TOP 10 INTERVIEW QUESTIONS & ANSWERS! (How to PREPARE for an INTERVIEW!) INTERVIEW TIPS!

Summary

This script offers a comprehensive guide for acing a job interview. It presents a confident and structured approach to answering common interview questions, such as personal introduction, reasons for wanting the job, strengths and weaknesses, long-term career goals, and professional achievements. The speaker, Richard, exemplifies how to align responses with the job description and company values, while also providing strategies for staying organized and discussing salary expectations. The video concludes with advice on asking insightful questions to the interviewers, emphasizing the importance of research and preparation in securing a job offer.

Takeaways

• 😀 The importance of giving confident, top-scoring answers during a job interview to stand out.
• 🎓 Utilizing the SEAT structure (Skills, Education, Experience, Achievements, and Type of person) to effectively answer 'tell me about yourself'.
• 🔍 The necessity of researching the company to align your answer to 'why do you want to work here' with the company's values and culture.
• 💪 Highlighting strengths that match the job description and showcasing a willingness to take on additional responsibilities.
• 🚫 Avoiding negative comments about current or past employers when explaining reasons for leaving a job.
• 🤔 Presenting weaknesses that are not critical to the job role and showing a proactive approach to improving them.
• 🔮 Providing a long-term vision in response to 'where do you see yourself in five years' to demonstrate commitment to the company.
• 🏆 Sharing a significant professional achievement that had a positive impact on a previous employer, such as increasing sales or improving service standards.
• 📝 Discussing organizational strategies, like color-coding tasks by priority, to convey strong time management and organizational skills.
• 💰 Understanding the salary range for the position and industry, and being prepared to negotiate a fair starting salary based on your value.
• ❓ Asking insightful questions at the end of the interview to show interest in the company and the role, such as inquiring about team responsibilities and additional resources for learning more about the company.

Q & A

What is the SEAT structure mentioned in the script for answering the 'Tell me about yourself' question?

The SEAT structure stands for Skills, Education and Experience, Achievements, and Type of person you are. It's a method to organize one's introduction in a job interview, ensuring a comprehensive and structured response.

Why is it important to show enthusiasm for the company during an interview?

Showing enthusiasm demonstrates that the candidate has researched the company and is genuinely interested in the role and its alignment with their career goals, which can be a key factor in the hiring decision.

How does the script suggest handling the question about weaknesses during an interview?

The script advises choosing a weakness that won't harm the candidate's chances, such as public speaking or impatience, and explaining how they are actively working on improving it.

What is the recommended approach to answering the question about salary expectations?

The script suggests researching the salary range for the job and industry beforehand and providing a specific figure that reflects the candidate's worth while also showing flexibility for negotiation.

Why should a candidate ask questions at the end of an interview?

Asking questions shows the candidate's interest in the company and the role, and it can also provide valuable information to help the candidate prepare for potential future interactions with the company.

What does the script imply about the importance of aligning one's professional achievements with the company's needs?

The script implies that sharing professional achievements that have a positive impact, such as increasing sales or improving service standards, can demonstrate the candidate's potential value to the company.

How does the script define a 'forward-thinking company' in the context of a job interview?

A 'forward-thinking company' is defined by the script as one that maintains high standards, innovates, and is open to new ideas, which aligns with the candidate's desire for professional growth and contribution.

What is the significance of mentioning the company's positive customer reviews during the interview?

Mentioning positive customer reviews indicates that the candidate has done their homework about the company and recognizes the company's commitment to quality, which can be appealing to the hiring manager.

How should a candidate respond when asked about their future plans in the company?

The candidate should express a desire for long-term growth within the company, mentioning the possibility of taking on additional responsibilities or earning a promotion, and show eagerness to contribute to the company's success.

What is the purpose of the script's emphasis on not being negative about a candidate's current or previous employer?

