Interview Questions Decoded, Part 2
What are some of your hobbies?
What they're really asking: How well-rounded are you? What do you do outside of work that might transfer positively into the workplace?
Tips: Emphasize any hobbies or activities that may relate to the job. Help the interviewer learn more about you and perceive you as a person, rather than a job candidate. Therefore, don't just answer questions, respond to them.
Would you be willing to pursue an extra certificate or credential?
What they're really asking: How is your attitude? How flexible are you?
Tips: Tell the interviewer how important professional growth is to you. Understand that the person who will impress the interviewer the most is the one willing to do the extra work.
What were you hoping we'd ask today, but didn't?
What they're really asking: Is there anything special about yourself that you want us to know?
Tips: Consider this a "show and tell" opportunity. Use materials from your portfolio to convince them how valuable you'll be to their organization.
Do you have any questions for us?
What they're really asking: Are you prepared to ask questions? How interested are you in this position?
Tips: List five or six questions on an index card. Ask at least one question, even if all of your prepared questions have been answered. Never say, "No, you've answered all of my questions."
The Best Questions to Ask in the Interview
Some good topics to cover include: The company Dave Stanford, executive vice president of client services for contingency and contract staffing firm Winter, Wyman Companies suggests asking:
Why Do They Ask That in an Interview?
The company wants a team player and an independent worker
When you are asked whether you work better alone or in a team, what they really want to know is how you interact with others and how much direction you need when you're assigned to work by yourself.
If you use time alone well, are you able to keep your boss posted on your progress at reasonable intervals? Are you good at brainstorming in a group, the one who comes up with rapid-fire ideas? Or are you the person who is likely to mold them into a collaborative effort to find a solution for the challenge at hand? Either alone or in a team, you want to convey that you can interact well with co-workers at various levels of authority, but that you're a person who can be productive and come up with answers on your own as well.
Remember, an interview is a two-way street, and that's true where questions are concerned. Be sure to ask questions that show you have researched the company and that you're aware of current issues faced by the company and the industry it's in. You need to show an interest in the company if you want it to show an interest in you.
For years, people have been counseled to envelope their "weakness" in an answer that actually makes it sound like a strength. But job interviewers have heard them all, and those answers tend to sound hollow these days. Rather, choose a time when you had to face a significant challenge or adversity -- without getting too personal -- and tell how you overcame that dilemma and were improved by it. Tell what you learned and how that newfound knowledge benefited you as a professional. People who recognize their weaknesses and show they want to do better are showing a prospective employer they are willing to do their best, even if it means learning from mistakes.
Awful Interviewers
Most professionals are so focused on performing well for a sharp hiring manager that it's a surprise to meet with someone who is inexperienced, unprepared or unfocused. Following are some common types of bad interviewers you may encounter and how to ensure a meeting with any of them still goes well:
The Distracted Interviewer.
From the moment you walk in his office door, this person can barely focus attention on you long enough to ask a question. Between taking phone calls and talking to employers who poke their heads in for a "quick answer" to a problem, your interviewer has only managed to find out the name of your last employer.
In an extreme situation, you might diplomatically offer to come back at a less hectic time. After all, maybe you've arrived during the busiest time of year, and he or she simply didn't have a chance to prepare for the meeting. If the Distracted Interviewer accepts your offer to come back, and the hiring manager is still disorganized on your second visit, consider this a potential sign of how things are at this firm. Would you want to work for someone who can't organize his or her time well enough to conduct a proper interview?
The First-Timer.
This person is probably more nervous than you are. The First-Timer is likely extremely organized and has a list of questions, all of which must be asked and answered in order. He or she is not at all interested in non-scripted details: When you offer insight into an accomplishment you thought stood out from the rest, the hiring manager just nods politely and moves on to the next question, all the while taking comprehensive notes.
In this situation it's best to just go with the interviewer's flow; you don't want to make the person feel inept. A good way to highlight information you think is crucial -- but that is not on the interviewer's "list" -- is to ask if you can talk about a few relevant accomplishments after the person is finished with his or her questions. The First-Timer will still feel in control of the interview, and you'll feel you've done your best to demonstrate your ability to do the job.
The Never-Ending Interviewer.
You've been talking to a hiring manager for close to two hours, having answered every question the person asked long ago. He or she has moved on from telling you about the job to telling you about his or her recent safari in Africa.
The best advice? Continue to pay close attention. Though the conversation may veer in various directions, by listening carefully, you may get a better idea of the attributes this person seeks in a new hire, allowing you to emphasize your skills during the interview and in a strong follow-up note thanking the interviewer for meeting with you.
