Interview Process

Preparing for your interview
At the interview
Questions you may be asked at the interview
Questions to ask at the interview
What to expect at a second interview
Negotiating your remuneration package

Questions you may be asked at the Interview

We all know interview questions can tough but these questions are asked simply so that the interviewer can find out what he wants to know in the best possible way. Whether or not the interviewer’s questions are intended to be tough you should always follow these rules:

Below are some questions that you may be asked about yourself, your career, the position you are interested in, your salary, expectation of earnings and a few unexpected ones that we hear some people get asked.

Tell me about yourself?
This is not an invitation to give your life history. In fact, you really need the interviewer to be more specific before you can give the answer they want. So ask them “What aspect of myself would you like me to tell you about?” They are most likely to ask you to talk about what you’re like at work.

You should aim to describe the kind of person you are in a couple of minutes at the most. Concentrate on positive qualities and link them to the key responsibilities of the position you’re applying for. For example “I am a people person – I enjoy working with people and being part of a team. I’m the sort of person who likes to get stuck into a project and I really enjoy seeing a project right through from initial planning to the final stages…” and so on.

Should they ask to hear about what you’re like away from work you will still want to give them an answer which means you’re cut out for the position on offer. So again, if you want to show you’re a good team player you might tell them “I’m very social; I have lots of friends and I spend a lot of time with them. I play a lot of sports when I can”

You’ve got plenty of time to think about this question before you get to the interview and be ready with suitable and honest answers about you’re personal or business life. If the job calls for a good team player, it’s likely you are one or you wouldn’t be applying for the job, so you would probably have plenty of examples you could choose from.

What do you enjoy most in your current job?
The interviewer could be tempting you to indicate that there are things you don’t like about your job. Therefore pick out one or two especial favourite parts of the job, making sure that they will be important parts of this position too.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced at work?
So long as you’re prepared, this is a great question. You need to have an answer ready for it in order to get the best from it. The idea is that you do not only describe the challenge, but also how you coped with it. So you need to pick an example which leaves you looking good.

There is something else behind this question too: the interviewer is also finding out what you consider to be a challenge. So think hard about the example you want to pick. You get to choose, so pick something that’s relevant to the position.

Just a rule of thumb to follow: it’s dangerous to pick an example that involves problems with other people. It can give the impression that you find getting on with others is a big challenge.

Why do you want to leave your present job?
The interviewer is looking for a positive reason for moving forward, not a negative aim to avoid a job you’re not happy in. Keep negative thoughts to yourself.

The only really good answer is the real reason which may be “Because I want to broaden my experience and I think I can do that better in a new organisation” If it’s relevant to the position you can expand on this; for example if the job entails giving a lot of presentations you might say “In particular, I enjoy presenting and it’s something I’ve become very good at and I would like more opportunity to work with clients in this way and develop my skills further.

What is your present boss like?
Never criticise any of your bosses; current, former or otherwise. The interviewer may be your future boss and wants to hear you being loyal to other bosses. So always be positive.

What do you think is the role of a financial planner?
This is just an example, but it could relate to a paraplanner position, corporate financial planner etc. You should have thought this question through before you are asked it. We can’t tell you the answer since we don’t know what your job is but you need to answer the following:

As you may realise, you can pick up big clues from the job specification and will also want to draw on your own experience. This question is sometimes given as a test; if this happens the interviewer will interrupt to disagree with you. Their aim is to see whether you can defend your case calmly and convincingly so don’t be thrown by their interruption. Ask them politely to justify their assertion that your description of the role is wrong. Then show that you can argue your case well and without becoming defensive.

What do you know about our company?
This is a great opportunity for you to demonstrate that you have done your homework about their company. Keep to the relevant points – size, turnover, nature of the business, growth and business ethos (for example, “I know you’re a growing organisation with a reputation for developing people”). Keep it brief, but add one or two things that suggest you’ve gone deeper than merely reading the annual report. For example “I notice in the trade press that you’ve recently appointed a new finance director.”

Why do you want this position?
Try not to waffle on about challenges and prospects. Talk in terms of benefits to them and be specific about the kind of challenge you enjoy. For example “I am a great financial planner and I’m looking for a position that gives me scope to build on my existing skills” or “I get great satisfaction from working in a successful team and this position seems to call for someone who can fit well into a tight, well motivated team.”

What do you feel you can bring to this job?
This is another question which gives you the chance to shine. You need to link you’re past experience and skills to the requirements of the position. So pick about three or four key strong points in your favour which are relevant to this position. For example “I’m very experienced at dealing with clients and get on easily with other people so I work well in a team. And I’m naturally organised and find it easy to handle paperwork.”

How long would you expect to stay with this company?
The interviewer won’t want to employ someone who is going to leave as they will want to gain full value from you. So indicate that you’d like to stay a few years. “I’d like to settle and grow and develop. I would like to stay progress and make a valuable contribution.”

