Interviewing – Predicting Questions

Wouldn’t you love to know all the questions an employer was planning to ask you before you walked in the door for your interview?

What if I told you they already gave you several hints?

When you are being interviewed the employer is seeking to evaluate if you are a fit for the job and a fit for the organization. They have two things to work from before you walk in the room: your resume and the job description.

You should already know your resume, top to bottom, and be able to walk through each position, including responsibilities and accomplishments.

Check out the job description again. Most job descriptions are broken down into a few sections: a description of the general responsibilities of the position, a list of requirements and/or preferences, and a list of skills/qualities. Look first for repetition. Do any particular words or phrases repeat themselves throughout the job description? If the employer uses the word “collaborate” five times in a three paragraph job description it is a good bet that you’ll get a few questions about working as part of a team, leading teams, working with difficult teams, etc.

Check out the company website again. Do they have a section that talks about their employees, hiring, or corporate culture? These are all good places to look for clues as to what qualities are important to them. Do the same review of their corporate social media accounts.

Each of these reviews will help you identify a core set of skills or qualities that might be more likely to be part of your interview. Check out the “During the Interview” section of the guide to get an idea how to prepare yourself to answer these questions.