Recruiting Assistant

1. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? top question

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   What challenges do you like overcoming? Where are you starting from and where might you be going?

   For example, let's say the position you are applying for is junior accountant. It includes a wide range of tasks such as basic bookkeeping, financial analysis, and reporting. If accounting is your chosen field, then you would most likely want to move in the direction of obtaining your CPA so that you might step up to more responsibility as an accounting manager or senior auditor within the next 5 years. Your responses should make sense in how you see yourself growing in your professional career.

   However, at this point, if you are happy just where you are and want to further your current skills, that is also fine as long as there is a growth path for you that can be imagined and described.

2. About The Company

   Research the company to learn what career opportunities may be available in the department you are applying to, and what the trends are in the company in general.

   • Is the business expanding, are they opening new locations, or starting new projects?
   • Or are they heavily automating and cutting staff?

   Let’s say you are applying for a UX designer position for a brand-new product.

   In the future, if the product becomes a success - which is what the company hopes for - the company will hire more designers and you may become a lead designer, or you may become a product manager.

   On a side note: If you train your mind to be open to opportunities you will be amazed at how much this world has to offer to you!

3. About The Fit

   And, of course, try to see where the perfect fit lies between your own potential and aspirations, and the company’s trends and hopes.

   However, beware of the risk of showing too much excitement for future opportunities compared to your attitude towards the current position.

   As we said earlier, you must show interest and enthusiasm for the position you are applying for. If the interviewer senses that you are more enthusiastic about future growth than about the current position, they may conclude that you are not the right person for the job at hand.

Pro Tip

2. What experience do you have in this field?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   Start with defining your Key Selling Points you want to emphasize for this position.

   • What job experiences brought you to those points?
   • What were the job titles and the most relevant responsibilities?

2. About The Company

   Do your research of the company and the requirements for the position.

   • What is the company looking for in terms of experiences and qualifications?
   • What problems are they trying to solve with this position?

   Most importantly, make sure you are able to highlight and speak about at least 3-5 of your key experiences that match up with the requirements listed in the job description.

3. About The Fit

   Using the Present-Past-Present method is a perfect way to answer this question.

   Starting with the Present, speak about your experience as it relates to one of the key requirements in the job description. You might say "I noted that the job description requires experience in employee training and this is an area in which I have a great deal of knowledge and skill."

   Then go back to the Past to describe how you improved overall training of staff from 82% to over 97% within your first year on the job. Senior leadership took note of this accomplishment for which you received a company commendation.

   Finally, come back to the Present to describe how you will help ensure that the company maintains the highest possible compliance with all employee training requirements.

   Nowadays, every hiring manager wants results, so think in terms of specific achievements and try to structure your example accordingly.

Pro Tip

3. Why did you leave your last job?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   There are a number of reasons why people leave or plan to leave their jobs. One very important recent factor has been the impact on jobs and job security due to Covid-19 and all of the issues raised by remote vs. on-site work.

   Regardless of the causes, there are three possible reasons that you left your last job or are planning to leave your current job:

   • You are looking for a career change
   • You are unhappy with your current employment
   • You were let go.

   Whatever the reason, it's best to always speak in a positive light.

2. About The Company

   Based on your research about the company and the position you are interviewing for, what do you like most about the company? What excites you about the work as it is outlined in the job description?

3. About The Fit

   Let's take a closer look at how you might respond to each of the three reasons for leaving your last job.

   1. You were let go

   You should simply state the facts (e.g. the company was downsizing, your position was eliminated, your department was offshored, etc.). Focus on the positive. You might want to share your accomplishments at your previous employment by relating a pertinent STAR story if you feel that would be relevant.

   2. You are looking for career advancement or a career change

   In your response you should be upfront, honest and as enthusiastic as you can be about the position. Consider using the Present-Past-Present method when giving this answer. Start with the Present by describing a career goal that is important to you. For instance you are a data analyst applying for a data management position and you are ready for this move. Then go back to the Past to indicate that at your previous job, there were little or no promotional opportunities in your field. Then come back to the Present and say that you are ready to take on the manager role and know that you will do an outstanding job for the company.

   3. You are unhappy with your current employment

   Sometimes a job just isn't going to take you to the next step in your career.

   Keep two things in mind when answering this question, 1) never "bad mouth" your current employer and 2) focus on the postive when speaking about the job and your reason for wanting to leave.

   The following is an example of how this question might be answered. This individual was looking to move up to a project manager position and did not feel that her current employer was the right place to achieve her goal. You might find her answer helpful in crafting your own response.

