Category: job interview questions

There’s a love-hate relationship with job interviews. We love that we have the chance to prove ourselves to a new employer, and hopefully get a new position with a big new salary…but we hate the job interview process; its scary, horrific, terrifying!!!

This series of job interview articles will teach you how to pass your next job interview by explaining how to answer each tricky job interview question

How to Answer “What salary are you seeking?”

This has to be one of the most sensitive but most important job interview questions to be asked

Before preparing for your next job interview you need to first understand the implications this job interview question has and the silly and innocent mistakes people make that reduce their potential salary

To gain the best salary offer you can use a simple psychology interview technique and increase your annual income

How to Answer the Interview Question

First let me start with the poor advice that you will read on the web

Delay Tactic – the advice here is to delay this question to the interview end, giving you time to highlight your skills, knowledge and unique selling point before talking about the salary (if you like me you will offer me more money!)

Stupid advice really; if the interviewer asks you about your ideal salary at the interview start (most interviewers ask this question at the interview end) you cant say “can I answer this later as I want to tell you about my experience first so you will offer me more money!” If you are asked a question, you have to answer it – job interview etiquette lesson 1!!!!

Ask the interviewer first – The common advice that is thrown around regarding your salary, which is totally wrong, is to throw the salary question back at the interviewer “what is the salary range for this position?” This shows that you lack confidence, and the interviewer will simply offer you a lower salary

Give a salary range – many interviewees will offer up a range “between £50000-£60000” This is one of the most stupid mistakes you can. The interviewer knows your salary range – your ideal is £60K but you are willing to accept £50K so the interviewer’s first offer will be around £50K knowing that the only reason you wouldn’t accept is only when you have been offered another higher salary. If this is the case they can then increase the salary offer

Also, be careful if you use the salary range technique as some interviewers will be cheeky and first start the negotiations by offering a salary slightly lower then your baseline, in this example, of £50k

To get the highest salary offer depends on two key factors:

One – who sets the initially salary (referred to as the baseline)

Two – the salary limit the company will commit to

There are 3 types of salary negotiations; set salary, flexible range, and open roof salary

The set salary is for positions where you have no leverage, it doesn’t matter on your skill base, experience or unique selling point the salary is set – you either take it or leave it. If this is you – I’m sorry, this whole article has been a bit pointless

The set salary is common in most low to medium-skilled jobs

Flexible range salary – in many medium-skilled and low-level management positions the salary on offer will be within a range and you can negotiate within these fixed boundaries

The interviewer will be stuck within this range and it is unlikely that you will get anything more than the highest offer (which you will gain using the technique below)

For these types of positions you need to do your research; check the salary offer on the job advert or if there isn’t one you can check the average salary for this position through checking the salary on similar roles or through a salary checker (many versions of this online)

Open roof salary – in some positions; CEO’s, directors, stockbrokers the salary can be open-ended depending on what value you will bring to the organization. How you present yourself within the job interview plus the technique below will dramatically change your salary

Salary Negotiation

The power of salary negotiation comes down to a technique called baseline theory. The baseline is the starting point for negotiations. Whoever sets the baseline salary offer is in a position of power as all other offers are subconsciously made in comparison to the first set of figures

Let’s say the employer sets the baseline at £50,000, your counteroffer is based on this initial offer – you won’t go lower (because that would be stupid) but you won’t go to high in comparison to the baseline as this would feel awkward. Your counteroffer is £60,000 and you meet somewhere around £55,000

Compare this example to one where the interviewee sets the initial baseline offer at £70,000. The interviewer will then negotiate with their first counteroffer created through the psychology of a baseline at £60,000 and you meet around the £65,000 area – £10,000 more than when the employer sets the baseline

Job Interview Advice

There’s a love-hate relationship with job interviews. We love that we have the chance to prove ourselves to a new employer, and hopefully get a new position with a big new salary…but we hate the job interview process; its scary, horrific, terrifying!!!

This series of job interview articles will teach you how to pass your next job interview by explaining how to answer each tricky job interview question

How to Answer “What motivates you?”

