Mastering Common Interview Questions

Aug 8

Written By Paula Christensen

Interviews are nerve-wracking, especially when you know you'll be asked some common yet challenging questions. Recruiters often use these questions to gauge not only your skills and experiences but also your fit for the company culture. Understanding what recruiters are looking for can help you tailor your responses to make a lasting impression. Here are four common interview questions and tips on how to answer them effectively.

1. "Tell Me About Yourself"

This question often serves as an icebreaker, but it’s also a crucial opportunity to set the tone for the rest of the interview. Recruiters are looking for a concise summary of your professional background, key achievements, and what you bring to the table.

Many job seekers ask whether they should attach their resumes directly to their LinkedIn profiles. While it might seem like a straightforward way to showcase your qualifications, I advise against it. Here’s why:

1. Your LinkedIn Profile Should Be a Teaser, Not the Whole Story

Your profile should intrigue hiring managers enough to make them want to reach out for your full resume. When you don't attach your resume, you maintain control over who gets to see it. Many recruiters prefer seeing resumes attached to profiles. This way, they can review your resume and potentially reject you without ever contacting you. You want recruiters and hiring managers to contact you so you can engage with them, asking questions and demonstrating your great communication skills.

When it comes to applying for jobs, crafting a compelling cover letter can significantly boost your chances of landing an interview. However, one of the most common stumbling blocks is figuring out exactly whom you should address it to. Addressing your cover letter correctly not only demonstrates your attention to detail but also shows your dedication to personalizing your application.

1. Leverage LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a powerful tool for job seekers. Start by searching for the company you're applying to, and then use the platform's filters to narrow down your search by job title, such as "Recruiter" or "Talent Acquisition."

Ask questions to get at the company’s short and long-term goals. Knowing a company's goals gives insight into its financial health, stability, and growth potential. Companies with clear, achievable long-term goals are generally more stable and offer better career growth opportunities.

Short-Term: These are typically focused on immediate results and may include objectives like increasing quarterly sales, launching new products, or improving customer service. Understanding these goals can give you insight into the company's current priorities and day-to-day operations.

As a professional resume writer and interview coach, I've seen how the right job references can significantly impact a candidate's job search, especially for mid to senior-level managers. Whether you're openly seeking new opportunities or conducting a covert job search, selecting the right references is a critical step.

Understand the Weight of a Good Reference

References play a pivotal role. They not only verify your past employment and achievements but also provide insights into your leadership style, decision-making process, and ability to drive results. The right reference can corroborate the narrative of your resume and interview performance, adding a layer of credibility and trustworthiness to your application.

The "fake it till you make it" aspect of interviewing refers to the practice of projecting confidence, competence, and a positive attitude, even when you may not feel fully qualified or experienced for the position. It involves presenting yourself as the ideal candidate by emphasizing your strengths and downplaying weaknesses or gaps in your knowledge or experience. While this approach can be useful to some extent, there are potential benefits and drawbacks:

Benefits of "Fake It Till You Make It" in Interviewing:

1. Confidence Boost: Adopting a confident and positive demeanor can help alleviate interview anxiety and project a more capable image.

Linda Babcock, a Professor at Carnegie Mellon University, made a striking discovery: while 51.5% of men negotiated their salaries, only 12.5% of women did the same. The disparity is significant, and it translates into substantial financial consequences. Those who refrained from negotiating forfeited a substantial sum of money. On the other hand, those who DID negotiate managed to boost their incomes by an impressive 5% to 15%. Clearly, the act of not negotiating can result in leaving a substantial amount of money on the table.

During a presentation interview, candidates must present on a pre-determined subject or one of their own choosing. The purpose of these interviews is to evaluate a candidate’s communication skills and ability to deliver information clearly and concisely. Companies are increasingly making presentations part of their hiring process but rest assured, you won’t be taken by surprise by a presentation interview. The company will advise you ahead of time about parameters, including the time, topic, and other requirements.

Congratulations, you made it through your job interview! However, your work isn't done. Before accepting your offer, it's important to ask questions to ensure the job is the right fit for you.

Here are the 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝟏𝟎 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 to ask after your interview to help you gain a better understanding of the company culture, the position, and the expectations.

1. How long has this position been open?
2 What opportunities for advancement are available?
3. Can you describe the culture here?
4. What major problems are you facing in this department or position?
5. Could you shed some light on the people I'll be collaborating with most closely?
6. What are some of the skills and abilities you see as necessary for someone to succeed in this job?
7. Are there any weaknesses in the department that you are particularly looking to improve?

A working interview is a type of job interview where the employer provides candidates with tasks or projects to complete as part of the interview process. Candidates test their ability to work and learn alongside the team they would potentially join. These interviews allow the employer to evaluate the candidate's skills, knowledge, and company fit within real-world settings.

 For many candidates, a working interview can be a stressful and intimidating experience, as it requires demonstrating their skills and knowledge and performing under pressure in a fast-paced environment.

Here are some tips for preparing for a working interview:

Research the company and the role to help you understand the company's culture, values, and goals, as well as the specific responsibilities and requirements.

Interviewing when making a job pivot can be brutal.

HR professionals are concerned you may not be fully committed to your new role and would be more likely to leave the company if you are not satisfied.

 You might find yourself facing tough questions like this one,

“Why are you interested in this job? It looks like most of your career has been spent in XYZ field?”

