10 common job interview questions

[Paul Brown (MA CELTA)]

 Hey guys, 

 If you have an interview coming soon, here are some questions that you should prepare for in advance so that you can make a good impression!

 Here are 10 very common job interview questions and you should prepare an answer for each one in order to be properly prepared. Post the answers to the questions here on the board and either teacher Dan, or me will look at them and give you some feedback....

 1. How has your University experience prepared you for working life?

 2. What influenced you to choose this career?

 3. What specific goals have you established for your career?

 4. How do you evaluate success? Give an example of one of your most
    successful accomplishments.

 5. How would you describe yourself in terms of being able to work in a team?

 6. Describe a goal that you have set and achieved for yourself.

 7. What do you expect to be doing in 5 years time?

 8. What qualities do you have that will contribute to your future success?

 9. Given the investment our company will make in hiring and training you,
    can you give us a reason to hire you?

 10. What personal weakness has caused you the greatest difficulty?

 Remember, success at the interview depends on your preparation!

 Have fun, 

 Paul

[marady]

HI Paul
   Please explain me How can i get an interview? If i have only high school and haven't bachelor or related field.

[Hope]

Hi Paul,

That's nice to post the common question.
I am currently working for private company which is about 3 years since 2003. (I join this company when i have trained 3 months during the last year in University, then i am recruited to work) So i actually have good experience and very impressive CV in term of my skill of work.

I wanna move to another place which could provide me more challenge and progress. However, I lost all the interview recently in Local and Oversea. The problem is about interview, i feel i can't manage the good answer to interviewer, specially the common question.

Hence, that's really appreciated if you could provide the common answer as well. Of course i do have some idea about answer, but due to the unsuccessful interview recently, I don't want to mention it and i wish to see the others idea from you guy.

Thank
Have a nice day!

[ratana82]

Dear Paul and pals:

I wish to share some of my ideas for the top 10 Paul has raise.

1. How has your university experience prepared you for working life?
There are two difference kinds of wealth experiences that I think I gain from my academic class. One is from lecturing programs of the university and another one is through my own observation. I am a fresh graduate from Business Administration class. Besides being given a lot of practical assignment to ensure the theories of the skill, I have been given opportunity to make a real practice on the research study for the Final Project Paper at one of the outstanding company of Cambodia. To me, we can learning and experience things through everything that happened around us. During my four year with my university, I leant a lot even not just about the skill alone, but an effective communication, teams work, management, financially arrangement and so on. And with those learned experience I am very confidence to start my working life.

2. What influenced you to choose this career?
Your organization is a very well known centre. The main responsibilities of the career that you are going to provide are what I am skillful at and that is what I am looking for. They are really influenced factors me to choose this career.

3. What specific goals have you established for your career?
The only goals that I have established for my career is that “do the best job to find the most valuable success for the organization and keep learning to improving myself to do the job more effectively and efficiency.

4. How do you evaluate success? Give an example of your most successful accomplishments.
Success is not something that carelessness can be given to. Keep concerning and pay to more attention are not always obtain success. Once I have been given a chance to lead the group of 5 people to complete an assignment. Of course, I face with a lot of challenging things. The group expected me to do more than what they do and one of them tried to challenge the group by keeping his opinionative ideal. I was the leader and I thought I have to do something otherwise we all probably fall down. I divided the assignment into parts and share them to each member of the group to be their responsibilities. Everyone have to response for their tasks and come back with the result.   


5. How would you describe yourself in terms of being able to work in a team?
As informed in the above answer. The team spirit is very importance to get success. I would describe myself a positive, proactive, contribute and willing to learn new things. Contribute ideas to the group and pay attention to what they stress and their concern are the most importance points to make the group the team work.

6. Describe a goal that you have set and achieved for yourself
I will obtain my English Bachelor degree in the next 3 years, also during these years I would get myself ready for my master degree.   

7. What do you expect to be doing on 5 years time?
I would very like to have more opportunity to work with your organization with more responsibilities and more challenging work.

8. What qualities do you have that will contribute to your future success?
My well educated is what I am really depending on. I am a self motivate, learning person. I eager to learn new things and up dating myself to the fast technology grow.

9. Given the investment our company will make in hiring and training you, can you give us a reason to hire you?
I have carefully read your advertisement seeking for a suitable Reception and Secretary post for your organization. I am sure that my qualification, skill, personal attitude are fit to what your have required for the position. As you will see from my enclose CV that I am graduate from Business Administration and some computer office skill. Also, I am very confident in making a clear communicate in English. I am a fast learner, very organize and very flexible person.

10. What personal weakness have caused you the greater difficulty?
I like to complain people bad behaviors. 

[Paul Brown (MA CELTA)]

 Hey Ratana82, 

 Thanks for your suggestions of possible answers to those 10 interview questions! It is really great to see that you are putting time in and preparing well for any possible interview that you may have. It is often the case that the better prepared you are for the interview, the better the inverview itself will turn out to be. I appreciate the time and effort you have put in to answer all the 10 questions and I think that your answers are pretty good and I like you good use of positive business adjectives when you are describing yourself and your abilities! 

 I would like to make one small suggestion about a one of your answers if I may..... 

 1.What personal weakness has caused you the greatest difficulty?
   I like to complain people bad behaviors. 

 This is a very tricky question to face during an interview and it needs to have been thought about before the interview day. The trick to it is to choose a weakness which can also be seen by some people as a strength, that way you are not too negative about yourself. After all, you want the job and you don't want to let anyone have a bad impression about you! 
 
One way to deal with this question is to say something like....

"Well, actually, I am a bit of a perfectionist, this means that I like to make sure that I do the very best job I can and I am usually not satisfied when the result is not perfect. This could be seen a personal weakness, as it sometimes means that I do get very absorbed in doing any job to the very best of my ability. This can sometimes mean that I may need to work late or work in my own time to make sure that the job is completed to the very high standards which I demand of myself."

 Have fun, 

 Paul