Preparing for Interviews

Tips in answering interview questions.

Keep to the point and don't include obvious details such as your name or age. Give a brief summary of your employment, your skills and why you want the job.

Again, be clear and precise. Summarise your jobs, starting with the first and ending with the most recent. Briefly explain what your job was, and your key responsibilities.

Be enthusiastic! Talk about what most appeals to you about the job or company. Refer to things you found during your research (by looking on the company's website for example) - this should really impress the interviewer.

If you've done some research, you'll be able to answer this easily. Look on the company's website, if they have one. Phone their office to ask for a brochure, and read it in advance. Your consultant can also help with your research.

The interviewer wants to know how much thought and effort you've put into applying for the job. If you've seen a job description, relate to the interviewer what you understand about the job. If you haven't, you could say something like: "I haven't seen a job description yet, but the advert really appealed to me."

Your answer could be something like "I haven't done this exact job before, but I do have lots of relevant skills and experience. I am a quick learner and I ask lots of questions".

This kind of answer shows that you are realistic and you know how to learn.

Here the interviewer wants to know what you've done before, how you organise your time, and what decisions you've had to make on a day-to-day basis. Try to relate what you did in your last job.

It's best to be honest here. If you were sacked, there's a good chance the interviewer will find out anyway, so tell the truth and explain why it happened and what you learned from it.

This is your chance to shine - and really sell yourself. Don't just list your skills or strengths - give examples of how you've applied them in previous jobs and elsewhere in your life.

It's best to give an example of a weaker area that you've grown and learned from. Such as: "I work very quickly and I'm thorough so I used to get quite impatient with colleagues if they couldn't keep up or they made mistakes. I'm now much more patient and I realise that different people have different strengths and skills."

This is a bit of a trick question. You can't say 'nothing' as that's not believable but you don't want to be too negative either. The best answer is to say you didn't like doing something which you won't need to do in your new job. Be careful though this question can tell the interviewer a lot about you.

Again be upfront and honest, and explain why you left jobs or why you've worked in lots of different companies. It may be that your personal circumstances changed or you wanted more varied experience.

If you've been unemployed for a while, it's important to be prepared to answer this. Again most people will appreciate it if you're honest. But they'll also want to know that you've been spending your time constructively. If you can, explain how you've maintained or improved your skills while you've been out of work. The key is to turn your unemployment into your selling point.

Try to say something which shows that you have initiative, leadership skills, perseverance or creativity and try to give work-related examples.

It's not a good idea to say you don't like teamwork because you'll need to work as part of a team in most jobs. You could say something like: "Yes I enjoy working as part of a team. I think a good team is one with a good variety of skills and personalities."

Talk about a problem you've faced in your life, either at work or elsewhere. Here the interviewer wants to know if you're a good problem solver and that you can show initiative.

Try to answer this honestly. The interviewer wants to get to know the 'real you'. You could say your family or succeeding in your career. Or perhaps you want to make a difference in some way.

You could say something like: "I understand the importance of constructive criticism. I want to keep learning new skills and by getting feedback I can hopefully develop faster. I try not to take it personally."

Most jobs need you to manage your time in some way. So explain how you prioritise your work the interviewer wants to know you can plan, and that you can work out what order to do things in.

It's best to say something like: "It's hard for me to say at this point. I'm really keen to develop my career and learn new skills. I hope that, over the next five years, I'll able to make a valuable contribution at work."