By Elizabeth Benu,

Interviews can be quite a handful, especially if you have not prepared well. To help in your interview preparation, here is a list of questions to always expect and their answers.

Questions to always expect in an interview and their answers

1. What Is Your Greatest Strength?
As explained by several HR Professionals, strengths can be personal or technical. Personal in the sense that they differ from person to person and can include friendliness and flexibility. On the other hand, technical strengths are those gained from working and can include writing skills and operations of a switchboard.

Ideal Answer:
“My job as a receptionist requires me to see clients from morning to evening ensuring equal attention to all no matter the time of the day or my mood. Through this responsibility, patience is my greatest strength as it ensure the clients leave feeling happy.”

2. What Is Your Greatest Weakness?
Many candidates confirm that they have a problem answering this question. In such a question it is advisable to identify your weakness and show the human resource manager how you are overcoming your weaknesses.

Sample Answer:
“My greatest weakness is my inability to prioritize tasks at work. I have always had a problem finishing all my work before I leave for home. To minimize this I have come up with a policy to write down my tasks for the day in order of importance and finish them one by one as opposed to all of them at once. I have also learnt to postpone email response till later in the day.”

3. Why do you want to leave or have left your current job?
Reasons such as growth, development and seeking a new challenge are some of the lies many candidates tell human resource managers.

“Come up with a better answer and tie it to the job description. Be it a responsibility or utilizing of a skill,” advices Perminus Wainaina, Lead Recruitment Manager at Corporate Staffing Services

Sample Answer
“Currently I have interacted with customers via emails and phone calls. However a face to face interaction with customers is what this new opportunity offers. This is ideal for me since I can now get feedback and offer better service.”

Questions to always expect in any job interview

4. Tell me about yourself is a question to always expect in interviews

“It sets the tone of the interview. Perform well, and you have the interviewer impressed. Get it wrong and it’s downhill all the way and very fast,” says Mr. Wainaina

The right answer includes the following: an introduction of yourself and a few personal details, your educational background, your work experience and why you are interested in the position.

Sample answer
“My name is John Mueni and I am 25 years old. I hold a bachelor of Commerce (Accounting option) and currently pursuing a CPA Section 3. My previous experience as an Accounts Assistant at ABC Company has equipped me with bank reconciliation skills and experience with Quickbooks which will come in handy for this vacancy. I am interested in this position because it requires someone with knowledge in Business tax and bookkeeping which was also part of my responsibilities”

5. Why are you the best person for this position? Why should we hire you?
This is a question meant to sell yourself. Think about your most impressive skills that relate to the job you are interviewing for and use that to communicate what sets you apart from other candidates.

Sample Answer:
“My vast experience in sales and marketing set me apart from other candidates. As a sales Manager I was tasked with improving sales and achieving set targets for the month. During one of the lowest months in the company I come up with a sales strategy on the best ways to sell our products and it resulted in a 20% increase in sales during a low month.”

6. What will you be doing in 5 years time?
“I want to be a manager by then.” This is a vague answer that does not impress a human resource manager. Let your goals be specific, measurable, attainable and realistic while showing your commitment to the job.
Sample:

“I plan on taking up more responsibilities outside my Communications Assistant job and move towards becoming a successful Brand Manager in this company. I also plan to undertake a professional Marketing course from the Marketing Society of Nigeria to increase my skills set.”

Don’t let the thought of attending interviews scare you. With these samples you are good to go.

By Selipha Kihagi

Ever been in a situation where you’ve been asked an interview question but don’t really know how to answer because you are not sure you understand? You get torn trying to figure out what answer you should give? More often than not, you can identify with this situation. So, what do you do and you are in a job interview?

Recruiters are different in nature, and so are employers. Some will appreciate when you politely ask them to clarify but some will take it as a downfall on your part, especially when you do it a couple of times. Also, some interviewers will ask a general question on purpose so they can assess how well or bad you handle it. For this reason, it is important that you are well prepared.

