Where do you see yourself in five years?
What are your greatest weaknesses?
Tell me about yourself?
Why did you leave your last job?
Why should we hire you?
Warning, any answer that begins with,
"Well, you'll never believe what my last boss did" is dangerous.
Why did you leave your last job feels like a trick question
because it is one.
It's way more than what it seems on the surface.
Is the reason why you left your former job, something
that could make you leave this job, too?
Hiring is a expensive resource heavy process for employers.
So they want to make sure whoever they bring on
is a long-term investment.
To score some points here and alleviate
those possible concerns, go ahead
and explain how you see this job as getting you
to where you want to go in terms of your career path.
And if you can, be explicit about seeing this opportunity
as a long-term investment, too.
So the interview is going well, and you're
feeling nothing but good vibes all around.
And this is the moment we can fall into the trap of letting
our guard down a bit too much.
Don't forget where you are.
Interviewers know what they're looking for.
So you better believe they are closely analyzing
your emotional intelligence.
Sharing too much or suddenly switching
to casual slang terms in your responses
could impair your chances of getting that second interview.
And yes, it's time for another warning.
Oversharing can sway recruiters away.
Don't bring up your personal life, avoid politics, religion,
and try not to complain or be negative
about your circumstances.
Instead, consider the interview process
as an opportunity to get down to business.
Now, if you've found yourself asking the same questions
at the end of every interview, you're not alone.
It's hard to come prepared with thoughtful questions,
especially when you've been interviewing a lot.
However, more than at any other point in the hiring process,
the questions that you ask in the final interview
must be informed.
These questions are more than an opportunity for you
to get answers.
They're also a chance to demonstrate
that you've been paying attention to what it
takes to succeed in this job.
If you have questions that reference your new knowledge,
company goals, or the business strategy,
now's the time to ask.
Ask yourself the question of, what am I really good at?
What do I have to offer?
When you're figuring out your strengths,
sometimes it can be helpful to go through categories.
So I have a few categories of strengths here.
First is experience.
Basically, do you have a lot of time
working in a certain industry, a lot of experience
working in a certain task or with a certain skill?
Do you have a particular niche of customers or technology
that you've worked with in the past.
Second is soft skills.
So these are skills that basically
impact how we do our work.
Are you great at managing people?
Are you great at leadership skills?
Are you a strong negotiator?
Are you really organized, a great time manager?
Then there's hard skills.
These are more task-oriented.
So do you have a language fluency?
Are you a great computer programmer?
Are you a copywriter?
Anything that actually enables you to do a particular task,
that's a hard skill.
And then finally is education and training.
Do you have an educational background
or degrees that really prepare you
for success or expertise in this field?
This can be everything like I said from college degrees
to special certifications or even relevant internships
from back when you were in school.
If you're feeling stuck, try expanding
beyond your own perspective.
Check out old performance reviews or feedback
from your peers praising your work.
If there's any repeating themes there,
consider that as a possible strength.
At the end of the day, you want to show your interviewer
that you are perfect for this job
and why you believe that you're a good fit.
Now, you may not be perfect and you might not
be the best fit for the job out of everybody else applying,
but it's OK.
Employers are looking for candidates
who take initiative, pay attention to the details,
and of course, who are extremely eager to contribute
as quickly as possible.
Explain your history by starting with your present role.
Where are you now?
And this can include your current title, company,
and primary contributions.
Then explain your past.
How did you get here?
And where did your interest in this field come from?
Finally, touch on your future.
What future goals or ambitions do you bring to the role today?
When talking about your past and present,
focus on explaining your key accomplishments,
not your daily duties.
The goal is to seem like someone who is actively
contributing to a company, not just following directions.
And numbers or metrics are always
helpful to make your impact concrete.
Finally, tailor this pitch for every interview.
Make sure that you're referencing
your specific research about the company or a role
when discussing your interest.
The important thing isn't just to say, I have so much success
and a great track record of being successful, it's really
to hone in on here's how I can help
you solve your business needs.
So the trick really is to get into that job description,
figure out what issue is the employer solving
by hiring someone for this role, and look
at where your past experience and qualifications can overlap
and solve that problem for them.
You could say something like, from what I understand,
this job really demands someone who is strong business acumen
and great attention to detail.
I have a track record of success and the natural traits
to do both of those tasks very well.
Even if your experiences don't seem related, remember,
you got to where you are because you learn
valuable skills along the way.
Making connections for your interviewer will help
underscore why you're suited for the role.
Thank you so much for watching.
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hit the like button down below and subscribe
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For more tips, you can check out this playlist right here,
or check out this video for eight resume mistakes to avoid.
Thanks so much for joining us.
We'll see you next time.