What to ask the interviewer / Or what not to ask
What does a typical day look like?
They should tell you things like:
* Hours of work
* what you will be doing
* What type of paperwork
* So day to day operations
Why do you want to work for us?
Employers could interview dozens of candidates for one open position, and they want to make sure the person they hire is interested in working for them. To answer this question, learn more about the business before your interview. Learn about the industry, customer base, size and history. Pick a few factors that interest you and explain why those factors make you want to work there.
Tell me about yourself
1. Start by describing your background with a summary of your most impressive responsibilities
2. Next, briefly summarize your previous experience with key achievements
3. Lastly, express how you found the new job and why it's a good fit for you and your goals
What are your greatest strengths?
Share one to a few positive qualities and personal attributes
Back them up with examples
Relate them back to the role for which you’re interviewing
What is your religion?
This question does not have anything to do with them hiring you or not.
Not a question they should ask
If I get this job can I change my work hours?
This show you are not working together as a team. This shows you want to run the show. Not good
Tell me about a problem you had recently and how you solved it.
Problem-solving is a big part of any job. Employers want team members who can solve problems on their own without having to ask for help every time they encounter an issue. If you can demonstrate your ability to assess and solve a problem, it can make you a stronger candidate. Think about a problem you may have had either in school or with someone else or at a previous job, then go into the strategies you used to solve it.
What makes you unique?
Assets the employers finds valuable
Ways you've been successful in previous roles
Traits or skills you've been praised for
What are your greatest weaknesses?
Select an actual weakness (not a strength) that is honest but professionally relevant
Add context: Tell a little story
Provide a specific example
Explain how you overcame or are working to overcome it
What is your salary range expectation?
Interviewers ask this question to make sure your expectations are in line with the amount they’ve budgeted for the role. If you give a salary range exceedingly lower or higher than the market value of the position, it gives the impression that you don’t know your worth. Here are three ways to approach this response:
Provide a range
How much does this job pay?
This could be worded better because you don't want the employer to think that this is the only reason you want this job.
How could this be worded differently? and when should this question be asked?
What are you learning in school that will help you with this position?
As a teenager, the biggest thing on your resume right now is likely your experiences in high school. An employer may ask you to name some specific things you are learning in school that can translate over to the job since you don't have relative work experience yet. Think about what skills you need for the position and how you're learning these things in school.
How would you describe yourself?
With this question, your interviewer wants to learn how your qualities and characteristics align with the skills they believe are required to succeed in the role. To answer this question, pick one to a few personal characteristics and elaborate on them with examples.
Can you tell me about a difficult work situation and how you overcame it?
This question is often used to assess how well you perform under pressure as well as your problem-solving abilities. Keep in mind stories are more memorable than facts and figures, so strive to “show” instead of “tell.” This is also an excellent opportunity to show your human side and how when faced with adversity you are able to persevere.
For this question, consider sticking to the STAR method:
Result or learning
Do you prefer working alone or in a group?
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages
Explain your preference
Use past experiences to support your preference
Refer to the job description in your answer
Discuss your flexibility with both work environments
How did you come to this company?
Do you enjoy about working with....?
Show your personal side of yourself.
This will show your interest in the person interviewing you and show that you care about their movement within the company.
What are some of your biggest accomplishments?
Employers like to see that you have strived for something and achieved it. This shows your desire to improve yourself. You may not have many achievements yet, so you may need to be creative. If you don't have any awards or honors just yet, find a way to highlight smaller accomplishments. Use the STAR method to give a compelling answer.
What motivates you?
Consider asking yourself these questions to prepare your answer:
What prompted you to apply for the role when you read the job description?
What did you like least about your last position?
This question can tell employers about types of work you enjoy, your experience level with certain workplace scenarios and whether or not you would be a good culture add. Avoid saying anything negative about your former employer, managers or colleagues. Don’t mention any aspects of your last role that you’re aware would be part of this role. Make your answer about your career growth and enthusiasm for joining their organization.
What is your management style?
Why employers ask what your management style is
Employers often question a supervisor's management style because they want to gain an idea of how they lead their team to see if it fits the current needs of their employees. Many departments and their employees can vary depending on the tasks they complete, how quickly they are completed and how well they respond to different types of leadership.
This question is very important for employers as it helps them grasp how well you may interact with employees in their department. Follow the steps below to learn how to answer the question, "What is your management style?" during your interview.
Why are you looking for a job?
Employers use this question to learn more about your motivations. Think about your reasons for wanting employment while you are still in school, then explain why these motivations can make you a good employee.
What makes you the best candidate for this job?
The job market is competitive, so employers want to know why they should hire you over someone else. Use this question to sell yourself and highlight your best qualities. As a teenager, you likely don't have a lot of work experience yet, so you may need to rely on your characteristics and high school achievements.
What are you passionate about?
Select something you are genuinely passionate about and explain why you’re passionate about it
Provide examples of how you’ve pursued this passion
Relate it back to the job
How do you work under pressure?
Many jobs involve moments when, for varied reasons, there are unexpected situations that require swift action. The ability to stay calm, think logically and act correctly in such a scenario is a major asset.
This is another good instance of when to use the STAR method to talk about a specific time you were faced with a challenge, might have succumbed to stress but managed to calmly find a solution.
This question provides you the opportunity to share a relevant, impressive accomplishment that demonstrates the value you will bring to your potential employer. In this article, we discuss reasons why interviewers ask this question and how to answer it with examples.
Interviewers ask this question to gain insight about your proven work and what achievements you view as most valuable and important. When interviewers ask about your greatest accomplishment, they are interested in learning about three main things:
Your work ethic: Interviewers are interested in what you view as an “accomplishment” and the proven work you completed to achieve it.
Your core values: Interviewers are interested in which accomplishment you select as your “greatest” and why.
Examples of your work: Interviewers want to learn about specific examples of your work. These examples give them an idea of projects you have completed and what they can expect from you.