Top Three Interview Questions To Prepare For

Bracing Yourself for the Tough Questions!
--- written by Leigh SN Huang

Sometimes, no matter how much you have prepared yourself for the interviews, you might just hit the curb and receive sudden hurls of really tough questions from the interviewers. Such situations are entirely unpredictable. You could never know what kind of ball (straight, curved or spinning?) the interviewer is going to throw at you.

So, what do you do? Sit there, stare at him and start to feel the cold sweat down your spine? Or rather, you could briefly and politely handle those questions that might take you off the course, then very smoothly glide it back into the earlier conversation, be it company's benefits or your experiences and abilities. The ball is in your court - take control and steer the conversation back to familiar grounds. Do not evade the question completely or it may give the interviewer the wrong impression about you.

On one hand, there are questions that you could never prepare for. On the other hand, there are some standard questions that are rather predictable. Make sure that you know them at the back of your hands so that you could just rattle off from your lips smoothly and professionally. Here are a few Q&A samples for you to take special note of because interviewers simply LOVE asking them.

What is your reason for looking for a new job?

This is a guaranteed number one question in the interviewer's mind. Boring as it may be, you would have to answer it nevertheless. The interviewer is just doing the routine checks, to make sure there are no issues like you being asked to leave the present job due to certain reasons, which may not be appreciated by the interviewer as well. Keep your answer very short and sharp - say something like, "the career advancement possibilities are limited so I would like to seek something better elsewhere". Give a diplomatic but honest answer.

What sort of job qualities are you looking for?

This is not easy but then again, it is not very difficult either. The interviewer is going to put a big red cross against your name if they find that you actually do not know what you are looking for. Think of a good answer to this question well in advance. You should be feeling "hungry" for the job and show it with persuasive words.

Do you have any questions that you would like to ask me?

The interviewer is giving you a chance to ask questions, so grab this opportunity. Make sure that you have already prepared at least three questions in mind and integrate those into the conversation. Ask sensible and intellectual questions pertaining to the job. Questions such as, "What are the most important issues that is requiring attention now in the department / company?" will project you as a proactive character, who thinks ahead for the department / company's future development.

Remember that you will definitely encounter tough questions during your interviews. Be familiar and thoroughly prepared for the "expected" questions and half of the battle is won. It is crucial to have the right attitude and be confident. Experienced interviewers usually sense your air of self-confidence; so brave the storm and hurdle through the tough questions.