What are you’re greatest strengths?
This is a perfect question - just focus your answers on the key responsibilities of the position to make sure your strengths are relevant to your interviewer. And make sure you don’t ramble on for too long; pick one or two key strengths which are really important for this job.

What is your biggest weakness?
This question can be hard as you don’t want to sound negative. The best defence to use is one that is honest but shows that you are aware of this weakness and therefore consciously try to accommodate this fact, by delegating the task to someone else, or take on the task personally with care and particular attention where needed.

We all have weaknesses and admitting to them helps you not to come across as arrogant or too perfect.

Where do you see yourself in five years time?
You need to be careful how you answer this because if you give a specific goal and the interviewer knows that they cannot fulfil it, they may be put off employing you. But remember that they want to know you have drive and will keep increasing your value to them. So you could answer “I’m certainly ambitious and like to keep moving and progressing. I find it very rewarding to be an integral part of the success of a company.”

How would your colleagues describe you?
This is an invitation to list your strong points. Concentrate on your plus points as a colleague – supportive, a good team player etc. As with all these questions, it’s unwise to make any outrageous claims. So if you’re a bit of a loner but you get on with everyone you might give an answer like “They’d say I was one of the quieter members of the team, but popular and can be relied on to pull with the team when it’s facing any kind of challenge”.

How would your friends describe you?
Don’t be unrealistic about yourself, but pick out the strongest points which will be relevant. It’s always worth mentioning loyalty and supportiveness. The interviewer is simply trying to get a more rounded picture of the kind of person you are, to help them assess whether you’ll fit in with the people you’ll be working with.

What outside interests do you have?
Your interviewer is trying to find out more about you. Your interests will tell them whether you are sporty, competitive, enjoy dangerous pursuits or like solo or group activities and so on.

What have you read and enjoyed lately?
Don’t make up some fashionable answer here, or name a leading business book you haven’t actually read. You may be asked questions about your answer. You don’t have to mention the most recent book you’ve read so pick one you genuinely enjoyed which is slightly offbeat – which may make you stand out from the rest. You might choose an unusual classic or biography – try and pick something that will show a side of you you’d like your interviewer to see.

What motivates you?
You need to give an answer, as always, that benefits your potential employer and links into the key responsibilities of the position. So don’t say “£100,000 per year and Porsche Turbo!” Give an answer along the lines of “I’m happiest when I can see a project through from start to finish”, or “I get a real kick out of managing a team that is happy and knows it is successful”.

How well do you take direction?
Keep in mind the fact that your interviewer may become you’re employer so it’s their direction you will be taking. The answer here has to be that you take direction well. You can add credibility to your answer by expanding it and adding something like “I believe individuals like myself and teams function more effectively by taking direction from their leader”.

How do you handle criticism?
Remember you’re interviewer may be anticipating becoming your employer and will inevitably have to criticise you from time to time. They want to know whether this task would be easy for them of whether you will make it difficult for them. So you could answer “I’m always happy to be given constructive criticism and welcome this. It helps me learn from my mistakes and improve on my performance”.

Do you enjoy doing routine tasks?
It’s unlikely that you will be asked this question unless the job entails carrying out routine tasks, however bearing in mind that most jobs have an element of “tedious” work then this may come up. Your answer should be honest and if you don’t like routine tasks say, but still give a positive slant on it and explain “Although I don’t enjoy it there are plenty of other aspects that I do and therefore it is only a small part of the role and enjoy carrying out all of my duties successfully”.

What is your management style?
You could be asked this question even if you are not applying for a management role, to see how you delegate and working with people. Make sure your answer to this is relevant and don’t try and give a text book answer. You can make your point in a couple of sentences such as “I believe in being very much part of the team and not an outsider. I would still be firm but would also treat them with a fair approach”.

Are you a good manager?
This question follows on from the above question and if you haven’t already been asked about your management style you can add this to you’re answer. So you’re answer could be “Yes I believe I am as I take an interest in my team members and try to ensure that they know the door is open and that I am approachable on any subject”.

Are you a natural leader?
Answer honestly and it doesn’t have to relate purely to work. You might be the leader of a scout group or chairman of a golf club – make sure you give an example of your leadership qualities. If you were a leader at school (such as a Prefect) and continued to lead groups since leaving this suggests that you have truly natural leadership abilities and that people follow you through choice.

How do you work in a team?
Pick a relevant way to express your teamwork style. Give a fairly brief answer, such as “I enjoy being part of a team, and I like the flexibility that it demands. I get a real buzz out of collective success”. Follow your remarks up with an example of what you mean. If teamwork is going to be an important part of the position you should certainly expect this question to come up so make sure you have your answer ready.

