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Interviews: How to Answer some of those Awkward --
and All Too Common -- Questions
Originally By Susan Akers
Careers Advisor
Northern Territory University
HORROR QUESTION NO. 1 - Where do you start? Do you give an autobiographical rendition? Why didn't they narrow the question down for you?
Some interviewers believe this is an excellent question to begin with, because it is supposed to give you the opportunity to relax because you should be talking about something that you have in-depth knowledge about - YOU. Instead you usually send most interviewees into mental contortions.
That is why it is one of the questions that I use in my interview seminars.
I recommend that interviewees break the question down for themselves into -
a) work and study background; and
b) leisure and home activities.
Work and Study:
With a) of course you should concentrate on how the skills you have picked up from your work experiences and your studies relate to the position. If you are a mature aged student you don't necessarily want to present everything you have down, so you could skim over the first few years and concentrate on the most relevant positions you have held and explain how
your studies have enhanced your knowledge of current practices in the field
you are studying. For example:
"Well early on in my career I gained extensive experience working in
government where I was required to write submissions and deal with internal
and external organisations. I moved onto ... where I further developed my
writing skills by ... and also learned about ... More recently, I've been
working with ... where I am responsible for ... and this has involved me
in .... I've really found my studies have helped me to ... in this area.
Leisure and home activities:
I play social basketball on a regular basis and really enjoy being with people who like competition but also like having fun. I also like ....
Also by asking you this question, employers get you to reveal more about the 'real you', your values and your attitudes. With a more formal question you probably would have not revealed so much.
HORROR QUESTION NO. 2
Even though we in Australia as in the USA, have tight anti-discrimination and equal employment opportunity legislation, some interviewers (usually the more inexperienced) can ask questions that could be regarded as sexist/racist. For example, I have had several young female graduates asked this question:
"I suppose in a couple of years time, you'll be wanting to get married and start a family?"
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