Interview Tips and Questions

Interviews can be very formal and structured; most of the questions will be formed to uncover your past
behavioural and of course your core skills. On the other hand, they can be informal and more conversational;
pieces of your background are uncovered more randomly. Let the interviewer set the tone and match your style
with theirs, within your own personality.

Make your actions positive and smile a lot. Always maintain good eye contact and listen carefully to what they
say - show your excitement and interest in the position and conclude the interview telling the interviewer that you
are very interested in the opportunity to work for them (even if you are not sure). Your goal is to be offered the
position.

Be prepared to answer specific questions regarding your short and long-term career goals; the best system you
designed or worked on; your worst career mistakes, and where you see yourself in 2/5/10 years. Also, prepare
for questions regarding your style and approach when dealing with difficult users. How you answer all questions
must be carefully weighed; negatives are sometimes more memorable than positives.

State why you want this particular job as things are explained to you, emphasizing your strengths in those areas.
Do not answer too many questions with just a yes or no, explain your answer.

Know the company’s background – research the company with whom you are interviewing. Do not rely on
people you know; take time to research the Internet to find information about the company and their history.
Make sure to know their Mission Statement.

Good questions to ask:

• What will be my first project?

• After that, what will be next?
• In which areas do you expect me to develop new expertise?
• How do you envision my growth in responsibilities?
• What problem areas do you have?
• Why is this position open?
• What types of people typically succeed in your department?
• Avoid questions about benefits, salary and financial issues; these, while important, can be handled later
after the company has seen what you have to offer.
• Make a list the night before; do not rely on your memory. The stress of the interview may cause you to
forget key questions.

Get a good night’s sleep. If your interview is early morning, get up early enough to go over your questions and
company information before going to the interview.

Be on time. If this means finding and mapping out a route before hand, then do it. You should arrive 3 to 5
minutes before the actual time of the interview. If you arrive early, stay in your car until time to go in. You can
take the extra time to go over your notes again. Make sure you have enough copies of your resume; references
and work samples to give to everyone you meet.

The candidate that shows the most enthusiasm for the job, opportunity and company; and who can
effectively and persuasively demonstrate their competency is usually the one that gets the offer.
Typical Interview Questions that are asked

1. Tell me about yourself.

2. What are your strengths?
3. What are your weaknesses?
4. What kind of personality do you work best with and why?
5. Why do you want this job?
6. Where would you like to be in your career five years from now?
7. Tell me about your proudest achievement.
8. If I were to give you this salary you requested but let you write your job description for the next year,
what would it say?
9. How would you go about establishing your credibility quickly with the team?
10. How would you feel about working for someone who knows less than you?
11. Was there a person in your career who really made a difference?
12. What's your ideal company?
13. What attracted you to this company?
14. What are you most proud of?
15. What are you looking for in terms of career development?
16. What do you look for in terms of culture -- structured or entrepreneurial?
17. What do you like to do?
18. Give examples of ideas you've had or implemented.
19. What are your lifelong dreams?
20. What do you ultimately want to become?
21. How would you describe your work style?
22. Tell me about a time where you had to deal with conflict on the job.
23. What's the last book you read?
24. What magazines do you subscribe to?
25. What would be your ideal working situation?
26. Why should we hire you?
27. What did you like least about your last job?
28. What do you think of your previous boss?
29. Do you have any questions for me?
30. When were you most satisfied in your job?
31. What can you do for us that other candidates can't?
32. What are three positive things your last boss would say about you?
33. What negative thing would your last boss say about you?
34. What salary are you seeking?
35. What's your salary history?
36. What were the responsibilities of your last position?
37. How long will it take for you to make a significant contribution?
38. Are you willing to relocate?
39. What was the last project you headed up, and what was its outcome?
40. What kind of goals would you have in mind if you got this job?
41. Give me an example of a time that you felt you went above and beyond the call of duty at work.
42. Can you describe a time when your work was criticized?
43. Have you ever been on a team where someone was not pulling their own weight? How did you handle it?
44. Tell me about a time when you received some difficult feedback. How did you handle it?
45. What is your greatest failure, and what did you learn from it?
46. What irritates you about other people, and how do you deal with it?
47. What do you see yourself doing within the first 30 days of this job?
48. What do you like to do for fun?
49. Why are you leaving your present job?
50. What do you do in your spare time?