How to Answer Interview Questions

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Sell yourself.

   "Tell me about yourself" is one of the most common things someone will ask you on an interview.While the question can seem overwhelming and open-ended, it's actually an excellent opportunity to sell yourself to your prospective employer.
   
   Think about the areas that you excel in and talk about experiences in which you used your skills to overcome a problem or solve an issue efficiently.
   
   Prepare a story before hand.
   
   Think about the skills that are required for the position you're applying to and frame your answers around what the employer is looking for.
   
   Other questions that allow you to sell yourself include, "Why should we hire you?" and "What are your greatest strengths?" When applying to a sales job, you can say something like, "I graduated from business school and got right into sales.
   
   I worked for Joe's Sales Inc. for three years before being promoted to sales lead.
   
   I consistently exceeded my quota and was the top in my team for most months out of the year.
   
   I have a love for communicating and closing deals."
2. 2

   Step 2: Keep your answers short and concise.

   If you plan on telling the employer a story about an experience which demonstrates your ability, make sure it has a clear beginning, middle, and end.Do not respond with a long-winded story that has a lot of useless information.
   
   Concentrate on things that the employer wants in an employee.
   
   For instance, if an employer asks you to describe a challenging work situation and how you overcame it, you could say something like, "When I worked at Sue's Grocery we had a very limited budget and broken equipment.
   
   I was able to look at the expenses and came up with cost saving strategies that allowed us to reduce our payroll costs.
   
   This enabled us to take the extra money and repair the equipment we couldn't afford to fix."
   
   If you are applying for a highly technical position or a position that requires a particular type of experience, it's important to get into the details with the interviewer so that they know your experience is applicable and genuine.
   
   Communicate your experience in past jobs, where you've made mistakes, and how you've improved since then.When going for a computer related job, make sure that you cite all the software and programming languages that you have experience using.
   
   When applying for a service industry job, knowing how point of sale systems and kitchen equipment works is a huge plus.
   
   Cite specifics.
   
   You can say something like, "I've worked with the POS system called Sales Force at the last restaurant and I worked in.
   
   I also have experience taking orders and using a deep fryer.
   
   I'm fast, clean, and committed to ensuring that the guest leaves happy."
   
   Show your knowledge of the terms regularly used in the industry by using buzzwords in the conversation.
   
   When you can speak casually about your skills and experience, it shows that you have the experience and know how to fulfill the tasks that you'll need to undertake.
   
   When going for a marketing job, make sure that you demonstrate your knowledge of both digital and traditional media.
   
   Cite all of the platforms that you have a following on and any networking connections that you may have.
   
   You can say something like, "I've worked with the Daily News, Inquirer, Local News, and the Chronicle with past events.
   
   I also have a huge following on Twitter and Instagram.
   
   I know how to determine trends before they trend." If you're a programmer you could say, "I've created layouts for websites, worked with PHP and CSS as well as Javascript and Ruby.
   
   I am really a big fan of responsive design and functionality when creating a website or app."
   
   Body language is an important aspect of an interview.
   
   Sit up, with your back straight and your chest out.
   
   Crossing your arms or hunching over can make you appear not confident or closed off.When your interviewer is talking, lean in, nod your head, and seem interested and engaged.If you catch yourself slouching over or looking off into different directions, try to reset your behavior by consciously changing the way that you're sitting and interacting.
   
   When you first meet the person you're interviewing, it's customary to give them a handshake and to introduce yourself.
   
   Do not fidget or play with something while the interview is taking place.
   
   This can make you seem uninterested or distracted. , Do not slur your words, use slang, or speak quietly when you answer questions on an interview.
   
   To speak confidently, make sure that your voice is at a reasonable volume for the interviewer to hear your responses without having to concentrate.
   
   Do not raise your tone at the end of sentences because it can sound like a question and make you seem not as confident.Speaking loudly and clearly shows your authority over what you're talking about.
   
   Try to leave out filler words like "um" and "uh." Think of your responses before you start to talk. , A lack of eye contact can make you seem like you're uninterested in what a person has to say.
   
   Try to maintain eye contact with the person interviewing you, but don't stare them down.Break away from eye contact at times when you're thinking or responding to a question.
   
   Maintain a smile while you're looking at them to prevent yourself from looking confused or vacant.
   
   Try to be as natural as possible, but don't look away while the person is talking.
   
   This can be perceived as rude and ruin your chances on the interview.
   
   Another method is to draw a triangle on a person's face and adjust your gaze to each corner every ten seconds.
   
   This may make eye contact less awkward for you., Being overly confident can turn off a prospective employer and cost you the opportunity to work.
   
   Do not badmouth or complain about previous places of employment, because it could send a signal to your new employer that your attitude will not change.Never act like the job you're applying for is not good enough for you.
   
   Always remain optimistic and confident about the opportunity of your new employment.
   
   Instead of bad mouthing a previous employer, say something like, "I really enjoyed the people I worked with and the company itself.
   
   I felt like I was able to grow and learn a lot from those around me.
   
   While it wasn't everything that I wanted, it still gave me the mentality to succeed in the industry and I'm grateful for the experience there." Do not oversell yourself, or artificially inflate your accomplishments or ability.
   
   This could backfire if you actually get the job and are unable to fulfill your duties.
   
   To reaffirm interest in the job, you can say something like, "I think the company culture here is great, and I'd be grateful for the opportunity to work for you."
   
   The cost of onboarding and training new employees can become expensive for a company.Therefore, many businesses are looking to retain talent.
   
   A common question an employer will ask is "Where do you see yourself in five years?" Make sure that your answer involves where you'd be with the company you're applying to in five years.
   
   An answer to "Tell me about yourself" could be something like, "I hope to grow within my position here and take on more responsibility.
   
   I hope to learn a lot within the industry and become better at my job." A temporary or contract position could develop into a full time job.
3. 3

   Step 3: Be specific about your experience.

4. 4

   Step 4: Demonstrate your mastery over the job.

5. 5

   Step 5: Maintain confident body language.

6. 6

   Step 6: Speak in a clear and confident tone of voice.

7. 7

   Step 7: Maintain good eye contact.

8. 8

   Step 8: Don't be arrogant.

9. 9

   Step 9: Show your interest in working long-term.

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