Many people feel uncomfortable talking about themselves during job interviews. However, you can prepare yourself by thinking ahead of answers to the most common questions and trying them out until you can come up with them naturally. If you are asked about a criminal record or financial difficulty, you should be especially careful about how to structure your response.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Try the Answers
Step 1. Anticipate the most common questions
Avoid being speechless at the interview by trying the answers to the questions you will be asked. Here are some of the most common questions:
- "Tell me something about you". This is probably the most common personal question that candidates are asked.
- "Why do you want this job?"
- "Where do you see yourself in five years?"
- "What is the aspect of your life that you are most proud of?"
Step 2. Review the job description
Examiners don't ask personal questions because they're trying to uncover private information, but because they want to know if you'll be helping the company. Read the job description carefully to see which skills and experiences are most relevant.
For example, if your employer needs a senior executive experience, be sure to mention your previous managerial job when answering the "Tell me about yourself" question
Step 3. Get the right mindset
You may feel uncomfortable about advertising yourself in an interview. In particular, women often think that this attitude makes them seem arrogant. However, you should understand that you are highlighting your achievements and not yourself.
- Explain why you would be an added value for your employer or for the team you will join. This way you don't seem self-centered, because you simply promote your skills.
- For example, don't say "I'm the best customer service employee in my company" or you'll look arrogant. Try instead: "My client complaints rate was the lowest in my office and I helped reduce the overall complaint rate by 30% when I was promoted to manager."
Step 4. Write sample answers
Try to be honest, but remember that you need to be relevant to the job you are applying for; this is why it is important to read the job description. Identify four or five strengths you want to highlight, such as your communication or multi-tasking skills.
- Write answers that bring out your strengths. For example, you can reply to the question "Where do you see yourself in five years?" with "I would like to develop my management skills by becoming the supervisor of a larger team. At the moment, I have two subordinates."
- You can answer the question "What is the aspect of your life that makes you most proud?" highlighting your dedication. You can say, "I kept my first job even when my direct supervisor left us right in the busiest time, still managing to increase sales by 20%."
Step 5. Don't give answers that make your position worse
Certain phrases may lead the examiner to doubt that you are suitable for the job. Try to avoid the following expressions:
- Anything that suggests you might change jobs in the near future. For example, don't tell the examiner that you just moved because your wife found a job in this city. You could get the message across that you'll be leaving as soon as she changes jobs again.
- Lack of interest in improving your career. Never say "I'm willing to take care of everything". The examiner wants to see that you are passionate and actively seeking to achieve your goals.
- Admissions of lack of experience. Instead, find something in your academic career or volunteer experiences that can improve your position.
- Repeat your resume word for word.
Step 6. Structure the answer correctly
If you are asked "Tell me something about yourself", you shouldn't tell the story of your life. Instead, try to organize your response as follows:
- Present: "At the moment I am an administrative assistant at the University of Bologna and I manage the commitments of twelve faculty members in my department". Remember to mention a job-relevant quality, in this case multi-tasking.
- Past: "Prior to this job, I held several secretarial positions in the private sector, including a bank and two hospitals, where I was in charge of accounting." Also remember to mention skills or experiences relevant to the job you are applying for.
- Future: "I would like a job that combines my academic experience with financial management and that is why I am very interested in this office manager position."
Step 7. Try unusual answers
If the idea of talking about yourself to people you don't know doesn't make you uncomfortable, you can try less trivial answers to questions about yourself. It's not a one-size-fits-all strategy, but consider the following answers to the "Tell me about yourself" question.
- "I can sum it up in three words: passionate, thoughtful, tireless". Expect follow-up questions from the examiner, who will ask you to provide examples for the qualities you listed.
- "I prefer to show it to him instead of answering." If you are a creative person, you can make a drawing. If, on the other hand, you are very good at social relations, you can take out your phone and show your endless list of contacts.
- "The others tell me that …". With this answer you demonstrate that you are aware of the perception that others have of you.
Step 8. Have a test interview
Ask a friend to examine you. That way you have a chance to try the answers until they seem natural. Remember that you need to be conversational and not give the impression that you have memorized a script.
- Your friend will likely ask you questions you didn't anticipate. It's a great workout, because you can start formulating answers for those questions as well.
- Take advantage of all the mock interview opportunities offered by your school.