Positively framed interview questions are great, as they give you the opportunity to highlight your strengths. But this question traps you into framing the question that doesn’t do you any favors

The generic go-to answer that most applicants use is “To do a good job! To be on time! To get the job done!” You hear these types of answers all the time and they all have 1 problem…..

How to Answer the Interview Question

Each of these job interview answers are about the applicant! Yes, ok I heard some of you gasp. Let me explain;

I know the job interview is about the interviewee. And the job interviewer is asking job interview questions to better understand if you are a good fit for the team, right?

But your job (in the job interview) is to be offered the position. Which means you need to know what type of interview answers will get you the best score

The employer is building a team that fits in with the company culture. Rarely do employers want humans machines to simply act like robots.

It is this company culture and the attached company values which is the clue to how best answer the job interview question “what motivates you?”

First research the company values – what is important to the company? What is their vision for the organisation?

Employers are looking for employees who meet these values and who they see will help achieve their vision and work well within the company culture they have purposely created

Instead of answering this question by stating what is important to you, instead answer the interview question by describing the common interest/passion between you and the organisation

Apple, one of the worlds leading computer company’s mission is “to bringing the best user experience to its customers through its innovative hardware, software, and services.” And in a manifesto dated 2009 Tim Cook set the vision specified as “We believe that we are on the face of the earth to make great products and that’s not changing.”

So you cloud talk about getting the job complete, meeting targets and working as a team, but Apple isn’t interested in you, they are interested in the customer. Apple wants to hire staff who are motivated by the user experience

Job Interview Advice

Using email to ask about an internship is becoming increasingly common. Securing an internship itself, however, has become harder as more graduates and students compete for the same internships. Yet with a carefully considered and personalized email, you stand a good chance of catching the attention of potential employers. 

Preparing To Write Your Email

Before you write the email, check that you have a professional email address. Where possible, avoid unnecessary numbers or symbols and definitely do not use nicknames. You may want to create a new email address for professional purposes. 

Another area to consider is your social media accounts. You may need to adjust the privacy settings on your social media accounts and check that they don’t contain posts with bad language or photos which may not be appropriate for a potential employer to see.

Writing The Email

Follow this structure to create an appropriate and successful email:

• Subject line – this is the first thing an employer will see so you want it to be noticed. Make it succinct and accurate. If a particular subject line has been requested by the company, use it.
• Use formal address – start your email with “Dear Mr./Mrs.”. If the person you are addressing has a title, e.g. Dr or Professor, make sure you use it. 
• Introduce yourself – use the first paragraph to introduce yourself, your status and how you found out about the internship. If you have established a mutual contact, mention this in your email.
• Qualifications and experience – describe your academic achievements, qualifications and any experience you have that makes you a suitable candidate. Include any information about volunteering or work you have undertaken, as well as any extra-curricular or academic success you have had, such as leading a committee or coaching a team. Explain what you can contribute to the company and how you would be beneficial to them.
• Reasons for applying – clearly explain your reasons for applying for the internship. Do you need it for course credit or is it primarily for experience? Tell the employer what skills you hope to gain from the internship. Mention what qualities or values the company has that you admire and contribute towards you wanting to work with them.
• Availability – share your availability, including any potential start and end dates. Make sure you state how many hours per week you will be available to work.
• Closing your email – it is polite to thank the recipient for having read your email. You should also include a call-to-action at this point, such as suggesting that they call during the week to discuss the available opportunities. Remember to end your email formally with, for example, ‘Yours sincerely’ or ‘Kind regards’. Include your full name and contact details at the end of the email.  

“The key things to remember are to personalize each email and to keep it short and to the point,” explains James Yamada, a career writer at Academized. “If you’re attaching a resume, check that it’s updated. Finally, remember to proofread the email before you send it and double-check for any typos or mistakes. You want to make a good impression!” 

Follow Up Email

After a week, if the company hasn’t contacted you, you can follow up with a friendly reminder email or call them. It can be easier to communicate via the phone, but remember not to overdo it or contact them too soon. 