How do you approach a typical project?
If you are being interviewed for a project based position, such as a project manager, you will definitely be asked this question. You don’t need to give a long winded answer but what you should do is demonstrate that you would take into account the main components of effective project planning such as:

How do you operate under stress?
A good full answer will serve you better on this one rather than a brief one. So tell your interviewer that you work well under pressure and if you really do enjoy it tell them. It’s always good to give an example of a situation that you have handled where there has been a large amount of pressure. It might be prudent to add that you operate good time management and organisational skills which help you deal with pressurised situations and minimise stress levels.

How creative are you?
If you are being interviewed for a position which has a creative element, you are likely to be asked this question. Give examples of how you use any creative techniques you may have which will show that you take your creativity seriously.

How do you get the best from people?
If you are applying for a management role it is highly likely you’ll be asked this question. The types of skills that interviewers like to hear about are:

How do you resolve conflict in your team?
Find an example of conflict that you have had in your own team and use this to demonstrate your abilities at resolving it. The types of skills you need to demonstrate are as follows:

What would you’re current employer say about you?
Your interviewer may well be your future boss so you need to answer this question with diplomacy. For example “My employer would describe me as a hard working, conscientious, loyal and easy to motivate employee. He’d say that I work exceptionally well on my own initiative and I’m a supportive member of the team”. Don’t use the term “I think my boss would say” as it gives an element of doubt, be positive and certain with the answer that you give.

What do you dislike most at work?
A possible answer to this could be that your position is very different from your last, in which case you might say something like “I really enjoy my work. But occasionally I get a little frustrated as I don’t get the opportunity to be more involved with clients as I’d like. That’s one of the reasons why this position appeals to me so much”.

Why have you been with your present employer so long?
The answer here is to avoid the implication that you were getting stale and should have moved earlier. Any answer which contradicts this unspoken worry on the interviewer’s part is fine. For example, “I’ve been there for several years, but in a variety of different roles”, or “The role was constantly growing, so I felt as though I was undergoing frequent changes without actually changing employer”.

Why have you been with your employer for such a short time?
Your interviewer doesn’t want to take on someone who is going to leave in six months’ time. So show them that you don’t really flit between positions whatever your CV may show. Perhaps you could answer with “I’d like to settle in one company for several years, but I’ve found that up until now that I’ve had to move in order to widen my experience and avoid getting stale in my position”

You seem to have job hopped a lot?
This will not only be referring to your current or most recent employer that you’ve spent a short time with, but previous employers too, your interviewer will quite understandably be concerned that you’ll leave them within a few months too. People typically change positions roughly every two to five years but any more frequently than this looks worrying to a potential employer and some expect their employees to stay with them longer than this.

Now you need to reassure the interviewer that this time you’d be here to stay, but don’t launch into a lengthy, defensive justification for each job move in turn. It is far better to give a catch – all reason for moving so frequently.  So maybe you could adopt this kind of approach “I’d like to find a company I can settle down in and really make a mark. Until now I’ve found that I’ve had to change positions due to redundancy, changes within the organisation and therefore unable to progress any further within the company”. Then you can briefly explain just one of your career moves and why it made so much sense. Finish by saying “What I’m looking for is a company dynamic enough for me to find fresh challenges without having to move to another company to be able to grow”.

Why haven’t you found a new job yet?
The implication behind this question is that you can’t be much good if no one wants to give you a position. So you need to indicate that it has been your choice to spend some time job hunting. You need to give a reply along the lines of “It’s important that I only accept a position that seems really right for me and where I can see that I can make a contribution to the company”.

If you have turned down any offers, say so: “I have had job offers, but I didn’t feel the positions were right for me, and that I was right for the companies concerned”.

What were your most significant achievements in your current position?
It’s unlikely that this position will require exactly the same achievements as the last – although it’s great if you can find a clear parallel. So what the interviewer really wants to know about is the qualities you must have exhibited in order to score the achievement. Be ready with something which is;

If you could start again, what career decisions would you make differently?
You’re on a hiding to nothing if you start trying to think of hypothetical improvements to your past career. Anything you say will suggest that you’re not happy with the way things are – and why would a company want to employ someone who doesn’t really want to be where they are?

A reasonable answer would be to say that you wouldn’t change anything; you’re happy with things as they are now. You might add something like “I’m not the kind of person to look back with regrets. I like to invest my energy in looking forward”.

Do you consider your career so far has been a success?
The answer to this question should be “Yes” and to expand on this answer you can go on to define success in your own terms. You may answer “What matters to me – more than money or status – is to have a job which is interesting and challenging and I’ve been lucky in that respect. So my career so far has been very successful.”

Even if your career has had its low points and perhaps not bought you as far as it might? Be positive and look ahead: “I’ve had made mistakes in the past, but I intend to build on the good breaks I’ve had and enjoy a very successful career”.

