Hello job hunter! :) Welcome to the 2nd part of my “Job Interview Guidelines for Freshers” blog series. Don’t miss the first part here where I shared the right attitude to pack for an interview. Today, let's equip you the knowledge of answering interview questions, are you guys ready? :) By the way, don't fret if you won't see the most popular "Tell me something about yourself" question here as it will be the 3rd and last part of this series. This post's spotlight will be on Out of the Box, Behavioral and Hypothetical, plus Goals and Commitment Questions :) OUT OF THE BOX QUESTIONS Now why do recruiters even ask silly questions like "How would you describe the color red to a man who has been blind since birth?” or "How would you make a snail move faster?" Friends, "silly” questions like those written above aren’t asked because the recruiters are too lazy to construct rational intelligent questions or just want to make fun of you. These questions are asked to determine if you can: *think in logical steps even in difficult and crazy situations *provide alternative solutions by seeing things from a different angle and not just stick to what is traditional or norm TIPS IN ANSWERING OUT OF THE BOX QUESTIONS 1. Be creative- there is no right nor wrong answer for this, it’s all about you being creative yet still logical. 2. Don’t use jargons- if you want to add a little scientific and/or technical explanation to your answer, make sure you consider your interviewer's profile. Do not assume they understand your language. 3. Give specific and direct answers- very self explanatory. Oh! and remember, the more you talk, the more mistakes you'll make :) “How would you describe the color red to a man who has been blind since birth?” Possible Answers: 1. I’ll describe the color red by letting him (the blind man) touch a warm close to hot object since heat is usually associated with the color red. 2. Spicy flavored food are usually red so I'll let the blind man eat a very spicy food and explain that hot and spicy food are normally red. A question like this where one sense is absent, make use of the other senses. You can still be more creative, though. It’s really up to you (^_^) “How would you make a snail move faster?” Possible Answers: 1. I’ll place the snail in a remote controlled car so it can move faster. 2. Well I'd like to use the law of attraction and place food a few distance away from the snail to smell. That way, the snail will be motivated to move faster :) You can actually come up with another interesting answer base on the image I used above. Can you guess? Clue: finish line :) SITUATIONAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND HYPOTHETICAL QUESTIONS These questions are asked to determine your work behavior, emotional maturity, and priorities. Examples: "When was the last time you got extremely mad?" “The last time I got extremely mad was last week when my brother and I argued as to what TV show to watch. I got so pissed off that I grabbed the remote from him and threw it on the wall” If your answer is somewhat similar to this, the interviewer may conclude that you have an anger/temper management issue. Throwing the remote control on the wall because you and your brother can't agree as to what TV show to watch is just too much. If you're as cute as this dog when you're mad, I really wouldn't mind :) haha. Kidding aside, remember what I told you on the first part of this series? I mentioned the importance of KNOWING YOURSELF in preparation for an interview. If you are indeed similar with the person above, assure the recruiter that you are aware of your weakness and you acknowledge it. **What's important here is your awareness and acknowledgment of your weakness, plus your willingness to work it out for improvement. "If you only have 24 hrs. left to live, how would you spend your remaining hours?" (sounds like a Miss Universe question, I know) “I’ll gather all my family members for a short trip somewhere near, say sorry for all the things I’ve done wrong, and just enjoy the remaining hours with the important people in my life” “Since I only have 24 hrs. left to live, I will drink and live my life to the fullest. Perhaps do all the silly things possible that I’ve never done before” "24 hrs? that's not much of a time to spend with people and activities. I'd rather stay in my room and reminisce the best memories of my life" These answers speak of the candidate’s personality, life situation, and priority. Are you candidate no. 1, 2, or 3? Just like the out of the box questions, there is no wrong nor right answers here, it's how you justify your answer :) CAREER GOALS AND COMMITMENT QUESTIONS 1. Long Term and Short Goals To shed a light on this question, let’s first differentiate the two. Short term goals are things you want to accomplish in the near future; that can be today, this week, next week, or just within the year. Long term goals on the other hand, are things you want to accomplish several years from now. They require time, careful planning, and baby steps (which can also be your short term goals) to be successful. Let's have my goals as example :) Short Term Goal/s: My short term goal is to at least have 4 blog posts per month starting May this year and won't be in a hiatus mode again. I already have my "to write list" on my handy dandy notebook to be reminded so yah, *fingers crossed :) Long Term Goal/s: As for my long term goals, I'd like to buy a new house and lot for my parents and have my own shelter for dogs. That's basically why I'm working tremendously hard now. I also follow some animal rescue groups on fb to better understand the process and whereabouts of rescuing, rehabilitating, and finding a home for unfortunate dogs. Now remember, when answering goal questions, do not use the words "maybe”, "perhaps”, "probably”, or any other word that denotes uncertainty. It’s not a goal if you’re not sure about it. 2. Do you have plans to migrate? Ideally, you should stay at least a year in a company not only to avoid an unpleasant looking work history but also for the company to at least recover what they have invested in you i.e. hiring and training cost which can really be expensive. If you have plans to migrate in the next few months or within the year, it will most likely be a red flag for you, unless you are applying for a seasonal post. I'd say just be honest. Recruiters and hiring managers would greatly appreciate it and who knows? they may offer a different job fit for you :) 3. Salary Your salary expectation is one of the factors recruiters consider in assessing your commitment. If your salary expectation is way too much for the position or is just way higher than what the company can offer, the possibility of you not accepting the job offer is high. And if you do accept the offer, you may not be sticking around for long since you're not satisfied with the pay, in the first place. - Also, knowing what to say for the salary expectation means that you are fully aware of what you are getting into (you did your research) and you definitely know your worth :) 4. Other jobs or freelance work - Having a side job is something you shouldn’t be afraid of to disclose. As long as you can ensure the recruiter that your side job would not impact your main job negatively, then you’re all good :) Besides, having a side job can be a sign of being industrious :) Questions? drop them below and I'll be very glad to help.
All the best for your interview! :) -JEN- All images used are grabbed from google images |
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-JEN- Archives
July 2017
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