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The Barrier of a Structured Job Interview

The structured job interview is a standardised way of interviewing a number of candite’s to reduce unconscious bias and to create a fair hiring process.

This article will help job applicants to gain higher interview scores by not falling into the subconscious trap of the structured job interview.

Structured job interview and time problems

Even though research shows how a structured job interview is currently the best way to predict job performance, the asking of pre-written questions ‘boxes’ in an applicant’s answer.

Behavioral and situational interview questions are designed to be specific to allow the interviewee to give a relevant example/answer. The specific direction given to the applicant traps the candidate into a box, where they can’t discuss other skills and experiences, they feel would add value to the role.  

It is common for a career professional, post a job interview, to reflect on their answer and to feel annoyed because they didn’t mention a key skill or experience, they knew would have highlighted their unique selling point.

In an informal job interview, the hiring manager will allow the applicant to talk about what they feel is important. The openness of the informal interview can be detrimental to the outcome of the interview as the interviewee, without conscious awareness, can discuss irrelevant information.

The duration of the interview creates a second barrier. The hiring manager, asking on average 8 job interview questions over a 45-minute period, feels pressured to ask a question, record the candidates’ answers, before asking the next question on the pre-written list. This is true even when the hiring manager requires additional information – the employer knows the applicant hasn’t disclosed all of their skills, but on the other hand, the next interview should start in 10 minutes’ time.

The pressure comes from the hiring manager knowing that each additional question and answer can possibly overshoot the allocated time slot for each interview having a knock-on delay. This ‘time’ problem comes from many employers having a recruitment day of back-to-back interviews. A solution to this problem would be a one-interview per day recruitment process.

Trained job interviewers versus untrained hiring managers

How can a job applicant overcome the rigorous job interview questions and time pressure created within a structured job interview?

First, it is important to understand that not all job interviewers are the same. A key difference is between being interviewed by a trained or untrained interviewer. Some organisations insist on a candidate being interviewed by a trained interviewer, often an HR staff member or specialist recruiter.

A trained interviewer will have spent time selecting which essential job criteria the interview questions should relate to, and how the interview question should be worded (situational behavioral or strength-based interview question).

Trained interviewers are often more confident in the interview environment than a non-trained hiring manager. Confidence increases the number of follow-up questions asked during the recruitment process.

A non-trained interviewer, often the future employee’s line manager, is likely to use commonly asked job interview questions, rather than taking the time to ask competency-based questions.

Commonly asked questions are more generic:

  • “What are your strengths?”
  • “What can you bring to the team?”
  • “Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?”

Competency-based questions are more specific, to drill down to a specific skill or experience:

  • “How would you deal with a (problem/situation)?”
  • “Give an example of when you (completed job duty)”
  • “What is your understanding of (industry knowledge)?”

Follow-up questions can be asked by both trained and none-trained recruiters, but it is more likely that a confident and experienced trained hiring manager will ask for more detailed information, allowing the interviewee to state job-relevant information, and therefore score higher on the interview scorecard.

  • “What specifically did you do?”
  • “Why did you choose that option over another?”
  • “What was the long-term outcome?”

It is the same experienced hiring manager who will ask follow-up questions when a job applicant unwittingly discusses a skill within the wrong context.

  • “Do you have an example within a (job-related context) environment?”
  • “Can you tell me about a team task when you took the lead rather than being part of the team?”
  • “Have you worked on larger scale projects?”

Duration of an interview

High-skilled positions are often gained through being successful in a multi-stage job interview process. The theory is that being asked similar questions, relating to the job criteria, over 3-4 job interviews, ensures that the employer makes a hire with a realistic vision of the new employee’s potential job performance.

In a single interview, the job applicant might be viewed as skilled, but in reality, a single interview isn’t enough to confirm the candidate’s level of competencies for medium to high-skilled positions.

For most low-skilled job roles, employers will only have a single interview as ‘potential’ rather than experience, is a key decision in the hiring process.

The duration of the job interview doesn’t create pressure on the interviewee. The job applicant can give a long or short, detailed or vague, interview answer. In fact, most interviewees are unaware of the time during the job interview itself.

Research shows how the higher number of words per answer often relates to the number of job offers. This is because, on average, the more detailed the answer, the more likely it is that the answer references the criteria on the interview scorecard.

From the career professionals’ perspective, the delivery of a job-relevant detailed interview answer is a more important focus than the duration of their interview answer.

Overcoming the generic question problem

The real problem for a job applicant is knowing what detail to reference to the job interview answer, especially when asked a vague question.

First-choice applicants – career professionals who do exceptionally well in a job interview, have the confidence to ask for additional details before answering the question.

As an example, when asked: “Tell me about a time you worked successfully within a team?” The self-assured job candidate will clarify what experience the employer is attempting to uncover: “Would you like an example of when a led a team or when I was a team member?”

Asking for specific information ensures that the right example is used for each individual job interview question.

Importantly, each answer needs to reference the job criteria for each specific question. Employers use an interview scorecard that has the interview question and a list of criteria that are required to gain a high score. If the job criteria aren’t referenced during the interview answer, the hiring manager will have no choice but to allocate a lower score.

Evolve the mind book on Amazon

Interview preparation, prior to the job interview, must consist of identifying the job criteria, predicting job interview questions, and crafting high-scoring interview answers.

In the interview itself, when asked a competency-based interview question, it is important to quickly reflect on what criteria the hiring manager is wanting to hear. This self-reflection can help to identify which one of the prepared interview answers to use.

Even when a prepared interview answer has been chosen, the job applicant can cover all bets by giving a specifically detailed answer.

The delivery of a detailed answer is important. If an employer refuses to ask follow-up questions, to gain a better understanding of the candidate’s future job performance, the applicant is scored on the initiative, often limited interview answers.

It is true that a weak interviewer often makes the wrong hiring decision. Many organisations with a high turnover of staff don’t interview correctly.  But the same poor interview technique can stop skilled employees gaining job offers.

Specific job interview answers

Essentially, a detailed job interview answer is an example (behavioral job interview answer) or future scenario (situational job interview answer) that is embedded with the answers to the hiring manager’s potential follow-up questions:

  • “What specifically did you do?”
  • “Why did you choose that option over another?”
  • “What was the long-term outcome?”

The specific and detailed answer does have a longer duration, requiring the interviewee to mindful of speech speed, pauses, tonality, and to use emotional intelligence to ensure the interview panel is still engaged and listening.

For a behavioral interview question, the most famous structure to answer the question is STAR:

  • Situation
  • Task
  • Action
  • Result

When the additional detail has been embedded for the structure of the interview answer is increased:

  • Situation
  • Long-term outcome if the situation wasn’t resolved
  • Options to overcome barriers, including pro’s and con’s of options
  • Reason for choosing options
  • Task
  • Role within the task
  • Risk assessments
  • Stakeholder engagement
  • Action – team actions vs own actions
  • Additional/unforeseen problems and how these were overcome
  • Highlighting personal motivation
  • Result – short vs long term

As each interview question varies, the detailed structure can be amended as required. What is important to remember is that not all hiring managers will ask for a specific criterion when the job interview question is stated.

Nervous or less experienced recruiters ask fewer follow-up questions. A structured job interview cross-references answer against the interview scorecard (job criteria).

Many failed job interviews come down to detailed answers being given that don’t reference enough job-related competency.

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3 Things You Are Doing That Makes You Look Weak in a Job Interview

A hiring manager’s key objective is to determine the job performance of each job applicant. The interview, therefore, is a short window where candidates must make a strong impression that showcases suitability through the confident communication of competencies.

In the main, career professionals answer interview questions by stating knowledge, experiences, and skillsets – this includes skills, strengths, and qualities, allowing the interview panel to analyse each answer against the job criteria – a logical decision-making process.  

Unknown to many job seekers, is the subconscious emotional decision-making process that influences the logical part of the brain – the gut reaction. The emotional brain – the amygdala, reacts much quicker than the logical thinking part of the brain- the frontal lobe.

This means that communication, verbal and non-verbal, produced by the interviewee initially triggers the emotional reaction of the interviewer – a generalisation ‘I like this applicant’ or ‘I dislike this candidate’ prior the interviewers logical decision-making process – a analytical choice ‘the applicant meets 5 out of 6 job criteria’s’ or ‘the candidate only has experience in only 2 out of 6 job criteria’s’.

A First Impression isn’t a Logical Process

Most employers adopt the structured job interview process as a means to fairly determine the job performance of each applicant, as research shows how a behavioral or situational interview is most likely to create a hiring decision based on the requirements to meet the job criteria.

The seven-second rule – ‘first impressions are made within 7 seconds of meeting an interviewee’ is incorrect, in fact, it only takes a tenth of a second. An article in Psychological Science explains: ‘A series of experiments by Princeton psychologists Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov reveal that all it takes is a tenth of a second to form an impression of a stranger from their face, and that longer exposures don’t significantly alter those impressions (although they might boost your confidence in your judgments)’.