4 Ways To Handle An Interview Question You Don’t Understand

1. Don’t rush into giving the first answer that comes to mind

A recruiter may ask a general question to either assess your response or expecting you to provide a specific answer. Unless you are sure of what the question is about, don’t proceed to give an answer if you are doubtful. You may end up giving an answer that is far from what the interviewer is looking for and not all recruiters will point that out.

Most will be sure to assume that you are either very anxious or are not sure what you are talking about. Both of which will end up ruining your chances for the job.

2. Ask a clarifying question

Once you realize that you did not fully understand the question and answering might ruin all that, then it is time to ask a question that is geared towards clarifying what the interviewer wants to know. When asking, you must remember to be polite. Don’t be quick to say, “Sorry, I don’t understand the question” or “can you repeat that?” Some recruiters may take this the wrong way.

Instead, here is a way you can ask the interviewer to clarify a question. If the interviewer asks, “Tell me when you did something wrong in your job,” and you are not sure if it’s a project or general, you can say, “Before I give an answer that is unrelated, would you like me to hear about a general time that things didn’t go so well at work or about a specific project that didn’t go well?”

3. Never blame the interviewer

Most times when things don’t go the way we hope, we are quick to lay the blame on other people. In a job interview, it is important that you do not in any way blame the interviewer or recruiter. Avoid saying something like this; “Sorry but you are speaking too fast, can you repeat that?” or “That’s a general question, could you be more specific?” (Most times the general question is on purpose)

These responses may not sound offensive until you actually say them to a recruiter who has a problem being told exactly that. Taking the blame for a question you do not understand will be appreciated.

4. Avoid asking too many clarifications

If you do not understand one or two interview questions, that is alright. When the questions you do not understand start being many, then you will be giving your interviewer a reason to bypass you for the job at hand. Make sure your listening skills during the job interview are top notch and that you have done your research well. This way you do not have to keep asking clarifying questions.

Not understanding an interview question is not a crime, don’t let anxiety get the better of you. Clarify what you must and ace that job interview.

By Selipha Kihagi

Job interview blunders can happen when you least expect them. You may have prepared well and even had extra time to relax so you exhume confidence but still end up messing up. Some job interview blunders can be avoided…yes…but there are some that you may have no control over. It could be that they skipped your mind or something just didn’t work out the way you planned it to.

Whatever the case, if you find yourself in such a situation, be sure not to freak out and end up making even bigger mistakes. Think about how you can handle a blunder you didn’t expect and still do well in the interview. You never know – you might impress the recruiter or employer so much they forget the blunders. To start you off, here are 5 interview blunders and what you can do.

Job Interview Blunders And How To Fix Them

1. You wake up later than planned

If there is one thing that might cause you so much anxiety in an interview, it’s waking up late. But you need not let this mishap distort your entire plans for the day. Start by analyzing the situation; will you be late to the interview? Can you lessen the time you use preparing so you are in time?

If you find out you will be late, call the office or recruiting manager to alert them that you will be running late. Remember to make an honest apology for any inconvenience caused. Then move on to do everything else as you planned it.

2. You arrive late to the interview

You may have miscalculated on the distance to the offices where you are scheduled for the interview, or maybe you ran into unexpected traffic jam (this is very common). The best solution to this would be to call immediately you realize you will be late. However, if you are not in a position to call or you forget to and are late, remember to use the first minutes apologizing.

Recruiters and employers will not take lateness kindly, especially when you don’t take the time to call in advance. But with an honest apology that does not lay blame on the company, your lateness will be forgotten.

3. Your phone rings during the interview

This is a popular blunder among job candidates and one that recruiters and employers despise. It is seen as rude and lacking in consideration and preparedness. In the case this happens, make sure you are quick to apologize first before reaching out to put it on silent mode. Then after, apologize for not switching it off before going in.

Don’t excuse yourself to answer the call unless it is something very important – something beyond having the job. If you excuse yourself, remember to apologize for it and put it on silent or off.

