Mock Job Interview Questions and Tips for a Successful Interview

Summary

This video script offers insights into common interview questions and the employer's intent behind them. It features a mock interview with an HR professional and a job seeker, discussing questions on appearance, background, strengths, weaknesses, and interest in the company. The script advises job seekers to prepare a concise elevator speech, be honest about weaknesses with a plan to address them, and show enthusiasm for the company. It also suggests preparing thoughtful questions to ask the employer.

Takeaways

• 😀 First impressions are crucial; candidates should be punctual and professionally groomed.
• 🗣️ When asked about oneself, provide a concise 'elevator speech' highlighting background, value to the company, and potential for success.
• 💡 Prepare multiple answers for 'strengths' questions, focusing on education, experience, skills, and personal traits.
• 🔍 Employers inquire about weaknesses to assess self-awareness and plans for improvement.
• 🌟 Show enthusiasm and a genuine interest in the company's mission and opportunities when asked why you want to work there.
• 🙌 Use the question 'Why should we hire you?' as an opportunity to sell your accomplishments and suitability for the role.
• 🔮 Be ready to discuss your future goals and how they align with the company's growth and opportunities.
• 🎣 Sharing hobbies can demonstrate you are well-rounded and can contribute positively to the company culture.
• 📚 Express willingness to pursue additional credentials if it aligns with personal growth and company needs.
• 🤔 Prepare open-ended questions for the employer that show you've done your research and are interested in the role and company.
• ⏰ Always be punctual or arrive slightly early, and maintain a professional demeanor throughout the interview.

Q & A

What is the importance of first impressions in an interview?

First impressions are crucial in an interview as they can set the tone for the rest of the interaction. A professional appearance and punctuality are essential as they reflect the candidate's seriousness and respect for the opportunity.

What should a candidate include in their 'elevator speech' when asked to tell a little about themselves?

A candidate should include three key points in their 'elevator speech': a brief background about themselves, how they can help the company, and why they will be successful in the role. Personal items should be avoided.

Why do employers ask about a candidate's greatest strengths?

Employers ask about a candidate's greatest strengths to understand what qualities and skills the candidate brings to the table. It is beneficial for candidates to have multiple strengths prepared, ranging from education and experience to special skills and personal traits.

How should a candidate address their greatest weakness in an interview?

A candidate should acknowledge their greatest weakness honestly and provide a plan for how they address it. This shows self-awareness and a proactive approach to personal development. Claiming to have no weaknesses or failing to present a plan to address them is not advisable.

What do employers look for when they ask why a candidate is interested in working for their company?

Employers look for enthusiasm and passion for the specific role and company. They want to see that the candidate has done their research and is genuinely interested in contributing to the company's goals and culture.

Why is the question 'Why should we hire you?' considered an open-ended opportunity?

The question 'Why should we hire you?' is an open-ended opportunity for the candidate to highlight their achievements, skills, and qualifications comprehensively. It allows the candidate to present themselves as the ideal fit for the position by showcasing their strengths and suitability.

What should a candidate's response be when asked where they see themselves in five years?

A candidate should express a desire to continue working with the company, contributing to its goals, and growing within the organization. This shows commitment and a long-term interest in the company.

Why do employers inquire about a candidate's hobbies?

Employers ask about hobbies to understand if the candidate is well-rounded. They believe that individuals with diverse interests can contribute positively to the workplace and bring a balanced perspective.

What is the significance of asking if a candidate would pursue an extra certificate or credential?

This question assesses the candidate's flexibility, willingness to invest extra time, and interest in personal growth. Employers seek candidates who are open to continuous learning and professional development.

What are appropriate questions for a candidate to ask at the end of an interview?

Appropriate questions include inquiries about the company's future projections, job responsibilities, and short-term and long-term priorities. Candidates should avoid asking about personal benefits like vacation time in the initial stages.

What general advice is given for preparing for an interview?

Candidates are advised to prepare thoroughly, anticipate a wide range of questions, maintain professional grooming, and ensure punctuality. Being well-prepared and well-presented can significantly impact the interview's outcome.

Outlines

00:00

📝 Interview Questions and Responses

The paragraph discusses common interview questions and how to answer them effectively. It features a mock interview with Noel Lee, a college student, and Rich Mercer, an HR professional. The focus is on first impressions, with an emphasis on being clean, neat, and professionally groomed. The mock interview covers questions about personal introduction, strengths, weaknesses, interest in the company, and reasons for hiring the candidate. The analysis highlights the importance of honesty, self-awareness, and a plan to address weaknesses. It also stresses the value of enthusiasm and passion for the job and the company.