Instant impressions can be wrong. They are filled with unconscious biases and, initially, have no evidence to support the belief – ‘I can see this person being a good fit’ or ‘I don’t know what it is but I can’t see them as part of the team’.

Importantly, the first impression influences the logical mind. Imagine you wanted to get a bite to eat. As you are walking down a high street looking for a restaurant you see two establishments side by side. As you quickly scan your head your subconscious takes in a large amount of information: the restaurant name. The colour and font of the restaurant’s sign. How one has tables outside and another doesn’t. If one restaurant looks cleaner than the other. The number of people in each restaurant. The style of dress of the waiters.

Instantly you are drawn to one of the restaurants – ‘this place looks nice’. Once a decision is made – ‘I like this restaurant’ or ‘this candidate seems suitable for the role’ the decision-maker will remember their choices as better or more suitable than they were. This is due to choice-supportive bias. Choice-support bias is the tendency to remember a decision as better than it actually was, by attributing positive features to the first choice, and negative features to the choice not taken.

In the job interview, this would sound like: ‘The (first choice) has X experience which would be suitable for (task). The (second choice) didn’t mention X in the interview which is an important part of the job role’.

What Triggers a Strong or Weak First Impression?

As seen with the ‘which restaurant to dine at’ decision, the subconscious computes a large amount of data which is filtered through the decision makers filters (experiences, beliefs, values, emotional state). A person’s filters makes the decision making process personal, another person choosing a restaurant may have chosen the second restaurant due to their personal filters. Or one interviewer may preference one applicant, and a second interviewer a second candidate.

What is interesting is that external factors can influence a person’s choice. Social proof, as an example – one restaurant being filled with customers and the second restaurant being empty can influence the choice – ‘if everyone is eating in the first restaurant is must be good’. In a job interview, a weaker interviewer may be influenced by a high-status interview panel members opinion.

In an experiment by Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov on first impressions, a group of participants were shown photographs of faces for 1/10th of a second, half a second, and a full second, and asked to judge each person’s IE ‘is this person competent?’ The results were compared with a second group who completed the same experiment but without a time constraints. The experiment found that no matter the duration of the decision-making process, decisions that were made in 1/10th of a second were highly correlated with judgments made without time constraints

An employer’s first impressions can be influenced by the interviewee. Much research shows how a number of elements can help improve the first impression during a job interview. Negative impressions are often caused by anxiety. Feeling nervous affects non-verbal communication: facial expressions, gestures, and postures, and verbal communication: projection, tonality, and word choice.

Emotional Displays Influence Decision Making

A blank expression doesn’t create trust. A high number of interviewees will adopt a neutral facial expression during a job interview. Some, those with higher levels of anxiety, may subconsciously frown or have a look of shock – mouth wide open.

Both a blank expression, the look of shock, or even those who show contempt or anger will create distrust with the hiring manager. Even if the subconscious facial expressions are created due to the body’s response to anxiety, the employer will react from the initial negative impression. On the other hand, smiling and laughter, have been shown to promote affiliative tendencies in observers (Campellone and Kring 2012). Smiling improves trust, rapport and creates and more personal impression

It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it

The advice given for job interview preparation is to prepare high-scoring interview answers. High-scoring interview answers are examples and data/facts that meet the job criteria on the interview scorecard.

Simply stating information isn’t enough. From a logical perspective, stating the required information should result in a job offer. As discussed previously, decisions are made and influenced by the emotional mind. Using varied pace, tonality and projection can improve the delivery of each job interview answer.

Anxious people will have a tendency to speak at a fast pace. The average rate of speech ranges from around one hundred forty to one hundred seventy words per minute. Speeding up or slowing down the pace of speech can help to reiterate a point. Speaking fast shows excitement and pausing before an important point helps an audience to know that they must listen. Speaking with emotion also conveys the desired message as the chosen words and voice match.

Speaking too slowly in a monotone voice can be detrimental to the success of an interview as a slow monotone voice can be hypnotic sending the interviewer to sleep, or at best into a daydream state where they don’t listen to the point being attempted to be made.  

The Power of Physical Appearance

Science Daily shared an article that explained the mind – body cycle. Sitting up straight while writing why you are suitable for a job increases self-esteem, the participants were more likely to believe the statement compared to participants writing the same message while ‘slumped’ in their chair.

Much research shows that by standing/sitting in a confident posture increase confidence. Confident interviewees will have stronger eye contact, a straight back and head held high, chest out, and walk with a sway.

Anxious applicants look down, fidget, slump in the chair, cross their legs when giving an interview presentation and avoid eye contact.

By purposely adopting a posture, a job candidate can trick the brain into believing they are more confident. Feeling confident then improves posture creating a mind-body cycle.

Improve Your Job Interview Performance

To improve your job interview identity stop showing signs of weaknesses. The weak leaks come from negative facial expressions, monotone, and fast-paced voice, and slumped posture. Instead, smile and relax. Use emotions in your voice and pause when speaking. Walk tall with your head held high and increase eye contact. You are what you feel, feel more confident, become more confident.

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Why You Will Attend More Job Interviews Than Your Parents Did

As with any activity that is a constant, the more a person is skilled at the activity the more confidence they have when completing the task(s). The more confident a person is when performing an activity, the more skilled they will become at the task(s).

Job seekers in 2022 will attend more job interviews than their parents. This is due to a culture change from having a ‘job for life’ to a ‘job hopping’ mindset. Job hopping is seen as the quickest way to increase a salary and to gain promotion.

On average a career professional will have three separate careers in their career life-cycle and change roles once every three to five years. For each successful job offer and acceptation, a job seeker will attend around 6 job interviews with 6 separate organisations.

For high skilled positions the average recruitment process has 4 interview stages, including one with an AVI – asynchronous video interview.

This brings the total number of job interviews per person to 24 once every 3-5 years. Compare this to a career professional 50 years ago, who may have started out as an apprentice or graduate and worked their way up the career ladder internally, gaining a promotion once every 10 years – one job interview every 10 years, around 6 interviews in their lifetime.

The Recruitment Process is Changing

Previously an interview was a reactive process to requiring a new staff member due to, as an example, an increase in business or the replacement of a staff member. An old article in the Harvard Business Review on job interview strategies explained: ‘All too often, the inexperienced interviewer launches into a discussion only to find midway through that his preparation is incomplete’.

Recruitment processes have moved on and improved. It is well documented that the structured job interview is the best determinator of an applicant’s productivity. It is the asking of behavioral or situational job interview questions and their cross-referencing of answers against a logical scoring system that helps to create a hire from an analytical process rather than an emotional choice.

The distinction between analytical and emotional decision machining is an important one. Previously, in unstructured recruitment process ‘likeability’ was a key factor over ‘suitability’ for meeting the job criteria. Emotional hiring is filled with prejudices.

Currently, the hiring process is changing to deal with the larger number of applicants per position.

The average number of job seekers applying for an advertised vacancy is 250. For global and highly recognized organizations; Meta, Google, BMW, and Amazon, the number of applicants per position can be up to 25000.

Employers know that making the recruitment process easy and quick keeps the attention of 1st-choice applicants (candidates that often get offered job roles due to their experience/knowledge and confidence in a job interview – their interview identity)

An easy process for a well-known brand increases the applications to an extent that no human can process the volume of resumes and CVs that is received. This increased workload for reviewing applications has been passed to AI bots.

Application Tracking Systems (ATS) are used, and increasingly being adopted by a high number of businesses, to review the initial application – a resume, CV, and online application form. The AI bot scans the documents looking for industry-relevant keywords and experiences to check the suitability of each applicant.

The shifting stage of applications used to be completed by HR professionals but is now a fully automated process.

In four-stage recruitment process, the second stage – an online video is also fully automated using an AVI. The AI bot asked questions which are answered within a set time frame and again reviewed via the AI bot’s algorithm.

It is only when the hiring manager reduces the 25000 applications down to 6-8 do humans get involved.

Get Interview Ready

Today’s job seeker must possess job interview skills.

The high volume of potential job interviews across their career creates an urgency to upskill for a job interview. The three key areas of growth must be:

  1. The identification of the job criteria and potential job interview questions
  2. The ability to self-promote when stating interview examples and the use a strength-based language
  3. The ability to confidently communicate to ensure positive messages are being received by the hiring manager

In addition, the modern job seeker must be comfortable when being interviewed by an AI bot – the AVI asynchronous video interview system. This includes being confident talking on camera within a set time period while stating enough ‘keywords’ to be granted an offer to attend a ‘human’ interview.