The Silent Type.
You don't mind answering questions at length, but you'd like to find out a little bit more about the position. Yet, your attempts to open dialogue are not generating responses. Since you can't force the Silent Type to open up, and you don't want to upset the person, it's best to try to get additional details from other sources.
You might try to do some more research on the company on your own, including talking to those in your network to see if they can offer insight. You may have an opportunity to meet with others at the company who will be more forthcoming with information. Whatever tack you take, you need to get the entire picture of the job and the company before you can consider accepting the position.
Have You Tried These Interview Tips?
- One thing I always ask at the end of the interview is, 'Have I said anything that would lead you to believe I'm not the best person for this position?' This gives me an opportunity to clear up any misunderstandings and it also gives me a chance to redeem myself or explain where I am coming from on something. It also shows that if there's a problem, I am capable of fixing it.
- Find out some information about your interviewer(s). See if you share anything in common and understand that they're a person, too, with interests, background and hobbies. Whether or not you know who will interview you, you'd better make sure you know as much as possible about the company and don't be afraid to let them know what you know.
- List five things you've accomplished during your previous job and concentrate on those items during your interview. "Each time I prepared for an interview, I was reminded of five things that I had accomplished under my last employer. That gave me a boost of confidence when going to the interview. It helped me to decide how I wanted to frame the answers that I gave to the interviewer.
- Don't volunteer extra information. In my case, I talked about my children. We discussed that I had been a stay-at-home mom. Even though I had impressive writing credentials, he told me that I wasn't a 'corporate person.' (His exact words.) Of course, I never learned if this was why a job offer wasn't forthcoming but I'm 99.9 percent sure I said too much
Interview Thank You Letters
Make sure you have the correct names, titles and contact details of the person or people who interviewed you.
Write individual letters to each person who interviewed you, keeping the essentials the same but briefly personalizing each one. You can also include anyone who helped you with setting up the interview.
Send the thank you letter within 24 hours of the job interview. Find out the best way to reach the recipient- e-mail, post, hand delivery etc. You can get this information from the receptionist or human resources. The faster the letter gets to its destination the greater the chance of creating a positive impression. You can use an express postal service rather than regular mail to ensure speedy delivery.
If you are concerned about the time the post may take you can e-mail a short, simple thank-you message and follow up with a more formal letter in the post. E-mailing your thanks is usually not as impressive as a formal, posted letter. However, if the company tends to do business by e-mail and if most of your contact has been through e-mail, then it is probably an acceptable form of communication. Faxing should be a last resort.
Hand-write the letter only if you have legible handwriting. Typing and signing the thank you letter is usually a better option. Use good quality paper and envelopes. Avoid colored stationary - it looks unprofessional. If you have letterhead stationary use it.
Spell check and proof read all your correspondence. You can also ask someone else to proof it for you. That way you will be sure it's all correct. Spelling and grammatical errors are the easiest way to make a bad impression.
A Simple ‘Thank You’ Can Land the Job Interview
Here are some tips to remember the next time you compose a thank-you note following an employment interview:
Write more than one if necessary. Many employers now involve multiple people in the hiring process to get a well-rounded view of applicants. If you interviewed with more than one hiring manager, send a thank-you note to each person. Address every letter to a specific individual, even if you have to do some research to uncover the spelling of someone's name or locate his or her contact information. Also make sure the content of each letter differs, at least slightly; hiring managers often compare notes -- literally.
Send a handwritten note. It's best to send a thank-you note within 24 hours of your interview. Consider sending a quick e-mail message as soon as you return home in order to meet this "deadline." But don't stop there. Follow up with a letter sent through the regular mail. Use high-quality stationery, and write the message by hand. This personal touch is likely to impress the hiring manager and help you stand out from other candidates, as well as present you with another opportunity to explain why you're right for the job.
Make it specific. To give your letter a personal touch, bring up specifics points from the conversation you had with the hiring manager. For example, if a prospective employer mentioned multiple times that the open position calls for strong knowledge of Microsoft Excel, use the thank-you note as an opportunity to remind the person that you've received a professional certification in this program. Even an offhand remark can serve as good fodder. If you discovered the hiring manager attended the same university as you, referencing this commonality could make for an interesting opening or close to your letter.
Don't lose hope. Even if you doubt the interview went well, it's still wise to send a thank-you note. For one thing, the hiring manager may have felt the interview was more successful than you did. In addition, your display of courtesy and professionalism could work in your favor if you cross paths with the person again or another opening arises within the firm.
