Finally, one last batch of interview questions you may get asked.

What are your long-term career objectives? / Where do you see yourself in five years? / What are your long-term aspirations?

What this is really asking is, “Are you going to be committed to our company, and are you still going to be here in five years?”  You can really only hedge your bets here.  Something like a “Well, I feel I will really enjoy this role and I would like to build my career with XYZ Ltd and go on to a more senior role within the company” type answer.  You will know the situation within your industry and probably at the company where you are being interviewed (if you have completed your preparation), so it is worth having the answer to this one sorted before the interview.  It comes up in 99% of interviews.  This question may be backed up with….

How do you intend to make sure you meet them?

If you do get this slant on the follow up question, the interviewer probably wants to know what your goal setting and achievement ability are like.  Do you set yourself objectives or goals, and, more importantly, do you follow through and achieve.  The trick here is to demonstrate some past goals you have set yourself, and show how you have gone on to attain those goals.

Interview Question Types

Why did you (have to) leave your last job?

Always be truthful, without being negative, about your last role.  If you were fired, come clean, the chances are the interviewer will simply want to see how you handle the situation.  Most people have been fired at least once (yes, including yours truly – twice!), and there are various reasons, but never paint yourself as being unfairly treated, or as a scapegoat.  You can normally get away with something such as “organisational changes” or “things just didn’t work out”.  It is always worth adding something to the effect that you hold no ill feelings and that you learnt from the experience.

How do you think you would get along with…..?

Sometimes, in the big wide world of interviews, you come across the hatchet man.  This is one of his favourite questions.  Normally, this is a totally dominant character asking this question.  He probably knows the person he is talking about is difficult, or he may want to know if you would have any qualms about firing someone.  The way to play this is simple.  I always think the best approach is to play the “people” card.  For example, “Oh, I’ve never come across anyone that I couldn’t get along with” or “I see firing someone as an absolute last resort, sometimes you have no option, but really, a last resort”.

Interview Questions – How To Answer

You have had an awful lot of different jobs?

This obviously does not apply to everyone, but if your CV does read like a who’s who of British industry, you will have to answer this question to the satisfaction of the interviewer.  Unfortunately, I cannot tell you verbatim what to say here, because it does depend on your exact situation.  However, if you have had a lot of different jobs in a short period of time, the prospective employer is obviously worried about your stability.   It is a major investment from a company’s point of view to take on and train a new member of staff.  Quite rightly they do not want to see that investment walk out of the door again in three or four months time.

It is certainly true that a lot more contract or temporary work exists these days, but you should aim to stress stability and loyalty.  Try to back up the claims with facts or supporting evidence wherever possible.  For example, highlight where you have stayed in the same role for three or four years, or, perhaps, how your record has improved recently.  Again, you must not seek to blame others for your constant moving around.  You need to find the positive and relevant aspects to highlight.

You have been with ABC for twenty years, how will you cope with a change?

This is the other side of the stability coin (you really can’t win, can you?).  I know a little cynical, but don’t forget, it is a bit of a game, and you have to look at it from the interviewers’ point of view.  In this instance he may be worried that you lack drive or ambition, so an idea would  be to stress loyalty.  Loyalty is most definitely an asset.  As long as you can demonstrate that you were continually learning and applying new things, and you were always growing in your career and roles, this should be seen as a positive.  It is almost certain that if you have been with the same company for twenty years, you will have had a number of promotions and, therefore, new responsibilities that will clearly demonstrate this.  Stress these points, and anything else that is positive from your experience.  It is also a good idea to blow your trumpet about how much you have learnt about the given industry during your time in it.

Why should we choose you (rather than any one of the other six candidates we have) for the job?

A regular on the interview question list, and it’s one that you should relish.  This is your chance to show how your skills and abilities match the job in hand.  Use examples of how past experiences relate to the job on offer, and how you have handled relevant situations successfully.  Tell all your success stories, and, again, this is really a question to let loose on.  Give as many reasons as possible to hire you, hold nothing back.  This nearly always comes up, and you should have prepared the answer to this one in advance.

What did you like most about your last job?

Again a question that you should have prepared for in the light of the role for which you are applying.  As always, stress points that show you have relevant experience, and give examples that make you seem a good choice for the position on offer.  You can also follow this up with another play of “the people” card, just to confirm how well you “got on ” with your colleagues.