Help with interview questions please

musashi10

Hi there,

I have an interview next week.

the last time I had an interview I said some REALLY stupid things, so I would like to prepare better this time around.

The two typical questions I get stuck on are.

1. Why do you want to leave your current job?
2. What is your biggest weakness?

Does anyone have a theme or answer that is decent for these two questions?

What other typical questions should I expect?

Any help would be great

Barebear

musashi10 wrote: »

Hi there,

I have an interview next week.

the last time I had an interview I said some REALLY stupid things, so I would like to prepare better this time around.

The two typical questions I get stuck on are.

1. Why do you want to leave your current job?
2. What is your biggest weakness?

Does anyone have a theme or answer that is decent for these two questions?

What other typical questions should I expect?

Any help would be great

1. Why do you want to leave your current job? - Personal Development, limited career opportunities, travel, poor working conditions....

2. What is your biggest weakness? - The political answer is not to answer this directly, but to say that you are maybe a little less experienced in this field, but you are fully committed to gaining that experience and working hard. You are open to suggestions of your areas of weakness if identified and, again, committed to working towards being stronger in those areas. It's all about how you approach your weaknesses, not what they actually are.

t0rt0ise

I wouldn't say poor working conditions as it makes you look like a moaner but anything to do with personal development is good. The actual answer depends on the job you're leaving and the one you're applying for so pick on a difference and exploit it.

The biggest weakness question is a stupid question as there is no good answer but still some like to ask it. What they want to see is that you recognise your weakness and then solved it.. so something like I used to find it difficult to get my project finished on time so I worked out a time management plan and kept to it and that worked very well. Or I used to find it difficult to work on more than one project at a time and then realised that that wasn't using my time effectively so I worked out a way to manage my time better so that etc.. you get the picture. Just make everything you say sound positive, don't be negative at all.

It is said that if you use the word 'but' in a sentence people hear the bit before the but and not the bit after so try not to use the word at all. You can usually change it to 'so' or even 'and' works well. I found that a good tip as it makes everything you say positive rather than negative.

musashi10

Thanks.

Well the real reason I want to leave is (and its quite long winded and probably not appropriate as an answer)-

I got laid off from a very well paid job just over a year ago. I hate not working so took, in a very difficult climate the first half decent opportunity. This was for less money - but there were benefits such as I would be learning some essential new skills and it wasn't in london, so a little less cost on travel.

I spoke to my boss about a pay rise on three occasions now (and have a thread about that) and he promised me more money. However, it has never come to fruition and I think on the last occasion, the allocation was set aside for me, but he gave it to himself and his boss as an extra to their pay rises. So I can either moan about that or do something about it.

My mum died a few months ago and this has really motivated me to DO something about it and not just talk about it.

The money I earn now just about gets me by, but is less than the market rates. This new job is offering slightly above market rates and more than I was earning before.

But I don't want to sound like a money !!!!!. But at the end of the day that and broken prmosies is what has forced me to consider leaving.

I was also headhunted by an agency for this particular role, even though I don't match all the specified criteria - so i'm not sure why?!!! So although I have been looking for work, this one came to me.

So I could perhaps include that somehow, that this opportunity is sooo exciting that I cannot pass up the chance.

Although I work in accounts type role so to have accounts and exciting in the same sentence is somewhat of an oxymoron.

J_i_m

Remember that you can treat an interview as a two way process as well. Take your own questions along with you, and prepare well in advance to give yourself the best chance of appearing calm and confident.

The last interview I went to I was woefully under prepared for, mainly because I simply didn't have the time to prepare, and I was pressured by them to confirm a date, which was easier said than done because I had commitments at my current employment which I couldn't simply ignore.

When I finally got to the interview, which was a bit of a rush because I'd been working during the morning, I was simply shattered, I'd had very little time to prepare myself... I had little idea of what kind of answers I'd give and even less idea of what questions I'd be asking them.

To make things worse, the person interviewing me spoke at about a billion miles an hour! So I could barley understand a word they said. They seemed to be in such a rush! To them I must have seemed very dense and slow.

They say that first impressions count, so within a minute I knew I had no chance of getting the job and they were simply going through the motions... I also knew within that minute that I didn't want the job anyway, because my first impression of them told me that this was a boss, who needed to take some communication lessons! In short I immediately had no confidence in them.

A lot of questions at a interview are dumbfold though unfortunately.

"Why do you want to work for us?"

In your head your'e saying, "um well because I'm skint and these bills won't pay themselves." But you can't say that and have to come up with some utter fluff. I hate that.

t0rt0ise

OP, the first paragraph of your reason for leaving is fine. You were laid off from such and such a company and in this economic climate couldn't get your ideal job so you took a job which would give you the opportunity to learn some new skills so that when the perfect job came along you'd be better prepared.

LittleCharlie

musashi10 wrote: »

2. What is your biggest weakness?

Answer this by telling them about a weakness that you felt you had, and how you overcame that weakness.

The question I hate is "Where do you see yourself in five years time?" because inevitably the answer is "In your job" or "In your managers job" or just plain "Not here!".

musashi10

Right I spoke with the agent today.

she seemed to think it was a bad idea to cite more money as a reason for leaving.

She said it wasn't such a bad idea, in fact she said they would love it, if I comitted the cardinal interview sin and slagged off-to some degree my current work place and prasied theirs. Mainly because they are intense rivals.

Basically the company I work is on the downslide, and their company is growing fast-ours is diorgansied and keeps restructuring every 6 months to a year, there's has structure.

so I'm not sure if I should include these in the reasons or not?

What do you think?

scheming_gypsy

LittleCharlie wrote: »

The question I hate is "Where do you see yourself in five years time?" because inevitably the answer is "In your job" or "In your managers job" or just plain "Not here!".

the safe answer is probably "sitting here being interviewed by you to take over your role as you've been promoted"

amanish

kent.ac.uk/careers/interviews/ivquest.htm

londoner1998

musashi10 wrote: »

Hi there,

I have an interview next week.

the last time I had an interview I said some REALLY stupid things, so I would like to prepare better this time around.

The two typical questions I get stuck on are.

1. Why do you want to leave your current job?
2. What is your biggest weakness?

Does anyone have a theme or answer that is decent for these two questions?

What other typical questions should I expect?

Any help would be great

Hello

I am on the same boat and I have done about 6 interviews in the past two months, so I am very familiar with this. The question about leaving you job, in my opinion should be answered with a positive slant on it- ie, 'I have been in my job for x years and this job is a very exciting opportutinity to put into practice and develop the skils l and experience that I have developed within my current job'. That demosntrates you have developed in a role but recognise you want to develop further. Stress that this job you are interviewing for seems the perfect macth for your skills and as a next step. Thsi has worked very well for me so far.


The one about weaknesses is to test you self-awareness: if you are aware of your own weaknesses you are able to work on them. IN your answer try to turn the 'weakness' into a positive, ie, 'Iaused to find it very difficult ot say no and alway ended up burdened with work, but I worked on it and learned to say no and delegate effectively while keeping good working relationships'

Good luck.