During the typical job interview, you'll get many interview questions. But do you really understand what the interviewer needs to know? What does it take to get you hired?
Most candidates have no idea why an interviewer asks a particular question, they often tend to think it's a competition to outwit the interviewer.
The reality is that employers have neither the time nor inclination to play games with you, especially when hiring. Your interviewer is not trying to outguess you -- he's trying to assess your answers to six key questions:
Do You Have the Skills to Do the Job?
The employer must first determine whether you have the necessary hard skills for the position, e.g., the programming knowledge for a database administration job or the accounting skills to be a Finance Manager. By really probing into what the candidate has done in the past, an interviewer can tap into hard skills.
But the interviewer is also looking for key soft skills you'll need to succeed in the job and organisation, such as the ability to work well in teams or the basic intelligence to work things out with some basic training.
Do You Fit?
Every organisation's first thought is about fit in a certain job, department or team. That means the interviewer is trying to pinpoint not only whether you match up well with both the company's and department's activities but also whether you'll complement the talents of your potential colleagues.
Do You Understand the Company and What It Does?
If the organisation fits well with your career aspirations, you'll naturally be motivated to do good work there - and stay more than a month or two. Most employers don't want someone to take the position just because it's a job and it fits their skills, they want them to be excited about the company’s mission and what they do.
How Do You Stack Up Against the Competition?
You're being evaluated in relation to other candidates for the job. In other words, this test is graded on a curve. So, the interviewer will constantly be comparing your performance with that of the other candidates'.
Do You Have the Right Mindset for the Job and Company?
Most employers are always looking for someone who has a can-do type of attitude, they want someone who wants to be challenged and is internally motivated to do well.
Employers can't train for this essential trait, but they can hire for it and if they don't, they'll end up with a lower-performing employee.
Do You Want the Job?
Most employers know better than to believe everyone they interview actually wants the position being offered. They understand some candidates are exploring their options, while others might be using an interview with a company they don't care about just to hone their interview skills.
So, you must prove you really want the job. At CV Pro, we use the ditch-digger analogy; "Many of us can dig ditches, but few are willing to - and even fewer want to."
But of course, to get the interview in the first place, you’ll need an excellent, relevant CV and cover letter that will get an interviewer’s attention enough to want to spend an hour of their valuable time with you in an interview. Not getting interviews? Contact us now to review your current CV in line with the types of jobs you’re applying for.
Most candidates have no idea why an interviewer asks a particular question, they often tend to think it's a competition to outwit the interviewer.
The reality is that employers have neither the time nor inclination to play games with you, especially when hiring. Your interviewer is not trying to outguess you -- he's trying to assess your answers to six key questions:
Do You Have the Skills to Do the Job?
The employer must first determine whether you have the necessary hard skills for the position, e.g., the programming knowledge for a database administration job or the accounting skills to be a Finance Manager. By really probing into what the candidate has done in the past, an interviewer can tap into hard skills.
But the interviewer is also looking for key soft skills you'll need to succeed in the job and organisation, such as the ability to work well in teams or the basic intelligence to work things out with some basic training.
Do You Fit?
Every organisation's first thought is about fit in a certain job, department or team. That means the interviewer is trying to pinpoint not only whether you match up well with both the company's and department's activities but also whether you'll complement the talents of your potential colleagues.
Do You Understand the Company and What It Does?
If the organisation fits well with your career aspirations, you'll naturally be motivated to do good work there - and stay more than a month or two. Most employers don't want someone to take the position just because it's a job and it fits their skills, they want them to be excited about the company’s mission and what they do.
How Do You Stack Up Against the Competition?
You're being evaluated in relation to other candidates for the job. In other words, this test is graded on a curve. So, the interviewer will constantly be comparing your performance with that of the other candidates'.
Do You Have the Right Mindset for the Job and Company?
Most employers are always looking for someone who has a can-do type of attitude, they want someone who wants to be challenged and is internally motivated to do well.
Employers can't train for this essential trait, but they can hire for it and if they don't, they'll end up with a lower-performing employee.
Do You Want the Job?
Most employers know better than to believe everyone they interview actually wants the position being offered. They understand some candidates are exploring their options, while others might be using an interview with a company they don't care about just to hone their interview skills.
So, you must prove you really want the job. At CV Pro, we use the ditch-digger analogy; "Many of us can dig ditches, but few are willing to - and even fewer want to."
But of course, to get the interview in the first place, you’ll need an excellent, relevant CV and cover letter that will get an interviewer’s attention enough to want to spend an hour of their valuable time with you in an interview. Not getting interviews? Contact us now to review your current CV in line with the types of jobs you’re applying for.
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