{"id":340909,"date":"2019-09-15T13:00:01","date_gmt":"2019-09-15T11:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=340909"},"modified":"2019-09-13T13:56:30","modified_gmt":"2019-09-13T11:56:30","slug":"3-interview-questions-job-seekers-struggle-with-the-most","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/business\/340909\/3-interview-questions-job-seekers-struggle-with-the-most\/","title":{"rendered":"3 interview questions job seekers struggle with the most"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s no doubt about it \u2014 interviews are tough. With so much on the line, job seekers often psych themselves out or majorly overthink things, resulting in a sub-par performance.<\/p>\n

The good news, though, is that this is largely avoidable. If you can thoroughly practice beforehand, you\u2019ll be able to get the jitters out, refine your responses and identify the key points you want to mention. With so many different questions asked in interviews, though, you can\u2019t realistically rehearse all of them.<\/p>\n

So where should you focus your efforts? Glassdoor<\/a> spoke to Candace Bracher, a recruiting manager for the Information Technology division at staffing agency Addison Group. Bracher has spoken to thousands of candidates throughout her career, and identified three questions as the ones that candidates most frequently flub.<\/p>\n

Below, Bracher expanded on what these questions are, what makes them so tough and how you can give answers bound to impress recruiters.<\/p>\n

Question #1: Walk me through your resume.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A successful response to this request is key, as it is frequently one of the first things your interviewer will say, if not the first. It may seem pretty straightforward \u2014 you just need to describe what\u2019s on your resume, right? But according to Bracher, running through your resume line by line is a big mistake. Besides eliciting an overly verbose response, this information is redundant.<\/p>\n

\u201cInterviewers do not want you to tell them your responsibilities in all of your positions; they have already read that on your resume. They want to hear about what you\u2019ve accomplished, and how you\u2019ve added value to the organisation,\u201d Bracher said.<\/p>\n

\u201cInterviewers want to hear what added value you can bring. So it is important to use this question as an opportunity to demonstrate prior examples of success.\u201d<\/p>\n

To do this, \u201cfind specific details, responsibilities and accomplishments you\u2019ve had in your background that are applicable to what the job is looking for, and spend time illustrating those examples,\u201d Bracher said.<\/p>\n

Spend some time searching your resume beforehand to identify specific examples related to the bullet points in your work experience section, and try to choose ones that are as relevant as possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cBe mindful of the position you are applying for, and make sure when noting prior accomplishments, that you are focusing on ones that can be pertinent to the position,\u201d Bracher said.<\/p>\n

Question #2: What is your greatest weakness?<\/strong><\/p>\n

This question has stumped many a job seeker before due to its deceptive nature.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany think they should highlight their strengths [in the] form of a weakness (e.g. \u2018My greatest weakness is that I work too hard\u2019),\u201d Bracher said. \u201cAnother common mistake is denial\u201d \u2014 after all, who wants to highlight one of their shortcomings when they\u2019re trying to convince their interviewer to give them a job?<\/p>\n

But interviewers don\u2019t expect candidates to be infallible, Bracher said.<\/p>\n

\u201cProspective employers ask this question to gauge both a candidate\u2019s honesty, and self-awareness. A better way to answer this question is by being honest, but mindful not to overshare,\u201d she explains. \u201cFor example, maybe your weakness is that you struggle with collaboration, and prefer to do projects by yourself.<\/p>\n

Instead of saying \u2018I do not like teamwork,\u2019 you could say something like \u2018I struggle with sharing projects, or tasks with others, because I think I can manage the project on my own.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Regardless of which growth area you share, you should make it clear that it\u2019s not so severe that it will interfere with your ability to do the job.<\/p>\n

\u201cProspective employers want to be reassured that despite these weaknesses, your productivity will not be in question. Remember \u2013 you want to be mindful of your weaknesses, but also demonstrate the capability of overcoming them to prevent them from interfering with your productivity,\u201d Bracher said.<\/p>\n

Question #3: Do you have any questions for us?<\/strong><\/p>\n

When I was still new to the workforce, I viewed this question as being purely for my own benefit. If I felt I had gotten sufficient information from the person I was speaking with, I would let them know that I didn\u2019t have anything I wanted to ask. But this question isn\u2019t just an opportunity for you to learn more about the position at hand \u2014 it\u2019s an opportunity for your interviewers to gauge how thoughtful and passionate you are about the job.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy far one of the biggest, and most common mistakes a candidate can make, is saying no to this question. If you have not prepared any questions for the interviewers, they may interpret this as a lack of interest or engagement in the prospective position,\u201d Bracher said.<\/p>\n

The simple fix? Draft a few questions beforehand.<\/p>\n

\u201cMake sure you have prepared a list of questions for the interviewer. These may be questions about the role, or the work environment. Preferably, the questions you are asking will demonstrate an interest in both the role and the company,\u201d Bracher said.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor example, it is a good idea to ask questions that surround specifics about the responsibilities and expectations, while avoiding questions that are overly self-serving, such as salary-related questions.\u201d<\/p>\n

A few questions you might want to ask in particular include:<\/p>\n