The ability to recall prepared high-scoring interview answers that give examples and data that meet the job criteria during the various interview stages is key to an increase in job offers. Public speaking, therefore, is an essential skill. Professional speakers have learned the skill of crafting a speech (or interview answer) that is engaging, interesting, and relevant to the audience (interview panel).

‘Winging it’ is no longer an option. Having a lucky day may have previously been enough to secure a job offer, but with the introduction of multiple interview rounds it is only a skilled interviewee, one with a positive interview identity, that can beat the competition round after interview round.

Confidence has always been an important part of the recruitment process. Now more than ever, confidence is the golden key to unlocking a new job offer. Confident candidates are more likely to give state the job criteria, give longer answers, use pauses rather than filler words, and to build rapport with the hiring manager.

For very few confidence seems like a natural skill. For most having confidence when being the centre of attention in a job interview, confidence comes from many hours of job interview preparation and practice:

  • Breaking down the job advert into potential interview questions
  • Writing, editing, and rewriting interview answers
  • Mock interviews and practice out loud
  • Public speaking practice, including storytelling
  • Researching the interview team to create familiarity – as this reduces anxiety
  • Preparing for common or cure ball interview questions
  • Gaining beliefs in ones own ability and experience
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Why you are better than 97% of the competition

optimistic interviewee

Imposture syndrome is the biggest barrier to job interview success. The data proves that a lack of job interview self-esteem is unfounded as any career professional who has been offered a job interview is in fact 97% better than the competition.

Much research has highlighted that the average number of applications per vacancy is around 250 (vastly higher for global organisations such as Microsoft or Google) HR statistics tell us how only 6-8 of the 250 applicants are offered a job interview.

The data speaks for itself. The percentage of 6-8 interviewees out of 250 applicants is around 3% – That means a candidate who has received an interview offer is in the top 3 percent of most ‘suitable’ from the employer’s perspective.

And it’s the employers perceptive that counts.

How an Employers Views a Perspective Candidate

How an employer views a candidate, either via their application or during the job interview, increases the likelihood of that applicant being offered the job role, or not.

The candidates ‘interview identity’ which is formed by the job seekers level of knowledge/experience vs their level of confidence creates 1 of 16 interview identities with only a small number of the ‘identities’ being view as suitable enough to be offered the advertised vacancy.

The office for national statistics explained how for the first time ever there are more job vacancies than unemployed people.

There hasn’t been a better time to gain a salary increase, by finding a new job opportunity, then now. Employers from across job sectors are looking at creative way to encourage applicants to accept their job roles from offering a blended office/home working option to wage increases.

The fear of career change

With an increase in job opportunities, a potentially high salary with a new employer and an awareness of growth sectors that offer a more secure career, why aren’t career professionals applying for new vacancies?

Even career professionals who hate their job role, those who are stressed out due to workload, or graduates that picked the wrong job sector to work in, don’t make a career change.

The reason is simple. Humans fear change.

In the world of work many career professionals see a career change as a backwards step where they would have to start of the bottom rung of the career ladder. This limiting belief is inaccurate as employers look for a diverse workforce who can bring a new perspective gain from experience in a different industry.

In fact, many employers seek to gain talented team members without direct experience in the sector. An example of this would be a manager – skilled at leadership, staff recruitment, finance projections. Managerial skills are transferable into many job sectors.

Humans fear failure

At a basic level humans have in built desire to ‘belong’. Humans are pack animals. To survive in a pack individuals need to be accepted by others. To be rejected is to die. The same emotional pull happens in all social situations. Many humans avoid asking someone on a date as they don’t want to chance being rejected. People fear public speaking as they fear being ‘laughed’ at. And career professionals hate job interviews because they might be told they ‘are not good enough’.  

It is easier to stay with the devil you know than to make a change, even is the current situation is a toxic workplace that is making you ill.

It is time to make a change

A confident career professional with over 10 years industry experience and/or a degree level qualification or above should easily gain a number of job interviews – creating the 3% rule.

This means the competition is now only 6 other applicants. Six people, rather than 250 candidates, doesn’t seem so overwhelming.

During the 45 minutes job interview the average employer will ask 6 job interview questions – often behavioural interview questions (question based on past experiences – “give me an example of doing A”)

The initial question commonly asked is: “tell me about yourself” An easy question to ask, and the final question is “Do you have any questions for us?”

Knowing the structure of the job interview reduces the candidate’s anxiety levels. Lower levels of anxiety increase performance confidence, allowing an interviewee to produce more detailed job interview examples relevant to the job interview question.

Employers will hint towards the job interview questions by sharing the essential criteria of the job role. It is the main duties or essential criteria that is referenced in the job interview questions. This insight can help a job seeker prepare high-scoring interview answers and examples prior to the job interview.

Fear creates procrastination. As a high number of people fear the job interview it is unlikely that each candidate will complete the essential preparation before a recruitment process. If for example only 50% of candidates fully prepare, including yourself, that is only 2 other applicants who are confident enough to give good job interview answers.

From 250 initial applicants, only 3 of the 6 interviewees will be interview ready. This means you only need to give higher scoring answers then the two other prepared people.

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How Do You Handle Stress in an Interview?

job interview stress

A job interview is one of most stressful situations you can put yourself in.

This is because, most people, fear being the center of attention.

It is the fear of being rejected by the hiring manager that creates stress and anxiety. Job interview stress changes the candidate’s behavior which in turn creates a weak interview identity. Answers are weak, lacking detail and filled with an excessive number of filler words and weak language.

This article will explain how to handle job interview stress to create a strong interview identity that results in job offers.

Is a job interview a stressful situation?

Stress happens:

  • When we experience something new
  • When something unexpected happens
  • When we feel we have little control over something

All three stress activators can happen during a job interview. On the other hand, a well prepared career professional will feel confident if they:

  • Carry mock interviews and/or attend public speaking training – this reduces the ‘something new’ fear
  • Understanding the job interview process – this helps overcome the ‘unexpected’ fear
  • Predict job interview questions and prepare strong answers – this creates control

Humans are confident in familiar situations. Routine, processes, the norm, are all things that reduce stress. This is why some career professionals who are unhappy at work don’t search for a new job. The fear or something new outweighs the fear of the staying in an unhappy job role.

On average career professionals look for work, and therefore attend job interviews, every three to five years. It is the lack of preparing and attending the interviews that increases their levels of stress.

Stress isn’t an on or off button, its more of a scale. The higher up the stress scale you are the worse the stress can affect you. Stress can:

  • Create pain – stomach cramps, headaches, etc
  • Stop you sleeping
  • Increase nail biting, grinding teeth, and jaw clenching
  • Make you irritable, sad, or depressed
  • Stops you eating as your body is in ‘flight or fight’ mode

Do Employers Make the Job Interview Stressful on Purpose?

The myth that all job interviews are difficult, with employers asking awkward curveball questions designed to increase pressure on the applicant is just that – a myth.

Employers may asked: ‘how do you handle stress?’ for stressful positions, or ask problem solving riddles in engineering, IT or mathematical roles but for most advertised vacancies each job interview question will be based on the essential criteria for the job role.

In fact, employers will go out of there way to make the interview an ‘enjoyable’ or at least informative. Think about it, a recruitment manager is looking to hire the best person for the role.

All employers know that job seekers will be attending several job interviews over a short period of time, often with a rival company. It is in the employers interest to hire the best applicant.

If the employer did created an unnecessary pressurized job interview environment it is quiet likely that the 1st choice candidate will take the job offer with another, more friendlier’ employer.

Most employers use a ‘structured job interview’ process, by familiarizing yourself with this process will help you feel more in control and less stressed.

Reduce Job Interview Stress

Some well known basic stress reducers include:

  • Drink water
  • Eat healthy
  • Regular exercise
  • Learn to say ‘no’ as this increases assertiveness
  • List your skills and talents as positive reflection increases confidence
  • Use deep breathing or mindfulness to feel more calm and in control
  • Use a blackout curtains and a soundless room (no mobile phones, etc) to get a good nights sleep

Negative self-talk

Remove negative self-talk.

  • ‘I’m not good enough’
  • ‘Others are better skilled then I am?
  • ‘I don’t have the relevant experience’

What you focus on you feel.

If you focus on negative statements you will feel negative. Instead focus on your strengths your skills, qualities and what you have to offer the new employer – your unique selling point.

  1. Make a list of your key skill set
  2. Reflect and record key experiences where your ideas, hard work or leadership resulted in a positive outcome
  3. Re-read past appraisals and focus on what a previous manager liked about you

Perception

Perception creates or reduces the power balance.

Viewing the job interview as a life or death situation increases the body’s flight or fight response.

Breakdown what a job interview is. At the bottom level, the interview is you talking about you. And you are the expert on you!

View the interview as a meeting where you are teaching other people about what you have learnt; your knowledge, your experiences, and the techniques you have picked up to get a job done.

