Three seemingly senseless interview
questions:
Where do
you see yourself five years from now?(“Probably vacationing in Hawaii or lounging in the Arctic!”)
Tell me
about yourself.(“I
am a lazy couch potato with a sweet tooth!”)
What is
your biggest weakness?(Why
in the world would I tell you THAT?!!”)
You may wonder why the
hiring manager even bothered to ask these questions. Yet, these are the very
questions that, if answered tactfully, will give you the grip over your
interview. Here’s a lowdown on what these questions really mean and how you
should answer them.
Question 1: Where do you see yourself five years from now?
Hiring managers ask this
question to understand whether the job vacancy in question is a part of your
career plans or not. Of course you won’t know where you’ll be in five years
time and neither does the hiring manager expect you to describe exactly what
you are planning to do. If you really want to clinch the job, your answer
should focus on matching the job opportunity to your career development.
Question 2: Tell me about yourself.
It sure is a little weird to
sit and talk about yourself, with doubts over what to say, what not to say,
what’s relevant, what’s not…and so on. Hiring managers ask this question not
because they wish to know your favourite childhood memory or how much you love
rock music. They ask this question to understand what characteristics of you
can be matched with the job in question.
To answer this question
aptly, you could begin with how you started your education or chose your
particular field in college, what motivated you to go for a particular
specialisation. How you ended up in that particular job role. If your education
or background is unrelated to the job in question, this is the best time to
explain how you landed up in this job role despite having a different
background. Talk a little about your hobbies and what you love doing in leisure
time. But don’t go overboard in describing these unless they have any relevance
to the job in question.
Question 3: What is your biggest weakness?
Right,
no one likes to share a weakness. But when asked about it in an interview, what
would you do? It’s best to give an honest answer. But in addition to that, you
should also give a solution to the weakness as to how you are planning to
resolve it. What the hiring manager intends to find out through this question
is why you shouldn't be given this job. He is trying to weigh the risks of
taking you on and to compare you with the risks posed by other candidates. This
is thus a make or break question.
Most candidates end up
answering that being hardworking or being a perfectionist is their weakness.
Such responses do not appear authentic. Instead, give real-world answers. You
might say something like, “I can become
slightly panicky when I know I can’t meet a deadline. But I have found out that
communicating my concerns with my supervisor helps release the stress so I can
perform to the best of my abilities.” Those without any prior experience at
a workplace can talk about weaknesses related to their personality. For
instance, you can say something like, “I
am not a very diplomatic person as I tend to be honest in opinion. This
sometimes distresses my friends. But, I am now improving on my communication to
be able to give honest opinions without sounding offensive.”
Don’t forget to share these
tips with your friends! Let us know what other interview concerns you have in
the comments section below and we’ll help you sort them out.
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