6-1 Interview Basics

You are now closer to your goal of getting that job you want. Your cover letter attracted their attention to your resume. And your resume got you in the door for an interview. Though this is the most ‘nerve wracking’ aspect of the whole process, remember that you must have something they are looking for or you would not be asked for the interview.

There are three basic styles of interview questions: Basic, Behavioral and Puzzle questions.

• Basic Questions: Basic questions include what most of you already know. Where do you see yourself in five years? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What are you most proud of?
• Behavioral Questions: These questions ask you to describe a past experience that shows both your job skills and character. Describe a situation where you were faced with a problem and solved it successfully. Describe a time when you were under a deadline and there wasn’t enough time to complete the task.
• Puzzle Questions: These questions are used mostly by big companies in the high tech sector. Some questions have an actual answer: How would you weigh a 747 jet? Others do not: How many rice fields are there in Korea?

How can you stand out?

We have all heard stories of 2,000 people applying for a company that is only hiring 50 people. So how can you stand out in a crowd of potential applicants? First realize that the “Minimum Requirements” are exactly that. Everyone will have the basic test scores, degrees, and experience that are asked for in the ad. So the real question is: “What do you have to offer that no one else does?” Now you can begin to see why skills from non-work related areas of your life are important.

What's behind the questions?

Since you are looking behind the obvious, let’s look at what is behind some of the questions the interviewers ask. Though traditional questions are still very common, they are probably the least useful. Why? Because everybody knows them, and knows how to answer them! You probably will not even answer some of them honestly as you know that is not what they want to hear. Many traditional questions are designed for you to just keep on talking and make a mistake!