05:01

🔮 Future Goals and Personal Interests

This paragraph explores questions about future career goals and personal hobbies during an interview. It examines the candidate's long-term commitment to the company and their flexibility for additional professional development. The employer seeks well-rounded individuals who can contribute positively to the company culture. The paragraph also touches on the importance of candidates preparing for interviews by researching the company and being ready to answer a wide range of questions. It concludes with advice on interview preparation, including being punctual and professionally groomed.

Keywords

💡Interview

An interview is a formal meeting in which one person assesses the qualifications of another, typically to determine their suitability for employment. In the context of the video, the interview is the central theme where Noel Lee, a college student, is being evaluated for a potential job. The script provides insights into common interview questions and how to answer them effectively.

💡First Impressions

First impressions refer to the initial perceptions formed when meeting someone for the first time. The video emphasizes the importance of making a good first impression, such as dressing appropriately and being on time, as Noel Lee did when she walked into the office for her interview.

💡Professional Appearance

Professional appearance describes how one looks and presents themselves in a professional setting. The script mentions that Noel was dressed appropriately for the interview, which is crucial for making a positive first impression and demonstrating respect for the opportunity.

💡Elevator Speech

An elevator speech is a brief, persuasive speech that one can deliver in a short time, often used to introduce oneself and their value proposition in a business setting. The video suggests that a good answer to 'tell us a little about yourself' should be a one-minute elevator speech, highlighting one's background, how they can help the company, and why they will be successful.

💡Strengths

Strengths are positive attributes or skills that a person possesses. The script discusses the importance of being prepared to discuss one's greatest strengths during an interview, such as Noel's flexibility and ability to work in challenging situations.

💡Weaknesses

Weaknesses are areas where a person may lack skill or knowledge. The video script touches on the question 'what is your greatest weakness?' and explains that employers are looking for honesty and self-awareness, as well as a plan to address those weaknesses.

💡Interest in the Company

Showing interest in the company demonstrates enthusiasm and a genuine desire to work there. In the script, Noel expresses her interest in the company's innovative educational opportunities, which aligns with the employer's desire to attract passionate candidates.

💡Adaptability

Adaptability is the ability to adjust to new conditions or challenges. Noel mentions her adaptability as a strength, which is a valuable trait for an employer seeking candidates who can handle various situations and grow with the company.

💡Hobbies

Hobbies are activities done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure. The video script includes a question about hobbies, indicating that employers value well-rounded individuals who have interests outside of work, contributing to a balanced and engaged workforce.

💡Questions for the Interviewer

Asking questions of the interviewer shows that the candidate has done their research and is interested in the role and the company. The script suggests that candidates should prepare thoughtful questions, such as about job responsibilities or company goals, rather than focusing on personal benefits like vacation time.

💡Personal Growth

Personal growth refers to self-improvement and development. The video script mentions the question of pursuing additional credentials, which is a way for employers to gauge a candidate's commitment to personal growth and professional development.

Highlights

Importance of first impressions in an interview

Being on time and dressed appropriately for an interview

How to answer 'Tell us a little about yourself'

The structure of an effective elevator speech

Avoid discussing personal life unrelated to the job

How to address personal strengths in an interview

Preparing multiple answers for common questions

Discussing personal weaknesses and improvement plans

The significance of honesty when discussing weaknesses

Why employers ask about job interest

Showing enthusiasm and passion for the job

How to sell yourself when asked 'Why should we hire you?'