4. You blunder on an important interview question

You may have done all the background research and preparation but still end up messing up; may be because of being anxious. If you go blank or give an answer that does not explain what you are being asked or that puts you in risk, fix it by apologizing for the situation then proceed to give a better answer.

It is okay if you take a moment to compose yourself. If you do not understand the question, kindly ask for clarification. You can refer to this article for more on how to clarify interview questions.

5. You wake up feeling sick

Sickness cannot be controlled, at least most times. If your body chooses the same day you have an interview to get sick, there is not much you can do to avert the situation. But being sick on your interview day may also count as a blunder. Remember calling in sick on a Monday morning can be seen as a hangover escape.

However, if you are seriously sick and no quick medicine can change that, make the phone call as soon as you realize you can’t make it. Explain your situation and, again, apologize. Then proceed to reschedule the interview for when you know you’ll be better.

Some job interview blunders cannot be avoided, but they can be fixed with an honest apology.

By Selipha Kihagi

“I went for an interview three weeks ago and the interviewer told me they would get back to me in two weeks time. Two weeks later without contact, I decided to call and was asked to be patient for a response. As I write to you, I am yet to hear from the company. What does this mean?” Clara writes in an email.

Job applications are tough in themselves and so is the interview process. Recruiters will invite a number of suitably qualified candidates for a position (based on their CVs) to the interview, but will only end up picking one. This means that the remaining number of candidates will not get the jobs and recruiters have to disappoint them with the bad news…or not.

A decision on whom to hire and not hire will almost always be made during the interview, but no recruiter wants to tell a job seeker to their face that they will not get the job. Unless of course you had a really bad attitude that couldn’t go unmentioned.

Not wanting to crush the job seeker’s feelings at face value, recruiters end up coating the truth with a few lies and half-truths.

Here are some lies that recruiters tell

1. We will let you know in 2 weeks if you got the job
If the recruiter or interviewer is certain that you are the right person for the job, they will offer you the job either during the interview or as soon as possible. This is because they know you are applying to other jobs and could get another offer – no employer wants to risk this.

So, like Clara’s situation, chances are they picked somebody else for the position or you are their plan B. Make a phone call to the recruiting manager to confirm and if they ask you to wait, don’t keep your job search on hold. Keep searching for other opportunities.

2. We will consider you for open positions in the future
While this could be true at the time the recruiter says it, if you did not leave a long standing impression during the interview you should not expect the recruiter to call you. With numerous applications to consider and candidates to interview, recruiters may not remember you for a similar position in the next month.

To make sure you are considered, keep tabs with the company for their open jobs and when you see one, contact the recruitment manager and remind them to consider you. But always make a fresh application, your CV may not be found in the employer’s database.

3. We really like you for the position but are not done with the interviews
As mentioned in point number 1, this is usually more of a stalling tactic. If you are told this during the interview or when you call for a follow up, don’t stay by the phone waiting for when they are done with interviews. At this point, the employer will probably have made an offer to another candidate and are waiting for their response.

When you hear this, avoid keeping your job search on hold because you have high hopes that you’ll get the job. Instead, keep making other applications until you get an offer letter.

Recruiters may say various things to candidates because they do not want to hurt your feelings or as a tactic to their advantage. So, until you have received an offer letter in your email or been asked to report to work – in those very words – don’t assume you got the job.

You’ve submitted your job application for consideration in a particular job. You are now waiting for that call to invite you for an interview. 2 weeks after the deadline, nothing comes. Then it’s a month and it’s clear you were not among the shortlisted candidates.

What could have been wrong? You ask. Well, your CV must have raised a red flag making the recruiter choose a different candidate over you. Even when you believe you are well qualified for a particular job, your CV could give the recruiter or employer a bad perception of you.

For example, if there are many applicants and your CV has some important information missing or you include information that tells the recruiter a different story about you, then chances are you will not be getting the call.

