When you’re finally leaving full-time education, your first job interview can be a daunting prospect. Dealing with job interview questions can be tricky if you haven’t done some preparatory work beforehand.

I’ve recorded one of my early experiences in the form of a poem, which I’ve included here.

The key takeaway message is

BE PREPARED!

However, before we get to the poem, as a former hiring manager, let me share with you how the interview process goes from an employer’s standpoint.

Interviewer Mindset:

To be prepared, you need to understand the hiring manager’s interview mindset.

When you’re being interviewed, hiring managers have three questions in their heads:

1. Can you do the job? That is, do you have the skills required?
2. Will you do the job? That is, do you have the motivation to do the job well?
3. Will you fit in? That is, will you get along well with other team members?

Put concisely, they’re considering your:

SKILLS, MOTIVATION & FIT.

So, your mindset in an interview should be,

“How do I reassure them that I’m the solution to their problem because I have exactly what they need?“

Job Interview Questions:

The hiring manager will seek to answer the aforementioned three questions by asking you a series of questions, and they’re all predictable.

Here are the top 6 job interview questions that are most commonly asked by hiring managers: –

1. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?
2. Why are you interested in this position?
3. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
4. Can you give an example of a time when you overcame a challenge?
5. Where do you see yourself in five years?
6. What do you know about this company/organization?

Your responses to these questions will determine whether you’re successful or not.

So, before you go for an interview, make sure you’re well-prepared. Prepare concise responses to these questions and don’t waffle. Think of it as having a quiver full of arrows ready to hit every target put before you.

And remember also, for every skill you claim to have, be prepared to provide an example of where you’ve used that skill with at least some degree of success.

REMEMBER: Prepare well and you’ll present well. Present well, and you’ll give yourself the best chance of success.

As a hiring manager, I have always been impressed by candidates who are well-prepared.

Don’t assume they need you more than you need them

In the modern age, I often hear young people say things like, “What’s in it for me?” and “How will this be good for my career?“

They seem to think that the employer needs them more than they need the employer.

Let me tell you, if you really want a job, that’s the wrong attitude going in.

Employers don’t care about your career. They don’t care about your dreams. Nor do they care about your personal development.

They are simply looking for a solution to a problem. They have a job that needs to be done, and they’re looking for someone with the skills to do it and the motivation to do it well. And they want someone who will work well within their team and won’t simply upset everyone.

Prove yourself first, and then they might consider developing you in the future, if it’s in their interests to do so.

Yes, you need to consider whether the job is right for you and whether it will offer you opportunities to grow. And it’s fair to ask questions to ascertain whether it’s consistent with your goals in the longer term.

However, those questions need to be asked diplomatically, and you need to be realistic. At an interview, you are trying to sell yourself as the best solution to their problem.

If you come across as being a bit ‘chippy,’ you will lose out to a candidate with a better attitude, unless the job is seriously crap and the employer is desperate, and then why would you want it anyway?

REMEMBER: No hiring manager is ever going to be impressed by a poor attitude. However, having the right attitude will help you stand out.

Poem about a job interview:

Anyway, without further ado, here’s today’s poem. It describes how I got it wrong by not being prepared. That said, I only made the mistake once.

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I hope you did, anyway.

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Thank you for your support, dear reader.

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