   "I really like my job as assistant project manager and love working with all of my coworkers on the team. However, the way the department is set up there is no real path to promotion. There are currently 3 project managers and they are all relatively new in their jobs. As far as I can see, they are all doing a good job and opportunties for promotion may not be opening up in the foreseeable future."

   Her comments were positive and her reasoning was clear and consise. Always try to keep your reasons positive and try not to create an impression that you were unhappy with the way you were treated.

Pro Tip

4. What is your greatest weakness?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   No one is perfect and your interviewer doesn't expect you to be perfect either.

   While it is good to be honest and open, it will not help you to put yourself down.

   What's important is to find a weakness that you have overcome. How you turned what might be considered a negative into a positive.

2. About The Company

   Research the company (website, social media, etc) to learn about the company culture.

   What personal and professional qualities do they value?

3. About The Fit

   This is the time to clearly state a true weakness that you have overcome.

   Be as specific as possible and stay away from vague cliches like “I work too hard.” It would be difficult for anyone to try and explain how they overcame a weakness like that

   Mr. Simon emphasizes the Present-Past-Present method of responding to behavioral questions. When you are asked about your greatest weakness, you should be able to successfully use this approach as well. Here is an example of how someone might answer this question.

   Present - "I have always had a fear of public speaking, and believe this may have held me back in my career, especially when having to make presentations to management."

   Past - "Last year I learned about Toastmasters International and decided to join this group to help me gain confidence in myself and improve my ability to present to others in just about any situation."

   Present - "By overcoming this weakness I believe that it has made me a much stronger candidate for this position, someone you can count on to make presentations to management, conduct training and communicate at a high level."

   It's important to show how well you've overcome a weakness by motivating yourself and learning a new skill to grow professionally.

Pro Tip

5. Tell me about yourself

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   What is your current occupation? Define yourself professionally in one statement.

   Pick 3 key skills that make you great at your work (your Key Selling Points). How have you applied these skills?

   Try to give some numbers to support your statement.

2. About The Company

   Your first step is to Research the company to find out as much as you can about what they do and their approach to their business and their employees.

   Based on what you know about the company and the job description, why are you interested in the position you are applying for?

3. About The Fit

   Now is the right time to show the fit between your skills and the company's requirements. Your answer works best if you emphasize your relevance. How do you do this? You will have already researched the company, studied the job description to identify their needs and possible pain points and prepared the relevant Star Stories that show how you addressed similar issues in the past. Your next step is to develop your Present-Past-Present approach.

   Start with the Present. Focus on the skills and experience from your most recent positions. What has enabled you to get the job done successfully and how this relates to what the employer is looking to accomplish.

   Next go back to the Past. Here is where your Star story comes in. Explain how you were able to use your skills and experience to accomplish a task that relates to an area of concern for the employer.

   Finally come back to the Present – summarizing the lessons you learned and how they shaped your response and approach today.

   Remember, the whole conversation is about the present, not the past. Just one sentence can summarize why your approach works, and its applicability and relevance to this position.

Pro Tip

6. Why and how did you choose your career?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   • What characteristics and skills do you have?
   • What makes you good at what you do?
   • What attracted you to your career path?
   • What strengths do you possess that make you the best candidate for the job?

2. About The Company

   Do your research and learn as much as possible about the organization and the career path you might forge there.

   Match up any of your skills and experiences that relate to the requirements of the job. How can you apply them to your new position, as well as the future?

3. About The Fit

   Don’t just explain how you originally found this career.

   Show you’re still glad to be doing it, that will put the hiring manager’s mind at ease that you’re motivated to do the work, and that you’ll be a big success if they hire you.

   Your answers should provide the basis for a discussion about your passion for the work you do, your qualifications, and your skill set.

   Make a list of factors that led you to this choice.

   At the interview, tell only about those that characterize you and the situation in a positive light.

   It may have been a successful internship with a similar function, which confirmed your desire to work in this field.

   It could be a successful example of your parents, relatives or friends, which is indicative to you. You might have been motivated by your own academic success in this field which led you to enter it.

Pro Tip

7. What's your ideal workplace?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   To help you better picture what your ideal workplace should look like, ask yourself the following questions:

   • What do I need to be happy at my workplace?
   • What would be the physical environment I would most enjoy working in?
   • What am I passionate about? What motivates me?
   • What impact does my work have on the world?
   • Does my work support me enough (including income, vacation, health plan)?
   • Can I build strong, friendly, and quality relationships with my colleagues?
   • What opportunities does my work give me personally and professionally?

   Name a few key points that describe the working environment which are most important to you. You can come up with your own, or choose the top 3-4 from the list below:

   • working in a team or independently
   • stability
   • caring
   • learning new things
   • agility
   • creative atmosphere or competitive atmosphere
   • friendly
   • flat structure
   • hierarchical structure
   • modern
   • conservative
   • clear directions
   • initiative is encouraged.

