Each interviewer has a favourite question, ranging from the very simple ‘tell me about yourself’ to the more imaginative ‘what will you do if a team member lets you down?’
It’s impossible to predict the question your interviewer will place most emphasis on. In preparing for interview, therefore, you should cover as many scenarios as possible.
An often overlooked type of question, when it comes to preparation, relates to your future goals.
We asked a range of employers for their questions, and more importantly, their suggested answers:
Q1: What are your short, medium and long term goals?
A1: Realism is key. Employers like to see ambition but not someone that is so anxious to move up that they will not be dedicated to the role they are immediately employed for. The first year of a role is often about learning and mastering, the second year about over-achievement and the third to fifth years about progressing and helping an employer in other ways.
Q2: What would you hope to achieve in the first 12 months?
A2: This hypothetical question is very popular. It is vital your answer is specific and realistic. It is good to state that before setting off to achieve these goals, you would seek to agree them with your manager to make sure you are focussed on the right direction. A good answer usually is balanced - explain the first 12 months is about learning, hard work and meeting targets.
Q3: What is more important to you: salary rises or career progression?
A3: A balanced answer is usually best. Relate your earning potential to your ability to do the job. State you hope to take every opportunity, work hard, put in the hours required and generally get stuck in and in the meantime you will show that you are keen to earn as much as possible
Q4: What do you see as your next step in your career?
A4: Having an ambition to strive toward is an attractive trait for employers, so long as it also matches the needs they have in the job description – you don’t want to appear uninterested in performing the immediate tasks. They will help you achieve your goals. So, do your homework, know what the realistic moves are after this role and pick a route. Then explain how you will get there.
Many other questions were mentioned, but they often focussed on similar lines to the above. The key messages employers continually cited were to:
Be realistic
Be specific
Show ambition
Remember focus and enthusiasm for the immediate job
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