Interview tips

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I am currently job hunting at the moment and I had a few questions about interviews.

1. When they ask my what I strengths and weaknesses come up

> Strength- I tell them that I am very self determined, punctual, and outgoing
>Weakness- That is a very talkative

Are those responses bad? If not what should I say?

2. I often freeze when it comes to questions.

The only two I ask is
>What kind of people are you looking for?
> How many hours?

What should I ask an employer?

I would leave out about being talkative unless that is an advantage in the job role. I tend to try and disguise a strength as a weakness for that question so I will say I'm a perfectionist or something.
I would ask about hours, pay or when you will be informed if you have the job etc if it wasn't covered in the interview already but if there's nothing you need to ask I would just say you think the interview covered all your questions.
Good luck with the job hunting!

Summer_Twilight,

The questions your asking are very context specific and the answers very much depends on the type of work your looking for. Are you applying for office clerical work, research roles, customer service etc?

For your second question though: When I go into job interviews. I often try and have a question prepared. Its not the case all the time, but often employers use the questions session to see if you have been researching the company or the role in more detail. That gives the interview panel an indication of how keen you are about getting the job.

I'm going to assume you are referring to entry-level positions or close to it based on how you worded your question. If not, this will still apply to a lesser extent.

There is no right answer, just be sure to form the 'negative' into a positive. For example, for me right now I am still single but I am currently volunteering, dressing cleaner and being friendlier. In short, I am WORKING on my 'negative' trait. They don't expect perfection just that you have a can-do attitude.


I know all too well. The advice I got only made me phony and sounding like a robot. How about:
What skills do you consider most important/What are you looking for the most?
Is it possible to see the work area?
What are the top values of the organization?
What kinds of opportunities are there to grow and/or advance?
What is a typical day? Are there any special events?
Does the organization have any expansion plans?

You could also make a comment like:
I see you have all kinds of safety signage. That's very important to me as I consider safety very important.
I like how your company brings smiles to your customers faces. I love to make people laugh!
I met X, Y, and Z on the way in. I really like the culture here!
When you are done interviewing, I would love to chat further. This looks like something I really want to be a part of!
You have worked here a long time haven't you? That's a sign of a great company!

Just show the employer you actually spent more than 5 minutes thinking about this job and how you fit into it. Remember this isn't a murder trial here: chances are the interviewer doesn't know much more than you do and hates being put on a pedestal. Treat them with respect, be polite and well spoken but don't start talking like you are not good enough to be in their presence. It's not so much what you say but how you say it. EVERYONE is going to say they are honest, eager and a good employee but you can SHOW them through your attitude! Remember managers dislike the process just as much as you do.

Be confident and act like you have done interviews a million times (and not be a pushover) but more importantly DON'T BE PHONY! I was at a Wendy's and the guy being interviewed had the most fake smile I have ever seen in my life. Needless to say he never got hired. The interviewers know what they need and a little nervousness is not going to bother them. In fact, the last time I saw someone nervous I told them I was glad to see it because it showed they cared and wanted to succeed.

I once worked at a big box hardware store (NOT Home Depot or Lowes). At the time, employment applications were all done by hand and the Customer Service people took them to be forwarded upstairs. I can tell you for a fact when an applicant was smiling, enthusiastic and asks questions about what's it's like to work there, they would put a smiley face (or two) on it before putting it in the mail. Conversely, if it looks like an application just took off an orange jumpsuit or that they expect the police to arrest them for a parole violation at anytime, they will get a big frown put on their application. Remember, they want great coworkers who will make their jobs easier!

Another company I know actually used the RECEPTIONIST to "interview" using small talk or trip up questions and the by the time the manager meets with you for the formal interview they have pretty much made up their mind. For some jobs, it can literally take seconds to figure out if the person is qualified to do the job. Bottom line, be friendly to EVERYONE because they will be your coworkers! Thank them for interviewing you and show how much you appreciate they took the time to interview you but don't do a over the top formal thank you note. I complain about the hiring process all the time but to be fair it's not fun to hire someone! For entry level positions, you would not believe the pile of unqualified, terrible quality applicants received, many so they can satisfy their probation officer or to stay on welfare or employment insurance.

I consider myself horrible at interviews but I recently did an interview for a very reputable volunteer organization and I completely blew them out of the water. I not only aced the questions to the point the first interviewer was almost speechless but when it was the second interviewer's turn he smiled and said "I just have one thing to say: congratulations and welcome aboard!" They didn't even check my references or wait until my police check was complete That was the result of genuine, down to earth confidence. I KNEW I was a great candidate, I did my homework and I have the experience to know what to expect.