This is a continuation of the interview questions series from last month. As I have stated before, it is important to practice the questions that you may encounter in an interview. That way, you can work out the kinks and you also can decide how you are going to handle any difficult issues. Here are more of the questions you may encounter in an interview:
Have you ever been fired from a job or asked to resign?
If you have been fired or asked to resign, then you need to disclose it. Your potential employer might find out some other way, such as when they call to check your employment history. It is better that they hear it from you, rather than from someone else. This gives you a chance to explain it from your point of view.
The thing to remember any time you have to discuss a negative even it your work history is to talk about what you have done to change the situation so that it won’t happen again. Employers understand that people make mistakes. They just want to be assured that you won’t be making the same mistake again at their company.
For example, if you were fired because of poor attendance, you might say, “I was let go from my last job because of poor attendance. I was absent several times because of transportation problems. But, I have just purchased a car that works well and I will now be able to attend work every day. Attendance will not be a problem for me in the future.”
What are your strengths?
Sometimes people have trouble identifying their strengths. Often this is because they hold themselves up to too high of a standard. Remember that basic qualities such as being on time, being reliable or having strong customer service skills are very important to an employer. Also, don’t be afraid to talk positively about yourself. Your purpose in the interview is to sell yourself. No one else will do it for you, so make sure that you do a good job of it!
What are your weaknesses?
The thing with weaknesses is that you want to choose things that are not very negative. Don’t tell the interviewer about your major failings or your personal nemesis. Instead, focus on negatives that are really positives in disguise. Examples of this type of weakness are, “I’m a perfectionist” or “I don’t like it when other people don’t work as hard as I do”. When in doubt, just make sure that you let the interviewer know that you don’t think your perfect. One way to do that is to say, “I know I have weaknesses and when they are brought to my attention I will do my best to correct them”.