SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Those individuals who perform well at interviews are made job offers, ahead of those who are perhaps better qualified, but don’t perform as well. Good interview technique is vital to securing the top jobs and, like good exam technique; it can be learned and practiced. The interview is also very important for your own assessment of the organisation, the job, the people and furthermore how their “proposition” fits into your career plan. In the same way they will be assessing you, you must also assess them.

There are always THREE questions the interviewer will want to answer after having met you:

1. Can you do the job?
Do you have the necessary knowledge, skills and experience to be able to do the job to the standards required?

2. Do you want to do the job?
Are you motivated to do the job? Does it logically fit into your career plan? Is there enough scope for you to develop the role?

3. Will you fit into the team?
Is there compatibility between you and the existing people in the team? Do you share similar values and visions?
They will ask many different questions and form impressions from meeting you, but essentially they will want to confirm in their own mind that you do, or don’t, comply with those three basic questions. Similarly, you also want to answer those questions for yourself to determine whether it’s a job you want to do and an organisation you want to work with.

Interview Structure

Interviews are usually one on one and although the approach may differ the structure is usually the same i.e.

• There is an opening period of a few minutes where the scene is being set and first impressions are being formed.
• A middle period in which the conversation will embrace the organization, the job itself and you and your potential fit. This is where you will be asked many questions and you can sell your experience.
• The closing period, again a few minutes, will be an opportunity for the interviewer to summarise and to indicate the process from here. You will also be able to ask questions here if you haven’t had a prior opportunity to do so. In recent years interviews have become more sophisticated as organisations have been striving to increase the link between interview success and workplace performance.