Interviewing Skills: Asking the right questions to get useful answers

I thought going through an interview and getting a job is tough – well now I think interviewing applicants and choosing the right person fit for the job is even more difficult. I’m still not sure if my brother would require regular meetings with the hired programmer (he asked me to help scout for a good computer programmer for his business) – and if that’s the case, the employee should be living near the area. If not, it doesn’t matter where he is – freelancers exist globally.

I searched the net looking for things to ask during interviews and I found some helpful ones and I hope it would help not only interviewers but job applicants as well prepare themselves when facing an interview.

• Interviewer: Tell me something about yourself

For the applicant: Give a short statement and make it sound unrehearsed. Have a few statements about your work, do not dwell so much about personal matters. If the interviewer is interested in personal matters, he will ask you later on about it, but not during the start of your interview.

• Interviewer: What are your qualifications?

For the applicant: State all of your qualifications, and even if you are nervous, try not to forget anything so you can really sell yourself. Back these up by stating actual accomplishments and job functions that can give them a bigger picture on your skills and working knowledge about the job.

• Interviewer: Do you like working in teams?

For the applicant: Say that you can be a good follower, and then say that when an opportunity arises, you can be a good leader as well. The interviewer would like to know that projects can be accomplished smoothly because you can work with other team members.

• Interviewer: How do you handle pressure?

For the applicant: The answer should be objective, and do not mention anything personal. Answer swiftly and if you feel your may say something that would require a little lengthy explanation, better not say that one at all.

• Interviewer: Tell me about projects that you were in or you were able to handle.

For the applicant: State your accomplishments and how you handled the activities. Give the details and not just major tasks. Also tell about the challenges that you encountered and how you were able to overcome them.

• Interviewer: What is your working style?

For the applicant: Only mention all the good stuff like - honest, ethical, hard-working, and punctual. These things will only bring good reflections in your interviewer – he should know that you always meet deadlines and deliver quality projects.

• Interviewer: Why should we hire you?

For the applicant: Say how you can contribute and how you can help improve the company. DO not compare yourself with other applicants – only focus on you. By putting the spotlight on you, you are also highlighting your skills, and not anybody else’s.

Interviewer: Think up of more appropriate questions depending on the job position that you have open to help you weigh more the applicants coming in for the job interview.

For the applicant: And always be honest in any answer that you give, once you get the job, it’s your chance to show them that you can actually do better.

There are different types of questions – behavioral questions, job-specific questions, and all these things can help you find the right person.

Now, I’ve got these tips to help me choose the right candidate. They say that when you’re asking the right questions, you’ve already gotten half the answer you’re looking for. And hey, these tips will even help me ace my answers in my own job interview.

Posted in: