Process
Step 1
Review the following 10 most common problem interview questions:
Question 1: Why don’t you tell me about yourself?
Question 2: Why should I hire you?
Question 3: What are your major strengths?
Question 4: What are your major weaknesses?
Question 5: What sort of pay do you expect?
Question 6: How does your previous experience relate to the jobs we have here?
Question 7: What are your plans for the future?
Question 8: What will your former employers (or references) say about you?
Question 9: Why are you looking for this sort of position and why here?
Question 10: Why don't you tell me about your personal situation?
Question 1: Why don’t you tell me about yourself?
Question 2: Why should I hire you?
Question 3: What are your major strengths?
Question 4: What are your major weaknesses?
Question 5: What sort of pay do you expect?
Question 6: How does your previous experience relate to the jobs we have here?
Question 7: What are your plans for the future?
Question 8: What will your former employers (or references) say about you?
Question 9: Why are you looking for this sort of position and why here?
Question 10: Why don't you tell me about your personal situation?
Step 2
Reflect on each of the above common problem interview questions. Consider the following for each:
What does the employer really want to know?
Most problem questions are about your dependability and other personality traits. The employer often wants to know: Can we depend on you? Are you easy to get along with? Are you a good worker? Or the employer may be asking: Do you have the skills, experience, and training to do the job? So the first step in answering the question is determining what the interviewer is really looking for.
Answer the question briefly, in a non-damaging way.
You want to acknowledge the facts of a situation, but present them as advantages, not disadvantages. Be positive and do not give them too much personal information.
Answer the real concern by presenting your skills.
Remember, the whole interview process is to discuss your skills and your ability to perform a job. So be sure to address the underlying question the interviewer is asking and add information that emphasizes why you are the best candidate for the position. Mention your key skills and give them examples to support these skills. So you are always coming back to how well you can do the job, not information about your personal life.
What does the employer really want to know?
Most problem questions are about your dependability and other personality traits. The employer often wants to know: Can we depend on you? Are you easy to get along with? Are you a good worker? Or the employer may be asking: Do you have the skills, experience, and training to do the job? So the first step in answering the question is determining what the interviewer is really looking for.
Answer the question briefly, in a non-damaging way.
You want to acknowledge the facts of a situation, but present them as advantages, not disadvantages. Be positive and do not give them too much personal information.
Answer the real concern by presenting your skills.
Remember, the whole interview process is to discuss your skills and your ability to perform a job. So be sure to address the underlying question the interviewer is asking and add information that emphasizes why you are the best candidate for the position. Mention your key skills and give them examples to support these skills. So you are always coming back to how well you can do the job, not information about your personal life.
Step 3
ASSIGNMENT 1
For each of the 10 most common problem interview questions, use research on the internet to prepare a Word document that includes the following:
1) Your name
2) Each of the 10 questions (numbered and typed out completely)
3) Under each question, explain what you believe the employer really wants to know (labeled as "What the employer really wants to know")
4) Under each question, explain a good technique to use for answering this problem question (labeled as "Technique to use for answering this question")
5) Under each question, provide an answer that answers the question briefly, in a non-damaging way that also answers the real concerns by presenting your skills (labeled as "Answer")
Notes:
~A scoring guide for how this assignment will be graded may be found by clicking on the "Evaluation" option on the menu bar at the top of this page.
~Your answers should be written as if they would be the actual answers you would provide in a job interview for the job opening you have already identified in previous assignments for this course.
~Make sure to follow the guidelines, as described in Step 2 above, for answering in a non-damaging way and presenting your skills.
~Use complete sentences and correct spelling and grammar.
~Label your responses clearly, as described above, under each question. An example format for a question would be as follows:
Question 1: Why don’t you tell me about yourself?
-What the employer really wants to know: Provide your response here.
-Technique to use for answering this question: Provide your response here.
-Answer: Provide your response here.
For each of the 10 most common problem interview questions, use research on the internet to prepare a Word document that includes the following:
1) Your name
2) Each of the 10 questions (numbered and typed out completely)
3) Under each question, explain what you believe the employer really wants to know (labeled as "What the employer really wants to know")
4) Under each question, explain a good technique to use for answering this problem question (labeled as "Technique to use for answering this question")
5) Under each question, provide an answer that answers the question briefly, in a non-damaging way that also answers the real concerns by presenting your skills (labeled as "Answer")
Notes:
~A scoring guide for how this assignment will be graded may be found by clicking on the "Evaluation" option on the menu bar at the top of this page.
~Your answers should be written as if they would be the actual answers you would provide in a job interview for the job opening you have already identified in previous assignments for this course.
~Make sure to follow the guidelines, as described in Step 2 above, for answering in a non-damaging way and presenting your skills.
~Use complete sentences and correct spelling and grammar.
~Label your responses clearly, as described above, under each question. An example format for a question would be as follows:
Question 1: Why don’t you tell me about yourself?
-What the employer really wants to know: Provide your response here.
-Technique to use for answering this question: Provide your response here.
-Answer: Provide your response here.
Step 4
Use the internet to research and prepare answers for ASSIGNMENT 1 as described in Step 3 above. Below are a few resources to get you started. You're not required to use these sites, but they provide a good starting point to get you headed in the right direction.
Resources:
http://www.jobbankusa.com/interview_questions_answers/
http://www.careerfriend.com/articlelist.html
http://www.quintcareers.com/intvres.html
http://www.jobreferenceexperts.com
http://career-advice.monster.com/job-interview/careers.aspx
http://www.faqfarm.com
Resources:
http://www.jobbankusa.com/interview_questions_answers/
http://www.careerfriend.com/articlelist.html
http://www.quintcareers.com/intvres.html
http://www.jobreferenceexperts.com
http://career-advice.monster.com/job-interview/careers.aspx
http://www.faqfarm.com
Step 5
Email your completed "ASSIGNMENT 1" Word document to your instructor at [email protected].
Step 6
ASIGNMENT 2
Using the above resources, and/or other internet resources, select an 11th interview question you feel would be difficult to answer. Using the "Contact" option on the menu at the top-right of the screen, submit the following to your instructor within the "Comments" field:
1) 11th interview question you feel would be difficult to answer (typed out)
2) Your answer to this question (for the job opening you've previously selected)
Notes:
~A scoring guide for how this assignment will be graded may be found by clicking on the "Evaluation" option on the menu bar at the top of this page.
~Be sure to use complete sentences and correct spelling and grammar.
~Don't forget to follow the guidelines as described in Step 2 for answering in a non-damaging way and presenting your skills.
Using the above resources, and/or other internet resources, select an 11th interview question you feel would be difficult to answer. Using the "Contact" option on the menu at the top-right of the screen, submit the following to your instructor within the "Comments" field:
1) 11th interview question you feel would be difficult to answer (typed out)
2) Your answer to this question (for the job opening you've previously selected)
Notes:
~A scoring guide for how this assignment will be graded may be found by clicking on the "Evaluation" option on the menu bar at the top of this page.
~Be sure to use complete sentences and correct spelling and grammar.
~Don't forget to follow the guidelines as described in Step 2 for answering in a non-damaging way and presenting your skills.