The emphasis is to highlight the importance of professionalism and respect during the interview process. Speaking negatively about past employers can reflect poorly on the candidate and potentially disqualify them from the position.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Introduction and Self-Presentation

The speaker begins by emphasizing the importance of delivering confident and top-scoring answers in a job interview. They introduce themselves as Richard, highlighting their positive attributes such as being dynamic, enthusiastic, and a forward-thinking collaborator. Richard mentions his academic achievements and professional experiences, including teamwork, customer service, and leadership in challenging situations. He also discusses his desire to work for the company due to its high standards and customer reviews, aligning his values with the company's and expressing his eagerness to contribute to its success.

05:00

💼 Professional Strengths and Weaknesses

Richard outlines his strengths, focusing on his responsiveness, adaptability, and leadership during challenging problems. He provides an example of how his responsiveness can benefit the company by increasing productivity. When discussing weaknesses, he mentions public speaking and impatience, explaining how he is actively working to improve these areas. He also expresses a willingness to take on opportunities to enhance his public speaking skills within the company.

10:04

🔍 Long-Term Career Vision and Reason for Job Change

The speaker shares his vision for the next five years, aiming to build a long-term career with the company, taking on additional responsibilities or earning a promotion. He envisions gaining experience across different departments and contributing to the training of new team members. Richard explains his reason for leaving his current job is that he has reached his full potential there and is ready for new challenges where he can utilize his skills alongside ambitious and talented colleagues.

15:07

🏆 Greatest Professional Achievement and Organizational Skills

Richard describes his greatest professional achievement as implementing a customer service feedback system that led to a 15% increase in sales and improved service standards. He also details his organizational approach, which involves creating a prioritized task list, color-coding based on urgency, and focusing on task completion without distractions.

20:09

💼 Salary Expectations and Interview Questions

The speaker discusses his salary expectations, suggesting a figure based on industry research and expressing willingness to prove his worth through performance. He also provides a strategy for asking insightful questions at the end of the interview, such as inquiring about the company culture, team responsibilities, and additional resources for learning more about the company. The paragraph concludes with a call to action for viewers to download a guide with top-scoring interview answers and to engage with the speaker on social platforms.

Keywords

💡Interview

An interview is a formal meeting in which one person, typically a potential employer, assesses the qualifications and suitability of another person for a job. In the video's context, the theme revolves around delivering top-scoring, confident answers during a job interview, exemplified by the protagonist Richard's responses to various interview questions.

💡Confidence

Confidence refers to a feeling of self-assurance arising from one's ability to handle a situation. In the video, it is highlighted as an essential quality when answering interview questions, as it can significantly impact the impression made on the interviewer, as seen when Richard delivers his responses with confidence.

💡SEAT Structure

SEAT is an acronym for Skills, Education, Achievements, and Type (of person), which serves as a framework for answering the common interview question 'Tell me about yourself.' The video script illustrates its use by structuring Richard's introduction around these four elements, providing a comprehensive and organized self-presentation.

💡Research

Research, in the context of job interviews, involves gathering information about the company and its values, culture, and operations. Richard mentions having conducted research on the company, which informs his responses and demonstrates his interest and preparedness for the role.

💡Company Values

Company values refer to the ethical and moral principles that guide an organization's operations and culture. The script emphasizes the alignment of Richard's values with those of the company as a reason for wanting to work there, suggesting that shared values are crucial for job satisfaction and motivation.

💡Strengths

Strengths are positive qualities or abilities that an individual possesses. The video script provides an example of how to effectively communicate one's strengths in an interview, such as being responsive, adaptable, and a leader in challenging situations, which are all relevant to the job role.

💡Weaknesses

Weaknesses are areas where an individual may lack skill or experience. The video advises on how to tactfully address this in an interview, as Richard does by mentioning public speaking and impatience, while also showing a willingness to improve and grow in these areas.

💡Professional Achievement

A professional achievement is a significant accomplishment in one's career that demonstrates skill and impact. Richard shares an example of his greatest professional achievement, which involved implementing a customer feedback system that improved service and increased sales, showcasing his ability to contribute positively to an organization.

💡Organization

Organization refers to the act of arranging and planning tasks and activities in a systematic way. Richard explains his method of staying organized by creating a prioritized list and blocking out distractions, illustrating the importance of time management and prioritization in professional settings.