Reframing a job interview changes the perceived power balance. Being stress makes you feel you have no power, no influence. Feeling confident about talking about you makes you feel powerful, invincible.

Interview Questions and Answers

Repetition is the key to mastering a skill and practice creates perfection.

The more job interviews you attend (or mock interviews) the more confident you will be as an interveiwee.

This is true with any task. To be a good tennis player, play more tennis. Master chefing by cooking on a regular basis. Learn to speak a second language practice, make mistakes, and learn.

First-choice applicants – career professionals who receive a high number of job offers, will follow the three rules for passing a job interview.

  1. Identifying the job criteria
  2. Being a self-promoter
  3. Communicating confidently

The more an interviewee practices job interview questions and answers, the better prepared they will be on the day in question.

Preparation equals confidence, confidence reduces stress.

Job Interview Procrastination

Stress is a barrier to action.

To avoid stress, job candidates will procrastinate – ‘I will start my preparation tomorrow’

When you hear yourself putting tasks off, you must STOP and take immediate action.

  1. Write down all the interview preparation tasks; research the company, predict questions, prepare answers, check the venue address
  2. Start with the easiest task and do this first – momentum creates motivation
  3. Give yourself a deadline for each task
  4. Reward yourself when you have completed a certain number of tasks
  5. Meet with other people to research together as we like approaching difficult task in groups
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Final Interview Questions and Answers

High skilled positions often come with a long recruitment process, consisting of several interview stages:

  1. AVI – asynchronous video interview (a virtual job interview conducted by an AI bot) used to screen applicants
  2. Technical interview to check a candidates competencies – this may include practical tests
  3. Group interview and/or values interview to review suitability/company culture fit
  4. Final interview for shortlisted candidates

A large number of career professionals on platforms such as LinkedIn express their concern over the high number of interview rounds – or ‘hoops’ they are made to jump through to secure a job offer.

So, why do employers have multiple interview rounds?

From the employers perspective, when paying a high salary for a highly skilled role, the hiring manager needs to ensure they recruit the right person. Often a single interview gives an indication of a persons suitability but doesn’t always highlights the individuals temperament, skills, knowledge, work-ethic, and values.

For low to medium skilled roles, most employers will have one or two interview rounds. For leadership positions, high-skilled roles, technical jobs the recruiters must hire someone who can add value, this requires a more in-depth recruitment process.

What does a final job interview mean?

Research shows how the top three candidates in a job interview will only have one or two points between them – the structured job interview is a close run thing.

Having such a close match can result in the interview panel being influenced by an unconscious bias. Rather then being forced into a decision, the recruitment team, often led by a human resources hiring manager, will invite the top performing interviewees to a final interview.

The final interview means that all the candidates are employable, they all meet the essential criteria and can add value to the team.

Only three to five applicants are offered a final interview round. This shortlist of candidates will all hold relevant industry qualifications , many years of sector experience and the confidence to delivery high-scoring job interview answers during the recruitment process. In short, they have a strong interview identity.

Competition, therefore, is high in terms of quality but low in terms of quantity – as the weaker candidates have already been dismissed.

Border force job interview is competitive

Interview Specifics:

Structural job interview last 45 minutes with 8 interview questions being asked

Can you demonstrate the relevant knowledge and experience to pass a final job interview?

  • Do you give detailed examples?
  • Do you state measurable data during examples?
  • Do you reference industry models and theories?
  • Do your answers meet the job criteria?
  • Are you a self-promoter?
  • Are your answers delivered confidently?
  • Do you use an excessive number of filler words?
  • Does your unique selling point stand out during the interview?

Check the average pay for your job role.

How to prepare for a final interview?

The biggest mistake most career professionals make during a final interview is not repeating examples from previous job interview rounds.

For all rounds, the job interview panel must score applicants based on the answers given in that interview round. Remember that each interview round maybe conducted by a different interviewer.

Not that all previously used examples will be needed. Each employer has their own way of conducting a final interview.

Some employers, will ask similar questions throughout all the interview rounds (worded a little different) to check that the applicant does possess the required skills and knowledge for the job vacancy.

In this approach, the final interviewers – often trained HR and senior leaders will ask more specific interview questions looking for data and evidence that they can measure.

As an example:

  • Interview round 1 question: “Tell me about a time when you worked with stakeholders?”
  • Interview round 2 question: “Tell me about a time when you had to influence a stakeholder?”
  • Interview round 3 question: “Give me an example of when you have influenced a senior stakeholder to overcome an objective on a collaborative project?”
  • Interview round 4 question: “Explain the specific steps you took to get a stakeholder with an objective to a project to agree with a proposal you had created?”

In other organisations, the final interview round will be focused on added value. The interview questions maybe open, even informal, to understand how an applicants experience will make a difference in the current team, on a project, and/or to achieve the company vision.

The employer is looking for:

  • Unique selling points
  • How an (experience) can be used to improve production or output/increase profit
  • What industry related knowledge can help progress the company
  • Specific skills and how they can be used to influence the workforce/achieve an objective
  • How the (applicant) can raise the bar

Final job interview tips

By the final interview stage, the employer has a high opinion of the candidate. The opinion must be reinforced.

It is often the confident, the charismatic interview identity, who is finally offered the role.

This is because employers value confidence. A self-assured employee gets things done. Humans also associate other positive personality traits to confident people. We believe they are hard-working, skilled, knowledgeable, and that they possess good personal skills; communication, listening, teamwork.

To be viewed as confident:

  • Be assertive with your communication
  • Use the power of a pause – don’t rush your answers
  • Add characters and storylines to your examples – entertain as we as explain
  • State researched information about the company within the interview answer
  • Be a master of the basics; eye contact, positive posture, power voice

Be ready to answer scenario interview questions.

Employers recruit for a reason – there is a recruitment to gain a person with the knowledge and experience to achieve a key objective.

The final job interview often focuses on the candidates abilities to achieve these objectives. The questions asked can be both open or closed:

  • What do you know about X?
  • What would be your 5 step plan to achieve (objective)?
  • We are facing a (barrier) who would you turn this around?
  • Describe the operational plan, over a 5 year period, you would implement to achieve (objective)?
  • Tell me more about that?

The employer leaves it to you!

In the final interview, don’t wait to be asked follow up questions. If questions are ambiguous:

  • Tell me more about that (often used in informal job interviews)
  • Describe your leadership style
  • Give me an example of success

It is up to the interviewee to provide the detail. Research shows how the higher number of words per answer often results in a high number of job offers.

Give detailed and specific answers as this increase word count. This can be achieved by:

  • Talk about the pro’s and con’s of a situation, management style, product, machinery, process
  • Use multiple situations in answers. As an example, to answer a ‘leadership style question’ talk about using different leadership styles in different (sector related) environments
  • State a theory or model and give an example of the theory/model in use
  • Embed short metaphors and examples into a longer example, ensuring their is a golden thread

Create a conversation.

Dont wait until the end of a job interview to ask the employer questions about the company.

Ask questions throughout the recruitment process and use the answers to give your own suitable replies. As an example if, by asking the interview questions, it is clear that the company value innovation, ensure you reference times you have been creative and innovative.

Mirror the language an employer uses; build on their metaphors, copy jargon and acronyms. By using a similar level of language a stronger level of rapport will be built.

Final job interview questions and answers

Final job interview question: Tell me what would you do in the first 3 months of working for the organization?

The interviewer here, is checking that the applicant is a self-motivated individual who can get things done.

Explain:

  • Understanding the vison/project brief
  • Planning for risk
  • Reviewing budget spend
  • Team motivation
  • Taking action
  • Being results driven

Final job interview question: How will you motivate the team to achieve the objective?

A leader creates a vision that the team work to achieve. The two parts vision and action(s) come together by ‘motivation’.

Discuss:

  • Different leadership styles
  • Staff motivation models
  • Operational plans
  • Previous examples of motivating teams

Final Interview Questions: What problems do you foresee?

Nothing is streamless in the world of work.

All managers, senior leaders and project managers can predict and manager risk. To answer the ‘problem’ question:

  • State potential problems
  • Discuss risk management models
  • Give solutions to common industry problems
  • Explain reactive and proactive approaches
  • Talk about risk budgets

How competitive is a final job interview?

Final job interviews aren’t competitive in terms of numbers.

The average number of applicants per vacancy is around 250. The average number of interviewees for each role is 8-10. The average number of final interviewees is just 2.

The two final interviewees will be highly skilled, knowledgeable and experienced. In these terms competition is high, because both job candidates are equally matched.

Often, the job offer goes to the candidate who has best prepared, and therefore the most confident in delivering high-scoring interview answers.

For a final job interview, high scoring answers are the answers that give specific and measure data that highlights the candidates competencies relevant to the job criteria and beyond.

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How to Answer Interview Questions Confidently

optimistic interviewee

The ability to confidently communicate competencies during the job interview will give the interviewee a significant advantage over other, less confident, applicants.

