Ever had an embarrassing or underwhelming interview? You’re not alone.
In fact, you’d struggle to find a single person who hasn’t had at least one bad interview. However, you can easily improve your performance just by reading on.
In this article, we reveal the top 3 trick interview questions and how you can avoid falling into their trap…
Can you tell me about yourself?
Be warned – this question isn’t what it seems. That’s because, while it may seem as though the recruiter wants to find out about your personal life, you should steer clear from telling them how many kids you have, if you’re married and what you do on the weekends.
So, why do recruiters ask you to talk about yourself if they don’t want that type of answer? They want to hear your academic and workplace achievements as well as the level of confidence in your voice.
This question is generally used as an opening question in an interview so recruiters often build their first impression of you from this sole answer. Because of this, your answer to this one question could arguably make or break your entire interview.
Some great ways that you could answer this question would be to talk about:
• Whether you have volunteered or done any charity work
• If you previously led any clubs in college/university or still do in the wider community
• Any relevant skills that you have
• Your job history
However, you should remember that delivery is key because recruiters use this question to get to know your personality as well as your achievements.
Your answer could be perfect, but if you mumble, seem uninterested or scared of the employer then your chances of getting that call back could be compromised entirely.
How would you describe yourself in one word?
As mentioned before, recruiters ask some questions to get a sense of your personality without directly bringing it up. This is not one of those times.
From this one answer, your potential employer will get a better understanding of how confident you are, how you perceive yourself, your personality type, and, ultimately, whether your work style is right for the job at hand.
This question can become particularly difficult to answer when you don’t know what type of personality type the employer is looking for, which is the case more often than not.
In an interview setting, you have mere seconds to formulate that winning answer. So, if the recruiter asks this question and only two different adjectives come to mind, opting for the conservative answer is usually the best bet.
Why do you want to work here?
For some, a job is just a way to get by and pay the bills. Unsurprisingly though, most employers don’t want a workforce whose only incentive is financial security. Because of this, recruiters ask this question to separate the unmotivated and the passionate.
So, when faced with this question, the two biggest issues that someone may encounter is that they:
• a) forget everything, or
• b) think of several different reasons all at once.
If you’re no stranger to scenario a) and find your mind going blank in stressful situations, then you should set aside some time to research the company.
If instead, you struggle with scenario b), then all you need to do is prioritise one or two reasons that clearly explain why you want to work there. Of course, this can be difficult. So, you should make sure to keep a cool head, think on your feet and do your own fair share of research.
Your answer should be genuine, demonstrate your interest in the job, and convince the recruiter that you’re the candidate they are looking for.
Do you need help to get your ideal job in food manufacturing?
Now that you know how to formulate the best interview answers and avoid the classic slip-ups, you’re ready to start looking for your ideal job in the food manufacturing industry. But how can you get a jump start in your job hunt?
Choose an agency that is a leading specialist in recruiting for the food manufacturing sector, works with some of the UK’s top employers and has years of experience helping people find their perfect job – pick b3 jobs. Just call us on 01435 866000 or email us at food@b3jobs.co.uk.