💡Salary Expectations

Salary expectations are the anticipated compensation an individual believes they deserve for a job role. The video script includes a detailed approach to discussing salary expectations, where Richard provides a researched salary range and suggests a starting point, demonstrating negotiation and self-assessment skills.

💡Questions for the Interviewer

Asking questions for the interviewer at the end of an interview shows interest in the role and the company. Richard asks about the best aspects of working for the company, the team's responsibilities, and further reading material, which reflects his proactive approach and desire for more information.

Highlights

The importance of giving top-scoring, confident answers in a job interview.

Introduction of a real job interview scenario with Richard as the candidate.

Richard's self-introduction emphasizing his dynamic, enthusiastic, and collaborative nature.

Mention of Richard's educational background and its relevance to the job role.

Richard's experience in team collaboration and problem-solving leadership.

His approach to taking ownership of professional development and being a useful team asset.

Richard's reasoning for wanting to work at the company, citing research and alignment of values.

Describing strengths such as responsiveness, adaptability, and leadership in challenges.

Admitting weaknesses in public speaking and impatience, with a plan for improvement.

Richard's five-year career plan with the company, including additional responsibilities or promotions.

His reason for leaving the current job, focusing on reaching full potential and seeking new challenges.

Richard's greatest professional achievement in improving customer service and increasing sales.

His method for staying organized through task listing, prioritization, and time management.

Salary expectations discussion, with a researched range and a proposed starting salary.

Richard's strategic questions to the interviewers to show interest and initiative.

Introduction of the SEAT structure for answering 'Tell me about yourself' in interviews.

Advice on aligning strengths with the job description for effective self-promotion.

Guidance on choosing无害的弱点 to discuss in an interview setting.

The significance of demonstrating long-term commitment to the company in interview responses.

Richard's approach to answering the question about leaving his current job without negativity.

Recommendation to share professional achievements that benefited previous employers.

Emphasizing the importance of good organizational skills in the workplace.

The necessity of researching salary expectations before an interview.

Importance of asking insightful questions at the end of an interview to show engagement.

Offering additional resources such as slides and a PDF guide for top-scoring interview answers.

Encouragement to subscribe for more content and to connect on LinkedIn for professional networking.

Transcripts

If you want to pass your job interview,  you are going to have to give top-scoring,  

confident answers to the most-asked interview  questions. Here I am in a real job interview  

about to give exactly that; top-scoring answers  delivered with confidence. Here we go. Welcome  

to the interview. Please tell me about yourself.  Well, first of all, thank you very much for giving  

me this opportunity. I'm very excited about the  possibility of working for your company. My name  

is Richard and I am a dynamic, enthusiastic,  positive, forward-thinking and effective  

collaborator who has the skills and qualities  to meet the role’s demands. I graduated from  

college with really good grades in subjects that  will be perfect for this job role and industry.  

I have experience working on small and large  teams, delivering outstanding customer service,  

delivering on time sensitive projects and also  taking the lead during challenging problems. I am  

a high achiever with a track record of success.  For example, in my last job, I received praise  

from my manager for my flexibility with my job  description and how I brought creative ideas to  

the team. If you hire me, I will be a positive  role model for the company and take ownership of  

my professional development to ensure I am always  a useful asset to the team, and I look forward to  

sharing additional details in the interview  regarding my suitability for this position.  

Tell me, why do you want to work here? I want to  work here because my research tells me you are a  

forward thinking company that does everything to  a very high standard. I read some of your online  

customer reviews, and your customers are very  complimentary about the standard of products  

you create, and also the service you deliver. This  tells me I will get to collaborate alongside other  

ambitious and talented people who want to do great  things in their work. I also want to work here  

because your company values align with mine. You  clearly have a positive workplace culture where  

I will get lots of opportunity to put forward  great ideas that will help the company thrive,  

and that will give me lots of job satisfaction.  What are your strengths? I have lots of strengths  

that I believe are a great match for the job  description and person specification. One of my  

greatest strengths is being responsive. Give me a  task to complete and it will be done on time to a  

very high standard. My responsiveness also means  I tend to get more work done than the average  

employee, which will give you a great return on my  salary. Another strength of mine is adaptability.  

