The job-hunting process is often highly stressful and not one of the easiest tasks on the path to success. Undoubtedly, the most crucial stage of recruitment is the job interview. The first impression is often decisive, and even with high skills, they may not count for much if it’s unfavorable.
This article aims to guide you through this challenging process and offer insights into alleviating the stress associated with it. You’ll find a collection of commonly asked questions during job interviews, along with the answers employers expect. Additionally, we will present behaviors that will help you stand out and present yourself appealingly to potential employers. Controlling body language, tone, and voice intensity are also essential aspects. Finally, we will provide golden advice from our experts that will undoubtedly help you perform well in a job interview.
What Questions to Expect During a Job Interview?
Preparing for what seems like a challenging job interview can actually be quite easy. The question pattern is highly repetitive, designed to evaluate the candidate’s motivation and self-assessment.
It’s crucial to acknowledge that in addition to general inquiries, there will be those assessing skills related to the chosen career path. These questions can vary significantly depending on the industry, but if you possess the appropriate skills for the position, you should handle them with ease.
If you’re interested in pursuing a career in Human Resources or as a Computer Graphic Designer we suggest exploring our articles, which will help streamline your journey towards your dream job.
1. What Do You Know About Our Company?
This question almost always comes up. Its purpose is to assess the candidate’s knowledge about the company and their vision of themselves within it. It’s worth taking a moment before the meeting to do some research to learn about the company’s activities and analyze your skills that will allow you to meet the tasks related to the chosen position.
2. Why Do You Want to Change Jobs/Why Do You Want to Work Here?
One of the tricky questions. It’s worth preparing for it in advance to show respect both for yourself and your former/current workplace. Try to present your reason in the most positive light possible. Nobody likes complaints, and a future employer is more likely to hire someone driven by ambition rather than money. An ideal answer is that in the previous job, despite a great atmosphere, there was no opportunity for advancement and/or development due to a lack of new responsibilities.
3. What Motivates You to Work?
Employing a new worker is an investment for the company. For this reason, the employer wants to know what drives you to work. It’s worth mentioning here that the position you are applying for fulfills you, and the tasks associated with it excite and satisfy you. It’s understood that motivation for work is greatly influenced by compensation. It’s worth mentioning this to pave the way for easier negotiation after employment.
4. How Was Your Collaboration with Your Previous Supervisor?
The question aims to assess your attitude towards authority and whether you can work for the company, not just for your own benefit. It’s not worth complaining about the relationship that developed between you and your boss. If there were disagreements or differences of opinion, it would be beneficial to answer honestly but provide an example of the disagreement and how it was resolved.
5. Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?
One of the most challenging questions for many people appears in almost every job interview. Answers are individual, and before the interview, you should have in mind your career and life vision. The recruiter wants to see if you change jobs frequently and if you make impulsive decisions.
6. Describe Yourself and Your Interests?
This question is your opportunity to pique the recruiter’s interest, showcase your personality, and demonstrate the energy you will bring to the new workplace. At this stage, it’s beneficial to express emotion and highlight your life achievements. In the workplace skills are important but employers also seek individuals who can contribute to maintaining a positive atmosphere within the company.
7. What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses?
Awareness of your strengths and weaknesses shows to what extent you know yourself. When answering this question, it’s important to list your problems and present ways of working on them, so the employer knows that you don’t let them control you. When talking about strengths, be prepared to support them with examples from your life.
If you want to learn more about this click here and watch materials prepared by Abby Hoeh, who is a Career & Interview Coach.
8. Do You Work Effectively in a Team?
If the position you are applying for requires teamwork, the job interview will examine whether you can cooperate and in what position you feel most confident: leader, team member, or executor. If you have previously had the opportunity to work in a team, describe what the cooperation involved and give an example of a task you successfully completed together.
9. What Are Your Financial Expectations?
It’s worth presenting financial ranges that satisfy you at this stage. Genuine salary negotiations are best started when you receive feedback from the employer regarding employment. Chances for a higher salary or benefits increase when we are sure that the company is interested in us. What must be avoided is talking about financial commitments such as a mortgage.
This topic is very complex, so we encourage you to read this article, which contains ready-made answers worth considering.
10. What Sets You Apart from Other Candidates?
Concrete details will help you meet expectations. Avoid generalities like punctuality, creativity, or stress management, etc. It’s best to list your three strengths supported by examples. Think carefully about this before the interview and choose skills or traits that will genuinely help you stand out. The employer wants to hear that you understand the job market and your value in it. A solid example of an advantage could be completing a course. Therefore, it’s worth developing and investing in yourself. On our website, you will find several interesting courses that will help you stand out from the competition.
Click here and check out our offer.
How Should You Look and Behave During Recruitment?