Method 2 of 3: Discuss Personal Problems of a Sensitive Nature
Step 1. Learn about the characteristics that are a wake-up call for companies
When the examiner evaluates your application, he pays particular attention to some elements. These "spots" do not lead you directly to being discarded, but you will have to give explanations about them. Consider whether any of the following has occurred in your life experience:
- Criminal history
- Mistakes in financial management, such as bankruptcy
- Plagiarism at school
- Poor academic performance
- Periods of unemployment
Step 2. Explain criminal background
A conviction in the past makes it more difficult to find a job and forces you to give explanations to the examiner. In almost all applications, you are asked if you have a criminal record and must answer truthfully.
- Try to postpone the topic until the middle of the interview. Examiners have a tendency to remember the first and last things you say more.
- Admit that you have committed a crime, but explain what you have learned. For example: "Arrest for drunk driving was a huge mistake, but it opened my eyes. I started dating Alcoholics Anonymous and focusing more on my future by enrolling in college."
- Move on to your plans for the present and the future as soon as possible. For example, explain your academic and vocational goals.
Step 3. Explain the context of your financial difficulties
A potential employer will likely check you out during interviews. As a result, he will find out if you have filed for bankruptcy or if you have problems with banks. Provide explanations for what happened.
- For example, you may have had to incur large medical bills for a sick relative and have filed for bankruptcy to cancel your debts.
- You can also explain that a relative has been unemployed for a long time and you have had to rely on the credit offered by the bank.
- The worst answer is to admit that you waste money irresponsibly. If that is why you had financial problems, focus on what you did to correct the problem: "I have lost control of my credit situation, but for the past three years I have worked hard to fix it. Seeking expert advice. it helped a lot."
Step 4. Discuss your academic difficulties
You may have had a hard time graduating, perhaps finishing a few years off course or with a low average. Or you may have been punished for school misdemeanors, such as plagiarism. Either way you have to explain how these experiences have made you grow.
- To explain the bad grades, you can say "True, I struggled in the first year of college, but at 18 I was not ready to live away from home. As I moved closer to my hometown, my grades went up. ".
- But if you got caught cheating, you can say, "There is no excuse for my behavior. But I learned that nothing can replace hard work and I joined the school disciplinary committee the following year."
Step 5. Talk about periods of unemployment
You need to turn each episode into a positive note. Don't hope the examiner doesn't notice the "gaps" between one use and the next, but try the following strategies:
- Talk about the new skills you have learned. For example, you may have worked freelance in a field you were unfamiliar with or volunteered. You can say, "I volunteered at a shelter for battered women last year while looking for work. I'm glad I did. Thanks to this experience, I've become much better at listening."
- Explain that the period of unemployment has cleared your mind. For example: "I traveled around India for six months and it really opened my eyes. I realized that my passion for the law was stronger than ever, so I went home to restart my legal career."
- If you've been fired, admit it. If the causes were not up to you, for example the company has reduced staff, be sure to specify this.
Method 3 of 3: Show Confidence
Step 1. Sit with your back straight
At least half of the communication is non-verbal. During the interview, keep your back straight so that you seem confident. Do not cross your arms and also avoid orienting your body away from the examiner.
- By leaning back you suggest that you don't like the examiner or that the interview doesn't interest you.
- Leaning forward can appear threatening, so you should avoid this posture as well.
Step 2. Keep your hands on the table and squeeze them together
Gesturing can also be a problem. For example, pointing the finger is an aggressive gesture, just as keeping your hands in your pockets is too informal. For this, keep them on the table and put them together. If you are sitting in front of someone's desk, put them on your lap.
Step 3. Calm down
Many examiners do not pay particular attention to the content of the answers, but are more interested in your attitude, which should be confident and passionate. Make sure you have your nerves under control before the interview.
- Breath deeply. Place a hand on your stomach so that you can breathe through the diaphragm. Three deep breaths can calm you down.
- You smile. This gesture releases endorphins in the brain and makes you seem more confident.
- Accept your fear. The more you fight the tension, the more nervous you will become. Try to relieve anxiety by accepting the nervousness.
Step 4. Answer the questions quickly
If you pause too long or ramble for words, you seem insecure. Thanks to your preparation, you should feel comfortable enough to replicate right away.
Step 5. Know when to stop advertising yourself
You need to look confident and comfortable, but not self-centered. Pay attention to the examiner's reactions. If he doesn't look you in the eye or seems impatient, stop talking.
Remember to focus on some strengths or experiences. There is no reason to list all the achievements you have achieved
Step 6. Don't be defensive
You could say that your goal over the next five years is to become a manager and the examiner might say "This is not realistic". In this situation there is a strong temptation to defend oneself and it is often the case that examiners are condescending when talking to younger people. Try the following tips:
- Ask the examiner to explain himself better. You can say, "Really? Do you think it will take ten years to become director?".
- Be willing to learn. The examiner may have helpful advice for you and you should be ready to receive them.