I will willingly carry out tasks and duties that  are outside of my job description. And finally,  

perhaps my greatest strength is taking the  lead during challenging problems. What are your  

weaknesses? My weaknesses are public speaking and  impatience. I sometimes get slightly frustrated  

when stakeholders and contractors take a long time  to complete their work. I get impatient because I  

want to get my work completed as fast as possible.  However, I am learning to motivate and influence  

other people to speed up their pace of work. My  second weakness, which is of public speaking,  

is because I don't yet have much experience of  giving talks or presentations to groups of people.  

However, I do want to develop this weakness,  so if there are any opportunities in this role  

for me to give talks or presentations to my team,  then I would love to give it a try. Tell me,  

where do you see yourself in five years? I plan to  build a long term career with your organization.  

Therefore, in five years’ time, I would like  to be either still in this role with additional  

responsibility or having earned a promotion. In  five years’ time, I would have experience across  

different company departments, have completed  lots of training courses to diversify my skills,  

and also be someone the company could use  to help train new team members whenever  

they join the organization. Richard, why are  you leaving your current job? I am leaving my  

current job simply because I have reached my  full potential. My employer has been great to  

work for and we have achieved lots of positive  things while I have been in the role. However,  

I am now ready for the next chapter of my career  where my skills, knowledge and experience can be  

put to good use while I work alongside ambitious  and talented people with different skillsets. I  

am hoping the next chapter of my career will  be in this role for your company. What is your  

greatest professional achievement? My greatest  professional achievement was in my last position.  

I wanted to find ways to improve customer service  standards, and I noticed that the company had no  

way of gathering feedback from customers.  Therefore, I recommended to my manager that  

we should implement a customer service feedback  form on our website. The form was sent to all  

customers after every purchase. The customers  completed the survey, and the information that  

we received from customers enabled us to not  only improve service standards, but it also  

gave us lots of great ideas on the types of  products and services our customers wanted.  

The feedback form increased customer service  standards and it also helped increase sales by  

15%. How do you stay organized? I stay organized  in my work by first creating a list of the tasks  

and duties I am responsible for. I then color code  that list in order of priority against my team's  

objectives. Red tasks are urgent and require  immediate attention. Blue tasks come second, and  

green tasks can be left for when I have more time  available in the working day. I also then assess  

how long each task will take to complete, and then  block out all distractions before setting to work.  

What are your salary expectations? I researched  the salary range for this job and industry before  

coming to the interview. The salary range  is between $55,000 and $68,000. Now, while  

I believe I am worth $68,000 based on my knowledge  and experience, I respect and appreciate that you  

don't know me and I have a duty to prove to you  my worth. Therefore, I would be comfortable with  

a salary of $66,000 and the opportunity to have my  salary reviewed annually based on my contribution  

to the team. For $66,000, I will ensure you see  a great return. That's the end of your interview.  

Do you have any questions for us? Thank you. Yes,  I have just three questions I would like to ask,  

please. The first question is, what's the best  thing about working for this company? My second  

question is, can you tell me more about  the team I would be a part of in this role  

and their responsibilities. And finally, my third  question is, is there any information that I can  

read to learn more about the company while I wait  to hear the result of my interview? Okay, so in  

this next section of the video, I am going to give  you those exact answers I just gave in that live  

interview to write down. Here they are. Okay, so  in this next section of the video, I am going to  

give you those exact answers I just gave in that  live interview to write down. Here they are. Okay,  

so the first question I had to answer in my job  interview was, tell me about yourself. A brilliant  

structure you can use when responding to this  first question. It's called my SEAT structure.  