Here Are 3 CV Red Flags That Might Work Against You

1.You left out information that was key for the job

When you come across a job advert that details key requirements to include a specific number of years of experience needed in a similar role, then make sure you highlight that. Some job seekers leave out information on how long they held a particular position, which is never a good thing.

Justus Ng’etich, a Recruitment Manager at Corporate Staffing Services says that when applications are many and you have to look through each CV, not including the time period and position you held could ruin your chances for the job.

Contacts are also very important; do not give recruiters a reason not to call you.

2. The unemployment gap is visible

Not to discourage you from applying to jobs if you’ve been out of the job market, but recruiters will always be concerned if you’ve been out of the job. Most times it might not be the deciding factor, but if an employer is strict on someone with recent experience, then your chances will probably be very slim.

To counter this, you can leverage the cover letter or email body to work to your advantage. Mention something you’ve been doing to keep you up to date with what is happening in your profession. Employers want people who are current on matters.

3. Evidence of a demotion in your CV

If you held a senior position but your rank later dropped in recent positions, then that is a clear red flag. Some recruiters may want to know why that was and invite you to an interview for that reason, while others will prefer to choose someone who has been consistent.

I know of a lady who suffered a demotion and had to do away with the senior position from altogether because she couldn’t get a job. This does not mean you lie about your qualifications; it is about knowing what will work and what will not.

If you are not so sure how to go about a CV issue, it is best if you consult with a career coach.

Advice after advice you are told that you need to a CV that markets and sells you to the employer? You are also told that CV presentation is what will either keep the employer or recruiter glued to read on or discourage him or her from reading on. So how do you come up with a marketable CV?

Florence Mukunya, a Professional CV Writer at Corporate Staffing Services says a marketable CV should demonstrate how suitable you are for the job in the few seconds a recruiter browses through. A good CV should communicate what job you are suited for in only one glance.

In order to achieve this, your work experience (which is the most important to employers when hiring) should be very clear. But that is not all, once the recruiter has seen that you have the experience, other sections of your CV are next in the evaluation process. This means that your entire CV should be without mistakes or misleading information.

So, how do you ensure that your CV is too good for the recruiter to resist? Ask yourself these questions.

4 Questions You Need To Ask Yourself When Writing A CV?

1. Did I include my contact details?
One of the reasons well qualified job candidates are not called for interviews is because they didn’t leave their contact details, and if they did, they are usually out of reach.

“You come across candidates who are well qualified for a position, they have the experience and the skills needed but you can’t contact them because they didn’t leave their numbers. It’s very disappointing,” says Justus Ng’etich, a Recruitment Manager at Corporate Staffing Services.

When writing a CV, you must remember to include your working phone number(s) and email address. Not one of the two, both.

2. Are my duties & responsibilities for each position clear?
A big No when writing a CV is using paragraphs to explain your duties and responsibilities for previous roles – truth is – no recruiter will take time to read in between. Just like job adverts usually list responsibilities required for the job, make sure that your duties are in bullet form and that they are in short clear sentences.

Avoid being too wordy, recruiters appreciate brief and to the point information. You will explain further during the interview.

3. Is the information in my CV relevant for the jobs I want
A marketable CV demands that the information provided shows what you can do and what you cannot. It is your expertise in a document. For this reason, every single thing you write in your CV, from personal details to hobbies, must be meaningful and important for jobs you will be applying to.

Watching movies, swimming and travelling are good hobbies, but they do not add any value for that banking job.

4. Is my CV grammatically correct?
Setting your computer to UK English or using the Auto Correct feature in your Ms Word program when writing a CV does not mean your document will be free of errors. Words such as too, to and two are grammatically correct but when used wrongly, it becomes a mistake.

Humans are prone to error and anyone can make a grammatical mistake, but if done repeatedly, including detail oriented as a skill will not work out well.

Writing a CV that sells you to the employer or recruiters does not have to be complicated and tedious; just make sure you have important information at your fingertips.