Most individuals grow nervous during an interview session. This is because they do not know how to answer the questions that will be posed to them during the interview. Lack of preparation is easily visible on the face. If you do not know how to answer different questions, you are bound to fumble. This may make you lose the golden opportunity at hand. While you do not know what kind of questions would be asked regarding your field or subject, there are certain commonly asked questions in interviews that you may prepare for. These are questions that try to evaluate you as an individual. Here are some of the questions targeted at you and the best way to answer these questions and impress the interviewers.
Things to Say about yourself – Tell Me About Yourself:
This is one of the most frequently asked questions in interviews. The best way to answer this question is by starting with a small introduction about yourself. You can speak of your qualification and experience in this brief introduction. You may then move on to describe your positive traits. You must pick traits that are useful in the field you have chosen.
Unique Ways to Describe Yourself in an Interview:
The following mentioned are few tips on how do you describe yourself and best words to describe yourself in an interview.
If you are Applying for a Sales or Marketing Position, you may speak of the following skills:
Applying for Sales or Marketing Position:
Negotiation Skills:
The ability to negotiate is possessed by very few individuals. Good negotiators manage to strike the best deals. They are also good at maintaining relationship with clients and superiors. If you think you possess good negotiation skills, make sure you mention it when you are asked to tell about yourself in interview.
Leadership Skills:
Leadership skills are vital in all job profiles yet they hold greater significance in certain jobs. If you are capable of leading a team, you must bring this to the notice of the interviewers when they ask you to tell something about yourself. Leadership skills easily strengthen a profile, especially if you are applying for a managerial position.
Ability to Deal with Excess Work Pressure:
In sales and marketing jobs, you may have to deal with the client directly. This may also mean excess work pressure. An ability to work even under excess work pressure is something that most recruiters are looking for in their candidates. If you possess this ability, mention it when you speak about yourself.
If you are applying for a creative writer position, you may speak of the following skills or abilities:
Applying for a Creative Writer Position:
Grammar Knowledge:
Grammar knowledge is vital for any writing or editing position. If you have a good knowledge of grammar, you need to inform the recruiter about your skill when you speak about yourself. This will help you strengthen your job profile.
Superior Vocabulary:
Good word power or vocabulary is essential if you have to do a writing or editing job. If you have a great vocabulary, you must mention it to your employer when he is interviewing you. These abilities are often coveted in teaching jobs, writing jobs and communication manager jobs.
If you are applying for the position of an engineer, you may speak of the following abilities:
Applying for Engineer Position:
Thorough Subject Knowledge:
An engineer has to shoulder the entire responsibility of a site or a project. Thorough subject knowledge helps him make quick and right decisions. If you think you possess good subject knowledge, you need to tell this to your recruiter when he asks you to speak about yourself.
Eidetic Memory:
Engineers often have to refer drawings and gather information from these drawings. People who have a strong eidetic memory are able to recall these facts better. This can be helpful in the job of an engineer. Make sure you bring it to the notice of the hiring manager during the interview process.
If you are applying for the position of a store model, you may speak of the following merits:
Applying for Store Model Position:
Figure Conscious:
A store model needs to have the perfect figure. If a model is not figure conscious, she may grow out of shape and the firm will have to seek a new store model. That is the reason why recruiters and hiring managers always seek figure conscious store models. If you fall in this category, make sure you inform your hiring manager about it when you talk about yourself.
Knowledge of Brands and Fashions:
A store model has to deal with customers and provide all the information they are seeking. If a person has to sell products, knowledge of these products are vital. If you are applying for the position of a store model, knowledge of the brands and fashions will help to strengthen the job profile and get hired.
Wise candidates make the best use of the opportunity granted to them in the form of this question. They try to focus on their positive traits through their answers. These answers help to add weight to their profile. While this is one of the most common questions asked by interviewers to find out about you, there are other questions that may also be asked keeping the same intent. These may be questions pinpointing to the specific facts about you that the interviewers wish to know. Here we have listed a few of these questions:
- Are you a good leader?
- Are you a team player?
- What is your strength?
- What is your weakness?
- What are your hobbies?
- How do you spend your free time?
- Do you like computer games? Which ones?
- Which is your favourite colour? Why?
- What is your goal in life?
- Are you a good negotiator?
A mental preparation for all these questions ensure that you will face the interview confidently. There are some traits of yours that the interviewers gauge simply by observation. Make sure you keep a check on these traits too. Here we have listed a few of these significant traits:
Best Important Traits:
Hygiene:
Hygiene is a trait that matters a lot in professional as well as personal circles. If you suffer from body odour, carry a deodorant along when you head for an interview. You may also carry a mouth freshener to stay free from bad breathe. Carry a packet of soft tissues. It is a good habit to carry hand sanitiser to keep you fresh while heading for an interview.
Personality:
Your personality is reflected through many different factors. A good body language counts most. Make sure you have a proper posture and gait. The way you speak or carry yourself also matters. Your personality has a great impact on the interviewer’s decision to hire you.
Communication Skills:
Communication skill is of utmost importance in the modern professions. Make sure you are fluent in your language. Speak with confidence while communicating with people. A good hold on your language is an added plus during interview rounds.
Dressing Sense:
The right choice of dresses often has a very big impact. You need to pick your attire as per the type of job you have selected. In case of sales and marketing profiles, you may have to strictly adhere to the white shirt, black pant and a tie. In case of creative positions, you can be lenient with your outfit but make sure you pick something that blends well with the creative air.
Punctuality:
It is very important that you reach on time for your job interview. A time delay during the job interview shows lack of seriousness in the candidate. If you feel that you are going to be late, you need to inform the people at office about the delay. This shows that you are a responsible individual.
Discipline:
Discipline shows in the way you deal with things. Disciplined individuals make proper preparations before they head for an interview. They have all the documents ready beforehand so that there are no further delays. It is a great idea to carry a copy of all the important documents when you head for the interview. You may also carry a copy of the passport size photograph along with you when you head for the interview.
Proper Accessories:
It is a great idea to wear a watch on the wrist when you head for the interview. It shows that you are a time conscious individual. Carry a power-bank when you are headed for a long day. If the cellphone charge gets over, you can charge it with the help of this power-bank. Carry a pen as it is an ideal accessory for any professional interview. A bluetooth headphone may also be helpful if you are headed to some office for a long day. Bluetooth headphone helps you communicate without disturbing others around you.
Manners:
Manners matter lot more than we realize. It is a great idea to wish the interviewer or the HR person as you head for the interview. A firm handshake is an acceptable way to greet the interviewer. Be soft spoken and gentle while dealing with people in the office.
A major task during the interview process is to convince the hiring manager or the recruiter that you are an ideal candidate for the firm. Even individuals without prior experience can join the company and learn the trade. But your conduct and personality are things that cannot be altered. These are factors on which hiring managers judge the ideal candidate for the firm.