Round 2: Conquering Interview Questions

Host Sheila Boysen-Rotelli is back for round 2 on the discussion of how to conquer interview questions. These are a little deeper. So, make sure you do whatever research you need to in order to make sure you are prepared for these ones!

Episode Highlights:

• "Why do you want to leave your current company?"
• They want to know that you are career-focused, have sound reasoning, or handled a negative situation well
• Support the value that you can bring with specific examples of your previous work
• Focus on what is attracting you to the company that you are interviewing with
• Negative subjects can be unavoidable, so rather than dance around them, try to focus on the positives
• Focus on what was missing in your last position that you are looking for in your new position
• Put a positive spin on why you may have been let go while remaining transparent about the situation
• "What would you like to accomplish in the first 90 days?"
• Break this down into a realistic plan based on the knowledge that you already have
• Be ready to learn what is already working well while using the skills that you have from past experiences
• "How do you see yourself being successful in this position?"
• Give them a realistic vision that shows that you will fit well in their work environment
• "Tell me how you've handled some type of difficult situation."
• The interviewer is trying to understand your on-the-job learning and problem-solving abilities
• Research company culture to prepare your answers to showcase your fit in their company
• Avoid speaking ill of former employers and coworkers; negativity is very unattractive
• Stand out by showing how past difficult situations have helped you grow
• "How did you handle a disagreement with your boss?"
• They understand that everyone is human and that means they disagree, but they want to know that you will be able to handle it in an effective manner
• Use specific examples to show your ability to understand different perspectives
• Try to pick situations that had positive outcomes or that allowed you to learn for future situations
• "What makes you interesting?"
• Depending on the type of organization that you are interviewing for, the interviewer will be looking for something different
• Use your personality and experience to paint a picture as to why they should hire you
• Show your excitement for the product/service while including how your skills fit with the position
• "What questions do you have for us?"
• Presents an opportunity to interview the interviewer
• Have the right questions prepared for each individual interviewer
• Ask for specific examples in order to determine your own fit in the work environment

3 Key Points:

1. "Why should I hire you?" is sitting under any and every interview question that is coming your way.
2. Be ready to show the employer how your past experiences will help you make a positive contribution in the future.
3. Employers don't want to see that you are perfect. They want to see that you have been able to learn from past experiences and failures in order to succeed in the future.

Tweetable Quotes:

• "Many interviewees think they will only be asked about past accomplishment...but they forget that they could be asked about potential future contribution." - Sheila Boysen-Rotelli
• "If you really want to stand out as a candidate, take your past experiences and turn them into how you'll perform in the future." - Sheila Boysen-Rotelli
• "Most interviewers know that you can do the job, but how you fit in the work environment is a much different story." - Sheila Boysen-Rotelli
• "Personality is best shown through a story, so, have a bit of fun." - Sheila Boysen-Rotelli

Resources Mentioned:

• Contact Sheila at sheila@professionalsuccesscoaching.com
• Fast Track Your Job Search: fasttrackyourjobsearch.com
• Glassdoor: https://www.glassdoor.com/index.htm