Highly skilled and highly experienced career professionals often fail job interviews due to stress created by wanting to be viewed as knowledgeable.

It is the fear of being rejected by the hiring manager that creates job interview anxiety. Anxiety, sometimes at a subtle level, changes the candidate’s behavior which in turn creates a weak interview identity.

This article will explain how to reduce anxiety during the recruitment process to help answer job interview questions confidently.

Are you worried about the hiring manager’s opinion?

Humans worry about employers’ opinions as they don’t want to be seen as incompetent. Someone who consistently worries about other people’s opinions can become depressed.

Belonging is hardwired in the human psychic, to belong is to be safe. The desire to belong comes from our ancestors, the hunter, and gathers. Back in time when humans roamed the earth competing for food with wild animals, humans needed to be part of a tribe to survive.

A group of hunter and gathers were stronger together, but if one of the tribe rejected their survival rate diminished. Tribes were created on shared beliefs, values and through the individual skills, each person brought to the tribe.

In the job interview, how an interviewee thinks affects their behavior.

Research into the recruitment of staff has shown how applicants with low self-esteem have an internal focus, worrying about the hiring manager’s opinion. Whereas, a confident candidate is externally focused – giving the same quality of answers no matter how the employer acts in the job interview.

The research shows how the more confident a person the less they care about the opinions of others because self-worth out powers the self-worry.

Eggs in One Basket

Caring about a hiring manager’s opinion increases depending on context.

The advice that an interview coach would give, is to apply for new roles while in a position you are happy with.

Being employed in a good job takes the pressure off during the recruitment process, as the belief that ‘if I’m not successful I still have a job I like’ creates a win-win situation.

The increased confidence gained from the win-win scenario has a slight change in the candidate’s interview behavior. Confident interviewees will:

  • Give detail examples
  • Share their opinions rather then looking to agree with the interviewee panel
  • Stand up for themselves
  • Be a self-promoter
  • Have an open conversation
  • Tell the employer what they want from a job

In most cases though, career professionals look for new positions because their current job role is one they now detest. Many interviewees are desperate to leave their current employer and/or are highly stressed.

The new job role is viewed as a ‘last chance’ with applicants saying ‘if I’m not successful i don’t what I will do!’

A last chance mind-frame has an effect on the candidate’s attitude, as they focus more on the employer’s opinions than focusing on showcasing their skills and experiences.

Employers hiring decisions are emotionally led, which means the psychology of a job interview plays an important part in the recruitment of new staff. This includes:

  • Unconscious Bias
  • The power of likeability
  • Prejudices
  • Commonality and rapport
  • The applicants language and word choice

Action – apply for jobs while in a position you love

Answering Interview Questions Confidently

The first task then is to have an external focus – a focus on the delivery of high-scoring job interview answers.

Low confident interviewees use generic statements:

  • ‘I’m not good enough’
  • ‘Others are better skilled then I am?
  • ‘I have less sector knowledge than other people’

Limiting beliefs limit the possibilities of a successful job interview outcome.

To change a limiting belief requires challenge. Question the belief, look for evidence to the contrary, request specifics.

Ask specifics:

  • ‘Not good enough of what specifically?’
  • ‘Good enough compared to whom?’
  • ‘Who are these other people?’
  • ‘Which skills in particular?’
  • ‘Name your own strengths’

Language shapes our reality. Challenging oneself (a technique used by career and interview coaches) changes perception. Perception creates confidence. Confidence creates a stronger interview performance. A stronger interview performance increases job offers.

The language used to describe an interview also influences an applicant’s interview confidence.

Some confident career professionals view the job interview as a:

  • Meeting
  • Discussion about their experience
  • An opportunity to find more out about the employer

The frame of an interview, a life or death situation (if I don’t succeed in this job interview I will have failed), or an opportunity (a chance to develop my career), changes the candidate’s approach to the recruitment process.

Interview Questions and Answers

Repetition is the key to mastering a skill.

A job interview – communicating high-scoring answers confidently, is just another skill. A job interview is essentially a public speaking engagement. Many people initially fear public speaking but become more confident once they practice their oration skills.

One of the biggest barriers to a successful job interview is the lack of practice. The fear of rejection creates procrastination, which can increase anxiety if the applicant suffers from imposter syndrome.

First-choice applicants – career professionals who receive a high number of job offers, will follow the three rules for passing a job interview.

  1. Identifying the job criteria
  2. Being a self-promoter
  3. Communicating confidently

The more an interviewee predicts the job interview questions, craft high-scoring job interview answers, and practices the delivery style of those answers, the more they are likely to feel confident throughout a hiring process.

5 Steps for Practicing Job Interview Answers

Step 1 – Turn each essential job criteria into an interview question

Step 2 – Draft an interview answer for each question

Step 3 – Rewrite the answer by adding an example

Step 4 – Tweak the answer 3-4 more times embedding positive language

Step 5 – Practice, out loud, saying the answer as you would in a job interview

Feeling Confident

The more an applicant feels confident, the more confident their interview answers will be.

Pre-interview preparation can help to increase confidence. Some basic advice includes:

  • Stay hydrated drink lots of water prior to the job interview
  • Exercise on the morning of the interview
  • Use mindfulness or a positive visualization to feel more relaxed

The candidate’s mindset is key to building confidence. Self-worth increases self-promotion. Become aware of your skills, qualities, and experiences by:

  • Re-read passed appraisals and make a list of all the skills, strengths and qualities a passed employer has stated
  • List of the key project you have been part of – focus on what you did to make the project a success
  • Breakdown your personality – What are you naturally gifted at? How do you work best? What are your natural strengths?

It is important to remember the power play of a job interview.

In the main, the job applicants frame is that the employer has something they want (the job role) rather than the realization that the candidate has what the employer needs (that is why the employer is currently recruiting).

The candidate’s frame – how they view the job interview, changes how they perceive the power balance themselves and the employer.

The Formula for a Confident Job Interview

Confidence, therefore, is created by perception – how the candidates view the job interview and the number of hours of interview preparation.

Mindset x Practice = a confident job interview

If we summarize the above advice, to answer job interview questions confidently:

  1. Create an external focus – a focus on the delivery of high-scoring job interview answers
  2. Decrease the internal focus – worrying about the hiring managers opinion
  3. Apply for jobs while in a position you currently enjoy as this releases stress
  4. Challenge limiting beliefs by asking for specifics
  5. View the interview as a conversation or meeting
  6. Follow the three rules for a successful job interview and practice answering interview questions
  7. Identify your own skills, strengths and qualities
  8. Use meditation, exercise and staying hydrated to increase confidence
  9. Remember the employer needs you more then you need them – be in charge of the power play of the recruitment process
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Common Interview Questions for Entry Level Jobs

In years gone by having a degree open the doors to a new career.

In more recent times the number of people attending university has risen meaning having a degree alone isn’t enough to secure an entry level position.

One study precited that ‘the number of young people aged 24 to 34 completing a tertiary degree across OECD and G20 countries is expected to increase to 300 million by 2030, up from 137 million in 2013‘

This is because the data shows that having a degree will:

  • Increase your chances of employment
  • Help gain a high-skilled job role
  • Increase earnings compared to non-degree employees

An entry level job role is a the starting position on the career ladder. Employers, in the main, will create an entry level position with additional support, training and mentoring to introduce the new employee to the word of work even though they lack industry experience.

With an increase in degree level applicants an increase in competition has become common, with job offers going to the candidates who perform best in the job interview.

This article will explain what a graduate can do to pass an entry-level job interview.

How competitive is an Entry Level job interview?

Interview Specifics:

Informal job interview lasts around 30 minutes with 6 questions being asked

Can you demonstrate the relevant knowledge and experience to pass a Entry Level job interview?

  • Relevant qualifications
  • Any sector related experience including placements, internships, and work experience
  • Personal skills and work ethic, related to the job role
  • Knowledge of industry related model and theories
  • Being a life long leaner
  • Commitment to organization as they invest time and money into the graduate
  • Skills gained from being a graduate
  • Any unique selling points

Check the average pay for an entry level job role.

Job offers are given to the graduate who is viewed by the employer as being the best fit. This means the way a candidate is perceived by the interview panel, the applicants interview identity, which is based on their perceived level of knowledge/experience vs their level of confidence, is an important aspect of the hiring mangers decision making process.

In fact, the applicants interview identity for an entry level position is important for a second reason. On average, all the interviewees will have a similar level of qualification (the sector related degree) and therefore a similar level of knowledge.

Each candidate, in the main, wont have in-depth experience of recruitment processes, so will be nervous during a job interview. And most will have equal work experience and/or placements.

In short, an entry level job interview is a level playing field. That means the interview performance can be the difference between or job offer or job rejection.

