Hi, over the next few weeks I will be publishing regular advice on how to ace your job / university / MBA, or PhD interview. If you would like to book a lesson with me, I will provide you with a 28 page document that I have written with some sample questions and advice on how to answer them. In these articles that I am publishing, you will find a group of questions and the appropriate advice on how to answer them, and in some cases you will even find some sample answers. During a lesson, I will go through the questions with you, let you answer as if you were in an interview environment and then I will check, and if necessary, correct the content of your answer. I hope you find the following information useful and I really look forward to seeing you online if you choose a class with me! I am also offering a 20% discount for any new students for ANY of my lessons. 

Lesson link:

https://cafetalk.com/lessons/detail/?id=11273&key=ec0e3f840eb8c5a75b04f6306f25dd66

·       When was the last time you were angry? What happened?

The interviewer will ask this to find out how frequently you lose your temper and what you consider is ‘serious’ enough to get angry about. Try not to say that the last time you were angry was yesterday or even last week. Try to choose a situation that was a few weeks or months ago and that you feel was serious enough by anyone’s standards to get angry about. If you very rarely become angry then just state this but remember that becoming angry does not mean that you scream and shout at someone, angriness can be an internal feeling without any outward emotion and everyone gets angry at certain points, it is how you deal with that anger that is crucial, especially in a work situation where anger is best contained and released outside of the workplace, or at least dealt with in a mature and professional manner.

·       If you could relive the last 10 years of your life, what would you do differently?

The interviewer  will be looking for any signs of regret over ‘what could have been’. Do not say that you wish you had embarked on a totally different career path to the one you have chosen as this  will reflect discontent in your life which may affect your performance at work. A constructive answer would be to say that you wish you had studied for a higher qualification, or you wish you had learned another major language such as English or Spanish. A wish that you had worked abroad would also be a good answer, especially where international experience is desirable in your field of work.

·       If the people who know you were asked why you should be hired, what would they say?

Imagine if the interviewer was to approach your friends and colleagues and ask them about what qualities you can offer your new employer. You must have some idea of what people in your work and personal life think of you so try to mention the good qualities you know you exhibit to these people. Do not be over the top or egotistical in your answer. Try to mention any significant responsibilities that your manager has bestowed upon you that sets you apart from the rest of the team. Talk about past appraisals with your manager and point out the positive aspects of what was written about you and expand on why these things were said.

·       Do you prefer to work independently or on a team?

If the position you are applying for requires you to spend lots of time alone, then of course, you should state that you like to work alone and vice versa.  Never sound too extreme one way or another. Do not say that you hate people and would ‘die if you had to work with others’ and don't state that you ‘will go crazy if you're left alone for five minutes’.  A healthy balance between the two is always the best choice. If you have previous experience illustrating the fact that you can work alone or with others, then offer it. For example, you might state that in your previous job you spent a significant amount of time alone while travelling, or that you have learned how to get along well with people in the workplace by working on numerous team projects.

·       Have you ever fired anyone?

The interviewer does not want you to express either too much indifference or too much sympathy for those you have had to fire. Tell the interviewer how you discussed the employee's shortcomings with him several times and tried to help him improve, but as a last resort, you had no choice but to fire the person. Do not give personal reasons for firing someone and try to leave out personality clashes either with yourself or the remaining team members. Remain professional and reinforce the fact that the wellbeing of the business comes first and foremost, but be careful not to come across as ‘cut-throat’ or emotionally detached from the process of someone losing their livelihood.