Summary

Writing these types of emails can be intimidating, but it is worth the effort. Even if you don’t secure the internship, you have made a valuable connection that may benefit you in the future. So, don’t delay! Do your research and send the email that will help you get your internship.

Author Bio:

Bea Potter is a successful writer at UK Writings. She writes about college life, including education and healthy living for students. 

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There’s a love-hate relationship with job interviews. We love that we have the chance to prove ourselves to a new employer, and hopefully get a new position with a big new salary…but we hate the job interview process; its scary, horrific, terrifying!!!

This series of job interview articles will teach you how to pass your next job interview by explaining how to answer each tricky job interview question

How to Answer “Who wouldn’t you work with?”

What a question to be asked in the job interview!

This is a bit of a ‘trap’ so watch out. These types of job interview questions are rare, but if you are asked one of them out of the blue and you haven’t prepared yourself you will be thrown off-balance.

In the job interview, when you are caught of unawares, your stress level rises and you will often blurt out the first thing that pops into your head (and that isn’t always the best way to answer tricky job interview questions)

How to Answer the Interview Question

The interviewer here has framed the question so your answer will be negative (naughty interviewer!) To answer this job interview question simply follow these 3 steps to reframe the interview question allowing you to give a positive response

Step 1 – Start with a positive generalization

As the interview question is framed negatively “who wouldn’t you want to work with?” you need to flip this around “In all my roles I have always gotten on well with all my previous colleagues” This sets out the theme of your answer and seeds your positive character (this question, in essence, is about understanding who you are and what makes you tick)

Step 2 – detail the perfect colleague

Next, describe the type of person you do enjoy working with (focusing on their work ethic) “I always enjoy working with someone who has an eye for detail and ……” by describing the perfect person, the employer will actually associate these traits with you (even though you are saying the positive statement about a fictional person)

Step 3 – if you get pushed, give a solution

Step 1&2 works in most job interviews. But if you are pushed to describe the type of person you wouldn’t want to work with give a generic answer “I would prefer not to work with someone who is lazy or a bad timekeeper..” Many interviewees, who are asked these tricky job interview questions, due to nervousness, will often name someone they didn’t get on with! This is a big no-no

To end this interview question, when pushed to give a negative, finish by explaining what you would do in that situation “…if they were lazy and we had a deadline to meet I would be assertive and professional and asked them to…”

Job Interview Advice

There’s a love-hate relationship with job interviews. We love that we have the chance to prove ourselves to a new employer, and hopefully get a new position with a big new salary…but we hate the job interview process; its scary, horrific, terrifying!!!

This series of job interview articles will teach you how to pass your next job interview by explaining how to answer each tricky job interview question

How to Answer “What is your greatest achievement”

You have to love this job interview question. Other job interview questions are designed to catch you out or to test your industry knowledge or a specific skill, but the ‘what is your greatest achievement?’ interview question is saying “tell me the best thing about you”

How to Answer the Interview Question

An easy way to answer this question is to simply jump in and explain an achievement in basic terms “I was the best salesperson last year” but this answer is, well, boring, and it doesn’t really help you to stand out, does it?

Remember, all the other applicants will also discuss a random achievement. To stand out, to be offered the position, you need to get the employer emotionally connected to your job interview answer. The easiest way to create an emotional pull in the job interview is through storytelling.

Job interview storytelling is easy. You only need to follow these 4 steps

Job Interview Storytelling Step 1 – Set the Scene

All stories and movies initially set the scene. In the job interview, we don’t have a 90-minute movie timeframe, so our scene-setting can be achieved in just one opening paragraph

To grab the interviewer’s attention you to bring their attention to a potential threat. In a film, this may be a deadly disease, an alien attack, or a theme park filled with dinosaurs. Job interview examples could include:

“The company I worked for was on the brink of collapse“

“We were unable to compete with a new market entrant as they had utilised artificial intelligence, and as a small organised we were unable to complete with them”

“My manager asked me to join the companies worst performing team”

Job Interview Storytelling Step 2 – Build Suspense

Step 2 is easy to implement. Build upon the initial problem and add emotionally linked words. In a movie we see the main character lose everything which makes the audience care for them. We become emotionally connected to them, we join their side and want to help them

If we take the company was going to collapse scenario, explain the outcome to this “350 people could lose their job, share prices were predicted to half within weeks..”