Job Interview Questions and Answers for an Entry Level Job Role.

Most employers adopt an informal job interview process for an entry-level job role. This is because, in many cases, the candidates wont have enough experience to answer behavioral job interview questions.

An informal job interview is a 30-45 minute job interview where the employers ask several planned job interview question that create a conversation, before asking follow up question depending on where the conversation is leading.

Whereas, a structured job interview – the most common type of job interview will ask the same questions to all applicants, with no ad-hoc follow up questions.

Entry Level Job Interview Question 1 – why did you apply for this position?

Before planning the answers to interview questions, it is wise to first think about the interview environment.

Has the employer requested a virtual or a face to face interview? Tips for a virtual interview can be found here: Online Job Interview Advice

The most commonly asked entry-level job interview question is the ‘why this position?’ question, sometime framed as ‘Tell me about yourself and whey you applied for this role?’

Unstructured job interview questions are often ‘open’ allowing the interviewee to discuss anything they think may be relevant.

Two mistakes graduates make is either 1) not giving enough information and detail, or 2) discussing experiences and skills irrelevant for the advertised position.

To answer the initial opening question discuss three key elements:

  1. Your character
  2. Your journey
  3. Your reason for applying

“I have always had a passion for (industry) this is due to (give reason). What I particular interested in is (give a specific element of the job sector that you care about). My experience (in university studying an X degree/working in job sector) has given me an in-depth knowledge on (job sector criteria) as an example (state 1 or 2 job sector relevant data/knowledge)

I recently completed my (qualification) at (university name) where I (give selling point: achieved a 2:1 or had a work placement at (famous company). In addition to studying I also (describe relevant work experience gained)

People describe me as a (name three qualities). This is because (give reason for the character reference). The reason I applied for this position is because of the company reputation. I am looking to work for an organization that (add facts about the company) which is why I want to work here. I was also impressed with the company vision (state company vision) which is something I also deem important”

Entry Level Job Interview Question 2 – how do you develop yourself?

Employers understand that entry level employees lack sector knowledge and industry experience.

The reason for the lower waged than a more experience career professional is due to the fact that the employer will train, mentor and support the graduate in the position.

Hiring managers are looking to recruit staff members that are life long learners. Technology, politics, customer demand, globalization, among other things, are the drivers of change that evolve each industry.

In time gone by these same drivers of changed happened, but at a slower rate. The fast pace rapid sector changes require a flexible workforce who can absorb new knowledge, changes in industry policy and quick adopt to new ways of working.

On a smaller level, a graduate new to the world of work needs to have the ability to pick business-as-usual tasks and job duties quickly. Over a 3 year period, an entry level employee will learn the same level of knowledge as they did during their degree course.

In short, employers need applicants to demonstrate they are keen on professional development and learning.

“I’m a life long learner who values personal and professional development. Over the past three years I studied for my degree where I gained a (qualification level). As well as attending the lectures, I also decided to improve my sector knowledge by (add any additional studying; attending online courses, watching additional lectures on YouTube or attending study groups). Because I have a clear career direction, I also applied for and gain a (part-time sector job, placement, internship, etc) where I learned about (describe a sector related knowledge).

Because I value development, I often reflect on my strengths and weaknesses and attend short training courses to improve skills and knowledge. Recently I felt I could do with improving a (soft skill) as I knew this skill would be important when (completing a job duty) so I attending a (course) which helped me to (course objective).”

Entry Level Job Interview Question 3 – what can you bring to the team?

The informal job interview is designed to get to know the applicant.

The goal of the informal interview is to find out what the candidate can bring to the team and if they would work well within the company culture, which is why many employers directly ask ‘what can you bring to the team?’

To answer the interview question well, a candidate must remember the tree rules for a successful job interview outcome:

  1. Identify the job criteria – the skills, qualities and experiences an employers deems relevant for the job role
  2. Be a self-promoter – detailing experiences, explaining knowledge and using self-promoting language
  3. Communicate with confidence – delivering interview answers in a clear, concise and confident way

One barrier to gaining a job offer is the relevance of a job interview answer. Some applicants will give detailed and self-promoting answers but still struggle to gain a successful job interview outcome.

The reason is the content of the interview answer. By identifying the job criteria (knowing what the employer is looking for in a new team member) helps to craft an answer that references the job criteria.

“The three key elements that I can bring to the team are X, Y and Z. I’m am highly skilled at X, which means I can (describe how being skilled in X will be a benefit to the organisation). My key strength is Y. As a team member I can use this strength (to gain a positive outcome). And finally, being highly knowledgeable about Y can help in (describe a future scenario where the knowledge would be of high importance).”

Entry Level Job Interview Question 4 – tell me about your course/degree?

The trap, most entry level applicants, fall into when asked a question about their time at university is that the interviewee will simply describe the duration of the course, the course content and their opinion of the degree.

What an employer is really asking is: ‘what skills and knowledge did you gain from studying a degree and how will those skills and knowledge help you in this job role?’

Again, as with all job interview questions it is important to first identify the skills, qualities, and experiences and employer deems to be important and then to reference these throughout the interview answer.

“What I really enjoyed about the course was how it improved my knowledge in (a specific area). As an example, I know have a level of understanding about (technical element of the job role) that would be of great use when (describe relevant work-based scenario). I also have a great knowledge based of (describe three additional knowledges).

Throughout the course, I also able to recognize and build upon some of my skills and qualities. In particular, one of my key strengths is (add strength). On the course I (describe a situation/problem). To overcome this barrier I (state three actions took, describing in detail how yo use your strengths, skills and qualities). This resulted in (state a positive outcome).”

Entry Level Job Interview Question 5 – what were your favorite classes and why?

The ‘favorite classes’ job interview question is asked as an alternative to the ‘tell me about your degree’ question. It is mainly asked in apprenticeship job interviews.

The format of the interview answer is the same for both questions – a focus on how a particular class or classes gave the interviewee the skills, knowledge and experience relevant to the job role.

The above interview answer template can be tailored for both questions.

Entry Level Job Interview Question 6 – what do you like to do outside of university/work?

Businesses complete risk assessments on all aspects of the business, including recruitments.

Hiring a highly experienced and qualified employee is deemed as low risk, as the cost of recruitment vs the experienced gained is viewed as beneficial.

The risk of recruiting a graduate with no industry experience and therefore no way of knowing how the react the pressure of a job role, how they work within a team and their work ethic is viewed as high risk.

In addition, employers spend time and money to support and develop entry level employees. The pay off, for the employer, is that they get to train the new employee to work in a way that suits the culture of the organization.

But culture fit also depends on an applicants personality. By asking ‘what do you do outside of work?’ is an indicate to that persons temperament.

Stay ways from answering the question with anything to do with:

  • Drinking
  • Staying in bed
  • Parties

“I like to make the most of my time. I spend a lot of my evenings exercising, going for short runs, walks and doing yoga. Exercise is one of the best ways to stay fit and healthy but also helps to build a positive mindset.

I mentioned previously that I enjoy professional development. I am currently applying to attend (short course) that will teach me (state course objective).

I also enjoy (describe hobby). What is interesting, even though the hobby doesn’t directly related to the job role, is that this hobby helps me build up (a skill) that can be used when (job duty).”

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Entry Level Job Interview Question 7 – Do you have any questions for me?

Each hiring manager during all job interviews will ask each interviewee if they have any questions for the employer.

Knowing that the final ‘ask me’ question will be asked, a set of questions needs to be prepared.

  • What will the first few weeks as an entry level employee look like?
  • How would you describe the team?
  • What have previous graduates gone on to do in your company?
  • Why do you proactive employee graduates?
  • Do you offer training for new employees?

This site uses the ‘LMI for All’ online data portal to access official government ‘big data’ sources. This powers the labour market data provided on this site.

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Questions for the Interviewer

One of the most common questions an interview coach is asked, is ‘What questions should I ask the interviewer?’

In fact, more people search on Google for the term ‘interview questions to ask an employer?’ around 100,000 a month, than they do ‘tell me about yourself?’ – the most commonly asked job interview question, which generates around 1000 search queries a month.

To help solve this query, this article will:

  • Explain if asking an employer a question(s) is important
  • Discuss when in the interview it is best to ask an employer a question
  • List questions to ask an employer

Should I ask the interviewer a question?

The all-important question is, do I need to ask a hiring manager a question?

Technically the answer is no.

Don’t get me wrong. Asking the employer questions at the end of an interview is a key part of the recruitment process. The asking of unique questions can help a candidate be remembered by the hiring manager.

More importantly, for the career professional, questioning an employer can help the candidate decide if the organisation and job role are the right fit for them.

First choice job applicants – a candidate who consistently receives job offers following a recruitment process, ask numerous questions about the job duties, company culture, potential advancement, and the realistic future achievements of the business plan.