S.E.A.T. So, you talk about the SKILL you can  bring to the company. You then mention your  

EDUCATION background and any EXPERIENCE you can  bring to the role. You then briefly talk about  

any ACHIEVEMENTS you have gained in life so far.  And then, finish your answer by telling them the  

TYPE of person you are and what you will do in the  role if they hire you. And you can easily remember  

my S.E.A.T structure for tell me about yourself,  because you will be sitting down on a SEAT at your  

interview. So, here is that brilliant top-scoring  answer I gave in my job interview. Tell me about  

yourself. First of all, thank you very much for  giving me this opportunity. I am very excited  

about the possibility of working for your company.  My name is (Insert Your Name) and I am a dynamic,  

enthusiastic, positive, forward-thinking and  effective collaborator who has the skills and  

qualities to meet the role’s demands. I graduated  from college with good grades in subjects that  

will be perfect for this job role and industry. I  have experience working on small and large teams,  

delivering outstanding customer service,  delivering on time sensitive projects and taking  

the lead during challenging problems. I am a  high achiever with a track record of success. For  

example, in my last job. I received praise from my  manager for my flexibility with my job description  

and how I brought creative ideas to the team. If  you hire me, I will be a positive role model for  

the company and take ownership of my professional  development to ensure I am always a useful asset  

to the team. And I look forward to sharing  additional details in the interview regarding  

my suitability for this position. So that is a  really strong answer. Take note of it and practice  

it before your interview. And don't forget you  can use the SEAT structure when answering tell  

me about yourself. And SEAT stands for Skills,  Education and Experience, Achievements and  

the Type of person you are. The second interview  question I had to answer in my job interview was,  

why do you want to work here? It is imperative you  tell the hiring manager you have RESEARCHED the  

company, and then talk about the positive things  you have learned. Here is that brilliant answer  

I gave. Why do you want to work here? I want to  work here because my research tells me you are a  

forward-thinking company that does everything to  a very high standard. I read some of your online  

customer reviews, and your customers are very  complimentary about the standard of products you  

create and the service you deliver. This tells  me I will get to collaborate alongside other  

ambitious and talented people who want to do great  things in their work. I also want to work here  

because your company values align with mine. You  clearly have a positive workplace culture where I  

will get lots of opportunity to put forward great  ideas that will help the company thrive, and that  

will give me lots of job satisfaction. That's a  great answer. You can see how all these responses  

are going to impress the hiring manager at your  job interview. Here is the next question I had to  

answer. What are your strengths? Now the best way,  the most effective way to answer this difficult  

but common interview question is to align  your strengths with those featured on the job  

description. Here is the exact answer I gave in my  interview. What are your strengths? I have lots of  

strengths that I believe are a great match for the  job description and person specification. One of  

my greatest strengths is being responsive. Give me  a task to complete and it will be done on time to  

a very high standard. My responsiveness also means  I tend to get more work done than the average  

employee, which will give you a great return on  my salary. Another strength is adaptability. I  

will willingly carry out tasks and duties that  are outside of my job description. And finally,  

perhaps my greatest strength is taking the lead  during challenging problems. That's a brilliant  

answer. Now, the next question they will likely  ask you is, what are your weaknesses? Do not give  

any weaknesses that are in the job description.  So for example, if the job description says that  

you have to be a good communicator, don't say one  of your weaknesses is you are not yet very good  

at communicating with people. Choose a weakness  that will do you no harm. Good weaknesses for  

job interviews include public speaking, being  impatient, and also delegating. But here is the  

exact answer I gave in my interview. What are your  weaknesses? My weaknesses are public speaking and  

impatience. I sometimes get slightly frustrated  when stakeholders and contractors take a long time  

to complete their work. I get impatient because I  want to get my work completed as fast as possible.  

However, I am learning to motivate and influence  other people to speed up their pace of work.  

My second weakness, which is public speaking, is  because I don't yet have much experience of giving  

talks or presentations to groups of people.  However, I do want to develop this weakness,  

so if there are any opportunities in this role  for me to give talks or presentations to my team,  

then I would love to give it a try. That is the  perfect response. Here is the next question I had  

to answer in my job interview. Where do you  see yourself in five years? Remember this:  

it takes a lot of time, energy, effort, and  resources to hire someone in a job role.  

Therefore, the hiring manager wants someone to  stay committed to their company for a long time,  

so they see a return on their investment. Here is  exactly how I answered this difficult but common  

interview question. Where do you see yourself in  five years? I plan to build a long term career  

with your organization. Therefore, in five  years’ time, I would like to be either still  

in this role with additional responsibility or  having earned a promotion. In five years’ time,  

I would have experience across different  company departments, have completed lots  

of training courses to diversify my skills and be  someone the company could use to help train new  

team members whenever they join the organization.  Another great answer. You can see how all of these  

responses will help you pass your interview. Here  is the next question that needs a careful answer.  