Job Interview Storytelling Step 3 – Create Hope

Halfway through films, the audience is given hope – this could be a potential cure to a disease or a lonely character meets their potential life long partner

For the job interview, explain in one line what the required solution was “to avoid a total collapse of the organisation, the company needed to X..”

Job Interview Storytelling Step 4 – Happy Ending

All films have a happy ending; the couple fall in love, the planet is saved, ET phones home. To end your job interview answer you need your own happy ending.

Here though, you need the main charter, you, to be the solution to the problem: what action did you take and what was the outcome of your hard work?

Did you negotiate a new deal that saved the company?

Did you slay your nemeses? (maybe a competitor was using illegal means to gain lucrative contracts and you caught them out)

Did a selfless act save the word or in real life, did go above and beyond to save the company for collapse resulting in share prices rising, gaining new investments and saving 350 people’s jobs and livelihood?

Job Interview Advice

There’s a love-hate relationship with job interviews. We love that we have the chance to prove ourselves to a new employer, and hopefully get a new position with a big new salary…but we hate the job interview process; its scary, horrific, terrifying!!!

This series of job interview articles will teach you how to pass your next job interview by explaining how to answer each tricky job interview question

How to Answer “did you get on with your last manager”

An interesting job interview question, right? You have two possible answers, you can answer “yes” or “no.” I will explain both options, teaching you how to respond to the “did you get on with your last manager?” job interview question depending on your situation.

First thing first, some of you who didn’t get on with your last manager are thinking – can’t I just lie?

Tempting isn’t it? But don’t do it. Humans, well most of us, don’t lie easily. When we do fib, we show our deceit in our subconscious actions; a touch of the face, blushing, an increase in filler words, how you structure your sentence varies. Your interviewer won’t necessarily know all of these tells, but at some level, they will sense that something isn’t right with your answer, creating doubt in their opinion of you

How to Answer the Interview Question

First I will explain how you handle the interview question “did you get on with your last manager?” if you didn’t get on y[with your previous boss?

Let’s say you worked for someone that you just didn’t get on with. Let’s say that you hated your last manager – how do you handle the job interview question?

The first step is to analyze your manager; even if you disliked your manager on a personal level, there has to be something about the manager that you saw as a strength or a positive personality trait or maybe you didn’t approve on their management style but you like their temperament or vice versa.

The second step is to frame your answer; when asked this job interview question, it is often out of the blue as most job applicants don’t expect to be asked a question like this. This results in interviewees starting their answer with “well, erm, he was OK, but, well, you know, he did a good job at ….” This sketchy start will kill your interview credibility. You need to answer this question with confidence and assertiveness:

“The main thing I liked/admired about my last manager was…”

“My previous manager had a (add your own answer here – example; highly organised approach that ensured the project was completed on time)….”

“I worked for my previous manager for X years I learned several things that helped me in my career, the main one being…”

This tactic is powerful because there is no need to lie. You are framing the answer as a positive, using a truth but without actually saying that you “got on” with your previous manager. Because your job interview answer is clear and assertive, the interview won’t realise that you have sneakily sidestepped the job interview question

If you did get on well with your previous employer, then this interview question is easy to answer. But rather than using the same old rubbish, most interviewees use “yes we got on great with each other!” you can answer this interview question that makes you sound amazing

Step 1 – confirm loyalty; start by stating the respect you had for your previous manager. The interview that asks this question desires a good relationship with their team and will want a similar situation to what you are describing with their new team member. “I have a lot of respect for my previous manager, she was the kinda manager who praised you when you did something well and pulled you up when you made errors…”

Step 2 – share success; give an example of collaborative working, to highlight how you worked well together. “…last year we worked together on a project…” When giving an example; state the problem the business faced; the action you took; and the positive outcome.