During your interview, you’ll need to convince the hiring team that your decision is well thought out and makes sense for THEM.

During your interview, highlight:

1. How you took on extra projects at your current company y to stretch yourself in transferable areas.

 Ex- You are in Sales and moving to a Content Writer role. Explain how you volunteered to blog for your company and give examples.

Last weekend I was at a college commencement ceremony and got to know Ryan Atkinson. Ryan is an impressive new graduate excited to be moving to Boston for a job at HubSpot as a Business Development Rep. Ryan feels part of the reason he was hired at HubSpot was because of his podcast, The Business Cloud.

I was intrigued by Ryan’s story because I love creative job search tactics.

Ryan started his podcast in August of 2020 because he wanted to network with people in the industries in which aspired to work. His podcast interviewing CEOs, company founders, and entrepreneurs allowed him to access people who probably wouldn’t have sat down with him if he didn’t have a podcast.

22 years ago, my brother, sister, and I all had our first children within weeks of each other. Our parents were thrilled to quickly become grandparents three times over. Over the years, it has been helpful and heart-warming to go through these parenting milestones with my siblings.

One of those ‘firsts’ coming up is having our children graduate from college and enter the workforce. Whether they like it or not, my son, niece, and nephew receive job search advice from me at family functions.

Here is a sneak peek of the new graduate interview tidbits I’ll share at our next family gathering.

1. Overprepare. Thoroughly research the company and your interviewers. Ask an established professional you know for support in finding individuals who might be willing to give you insight on company culture, work-life balance, and training opportunities.

2. Don’t try to sell yourself. Be the best version of yourself but not someone else. Engagement is the key with an aim to be authentic and memorable.

With 36% of the U.S. Workforce choosing to freelance in 2019, answering this question will be essential for many jobseekers.

• Conduct an honest analysis. Will including your side gig make you a better candidate?

• Have you developed skills during your side hustle that will round out your candidacy for the specific role in which you are applying? Listing side gig skills can be crucial when changing industries or transitioning into a new field.

• Does your side hustle detract from your brand or muddy your message? For example,

Could you come across as less than committed or as having a conflict of interest? Could a hiring manager infer that you don’t have time because you are spending 20+ hours per week on your side hustle in addition to your full-time job?

1. Remove old or irrelevant information. The standard length of employment to highlight on a resume is 10 to 15 years. New grads will have less experience than this, and some more tenured folks can make a case for including more years of experience.

2. Update your experience section. Did you add new responsibilities or change departments?

3. Refresh your bullet points. Add major projects, accomplishments, and results. How have you made money? Saved money? Made a process more efficient? How do you stand out from others who hold that same position?

4. Remove graduation dates if you are more than 5-7 years out of college.

5. Update professional development training courses and certifications that you have obtained within the last 5 to 7 years. Include course name, company that offered the course, and the year you took the course.

Two recent clients stand out for how differently they handled rejection.

Both had similar experiences, they interviewed for their dream job, and although they got to the final round of interviews and interviewed well, they did not receive a job offer.

The first client had a difficult time getting beyond his disappointment. Not being chosen tapped into many of his insecurities and caused his self-esteem to plummet. He saw this new job as the perfect “out” of his current, dismal work environment. He desired a fresh start, and this new opportunity provided that. The intense desire for a new/better opportunity triggered severe emotional reactions when he didn’t receive an offer. When we discussed follow up from his interview, he said he absolutely could not contact anyone at the company; his feelings were too hurt. He didn’t feel the company deserved a follow-up. He told me, in not so many words, that not hiring him was their loss.

Here’s how to explain your Covid-19 layoff on a resume, cover letter, and interview.

• Be upfront about your layoff on your resume. If you show your end date any time after March, there’s a good chance most hiring managers and recruiters will know that your layoff was due to the coronavirus pandemic.

• Don’t list specific reasons for your layoff on your resume. Instead, provide brief details in your cover letter.

Stick with me here.

In landscaping, you have three choices.

1. You do not do much, only mowing the grass once per week. You don’t invest in shrubs, bushes, perennials, and annuals. Going the minimal effort route is acceptable. As long as you keep your yard up, your neighbors won't likely give you much grief.

2. You invest time and energy into landscaping your yard. You spend your weekends keeping your yard looking beautiful, and you enjoy being outside. It’s fun for you to conduct research, watch HGTV shows, and bounce ideas off neighbors.

Different career advisors, coaches, and resume writers weigh in on how to reduce job search anxiety during the coronavirus epidemic.

Looking for a new job can cause uncertainties and be wrought with anxiety. During Covid-19, many people are feeling turmoil in their careers, have experienced a layoff, or find themselves underemployed. This can cause uncertainty and rejection, as well as financial pressure. I was fortunate to have several job search and career consultant colleagues weigh in on this topic. These tips can help reduce concerns for job seekers going through the stressful and anxious job hunt process.

I attended an indoor cycle class at my gym today. As I entered the room, a gentleman in his sixties smiled like he knew me and hollered a robust "hello!". I chose a bike near him because he was so friendly. He asked me if I was a biker and we discussed the types of workouts we do, in and out of the gym. The man introduced himself as Marty. As another participant entered the class, Marty asked her if she needed any help getting her bike set up. I’d be willing to bet Marty has never had a hard time building his network, expanding his business opportunities, or finding a job.