People lean toward to the things they like and away from things they dislike. When a candidate leans forward, most of the time the things said would be positive and vice versa.

2. Candidate’s eye movements

In normal circumstances, candidates would maintain a fairly good uninterrupted direct eye contact throughout the interview. If out of a sudden, their eyes focused on something else, say something outside the window, the interviewer’s desk or studying their hands, this may suggest that they would like to get away from your question.

Leaning away or averting their eyes from the interviewer is suggesting that they are not comfortable with the question asked and unconsciously they react by increasing the distance between themselves and the interviewer.

It was said a positive body language will followed by a positive response; and a negative one will generate a negative response. When it does not follow this standard pattern, most likely the candidate is lying. In such a scenario, an astute Interviewer should follow up with another question to seek for clarification.

Other cues to watch out:

? Teeth grinding

? Straightening their glasses

? Fidgeting

? Nervous laugh

? Face gone red

? Unusual long pauses

? Crossing their arms

? Throat clearing

These are non-verbal response as signs of discomfort with the line of questioning. When you detect these signs, it’s a good idea to replay mentally what was just asked or said. Is it because what were just asked touched a raw nerve or was it something they regretted saying?

Of course, not all body language cues are negative. When the candidate leans forward, speaks faster than usual and uses more hand movements, it signals excitement and that’s a positive sign.

Besides, not all gestures are to be taken seriously and they may not carry any significant message. For example, crossing their arms can simply mean they are cold. So perhaps the interviewer should lower down the air-conditioner’s temperature instead of trying to figure out what the cue means.

The key is to look out for any extraordinary changes in body language that happen immediately after a question is asked.

Listen with your eyes

Since young, we were taught about verbal skills, with very little or none at all on body language or the act of listening. But if you are an amateur interviewee, be ready for this - Your every move from your head to toe is being watched! Welcome to the real interview world! Research studies has indicated that only 7% of the message is delivered through words while 93% is conveyed through body language and tone of voice (7% from the verbal content, 38% from the tone of voice, and 55% from the body language). If the statistics of the research studies is true, the authentic response is most likely derived from the body language and not from the actual words being uttered. The great management guru, Peter F. Drucker has this to say, “The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.”

As professional interviewers, they are trained to observe and listen with their eyes on significant things such as pauses, changes in hand and leg movements, voice tone and pitch, and even in breathing variations. But even professional interviewers may have off days too and the way they respond to your answer through their tone, hand gestures and eye contact can give away their underlying thoughts. Thus, interviewees can always learn a thing or two about body language to gauge the level of engagement you manage to make throughout the interview process.

When they lean back in their chairs

People tend to lean toward the things they like and distance themselves from those they dislike. In the process of answering your question and if you notice such a behavior, it may mean that the interviewer is not very receptive to what he/she is hearing.

Folding arms

It is always not a good sign. The interviewer is creating a distance and your answer does not seem to please him. Hands that are open and visible indicate a positive acceptance. However, if the interviewer was folding his/her arms the whole time, it may not be a cause to worry as this may probably be his/her normal posture.

Eye contact

If the interviewer rarely looks at you and has his eyes on other things beyond the room, this may signal a lack of interest in you. Perhaps he was forced to conduct the interview by a higher authority. If he/she is your next report in the event of successful hire, you may want to rethink of joining and working with a superior that lacks energy and professionalism.

Laugh at a response

Obviously, you have given a “bad” answer. Perhaps it is best to make amends straight away. The worst thing to respond to that is putting a serious face and reply, “Do you think that is funny?” But then it is a different thing altogether if you are applying for a Stand Up Comedian position, isn’t it?

10 Most Common Job Interview Blunders

In my years of experience as a Recruiter, I had come across some unforgettable candidates that had either wowed me with their polished communication skills or left me scratching my head with disbelief minutes after the interview.

For the latter, I had encountered candidates from donning attire fit for a garbage collector’s job to those with layers of powder on their faces or thick eyelashes that give you a scare at the first look. And there are those that came in with such odor that I have to excuse myself to the wash room for some fresh air! Don’t laugh. These blunders are real and some people are not aware of them because nobody told them so.

The following are the ten most common job interview blunders that every interviewee should note and avoid.

1.Arriving late because you can’t locate the office or did not factor time for traffic jam. In unavoidable cases, be sure to advise the interviewer as soon as you know you would be late.

