A job is very significant for any job seeker. It is vital that you clear the initial rounds of the job interview if you wish to get the job.
There are some simple questions that are common in most job interviews. Tackling these questions is often a cakewalk for most candidates.
On the contrary, there are some confusing questions that act as one of the greatest hurdles and most people don’t know how to answer these questions.
One such question is ‘Is there anything else you would like us to know?’ There are many ways to tackle this question during the interview process.
Is There Anything Else You’d Like Us to Know?
These days interviewers are using smart solutions to hire the best candidates for their organizations, as a wrong hire can cost the company a lot in terms of time, money and energy.
“Is there anything else you’d like us to know?” is a kind of tricky question asked by the employer.
The interviewer even while wrapping up the interview session makes the candidate wear their thinking caps by asking such kind of tricky questions.
The main reason for them in asking this question is to recheck whether they have not missed anything or neglected anything important.
This is actually an opportunity for the candidate to speak out anything that he might be good at. It can be any skill or any kind of achievement or something else he needs to speak out.
This question which looks like a casual or kind of formality question asked at the end of the
interview by the interviewer has a purpose in itself.
Some of the things that an interviewer will be trying to find about you by asking this question are
- Any skill or type of degree which couldn’t be covered during the interview
- Any responsibilities or future goals and aims
- Something about interests or hobbies which can be in-line with the company’s vision or goals.
- Work experience in some other field, not similar to the one applied for
How you tackle it depends completely on what you wish to convey to the interviewer. Here are some simple ways to tackle this question:
Tips to Answer “If there’s anything else you’d like us to know”:
1. Reaffirm Your Enthusiasm to Join The Firm:
Firms often ask tricky questions like this and you must know how to answer them. The best way is to use this question to your advantage. You may tell them how enthusiastic you are to be a part of this firm or organization.
It clicks in most cases and adds a point or two to your profile. Here is how you can consider framing your answer.
Answer:
“Well, while we have covered most of the important aspects already, there is one thing I really want you all to know. My love for coding hasn’t been new. I always knew I would grow up to be a software engineer. And from the day I decided this, yours was the firm I have wanted to join.
Firstly because it is one firm that seems to respect software engineers and give them the true remuneration for all their efforts. Second is because I am aware that many of the major breakthroughs in coding and development have been initiated by software people from your firm.”
2. Recap to Enumerate your Plus Points to the Interviewer:
Another step you may take is to try and strengthen your own profile during the interview. You can state all the significant points that can help your profile get more attention.
Even you can mention all the important points during the course of the interview, a final recap would do no harm. Here is how you can form an interesting answer:
Answer:
“We have covered most of the significant aspects during the course of the interview. I have already mentioned my love for English and my special inclination towards creative work. I have always enjoyed writing poems and essays but what has interested me most is writing interesting punchlines.
The creative head is just the position that will help me make the best use of my writing and creative skills. This opportunity you are giving me will help me reveal my true creative skills in writing whacky tag lines for the brand. So I do not think I have anything new to add to what I have already mentioned.”
3. If you have Left Out Any Experience as Irrelevant Speak of it Now:
Most often, the major challenge faced during interviews is the lack of time. You may be given just a few seconds or over a minute to outline your career and experience.
Many times in the hurry, people tend to miss out on significant facts. A question like this can help you come out with those facts. Here is how you may frame an impressive answer.
Answer:
“While I have already mentioned most of my professional experience, I also wish to mention about the 3 months internship I did on Solar Energy. It was a very renowned project and the head of the solar project guided me throughout the assignment.
We, students, created a unique system to generate solar power that is really inexpensive so that even the common man can afford it. Back then I intended to come up with something similar and I will be able to assist the firm if they have any similar projects lined up for the future.”
4. If There Is A Medical Condition Important To Mention, Do It Now:
While this may often appear to be a tricky question, it may also sometime be a golden opportunity to speak about some medical condition that you really need to mention. Most candidates do not realize how to mention problems like epilepsy. They are even confused on how to tell the employer that they are pregnant. But these are facts which if kept concealed can lead to greater problems in the future. So use this question as an opportunity to speak out about these facts. Here is how you may answer this question:
Answer:
“Yes, there is one more thing I need to mention. I am pregnant and I may require leave and other concessions during my pregnancy. Also, I am perfectly qualified and eligible for this position and hope that there would be no discrimination based on my pregnancy.
So, I thought it was vital to be honest when we are starting a professional relationship. I hope my honesty does not keep me bereft of the opportunity I rightly deserve.”
