Common Interview Questions And What They Can Mean
Wednesday January 21, 2009
When you come to interviews in your Australia job search, you will find that preparing for the most common questions can be very helpful. This is largely due to the fact that the most common interview questions are usually general inquiries into your past and your ambitions. Knowing the answers to such questions requires you to have a good knowledge of your experience and motivations, which is what almost any other interview question will be asking about. The interview is one of the most important parts of an Australia job search, so make sure you are ready to answer the most common questions right off the bat.
"Would you please tell me about yourself?"
This is meant to work out how focused you are on your job, as someone who can keep their answer career based knows when and how to be professional. You should talk about your career so far, what it has taught you, what you have achieved and be sure to relate what you talk about to the job you are being interviewed for.
"Do you know anything about the company?"
This helps to gauge your interest in the role. Someone who isn't particularly interested in the job will likely not have done much research. As a regular part of your Australia job search, you should be sure to research any company that you are applying for a job with.
"What would you say is your biggest weakness?"
There are a few ways of approaching this, and not every approach is suitable for every interviewer. One approach is to prepare beforehand and work out a reasonably inoffensive weakness. For instance, many listings you will come across on your Australia job search are likely to be somewhat padded out with qualities desired in applicants. If you can find one that has been mentioned, but isn't vital to the position advertised, then you may wish to suggest you have a weakness related to that.
Another approach is to reply with a question. When asked what your weakness is, you can state that you believe your experience and skills will be an asset to the company, and then ask if there are any concerns the employer has. This will not always be a good way to go, however, as many interviewers will not appreciate having the interview turned back on them.
"Do you have any questions?"
Always have a few questions. Come up with a few before the interview and then think of some to ask once you learn more about the business from what you are told in the interview. Asking about pay at this stage isn't necessary, as if you are offered a job, you will be asked about your expectations anyway. Think of something to do with the company, preferably an area that the interviewer seems enthusiastic about.
Please visit our graduate jobs, legal jobs, automotive jobs and sales jobs pages if you would like to browse our listings as part of your Australia job search.