Step 3 – discuss regret; after the example, summarise your interview answer by sharing your regret for leaving your current position. “it’s a shame to be leaving the company but it’s time to move on and I’m excited to be working for an organization like this”

Job Interview Advice

There’s a love-hate relationship with job interviews. We love that we have the chance to prove ourselves to a new employer, and hopefully get a new position with a big new salary…but we hate the job interview process; its scary, horrific, terrifying!!!

This series of job interview articles will teach you how to pass your next job interview by explaining how to answer each tricky job interview question

How to Answer “are you willing to work overtime?”

This question only come up if the employer needs a flexible workforce

If you are required to have a flexible approach IE you can start and end the day whenever you want as long as you get the job completed (a common approach in project management and consulting roles) you won’t be asked the ‘can you work overtime’ interview question

This question is for those employers who need to achieve customer demand at short notice and need a workforce to help achieve this requested objective. If you prefer only to work your set hours, this position may not be for you

How to Answer the Interview Question

Start with a confirmation opener

A confirmation opener is you stating you can do (whatever it is the employer has asked you) without any hesitation, without any thinking time, instead of leaving a gap you answer “yes” quickly and with assertiveness

This simple interview answer opener has a powerful effect, it reassures the employer at the subconscious level. If you hesitate, the employer will start having doubts about the sincerity of your answer

If an employer starts to doubt you, you are unlikely to be successful in the job interview

So now you have grabbed their attention with the confirmation opener “yes…” the next step is to offer proof.

Proof is achieved easily by giving an example “…in my previous role…” this ambiguous opening is great “previous role” this could be your last role or a previous role from 6 years ago

“…in my previous role, I would work overtime at the drop of a hat, as last-minute orders with short deadlines would come in at the end of the day” You need your example to link to the company you are applying for a position with IE does this organization work in a sector where late orders come in at the end of the day?

Finally, use your values as a final influencer tactic “… I actually prefer roles where you work different hours, it brings variety which I enjoy”

Its easy isn’t it? all you need to do to answer ‘are you willing to work overtime?’ is to:

1 – use a confirmation opener

2- give a real example of having a flexible approach

3 – explain how you enjoy a flexible working pattern

Job Interview Advice

There’s a love-hate relationship with job interviews. We love that we have the chance to prove ourselves to a new employer, and hopefully get a new position with a big new salary…but we hate the job interview process; its scary, horrific, terrifying!!!

This series of job interview articles will teach you how to pass your next job interview by explaining how to answer each tricky job interview question

How to Answer “why do you want to work for this organisation?”

Another commonly asked interview question, and the answer is, because we want a salary increase, of course! Well, joking aside, an increase in salary is the number one reason for applying for a new position, but this truthful interview answer isn’t going to win you job offers

The truth is, there are a variety of reasons why people apply for new job positions; a current short term contract is coming to the end, promotional opportunity, the company vision and mission are in-line with your personal values, location – this is becoming more important for many people, flexi-working or being able to work from home, company reputation – which is why organisations such as Google and Apple get a higher percentage of applicants than lesser know employers.

How to Answer the Interview Question

Some employers want there ego rubbing (we all like it when people say nice things about us, don’t we?) But really, this question, in the main, is asked by managing directors because they don’t just want to hire anyone! They are interested in your experience and qualifications, but more importantly, they want to recruit an employee who will fit in with the current team and with the company culture.

First, they want to know why you are leaving your current employer. Are leaving your current employer because of an issue with authority – you can’t follow orders? Or due to you knowing if you don’t leave on your own accord you will soon be booted out?

Employers want to know if you are constantly chasing the next job which means you are likely to leave this new position in a couple of months (costing me overhead cost as I will have to re-recruit)?

In short, employers ask the ‘why do you want to work for this organisation?” because you may leave this position for the same reasons why you are currently looking for a new job role. Your goal, here, is to reassure the employer…and here’s how to do it

To answer this question; why do you want to work for this company? You need to reassure the employer that you aren’t a flight’ risk and secondly that you will fit in to the company culture

Step 1 – reassurance; create a positive frame for leaving the current position “I really like working at X; during the last 5 years I have been able to lead on Y…” Now the employer is thinking, great but why do you want to leave if its so good?