Things to Keep in Mind While Answering Such Tricky Questions:
There are many things that you need to keep in mind while answering interview questions like these. Interview questions are always meant to tease your mind. They also try and gauge the type of person you are.
Candidates often do not realize these objectives behind each of their well-phrased questions. Thus they often fall prey to tricky questions and lose the golden opportunity.
Knowing things you must keep in mind while answering the questions will help you phrase the answers in a more impressive manner. Here we have listed a few things to keep in mind.
1. Always Answer in a Way That Proves Advantageous:
By the time the interviewer reaches this question, you have a fair idea of what the interviewer is looking for in his candidate. You may also be able to gauge what answer will benefit you more and which answer will act against you. So make it a point to answer accordingly.
Do not reveal anything that need not be mentioned but if mentioned will reduce your resume strength.
Most often, the way you answer is more significant than your actual answer. If you appear to be knowledgeable, experienced and worthy of taking up the job, you will be given the job. The main thing is to present yourself in the most effective manner.
2. Never Flatly Refuse Even If You Have Nothing New To Add:
Very often, by the time interviewers arrive at this question, they have already covered all the topics for the interview. You may have prepared yourself for a set of questions and they are already asked and answered. Yet, if the interviewers pose this question, do not flatly refuse saying you have nothing more to add.
Remember that this question can help you further strengthen your resume and you should not miss such a lovely chance. Speak-up confidently.
You may tell them of the hobbies that may help in a particular trade. You may speak of your hidden facets that may help your profile get more strength.
3. Never Get Tense or Nervous:
It is a natural tendency to get tense or nervous when you have already answered everything and seem to have nothing left to answer. That is often the point at which this question is posed.
The intent of the interviewer could be different but in most cases, it is to understand your own attitude towards the interview. They are looking for confident candidates and want to see whether you fall into that category. Also, keep control over your body language as it hold an important role.
So, getting nervous can only hamper the image you have created so far. Do not let lack of confidence or nervousness be visible on the face. You need to be stable and confident. Keep control over your body language.
4. Never Give Contradictory Answers:
One risk of a long interview is that the interviewer can trap you in a web of confusing questions. If you are not alert, you may lose the golden chance and risk your career. So you need to make sure what you are answering.
In a long interview session, there are several questions posed to the candidate in a day-long interview. There are chances that by the end of the day the candidate may be too exhausted to remember what he answered first.
How to Prepare?
During the interview process, we can never know what kind of tricky question the interviewer might ask. So it’s best to prepare for an interview in advance.
Make sure you cover all type of tricky questions which can be asked in the interview process by the hiring manager. Create a list of all such questions which you can find online very easily and also refer to the best answers which can be given when asked.
How to Answer Interview Question “Is there anything else you would like us to know”?
First of all, never answer the question as anything. You need to create an answer by joining any of your special skill or any other achievement which was not discussed or missed during the interview process.
Even if you feel it is small, make sure that you specify it. Your answer should convey that you are the perfect fit for the position. As it would be the closing statement, try to answer smartly and efficiently.
Some of the examples are:
- “You have done a very thorough job of getting at my strengths. We have discussed my writing, presentation, and computer skills, but I haven’t had the opportunity to tell you about my persuasive abilities. For example, I was able to convince seven local businesses to sponsor the charity run which I organized for my fraternity, and I successfully placed several stories in the local media about a client during my public relations internship.”
- “I think we have covered a number of my work experiences that make me a strong candidate for this position, including my ten years of teaching experience, my administrative experience, and my communication skills. I would like to add that I also have experience running afterschool programs for teens. At my previous job, I led two afterschool programs: the school newspaper, which had a staff of twenty-five students, and the literary journal, which had a staff of fifteen. I would also like to assure you that I am very excited by the opportunity here. I am extremely motivated to pursue this job and will devote maximum energy to succeeding if I am hired.”
Example Source: thebalancecareers
These are occasions that the interviewers exploit most. They pounce on you when you accidentally speak a contradictory statement when asked ‘is there anything else you want us to know?’. So you need to take your time and think. Once you have evaluated your answer and weighed it properly, answer it in a confident tone.
Conclusion:
An interview is a doorway to a successful career. Recruiters play an important role in picking up the ideal candidate for a particular role. If you are perfectly prepared for the interview, there is no question that would snatch your chance from you. Confidence and proper preparation are two keys to the most prominent careers.