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Interview Questions: How to Deal with those Tough Job Interview Questions

By Joe McDermott

So you arrive at the interview and find yourself in the hot seat. All eyes are upon you and the first question the interviewer asks is:

'Tell me about yourself'

Ok, you think, nice open question, easy one, so you launch into a great rambling ten minute speech giving all the details about your life from the day your were born including your hobbies and the name of your cat.

You feel very pleased with yourself but chances are with that one answer, you may have lost the job. The interviewer would possibly see you as incompetent, unable to summarise and lacking focus and direction.

In my experience many interviewees answer this question poorly when in fact I view this as a great opportunity for you to really sell yourself and make a powerful first impression. So what goes wrong?

If the question comes early on in the interview, the interviewer wants to hear about your career to date and what you will bring to the job. Indeed, it may be that they have not had an opportunity to read your CV and want you to help summarise it for them.

How to Answer

We recommend that you keep your answer to no less than 30 seconds and no longer than 90 seconds. You should include your name, a personal profile, your key strengths, a recent achievement, your most recent responsibilities and where you want to go next in your career.

Sample Answer

Here is a sample answer for a candidate being interviewed for a Finance Manager role:

In this answer we have addressed the Capability, Commitment and Cultural Fit criteria and highlighted above are the key phrases that help make this a good answer.

At the end, the interviewee could ask 'Are there any specific areas you would like me to talk about further?'

Even without this prompt we would expect the interviewer to probe further exploring the 'new financial management system', what other projects the candidate was involved in at Pfizer, what they did at Glaxo Smith Klein and why do they think they could settle down at this organisation.

*Some of the details of this answer have been changed for confidentiality reasons

How to Easily Answer Any Interview Question

So, how would you have answered the above question or indeed some of the more awkward questions such as 'What are your weaknesses?' or 'Why should we hire you instead of the other candidates?'. And, how confident do you feel about answering Competency Based or Behavioural questions, both very commonly used at present.

For expert help with answering these difficult questions, enter your email below and receive a FREE 3-Part Interview Tips Course delivered direct to your inbox. Developed by Annette Lewis, one of our expert interview coaches and published author, this great course will boost your confidence and get you ready to win in your next interview.

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About the Author

Joe McDermott is an experienced Career Coach and Interviewer. He is the author of best selling guides and a key contributor to the InterviewGOLD™ online course.

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• Video Practice Interviews
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