Making a good first impression is half the battle. It’s a complicated process for which there is not a single correct recipe. It’s important to be natural and follow the ideas below. Whether we like it or not, we are judged from the moment we step in. Neat appearance, a smile, and creating the right atmosphere are crucial. Below, we will present what to wear and what behaviors will positively influence your reception.
What to Wear to a Job Interview?
Elegantly but not excessively. Subdued colors, jeans with blazer, and a sweater or shirt underneath.
Regardless of whether you are male or female, when going for a job interview, you need to present yourself neatly and appropriately. It’s worth choosing a business casual dress code. This is a combination of formal style with everyday wear. It’s the perfect middle ground. Instead of a suit, opt for a blazer with jeans. You can wear either a shirt or a sweater underneath. However, it’s important to choose more elegant shoes. Sneakers will make the outfit too casual. If you lack ideas for outfits, it’s worth looking for inspiration on Pinterest.
Body Language – What to Pay Attention To
Unfortunately, body language is very difficult to practice. Few people can control their bodies, but that doesn’t mean we can’t influence them. Even if it is achieved to a small extent, it’s worth trying to influence our posture, facial expressions, gestures, and tone of voice.
It’s important to control your body so that your words don’t contradict it. If the recruiter notices this, they will know you are lying or pretending. For example, if you respond affirmatively, don’t shake your head negatively. Therefore, when implementing the following tips, be thoughtful and don’t do anything against yourself.
- Greeting and Body Posture – When entering the room where the job interview takes place, walk in confidently and firmly shake hands with the recruiter. When sitting down, adopt a relaxed posture with your back straight. Avoid slouching or spreading out on the chair and keep your legs and arms in a natural position. Changing positions frequently will indicate nervousness, so try to maintain your chosen posture throughout the interview.
- Gestures and Hand Positioning – Moderate gestures are recommended during the job interview. Keep your hands on your thighs or the chair armrests when resting. Avoid a closed posture (don’t hold your hands on your chest), as we want to appear open to our interviewer. Avoid fidgeting with items like pens and refrain from touching your face with your hands, as fiddling suggests boredom or distraction, and touching the face implies deceit.
- Speaking Style – On average, people speak 120-180 words per minute. Speaking faster may create the illusion of being an expert in the subject or having genuine passion, and it’s harder for the listener to catch mistakes. However, you must be careful because speaking too quickly is perceived as nervousness and hinders effective communication. Speaking slowly, on the other hand, gives the impression that someone needs to think about their response. The perception of this is twofold: either we come across as calm and composed, or as lethargic. Tone and volume of voice, as well as facial expressions, play a significant role in how we are interpreted.
- Eye Contact – We aim for natural eye contact, which makes us appear open and honest. People who avoid it, however, seem shy or dishonest. It’s also worth remembering that prolonged eye contact can give the impression of superiority over the interlocutor or excessive self-confidence.
Ways to Relieve Stress During a Job Interview
Sometimes, despite perfect references and being well-suited for a particular position, stress during the job interview can negatively affect our performance. We may stutter, have a mental block, or our sentences may come out disorganized. Each individual reacts differently when strong emotions are involved. Some are motivated by stress, while others are paralyzed by it. For those who don’t cope well in stressful situations, we have some advice on how to overcome nervousness and go through the recruitment process positively.
- Take a few deep breaths; it will help calm your breath and slow down your racing heart.
- Try to imagine the course of the interview. A positive scenario will help you prepare for the upcoming events and reduce fear.
- Name the emotions you are feeling and tell yourself that it’s normal in such a situation. Be gentle with yourself.
- Focus on your surroundings or what you are doing at that moment. It will help you mentally distance yourself from what awaits you and prevent you from unnecessarily getting worked up.
- Practice the interview with someone close to you before the actual one. Get used to and train yourself. This will greatly reduce the anxiety waiting for the interview.
Golden Advice
What do you think is the most important thing that helps you succeed in a job interview? Our specialists, who have years of experience working as recruiters, answered this question.
Ratna Pillai – Job Whisper
She has spent 10+ years working at 6 different global companies. She is sharing her knowledge on her YouTube channel, TikTok and Instagram.
“I’ve landed offers at companies big and small, scouted talent to grow my team, and mentored underrepresented talent to help level the playing field. I’ve been on all sides of the table, ma the table, made a ton of mistakes, and wish a resource like this existed when I needed help.” – Ratna Pillai
Abigail Hoeh – Life Work Balance
Professional Coach, Consultant, & Speaker. You can find her on her YouTube Channel, Facebook group, Twitter or Instagram, where she shares tips and helps find a balance in work life.
“We work so we may live & enjoy the many experiences of life. Let me help you find and maintain a healthy balance between your professional & personal life.” – Abby Hoeh