Step 2 – reason; explain the why, not the what. Don’t state what you want to get out of this company, instead state your why – why you must work here? “…I seen this opportunity being advertised and I was drawn to X. For me the salary, working hours, aren’t as important as being able to X, this is something i am very passionate about…”

Step 3 – reward; you need to let the employer know what you can bring to the party. This crucial step is often missed by most job applicants; explain the reward they get for hiring you “…if you hire me I can use my expertise at X to do Y…”

These 3 steps (the 3 Rs) create a strong structure for the job interview answer, framing the reason for leaving the previous employer, as a positive, while highlighting your unique selling point – the reward they receive form employing you

Job Interview Advice

This article will help you to prepare for your next civic engineering job interview by helping you to understand the commonly asked job interview questions for a civic engineer.

Civil Engineer Job Interview

Civil engineers day to day job duties include the design and managing, in collaboration with others, of construction projects. The company you are applying for may specialize in bridges, buildings, foundations, transport infrastructure and a specific niche such as culverts used for drainage

So, it’s fair to say, that most of your job interview questions will be based on your engineering and design knowledge and expertise

10 Civil Engineering Job Interview Questions

1. What is your experience working as a civil engineer?

2. How do you decide if a new project proposal is worth taking on in terms of cost, risk and profit?

3. What is your approach to working with a new client to plan a new project?

4. Do you have experience of analyzing surveys, testing and mapping data using computer modeling software?

5. Give me an example of creating blueprints using computer-aided design (CAD) What are the strengths and weaknesses of this approach?

6. Give me an example of checking the effects on the environment prior to a project start? What do you have to consider?

7. How would you prepare bids for tenders?

8. How do you ensure the accuracy of technical drawings?

9. What steps do you take to ensure projects are following government health and safety processes?

10. Do you have any questions for me?

To prepare for a civil engineer job interview give as many real examples while quoting engineering models and theories

If asked any problem-solving question, the process for solving the problem is more important then the answer, so focus on this element of the interview answer

Job Interview Advice Resources

There’s a love hate relationship with job interviews. We love that we have the chance to prove ourselves to a new employer, and hopefully get a new job with a big new salary…but we hate the job interview; its scary, horrific, terrifying

These job interview articles will teach you how to pass the job interview by explaining how to answer tricky job interview questions

How to Answer “why did you leave your last job?”

Do you feel awkward when you are asked the ‘why did you leave your last or current job?’ interview question?

Most of us have learnt that employers respect loyalty and that they want to employ someone who will be committed to their organisation. So, when we are asked the reason for quitting the current position, our toes curl up!

How to Answer the Interview Question

First thing first – this isn’t the year 1920! Company loyalty, as you are thinking, no longer exist; you don’t get a gold watch when you retire after 50 years of working for one organization, boy and man.

Most people will have 3 different careers in their life. Many of us will be working in a job in the next 20 years that currently doesn’t exist. It is common for employees to work for a company on average for just 5 years before moving onto the next, often better paid, position

So, what I am saying is …that it is OK for you to apply for another job

This job interview question is asked for 2 reasons

1) the employer has staff retention problems (and if they do I would ask questions to the interviewer about the reason why, before accepting a position with them)

2) they want to understand your character; are you ambitious, motivated by money, enjoy managing short-term projects or do you have values similar to the organisation?

In short, they are looking if your character matches who they perceive to be the best fit.

To answer this job interview question you simply need to be honest. You can fake it, yes, but you might not enjoy the organisational culture once you have accepted the job offer.

Step 1 – Start by explaining what you like about your previous/current position “I am currently in charge of…”

Step 2 – give the reason for you leaving “I specialize in X and want to work for an organization who mainly works in this area…”

Step 3 – make it relevant to the employer “that is why I applied here, as you are the world leader in…”

These 3 steps create a strong structure for the job interview answer, framing the reason for leaving the previous employer, as a positive, while highlighting your unique selling point.

Job Interview Advice