The opportunity to showcase accomplishments in an open-ended question

Additional interview questions available online

Discussing future career goals in an interview

Employers' interest in long-term commitment

The value of hobbies in demonstrating a well-rounded candidate

Employers' interest in personal growth and flexibility

How to handle questions about additional credentials or training

The importance of being prepared with personal success stories

Appropriate questions to ask the employer

Avoiding questions that show a lack of preparation or interest

The necessity of doing research before an interview

General advice on interview preparation

Transcripts

well now we'd like to give you some

insight into the types of questions that

you're likely to hear in an interview

and what employers are really trying to

find out about you through their

questions here are five commonly asked

questions and how to answer

them well Noel thank you for coming in

today we certainly appreciate it did you

find us okay yes sir thank you for

having me we brought in Rich Mercer an

HR professional with 25 years of

experience and Noel Lee a college

student looking for her first job at a

teacher first impressions are important

what did you think when she walked in

the office about maybe her professional

appearance was she dressed appropriately

for an interview she was dressed very

appropriate for the for an interview and

she was on time you want to be clean and

neat and professionally groomed here's a

mock interview between them with some

questions you're likely to hear in an

interview plus analysis of what

employers are really trying to find out

about you through their questions well

if you could tell us a little bit about

yourself that would be great okay well

my name is sow Al Lee and I am a senior

at Radford University and I'm um hoping

to become a faculty member for you what

are you as an employer looking to find

out in that question well we want to

find out what makes her special why

should we hire her and the perfect

answer for this is a one minute what we

call elevator speech where there's three

points to an elevator speech it's a

little bit about her background what she

does Point number two is how she can

help the company and point number three

is why she will be successful okay don't

talk about personal items at all because

you may be a terrific mom or dad but the

company isn't going aren't isn't very

interested in hearing about that they're

interested in hearing about how you can

help them solve their problems and

opportunities what are your greatest

strengths I'd say my greatest strengths

would be my flexibility to work in

situations and um areas that

I might um find out of my comfort zone

should you have more than one answer

prepared for that absolutely it would be

great to have six or seven prepared and

they can be anywhere from education to

experience to um special skills personal

traits such as dependability a loyal um

great attendance it can be a wide range

of things what is your greatest weakness

I have a hard time saying no um however

I do um

when things come my way I try to

prioritize with the most important to

the least important while still keeping

in mind um you know what's best what's

going to be best for my kids that I'm

going to be teaching in the classroom

you asked about her weaknesses why do

you ask that question what are you

trying to find out well we're looking

for people to make sure that they're

honest with themselves and us we're all

human we all have uh weaknesses we want

to make sure that they've identified

they know what they are and and they

have a plan in place to address it

that's what we're looking for it's okay

to have weaknesses we're all human what

we don't want people to say is GE I

don't have any weaknesses cuz we know

that's not true or yeah I have a

weakness and then not have a plan in

place to address it that that's not

appropriate why are you interested in

working here I've heard a lot of uh good

things about the company uh about the uh

school that um interests me I think that

you all are being very very Innovative

in your educational um opportunities

that you're given to your students and I

want to be a part of that we're looking

for an individual who has enthusiasm and

passion for want to work here well we

don't want people to just come in and

and looking for a job anywhere we're we

want people that have the interest

because we have opportunities and

problems to solve we want people to come

in with energy a high energy level and a

high passion to come in and help us

address them why should we hire you

I think you should hire me because I am

um very adaptable to situations um that

are given to me I uh am very responsible

I have a great work ethic if you know I

need to be somewhere in an hour give me

a call and I'll be there the next

question was pretty open-ended you asked

her why we should hire you that sounds

to me like an opportunity to sell

herself oh it's a terrific opportunity

it's an opportunity for her to bring to

the table everything about her that's

good about her her ACC complishments her

skills her education anything she wants

it's an open opportunity to say why

she's the one and people should take

full advantage of that now those were

just five commonly asked interview

questions but we actually have five more

questions that you can see online to

watch more of this interview go to bluid

PBS.org and you can see the complete

mock

interview uh let's see where do you see

yourself five years from now um I see

myself uh hopefully still working with

you all we're interested in people

coming in stepping up and fixing our

opportunities we don't want to come in

train someone and have them go off to

another employer some you know in a year

or two we've invested with people we

invested time and training in people and

we want them we want to have them stay

with us for some period of

time what are some of your hobbies I

love being outdoors fishing

four-wheeling anything um I love uh

going to uh community events why does it

an employer care what she does in her

own time well we want people that are

well-rounded we don't want people that

are focused solely on the job we believe

that a well-rounded person can make a

very good contribution to the company

people that are singularly focused we

find don't necessarily make as good a

contribution would you be willing to

pursue an extra certificate or

credential

um I believe so right now I just want to

focus on um getting um a good foundation

um later on depending on funding whether

or not I'd be able to pursue that what

are you trying to find out in that

question well we're two things we're

looking to see how flexible she can be

and also will she put in extra time if

needed we're interested in people with

personal that have personal growth on

their mind but also we have we have

again opportunities and we're looking

for someone that can grow with us and

help help us solve and address these

opportunities what were you hoping we'd

ask today but didn't one of the

questions that I think I would have

liked you to ask is what my greatest

disappointment is because I don't look

at experiences as disappointments I look

at them as growing experiences what's

the key to that question well again this

is another open-ended opportunity to say

why she's terrific and you when you

prepare for an interview we not all the

good things that you people do come up

in the interview so this is an

open-ended opportunity for her to come

up with something that she's prepared

for and has done a very good job and

just for whatever reason hasn't come up

in the interview so it's a wonderful

opportunity for candidates again another

bragging opportunity you got it do you

have any questions for us what would my

responsibilities be as um a teacher at

your school this this requires the

candidate to do their homework um good

questions along these lines are gee what

are the projections for profitability or

what would be my

duties the priorities the near and short

the shortterm and the long term uh

questions that wouldn't be appropriate

to ask here would be GE can I have

vacation in the first month that I'm off

or or things along those lines so we're

interested in in people that are

interested in us and have done their

homework on us so do your research

before you come to the interview you got

it okay anything else uh people need to

know about preparing for an interview

just prepare um you may get asked

anything um and be professionally

groomed and they on time if not a little

early