Rule 101 of Interviews is that you should check the candidate’s aptitude and skills and their workplace behavior, ethics, and leadership qualities. A candidate must also keep this rule in mind and expect questions on every possible genre. There are certain interview topics that you must be prepared with which will assess your complete development. Here are some important topics that interviewers must use for a comprehensive assessment of their candidates.
Interview Topics in 2021
- Small Talk
In almost all English-speaking countries, an interview usually starts with small talk before cutting into the real deal. Here are some small talk topics that you must check out before attending an interview to prepare yourself for small talk.
- Work
The questions related to work may include how long you have worked at your past company or what do you think of the working hours at your previous job, and so on. While answering these types of questions, the important thing to keep in mind is that you must not blame or comment negatively on that company. If you do that, your interviewer might believe you are a pessimist who might trash it too later if appointed in their company. Every place and job might have its positives and negatives. Even while you are speaking of something unpleasant, please keep an open mind and twist it to positivity.
- Books or Articles
This question might be related to either a recently famous article or a book, or it can be a must-read in the field of your perspective job. Suppose you are updated on all your reading, well and good. But at least get prepared with some reviews or important points from some books or articles that have a chance to be a part of a question. If you haven’t read a book and only heard the reviews, never lie about it. Just explain your point of view concerning the review that you read.
- Sports
Keep up with the sports popular in your area. For example, if you are interviewing in the USA, check out the important sports running there in the season. If you are not a sports fan, don’t be afraid to say so, but having a basic understanding of what is going on around you is a sign of empathy and is important.
- Travel
The interviewer might be making small talk by asking you about vacation trips or about visiting any fascinating country. If you are not a native American and attending an interview there, a question might come asking how many places have you visited in the USA so far. Answering these questions pleasantly is a great way to sound optimistic and confident.
- Functional Expertise
Experience is a major concern for every job opportunity. You need to qualify a certain level of expertise through practice for any job. Surely, the interviewer will include questions to analyze your functional expertise. Here are some major topics you need to look after.
- Technical Skills: The world is advancing towards a technology-driven atmosphere. In this era, it is a necessity to know basic technical skills for any job. Working experience with specific computer programs facilitating your desired job will give you an edge in the screening process. Even if you don’t have experience, try to learn the technical skills that you might need for the job. Present it with confidence in your answer.
- Capability: Questions measuring capability and critical thinking fall under the category of expertise along with leadership quality. Questions like “provide an example of the time when you handled conflict in workspace” are intended to measure your capability in dealing with a real-life crisis. While answering these questions, make sure to structure the answers by describing the situation, elaborating the task, the action you implemented, and the final result (the STAR technique).
- Depth of knowledge in the area of expertise: Be sure to face the most percentage of questions from your particular area of expertise. The interviewer will test you without a doubt if you can do the task you claim to be an expert. So, having in-depth knowledge in your area of expertise is important.
- Certifications
Having legitimate certifications on various relevant topics can get you an extra impression. Try to take modern courses that explain cutting-edge technologies in relevant areas.
- Education
Questions related to your degree, school/college, majored subjects can be asked in an interview. These questions are mostly easy to answer, so you must ensure confidence while showing your confidence in any subject under question.
- Leadership Capabilities
Analyzing a person’s leadership quality is a great way to understand his/her natural behavior and team spirit. Here are some interesting topics that an interviewer might ask questions on to assess your leadership quality.
- Preferred management style: When the interviewer asks you your management style, the answer should be clear and to the point. You can maybe tell a story about handling an issue or a crisis in your workplace. You can use the STAR method for effective storytelling. Whenever you answer, support your statement with a reason suiting to you. The effectiveness of justification can land in a good impression.
- Adjusting management style based on employee feedback: Being uptight every time is not a good leader’s quality. You need to change your strategies according to your team’s development. Answering this question with positivity and open-mindedness will make you a good teammate too.
- Taking the initiative: A good leader can come up and take the lead, not trail behind anyone’s interest. When the interviewer asks about your willingness to take up new initiatives, answer positively and reflect the same in your work. But always look up to doing the job well, not doing all the jobs. If the question is “you have a lot of responsibilities, and if you are given additional ones, will you take it” you should answer with precision that you cannot take additional work if it affects your present responsibility.
- Understanding the whole person: To get an idea of you as a person, the interviewer might ask personal questions which cannot be classified as small talk. They completely reflect your personality and interests. Let us take a look at some of the important topics under this category.
- Career Goals
“Where do you see yourself in five years” is a standard question that very much reflects your entire personality. For answering that, you must be prepared beforehand. Ensure the career goals you want to follow and create a connection between your ambition and the job you are applying for. Always claim to expand your current expertise and knowledge.
- Role Model or Mentor
Asking about your role model is a great way to analyze your ethical standards. A role model needn’t necessarily be famous. It can be your teacher, family member, or anyone who inspired you not to be him/her but for yourself. Also, there is no restriction that a role model or mentor should be one single person. You can have more than one role model and mentor.
- Stress Management
Ways that you use to cope with stressful situations will play an important role in your attitude towards others. Make sure that the tension you experience is not affecting anyone around you. Answer this question by explaining simple hobbies or other coping mechanisms that are positive.
- Work-Life Balance
The questions around this category might include analyzing your idea of defining success and about the clear line of work and life beyond that. Make sure that you value your work as well as your family in your answer.
Conclusion
Knowing about the possible questions is the key to cracking any exam. When it comes to interviewing, the personal assessment exam, you have to be extra cautious about the possible questions and answers. Having a keen understanding of what is needed from you is important before attending any interview. Make sure to have confidence in the words you say.
Also read Amazon Program Manager Interview Questions 2021