A first-choice candidates’ level of industry experience and knowledge along with their job interview confidence creates a strong interview identity. Their focus within a job interview, therefore, isn’t one of ‘will I get hired ?’ (desperation) instead, it is ‘will this employer meet my standards?’ (a high-status position).

The first-choice interviewee asks questions to check the employer’s suitability, not because the asking of questions to the employer is expected.

Many employers adopt the structured job interview process, as research shows that a structured job interview, compared to an unstructured job interview, is more likely to accurately predict the job performance of each candidate.

In a structured job interview, the employer will ask a set number of job interview questions, in the same order to each applicant. The interviewee’s job interview answers are scored against a set of essential criteria. Each interview answer is given point(s), on average on a scale of 1-4, and the highest-scoring interviewee is offered the advertised position.

The reason that asking the employer questions at the end of the interview doesn’t affect the job interview outcome is that the ‘do you have any questions for us?’ part of the interview doesn’t receive any points on the interview scorecard.

That means, if two people are equally scored at the end of an interview, and one asks 4-5 questions to the employer, and the other doesn’t ask a single one, the scoring allocated to be candidates will not change.

But….

The logical process of a structured job interview has a significant flaw. The human hiring manager is an emotional being. Emotions change how we perceive others.

The asking of questions shows an employer that the candidate is interested, passionate about the role. It helps build rapport, trust, and likeability. It’s the last chance to make a first impression, and it’s the first impression that creates an emotional reaction – I like or dislike this applicant.

Imagine the two equally scored interviewees. The one who asks the 4-5 questions has a chance to highlight more of their experience. As an example, the candidate may ask ‘can you tell me more about the day-to-day duties?’ After the employer responds, the candidate excitedly explains how they are highly skilled in (add duty).

This additional ‘sell’ isn’t added to the interview scorecard. But common practice is for the interview panel to make notes during the job interview itself and to allocate scores after the interviewee leaves.

If the asking of questions helps to build a positive emotional association with the candidate it is likely that the employer will score the interviewee higher than the applicant who didn’t bother to ask any questions. This is called the halo effect.

When to ask the interviewer a questions?

A higher number of interviewees when asked ‘do you have any questions for me?’ will say ‘no!’

As explained above, the asking of interview questions to an employer can create a significant advantage for the savvy interviewee.

But why wait until the interview end?

As we have already stated, first-choice applicants (which is what all career professionals should be aiming for) in fact ask questions to check the suitability of the employer.

Instead of saving a number of questions to the interview end, questions should be asked throughout the recruitment process as this allows the candidate to check:

  • Does the leadership and management style suit the way they work best?
  • Does the culture of company fit thier temperament?
  • Does the business vision match their career objective?
  • Is the company likely to stay ahead of the game and therefore reduce the likelyhood of having to make redundancies?
  • Will this company help me to grow and develop?
  • Is this the right fit for me?

To ask questions throughout the job interview, follow this process:

  1. Wait to be asked an job interview question
  2. Give an interview answer that communciates competencies confidently
  3. Ask the employer a follow up questio

As an example, if the job interview question is ‘what have you done to update your skills over the past 12 months?’ the applicant will give an answer highlighting the required criteria. In this example, the list is long impressing the employer.

At the end of the interview answer, the panel will spend 30 or so more seconds making notes. In that short time, one of the interview panel will break the silence, in this case by saying ‘that a long list, it sounds like you really care about your professional development?’

It’s at this stage where there is a natural opening for a follow-up question: ‘Yes it’s really important to keep developing your skill set, does the company have any training opportunities for new staff members?’ which creates a natural conversation while building authority.

Another technique is to ask a follow-up question before answering the interview question. In this scenario, the interview question is: ‘give me an example of managing your time?’ Instead of diving straight into the interview answer, the candidate can ask a specific follow-up question: ‘One of my key strengths is time-management. I often use technology to help with time management. Do you use Microsoft teams by any chance?’

The specific question is a hack to ensure that the detailed interview answer isn’t irrelevant. If the employer answers that they do use Microsoft teams, the candidate, in this example, will explain their knowledge of teams and how they use it to create Gannt charts, manage projects, diary management etc – as the employer, because they use the same technology, will see this as highly relevant.

If the employer states they don’t use the referenced technology/system/model the applicant can flip over this and answer the interview question without delving into detail about something the employer doesn’t need to know: ‘No, ok, I mentioned it because there are many tools that can assist with managing time, but the key to managing time is….an example of this is…’

Creating an interview conversation, rather the just answering the interview questions builds rapport. But even with a number of questions being asked throughout the job interview to check the suitability of the employer, you will be asked ‘do you have anything you would like to ask anyone of the interview panel?’ which means you must prepare a list fo questions to ask at the end of the job interview.

Questions for interviewers

Rob Jenkins in an article on what to ask and not ask in an interview (specifically talking about college interviews) said: “Do ask questions that demonstrate not only a knowledge of the college where you’re applying but also an enthusiasm for its mission and an earnest desire to be there”

It is the same in a job interview, each question should be planned to demonstrate a high level of knowledge and experience while expressing enthusiasm for wanting to work within that organization.

The top 3 questions to ask an interviewer

Questions that are unique, intriguing, or a little challenging will be memorable.

The top three questions to ask are designed to make the employer reflect, think, and feel good about themselves.

When a person feels good, the emotional feeling is associated with others in the room. And we are more likely to say ‘yes’ to someone we like.

  • What makes you want to stay working for this organisation?

This question will highlight the culture of the company and the values of the employer. For many employers, who aren’t expecting a self-reflecting question, they have to think about their answer.

  • Where in the team do you see my experience best fitting in – is there any particular project that you think I would be able to add value to?

An interviewee would only ask the employer this question if they know the interview has gone well. From a psychological point of view, the candidate is forcing the employer to view them as being successful in the team/on a project.

It’s the same psychology as if I said ‘don’t think of a pink elephant balancing on a blue ball’ to not think of the suggestion, you first have to imagine it!

  • How will you measure how successful I am?

Asking about a measurement will highlight what the employer values. They might answer with customer satisfaction, targets, data, income, quality, quantity. This is a chance to break through any generic statements relating to values and vision and get a specific on what the employer deems is important.

Questions that impress the employer

The goal of the job interview is to create a strong impression that leads to a job offer.

Even though the asking of questions from a candidate can improve the impression created throughout the recruitment process by highlighting inside knowledge that shows how the candidate is interested in the role.

This is achieved by sharing researched guised as a question. Researched-based questions take more preparation but increase the value an employer associates with the candidates.

The idea is to state the research and ask a question based on the stated research. The research can include:

  • Contracts/tenders the employer is bidding on
  • Sector-related technology
  • Changes to production/vision/values the employer is making
  • New markets the business is moving into
  • Risk from competitors, globalization, politics, etc

Below are three different ways to phrase the question to an employer:

  • While researching the company, I saw that you are looking to (add research), how will this effect the day-to-day activities?
  • I know that the sector/company is facing big changes because of (add research), how do you plan to approach this challenge?
  • I was interested to hear about the new direction the company is heading in, what do you think will be the biggest challenges and biggest rewards?

The best questions to ask in an interview

Each job applicant needs to be armed with at least 10 questions to ask an employer.

A high number of questions is required because some of the answers may be discussed during the job interview. Not all ten need to be asked, often three to five questions are enough.

  1. Can you tell me more about the day-to-day duties and my responsibilities?
  2. What are the main challenges that the team/company face?
  3. Do you collaborate with other organisations?
  4. Is this an office job or do you offer hybrid working?
  5. Who is the company’s biggest competitor?
  6. What changes is the sector facing due to globalisation/technology/demand/politics?
  7. Are there plans to expand the business?
  8. What development and training do you offer new employees?
  9. What is the average duration of an employee working for the company?
  10. How would you describe the culture of the company?

10 Killer Questions to ask an Employer

Killer questions are the question that makes a candidate memorable. They can be a little risky, as some questions are framed to state the candidate’s skill set and can sometimes be seen as self-serving. But when delivered right, with confidence, employers will view the candidate as a high-status individual.

  1. What is the one thing that you know I will be able to bring to the team?

To lessen the self-serving aspect of the question you can replace ‘I’ with ‘the successful candidate

2. What was it in my application that made you want to interview me?

This can be awkward if the employer doesn’t remember the reason for inviting the applicant to interview – this is more common than you might expect.

3. How can I advance myself in this role?

Many employers like to see that a potential employee has a focus on progression. But some may worry that the candidate may jump ship for an early promotion.

4. Why did the last employee leave?

This in fact is a great question, as the question can help the interviewee decide if they should take a role if offered to them. Some employers may feel awkward answering this question.

5. What are the expectations of me in my first 6 months?

A candidate can get a real insight into the role/expectations by asking this question.

