Job Interview Questions and Answers

Tag: about

  • What do you know about our company?

    While it may be surprising to learn, many applicants never take the time to find out what they can about a company they are interviewing with. This is becoming a standard interview question which you should fully expect to receive, so it makes sense that you really should make an attempt to find out as much as you can about the company prior to the interview. There are several important reasons for this.

    One reason that the employer may ask this question is to find out whether you are willing to take initiative to do things on your own. This can be quite important to many employers who do not want to feel as though they need to babysit or hand hold a new employee. If they feel that you have the initiative to do things on your own they may feel that you are better suited for the job than someone who is not willing to put forth the effort to do research on their own prior to the interview.

    In addition, the employer may also want to ensure that you have educated yourself about the company and feel you will be a good fit. If you have not taken the time to find out some basic information about the company it can be hard to know whether you will be a suitable match.

    There are many ways that you can find out information about a company prior to an interview. Begin by researching the business online and review their website, including the About Us section that most sites have. You should also research other information about the company online, if it is available, in blogs, social networking sites and discussion boards. If you know anyone who works for or who has worked for the company in the past you might also make a point of meeting with them prior to the interview. This will give you an insider’s view of the company and the ability to obtain information that you might not be able to access anywhere else.

    Before the interview, compile all of the information you have uncovered and be sure to review it carefully. This will help you to make an excellent impression when the time for the interview arrives.

  • What entices you most about the possibility of this job?

    When you are asked why you are interested in the position for which you are interviewing, the best way to answer is to refer back to the qualifications requested in the job posting and then show how those qualifications are related to your own experience and skills. This will allow the employer to clearly see that you understand the job, which is not something that can be said about all applicants. In addition, it also demonstrates that you have the required qualifications for the job.

    For example, suppose that you are applying of a job in human resources where you would be the manager and be responsible for recruiting as well as training and orientation. In that case, you would want to make certain that you discuss your responsibilities in prior positions that relate to those duties and why you would like to continue developing your experience in the field of human resources.

    Along the same lines, if you were interviewing for a position as a programmer, you would want to be sure that you discuss your interest in learning more about new technologies as well as your experience related to programming and how much you enjoy problem solving.

    Regardless of the type of position the job entails it is critical to make sure you demonstrate your enthusiasm for the opportunity along with your ability to perform the job. This will be very important as the employer will not only want to be assured that you have the skills and abilities to perform the job well but also that you have an interest in the job as well. This is because smart employers know that employees who have a genuine interest in the work they perform tend to perform their jobs better and are more productive. They also tend to remain with their jobs longer than employees who have no real interest in the work they are performing. Therefore, it is quite important that you not only relay your experience and skills when discussing what interests you about the job but also your enthusiasm for that type of work as well. Finally, make sure that you stick to how you can benefit the company and avoid any mention of being interested in the job because of the perks, benefits, salary, etc. This can be a distraction that could cost you the job.