In a job interview you will be required to tell a little about yourself. Generally, you will have about 5 minutes to impress your potential employer so try to focus on both your personal and professional values. Always be honest, but talk about your best traits especially those that relate to the position for which you are applying. Highlight experiences and accomplishments you are most proud of.
“I’m a newly educated Multimedia designer, with experience in using web and graphics authoring tools and techniques. I’ve been part of developed comprehensive communication plans for [INSERT NAME], [INSERT NAME] and [INSERT NAME] and created specialized websites to target potential customers. I am always eager to learn new methods and procedures, and have implemented continuous improvement techniques that can save money and increased productivity. I like working with people and enjoy group projects, but am also a self-starter who doesn’t mind working on my own. In my free time I am the webmaster for [INSERT NAME] community portal and enjoy participating in community events. My goals are to complete my Master’s Degree and broaden my experiences within Multimedia and more specifically [INSERT AREA].”
*Remember to tailor your response to the specific job. By studying the job announcement, you’ll get a good idea of the skills and experience being sought. Work those into your response.
Subsequently, the employer(‘s) will begin to ask you a few questions. You should prepare your answers prior to the interview.
Can you correctly answer theses typical job interview questions?
- What do you feel has been your greatest work-related accomplishment?
- What is your greatest strength?
- What is your greatest weakness? How do you accept criticism? What are some of the things that bother you?
- How do you handle stressful situations? or Can you work under pressure?
- What is the toughest problem you’ve had to face, and how did you overcome it?
- Have you ever had to discipline a problem employee? How did you handle it?
- Why do you want this position?
- Why are you the best person for this job?
Choose one example from your past that was important to you and helped the project. Give specific details about what you did, how you did it, and what the results were. Try to pick an accomplishment that relates to the position for which you are applying. Employers like to hear about accomplishments that reduced expenses, raised revenues, solved problems or enhanced a company’s reputation.
This is a great chance to highlight your best skills. Don’t pick just one, focus on your top three or four. Some examples are: leadership skills, team-building skills, and organizational skills. Determine which strengths would fit best with the position for which you are applying. For example, if the job announcement stresses the ability to handle multiple tasks.
“I’m good at organizational skills, prioritization and time management. But my greatest strength is my ability to effectively handle multiple projects and deadlines.”
Be careful with this one. Most interview guides will tell you to answer it with a positive trait disguised as a weakness.
“I tend to expect others to work as hard as I do,” or “I’m a bit of a perfectionist.”
Interviewers have heard these “canned” answers over and over again.
To stand out, be more original and state a true weakness, but then emphasize what you’ve done to overcome it. Be sure the weakness you talk about is NOT a key element of the position! Say whether you prefer working with others or alone.
“I’ve had trouble delegating duties to others because I felt I could do things better myself. This has sometimes backfired because I’d end up with more than I could handle and the quality of my work would suffer. But I’ve taken courses in time management and learned effective delegation techniques, and I feel I’ve overcome this weakness.”
Give some examples of stressful situations you’ve dealt with in the past. Tell how you use time management, problem-solving or decision-making skills to reduce stress. For example, tell them that making a “to-do” list helps. Site stress-reducing techniques such as stretching and taking a break. Don’t be afaid to admit that you will ask for assistance if you are feeling overwhelmed. If it’s true, say you actually work better under pressure.
Try to make this about a problem that faced your company and not just you or your particular work group. The bigger the problem, the better. Give specific examples of the skills and techniques you used to resolve this problem. Emphasize the successful results. Be generous in sharing credit if it was a team effort, but be sure to highlight your specific role.
This is a likely question if the position for which you are applying requires supervisory duties. Explain how you used problem-solving skills, listening skills, and coaching skills to help the employee. If those techniques turned the employee around, be sure to say so. If those techniques failed, tell how you followed the company’s policies and what the end result was.
Here’s where your research about the company will help you stand out among the other candidates. Explain how you’ve always wanted the opportunity to work with a company that… provides a vital public service, leads the industry in innovative products, whatever… find something specific about that company that you can tie in with your answer. Explain how your qualifications and goals complement the company’s mission, vision and values (use specific examples). If you are applying for a position in a company for which you already work, explain how you’ll be able to apply and expand on the knowledge and experience you’ve gained from your current position, and will be able to increase your contributions and value to the company through your new responsibilities.
As with all other questions, be confident and enthusiastic when you answer this. Don’t try to say you are the best qualified person, because you don’t know the qualifications of the other applicants. Instead, emphasize several reasons why you should be hired.
“I’ve got extensive experience in [name the appropriate field] and have the specific skills you are looking for. I’m a fast learner who adapts quickly to change and will hit the ground running. I’m dedicated and enthusiastic about helping your company meet its goals, and will provide top-quality results with minimal oversite. I’m an outstanding performer who takes pride in my work. You won’t have any regrets when you hire me.”
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