3 Common Questions in Interviews
What can I do to stand out against other candidates?
While technical skills are solid ground for your job hunting, most of the candidates in fact possess similar skill sets as yours. In order to stand out from the crowd, one has to differentiate him/herself with unique selling points, from Cover letter to Interviews.
Have you worked at multiple geographic locations (broadening your scope)? Are you multi-lingual? Are you specialized in Excel VBA? Have you volunteered in developing countries? Were you an entrepreneur? etc
All these relevant experiences could potentially put you at advantageous position. Do not hesitate to add on your Resume. Culture adding is valued more than culture fitting in the corporate environment nowadays.
“Do you have any questions?”, asked Interviewers
Caution. This is the “Last but not the least” part. To get through the question, you have to demonstrate well understanding on the company and its position, and show your passion. DO NOT ask something like “What does this company do?”.
So, questions like: ‘What would success look like in this role?’, ‘What do you most need from the person who steps into this role?’ and ‘What challenges would you need me to meet to help the organisation meet its objectives?’. Also, don’t be afraid to ask about the culture – an alignment of values is important for both sides!
It’s been a while after the interview but no reply so far.
There is nothing wrong with following up; if anything, it demonstrates that you are highly interested in the role and are a proactive person. Both traits are highly valued by employers. A thank you email directly after an interview is a nice touch and can be complemented by a follow up email after a reasonable amount of time has passed. In your follow up email, make sure you clearly and concisely communicate your enthusiasm for the role and the value you would bring to the company.
When contacting your interviewer, it’s important to remember and respect that they have many other priorities competing for their time. Hiring for this role is not the only thing they are doing; so sometimes, no news is no news.
With this advice in mind, start jotting down some ideas for each question that relate to you and your career journey.
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