Job Interview Basics : Personal Questions
As previously mentioned most interviewers have little or no originality in their interview skills and procedures. All they generally do is copy the standard questions that have been commonly asked. Little originality if at all. The trick is to plan and anticipate your answers to "vital" questions so that you past muster in order to get the job and income involved.
Standard practice is to have three interviews: 1) Interview one is the first step - basic screening; 2) Interview 2 is a bit more serious - You have passed step one - If they are thorough they may have called your references; 3) Interview 3 is usually by a team or another member of the “team"
A more senior person or even just another person in the organization will interview you.
Although the reason for this will be claimed to be to add in additional expertise and experience into this vital hiring procedure the real reason is to spread the responsibility so that no one person can be blamed if “you don't work out ". Remember none of these questions need be answered by you. However, you take the risk of offending the interviewer (and their interview skills and thus ending your chances for employment and income from that firm). Note that a number of the questions may be totally incongruous, that is, inconsistent and incompatible. Best not to laugh. For example the interviewer may ask if you are a self starter, take responsibility and make your own decisions and then ask leading questions to find out if you are the type that always follows company procedure without question. Or, they may ask questions to verify that you always consider the company's needs and wants as most important and then ask questions to verify “That a customer should never question the company's policy on returns or extended warranties".
When the interviewer goes to great length to explain that the company has a great focus for “ team players” it is not a good idea to point out that being a “ team player “ is not always a good thing. That the interview questions have focused on identifying you as a “ self starter who takes charge”. And besides that it is true that the Sept 11 hijackers were “ good Team Players”.
Lastly, two points - One very intelligent manager's hiring guideline was that when he took out a serious candidate to lunch he watched if the candidate salted his soup before tasting it. The manager wanted people in his organization who checked things out before jumping to act. If you get an interviewer who asks original thought provoking questions in your interview take quick note. For example if the manager asks a question such as “It is 4:55 pm. A customer is considering buying an expensive item which the store has had on hand for some time and has not sold. The customer is very interested in this item. Has phoned their spouse for their ok. The phone call is going to be returned for approval at 5:15. What do you do?” Take note - this is a very smart person in an organization which may well be very good to work for.
The author of the above article is Shaun Stevens who can be reached at
