A guide to questions

Be prepared! Don’t let difficult questions leave you speechless in an interview. Carol Scheunemann looks at the most common questions asked in job interviews, and provides possible answers that you can adapt to your own situation.

“Why do you want to work for us?”

This is your chance to use the information you have collected on the company and to show your enthusiasm for the job on offer.

“I am impressed with the quality of your products. I have used Bizee time management software for years, and find it’s the best one on the market. And following your recent merger with BestTime, I’m sure I’ll be able to introduce that product line to customers as well.”

“Can you tell me about your responsibilities at your current job?”

This is where the future employer gets an idea not only of what you do, but of how you organize your work, and whether or not you seem to enjoy it.

“I work at the hotel’s front desk. I check in new guests, verify identification and make sure that suitcases are carried to the rooms. I also handle guests’ special requests, such as theatre tickets, guided tours and medical services.”

“What are the three biggest successes you have had in the past five years?”

Wolfgang Gloderer, head of EMA Executive Search, says this is his favorite question, because the answer tells him something about the way an applicant approaches life.

“The successful redesign of our web site at Shindig was one major success. I’m proud of the way I led my team through it, because we met all of our deadlines over an eight-month period. Our page impressions immediately went up by ten per cent. That means customers found the site easier to use.”