   Similarly, list the qualities in the workplace that you find highly frustrating.

   These may be either things you find totally unacceptable (e.g. abuse of power by management, harassment etc.) and would walk away from, or things that you consider destructive but you can turn them around (e.g. “I think demotivated employees are bad for the workplace, but as a manager, one of my key skills is to promote engagement and encourage employees”).

2. About The Company

   Do your research about the company.

   Study available information about the company’s culture and its mission.

   • How does the company value its employees and how do the employees value one another?
   • What relations do they have with their customers and suppliers?
   • There may be certain pain points in the company; do you think you can tolerate them, or maybe even help turn them around?

3. About The Fit

   If 3-4 (or even more) key points from your working environment list correspond with the company’s culture, there is most likely a good cultural fit.

   If you are able to, explain to the interviewer how your skills can help alleviate some cultural pain points that may exist in the company. Give an example.

Pro Tip

8. What were your responsibilities in your last job?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   Remember your last (or current) job and compile a list of things you had to do while working there.

   If you don’t know where to start, picture your typical working day at one of your previous jobs, or college day if you are applying for your first job ever.

   Describe the categories of tasks in bullet points. Then, try to remember the less ordinary tasks you had to do as well, and add them to the list.

2. About The Company

   Research the company and the job description.

   • What do you expect to be doing in this job?
   • How would your performance be measured?

   List a few items in bullet points.

3. About The Fit

   Choose a few task categories that seem like a match between your experience and the requirements of the current position. Think of a couple of relevant examples to illustrate your experience.

   Craft your stories using the STAR method.

Pro Tip

9. What have you learned from mistakes on the job?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   Do your best to tell a positive story about how the mistake was made, how you dealt with it and what you learned from it.

   We all make mistakes from time-to-time.

   Answering some of the following questions will help you understand your own view of dealing with mistakes and their consequences.

   For instance:

   • How do you use a mistake to improve your abilities?
   • Are you self-aware enough to acknowledge failure and weakness?
   • Do you take smart risks?
   • How do you view success, failure, and risk in general?
   • Do you take responsibility for past mistakes instead of putting the blame on others?
   • If the situation repeats, what would you do differently? What would you do again?

2. About The Company

   Before the interview, look over the job listing, research the company. Try to think of a mistake you have made in the past that is not too closely related to the requirements of the job you are interviewing for.

   What kind of challenges might you face if you get the job here?

3. About The Fit

   It’s your opportunity to emphasize the skills or qualities you gained from your past negative experience that are important for the job you’re interviewing for now.

   Put a positive spin on your response by defining the “mistake” as a “learning experience” that led to your increased competency in the workplace.

   Talk about a specific example of a time you made a mistake.

   Briefly explain what the mistake was; quickly switch over to what you learned, or how you improved after making that mistake.

   You might also explain the steps you took to make sure that the mistake never happened again. Say that something you may have struggled with in the past has actually now become one of your strengths.

   Pick a story that ends with a compelling example of a lesson learned. Tell your story using the STAR method.

Pro Tip

10. What did you like or dislike about your last job?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   Reflect on yourself; stick to the facts and don’t go into emotions.

   List the things you were responsible for in your last job.

   • Which of them did you like most? Why?
   • What were the responsibilities you liked less? Why?
   • Was there anything you consider completely unacceptable?

   If you feel that your answer will not be complete without a nod toward the negative aspects, then keep it focused on tasks, situations, or company structure, and not on people. The overall tone must be positive and friendly.

2. About The Company

   • What does your research tell you about the company you are applying to?
   • Will there be situations like those in your former job you don't want to get into again?
   • What are the requirements for the position?
   • What challenges will you face there?
   • What responsibilities will you be tasked with?

3. About The Fit

   Which of the responsibilities you liked will also be part of your future responsibilities in your new role? Don’t forget to show your excitement while telling about these.

   If there were responsibilities you disliked that are not part of the job description, don’t bring them up.

   By asking about your feelings toward a previous job the interviewers often aren’t that interested in the list of actual likes or dislikes you can provide. Rather, they’re trying to judge your character by listening to the tone and **attitude **with which you respond to a tricky question.

   However, details of your likes and dislikes can also reveal whether you'll be a good fit culturally at the company at hand. Showing excitement about responsibilities that will most likely be included in the role you are applying for can help strengthen your position as a fit.

   Mentioning that you are ready for more challenges and opportunities, that the position you are applying for is a great match for your skillset and that you feel you would be an asset to the company or department is often a safe way to show your excitement.

Pro Tip