2.Wrong dress code – short pants, jeans, sandals, halternecks, plunging necklines, semi-transparent blouses or anything that are categorized as casual. Dressing leaves the first impression and it has a lasting effect. Formal and conservative dressing will never run out of fashion for job interviews.

3.Heavy make-up and thick mascara – again, to be avoided at all costs unless you are going for an audition as a singer or actress.

4.Bad odor – if you know you have a problem in this area, please remember to wear cologne or find other ways to reduce the odor.

5.Stay dumb or give one word answer. This is probably due to nerves. The best cure is to practice with a friend before an interview. Run through some of the common job interview questions and prepare your answers accordingly. Be responsive and answer your questions as best as you can.

6.Talking too much. Some people talk non-stop when they are nervous. They comment on everything and can’t keep their mouths shut. They even volunteer to answer questions that are not asked. I had one candidate that even sang two lines of a song to prove a point that he can sing. And I did not even ask that question. Advice: keep your answer succinct and do not ramble.

7.Bad mouth your boss. Do not bad mouth your current or former boss even if you were treated unfairly. This is not the time and place to crave for sympathy. You won’t find an ally in the interviewer.

8.Answer cell phone. And some even have the guts to say the call was from their important client by making hand signals to the interviewer. Oh boy!

9.Ask about the salary right at the beginning of the interviewer. Any money talk should be reserved at the end of the interview or initiated by the interviewer.

10.Give the wrong answer. I had a candidate who told me “I like to play sepak takraw” when I asked him to tell me his ambition. He obviously misunderstood my question and thought I was enquiring about his hobby. Advice: clarify with the interviewer if you are unsure of the question.

These blunders will send up a red flag for recruiters for they indicate your lackadaisical attitude. Prepare as much as you can before an interview. It’s better to be serious than feeling sorry later.

Why Can’t I Find A Job? List Of Possible Reasons

If you can’t get a job during slow economic times, you are not at fault. Blame it on the job market. However, in good times and in this instance, Malaysia’s job market is looking reasonably good at present, you should not be having too much difficulty of getting hired.

So, if you are still having trouble after some time, you might want to find out why. Is there anything you can do to change the course of your fate?

1. Applying the wrong jobs or jobs different from what you’ve been trained

Nothing wastes your time or recruiters more than applying for a job you aren’t qualified for. Your chances of getting an interview are very slim. And same goes to applying for jobs that are different from what you are trained for. For example, you are trained in marketing but now applying for jobs in education. With no relevant experience, it’s difficult to get employers to short list you. If you are serious about changing your specialization field, you might need some help in the form of a friend’s recommendation. Otherwise, it’s almost impossible to get an interview through the normal process – your application simply won’t pass the prescreening stage.

2. Not looking hard enough

Are you limiting yourself to just one job search platform? Throw your net wider. Registered with sites that will send you job alerts automatically while actively looking out for other ways. Do check out prospective employers’ websites too. Have a system in place and keep a record of jobs you have applied.

3. A bad resume or online profile

Whether you like it or not, first impression is important. And the resume is your first impression in this instance. It pays to have a well-written resume – and give some thoughts on your strengths and accomplishments. As a recruiter, I appreciate a good resume when I see one. Sometimes the candidate might not match the job at hand, but a resume that stands out will stuck with me and if there is a suitable job in the future, guess whose resume I can recall? Even if you’ve never worked before, be sure to put something like volunteer experience.

4. Poor command of English

This is unfortunately one of the top reasons among Malaysian graduates. They got short listed for interviews but they blew their chances away simply because they cannot express their thoughts confidently in English. Unless you are applying for a job with a government agency, English is a language that one needs to master if you wish to survive and thrive in the private sectors.

5. Stiff competition in your field

Some jobs have a greater demand and some are not. If you happened to be in a job that has more supply than demand, the only advice is to stay positive and be patient. Get all the above points right and you will stand a good chance to beat your competition.

6. Too fussy and ignoring small businesses

Many job seekers especially graduates limit their dream job to working with the top companies and ignore the rest. But the fact is there might not be that many vacancies to go round. Besides, most of them are also selecting the cream of the crop. If you do not happen to be one, are you going to sit and wait for a miracle to drop on your lap? Small companies should not be ignored and many provide similar if not more exposure and opportunities for your career growth.

Being unemployed is disheartening. It can cause frustration or depression and affects your self-esteem. If you are at a stage whereby you thought you have done whatever you could to get a job but to no avail, you might want to consider professional help in the form of a career coach. It’s never a shame or too late to ask for help.