Why are you leaving your current job? Do not be  negative in any way about your current employer,  

coworkers, or boss. If you are negative, you  won't get a job offer. Here is the exact answer  

I gave. Why are you leaving your current job? I  am leaving my current job simply because I have  

reached my full potential. My employer has  been great to work for and we have achieved  

lots of positive things while I have been in  the role. However, I am now ready for the next  

chapter of my career where my skills, knowledge  and experience can be put to good use while I  

work alongside ambitious and talented people with  different skills. I am hoping the next chapter of  

my career will be in this role for your company.  Perfect answer. Here is the next question. What  

is your greatest professional achievement? Now,  I recommend you give an achievement that either  

helped your current or previous employer increase  sales, improve service standards, or save money.  

Here is the exact answer I gave. What is your  greatest professional achievement? My greatest  

achievement was in my last position. I wanted to  find ways to improve customer service standards,  

and I noticed that the company had no way of  gathering feedback from customers. Therefore, I  

recommended to my manager that we should implement  a customer service feedback form on our website.  

The form was sent to all customers after every  purchase. The customers completed the survey,  

and the information that we received enabled us  to not only improve service standards, but it  

also gave us lots of great ideas on the types of  products and services our customers wanted. The  

feedback form increased customer service standards  and it also helped increase sales by 15%. That's a  

great achievement. Here is the next question. How  do you stay organized in your work? Here is the  

exact answer I gave. I stay organized in my work  by first creating a list of the tasks and duties  

I am responsible for. I then color code that list  in order of priority against my team's objectives.  

Red tasks are urgent and require immediate  attention. Blue tasks come second, and green tasks  

can be left when I have more time available in the  working day. I then assess how long each task will  

take to complete and block out all distractions  before setting to work. So, that shows that you  

have good time management and organizational  skills. It's a really good answer. Here is the  

next question. What are your salary expectations?  Make sure you research the salary range for your  

job, role and industry before you attend the  interview. You can research the salary range  

on the website GlassDoor.com. Here is the exact  answer I gave in my interview. And all you have  

to do is research the range and change the figures  I am about to give in my answer. What are your  

salary expectations? I researched the salary range  for this job and industry before coming to the  

interview. The salary ranges between 55,000 and  $68,000. While I believe I am worth $68,000 based  

on my knowledge and experience. I respect and  appreciate that you don't know me and I have a  

duty to prove to you my worth. Therefore, I would  be comfortable with a salary of $66,000 and the  

opportunity to have my salary reviewed annually  based on my contribution to the team. For $66,000,  

I will ensure you see a great return. So that's a  really good answer. All you have to do is change  

the figures. Here is the next question. Do you  have any questions for us? Lots of people say,  

no, I don't have any questions, you covered  everything in the interview, but that is a big  

mistake. Ask 3 smart questions that show you want  to do great things in the role for their company.  

Here's the questions I asked in my interview. Do  you have any questions for us? Thank you. Yes,  

I have just three questions I would like to  ask, please. The first question is what's the  

best thing about working for this company? My  second question is, can you tell me more about  

the team I would be a part of in this role and  their responsibilities. And finally, my third  

question is, is there any information that I can  read to learn more about the company while I wait  

to hear the result of my interview? So those are  three really great questions to ask. Now, the next  

thing to do if you want to download the slides  plus an additional 50 quick top-scoring, easy to  

remember answers to difficult interview questions  in a PDF guide, click that link right now in the  

top right-hand corner of the video. Head straight  through to my website, Passmyinterview.com,  

and you can instantly download these slides with  all the answers, plus an extra 50 top-scoring  

quick answers to difficult but common interview  questions. Make sure you check out that link.  

Also, don't forget to hit the subscribe button.  Thousands of you are passing your job interviews  

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you for watching and I wish you all the best for  passing your job interview. Have a wonderful day!