6. What have previous staff advanced into after holding this job role?

Asking about future progression shows eagerness and that the career path is important to the employee, but some employers worry that the candidate is wanting to run before they can walk.

7. Is there anything about my interview answers that worry you?

A dangerous question. Here the candidate is directing the employer to think about any negatives they have shown during the job interview. On the other hand, if an employer states a concern the job applicant can address the concern during the interview and create a re-frame to help ensure they are viewed as hirable.

8. What challenges might I expect to face?

The challenge’s question is often asked for managerial positions, project lead roles, and for job roles when collaboration is a key feature. But it can also be asked in most job interviews.

Some employers dislike this question as they have to be honest about any ‘problems’ the business has.

9. Why do you think other people have failed in this position?

This question should only be asked if the employer has referenced that others have previously failed. By asking the question, the candidate can follow up with actions they would take to ensure success.

10. Do team members meet outside of work?

A team that meets outside of work is one that is normally happy – a good indication of a positive workplace. It is good to frame this question by adding ‘for exercise, or food’ so the employer doesn’t believe you are asking about social drinking.

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How to Interview for a Job

The interview is the wall blocking the path to career success.

Knowing how to interview for a job helps to break down the barrier, giving career professionals the upper hand in the recruitment process.

This article will explain:

  • How an employers perceives an applicants suitability
  • How to prepare for job interview questions
  • How voice and content create high scoring interview answers

In short, this article will help job candidates get interview ready.

Are you seen as employable during the interview?

The goal of any job interview, from the applicant’s perspective, is to be seen as hirable.

Showcasing one’s suitability is the objective, but the question is what does suitable look like?

A bottom-line approach would say that the applicant who best meets the listed essential job criteria would be offered the advertised position.

By ticking that an applicant has X qualification, or X experience doesn’t result in the best hire. This is because employers value creative problem-solving skills, innovation, and work ethic, among other things – these are all hard-to-measure qualities when using a tick sheet approach.

Employers overcome the tick-sheet hurdle by requesting ‘example’ interview answers. The example, when delivered well, showcases personal qualities and skills as well as duration in the industry and sector-related qualifications.

Many hiring managers also look a ‘fit’ – asking ‘will the interviewee’s temperament fit within the current team and company culture?’

The searching for a good ‘fit’ has resulted in a new style of job interview; strength based interviewing and values job interviews.

In all job interviews; behavioral job interview, situational job interview, unstructured recruitment processes and values interviews, suitability is based on two key elements: The applicants perceived level of industry knowledge and experience and their level of confidence during the job interview.

The combination of a career professional’s level of perceived knowledge/experience vs their level of confidence creates one of sixteen job interview identities.

A strong (highly suitable) interview identity is created by the confident communication of competencies through story-telling, facts & figures, stating sector models, the use of industry jargon and acronyms, and highlighting relevant skills and experiences.

Weaker interview identities are formed from a nervous applicant who uses excessive filler words, self-discloses weaknesses, fidgets, mumbles, and gives answers that don’t reference the job criteria.

What is your interview identity? Take the test here.

The interview start

How to interview for a job starts at the beginning, the interview introduction:

A highly skilled career professional was running late for his job interview. The traffic was a nightmare: horns beeping, drivers shouting and all traffic lights turning red. After a few detours and maneuvering, the interviewee arrived just on time, flustered, stressed but on time.

Running through the entrance, he announces himself to the receptionist. After making a few notes, the receptionist starts making small talk, asking about his journey and the weather. The flustered interviewee wearing a well-fitted pinstriped suit is dismissive to the receptionist as he checks his documents in preparation for the forthcoming interview.

The receptionist, a tall blond lady, takes a sip of water, looks at the man, and attempts to engage the job applicant in conversation. After another curt reply, the receptionist takes the man upstairs to the interview room, where she introduces him to two hiring managers. To the man’s surprise, the receptionist sits down next to the hiring manager ‘she must be taking notes’ the man thinks to himself.

As the man takes a seat and straightens his tie, he smiles at the interview pane. Just then the receptionist starts the interview by explaining that she is the CEO and that she likes to meet all new candidates at reception to get to know them better, informally, before the interview started.

The job interview starts as soon as the candidate walks into the employer’s building.

First impressions are hard to change. This is why the appearance of an applicant; their clothing choice, handshake, body language, and voice, is an important factor.

The applicant’s appearance and all the underlined ‘appearance’ categories create an unconscious bias, which at a generic level is based on likability.

If an employer, based on first appearances, ‘likes’ the candidate, the candidate has a smaller upper hand at the interview start. This is because humans search for evidence to back up their beliefs, meaning that at a subconscious level an interviewer who initially likes or dislikes a person (through unconscious bias) will look for evidence that proves this opinion to be true.

A positive initial impression is easy to create by using the advice below, but some hiring managers may be ageist, sexist, racist, or any other ‘istems’. An employer with a strong negative association towards any group will be a hard person to influence, as their prejudices create an invisible barrier.

To be seen as more likable:

  • Wear a clothing style that suits your body shape
  • Possess strong eye contact – this can be practiced in advanced
  • Hold your head high, shoulders back and don’t slouch when sitting down
  • Use a firm handshake and smile
  • Have a well rehearsed introductory line
  • Think of a few ‘small talk’ questions to ask while walking to the interview room

In the interview room

Each company is different, but in the main, a hiring manager will introduce the interview panel, before explaining the interview process: The duration of the interview, the number of questions, and the interview rules (that you can ask for a question to be repeated). Any additional tasks; presentations, assessments etc, that may be required as part of the recruitment process and when the candidates will be informed if they have been successful or not.

In most cases, you will be given a glass of water. But as a back up take a bottle of water for this interview hack.

When asked an unexpected interview question, it will put most job applicants on the back foot, resulting in them waffling on about an unrelated subject.

Instead, whenever your brain is too slow to catch up with the curveball question, take a sip of water. Interviewers expect applicants to be nervous and to take sips of water (to wet a dry throat). These 3 seconds of sipping water allows the mind to search for a suitable interview answer.

After or before the introduction to the interview panel, you will be asked to sit down.

It is important to be seen as a confident person. Humans are drawn to confident people. We believe confident people will be a good fit and possess excellent social skills.

Confident people will:

  • Relax in the chair while having good posture
  • Possess strong eye contact, looking at all members of the interview panel
  • Gesture as they talk and become animated in their voice (lots of vocal variety)

The job interview

A number of interviews are now conducted online. The virtual interview requires additional advice that can be found here: how to interview virtually.

For a traditional face-to-face job interview, employers preference the ‘structured’ job interview process.

In short, a structured interview is a set of interview questions asked to all candidates (unlike an unstructured jo interview which is an open conversation where different candidates are asked different questions based on the discussion) which are scored logically based on the job roles essential criteria.

As an example, for a job role that has 30 essential criteria’s an employer will create 8-10 interview questions.

Each interview answer, for each question, to score high must reference several of the 30 essential criteria. This can be in the form of:

  • Stating a sector related theory or model
  • Giving an example or story
  • Listing facts and data
  • Physically presenting data
  • Through the applicants persona for essential criteria relating to personal skills

Job Interview Questions

The average number of questions asked in a job interview is eight.

Commonly, the opening interview question is: ‘tell me a little about yourself’ and the final question is: ‘do you have any questions for us?’

In between these two questions will be 6 competency-based interview questions. Questions that ask for evidence that highlights if the applicant possesses the essential criteria.

A full list of interview questions and answers can be found here: questions and answers for an interview

One of the best approaches, to create a high-scoring answer, is to split the answer into two sections. Section one will state the process/theory/model relating to the interview questions, and part two is an example of using the said process/theory/model.

This two-part job interview answer will cover a large number of essential criteria.

As an example, if asked ‘give me an example of being prioritizing tasks’ the answer would start with an explanation of how to prioritize tasks using, as an example, the time management matrix theory before an example of being organized and planned is given.

Its not what you say, its how you say it

One mistake career professionals make is focusing solely on content to their interview answers.

Any good public speaker will tell, ‘it’s not what you say, but how you say it that is important.

Inflection, as an example, can change the meaning of a statement. The statement ‘I could do that has a different meaning depending on how it is spoken.

  • I could do that – I can do that and I am happy to do that
  • I could do that – You want me to do that?
  • I could do that – I don’t want to do that!

Watch this video for a great example of inflection

The voice is a powerful communication tool, to engage the interview panel:

  • Using vocal variety
  • Reduce the amount of filler words
  • Pause before a key point
  • Increase pace when excited
  • Slow down pace when making a powerful statement
  • Show emotion through your tonality
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To pass a job interview, the three rules are:

  • Identify the job criteria as this allows an applicant to predict the job interview questions and to practice high-scoring job interview answers
  • Be a self-promoter – talk about skills and experiences relevant to the job role, the essential criteria
  • Use confident communication to engage the interview panel