When would you expect promotion?
You shouldn’t give a firm timescale on this. The answer should be that you expect promotion when you deserve it. “I would hope to be promoted once I have demonstrated my value to the company and shown my worth”.  Also show how this position suits your long term aims: “That’s why I want to join a company that is growing so that promotion opportunities will be there when I’m ready to move up”, or “I want to join a company were there is plenty of opportunity once I’ve gained the skills and experience”.

How does this job fit into your career plan?
It’s fairly unwise to commit yourself too precisely to a career plan, but you could suggest “I do have a plan which is reviewable as any plan should be. I know that I want to progress my technical knowledge and develop my skills to assist clients on extremely complex planning issues”.

Are you talking to other companies as well as us?
If you are in demand some people might find you a more attractive prospect, but at the same time they may be put off you if there still have a long way to go with more interviews for example. Explain that you have been talking to other companies and have reached the final round of interviews but not looking to make a decision at this stage.

What other types of or organisation are you applying to?
You don’t need to divulge exactly how you’ve applied to here. Occasionally you may be asked directly where else you’ve applied to but you can avoid answering by saying that the companies concerned haven’t advertised the positions so you don’t feel it’ right to divulge this information. That lets you off the hook and shows your ability to keep confidence. But the interviewer can get around it with this question – asking not for names of companies but merely types of job and company. The important thing here is to show that you want this job. If it becomes apparent that you’re applying for all sorts of different jobs in different industries, it rather casts doubt on your commitment to this post. So indicate that you’re applying for similar jobs within the same field.

How long would you estimate it would take before you start making a contribution?
If asked this question ask for more so ask;

You can use the answers to help with your answer. But broadly speaking you should indicate that (unless there is an urgent project) you would expect to spend the first week or two settling in and finding your way around. After that you’d expect to be making a useful contribution within the first few weeks and to show significant successes within four to six months.

You may be overqualified for this position
The worry the interviewer is revealing here is that if they offer you the position you will quickly become bored and leave. You may have reservations on this front yourself, but at this stage you should still be giving your best.  If you’re going to turn it down do so when offered – you should never write it off halfway through the interview. You may answer “I believe strong dynamic companies can always use whatever talents they have to hand. I want to stay with the company for a while and if my experience and skills are strong enough I’m sure you will find a way to keep me challenged and making a full contribution”.

Describe a situation in which your work was criticised
Interviewers may well ask you this question – or variation on it – if they want to see how you cope with tough questioning. So make sure you have an answer ready in case you need it. You should answer in a couple of stages;

Not only does this make you sound human, which we all are, but it also shows that you can take constructive criticism on board and learn from it.

What is your present boss’s greatest weakness?
No matter how long the list of faults, remember “LOYALTY”, your prospective interviewer could soon be your new employer and they want to think that you will always speak nicely about them.

How do you evaluate your present company?
They are a great company that have taught you a lot and offered you plenty of opportunity, and provided you with excellent training to enable you to do the job to the best of your ability.

What sort of people do you find it difficult to work with?
Start by saying that you are an easy going person who finds getting on with people easy because of your nature but if you had to pick a type of person that you find difficult to work with it is someone that doesn’t pull their weight or isn’t bothered about the standard of their work which delivers a poor service to the client and reflects badly on the rest of the team.

What is your present salary?
It is worth while stating your whole remuneration package including; salary, bonus, car allowance and benefits as this is what really counts. Then ask if you can return the question later once you get to a point where you need to talk about it in more detail.

What salary are you expecting?
Ideally, you don’t want to be too committal, because if you commit to a salary at this stage you wont be able to negotiate later and if you ask for more than they have budgeted on it may put them off. So here it would be good to answer this question with another question so try something like “What salary would you be expecting to pay for this position?” or ask what salary range has been given for this position. If the interviewer doesn’t want to divulge this then it’s not unreasonable for you to decline to answer too.

Should the interviewer quote a salary and ask for your response let them know you were thinking of something a little higher – but remember don’t make it out of their reach. If they suggest a salary range quote them back a salary range which is slightly higher but overlaps. For example if they say £50,000 – £70,000 you might say you were thinking more in the region of £65,000 – £75,000, you’ve edged them up but not put them off .

What do you think about the recent changes to trusts?
The idea behind this type of question is to see if you take an interest in what goes on in the world in general and it also gives them an insight into your values and attitudes to life. Politically correct answers aren’t always the right ones, what you need to do is demonstrate that you have the ability to see both sides of a debate, that you don’t see things in an over simplistic way and that you have the ability to discuss a subject properly and are capable of making a calculated judgment. What you don’t want to do is rant on about your political views without acknowledging both sides of the debate.

NEXT > Questions to ask at the interview

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