Everybody knows that the interview process can be stressful – whether you’re fresh out of University or you’re an old hat looking for a better fit, it can be grueling. We will present Rest Assured Interview Questions here. Now, in 2021, the COVID 19 crisis has completely changed the game. With the entire world’s economy being affected and employees being let go left, right, and center due to budget cuts and bankruptcy, the hiring and firing processes are more intense than ever.
How can new graduates with little to no experience, the newly unemployed who haven’t had to apply for a job in a decade, and everyone in-between deal with this pressure? Well, times are hard, but hopefully, the example questions and tips below can give you some insight into how to prepare for your interviews to minimize the stress of job applications and interviews.
Rest Assured Interview Questions
- Question 1: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself – your background, your passions and how the COVID 19 pandemic has affected you?
With a question like this, it’s best to start with a few straightforward facts: how old you are, where you grew up, what you studied, and what profession you have experience in. Be brief, use short sentences, and don’t waffle on – your interviewer doesn’t need to know the name of your first pet or what your favorite color is! When it comes to your passions, you can elaborate a bit. Tell them about your hopes and dreams, what motivates you to get up in the morning, and what you like to do with your free time! Honesty here is paramount – you are probably the 100th applicant of the day, and they will not appreciate hearing a cookie-cutter line that was said by the five people before you too. In terms of talking about your experience with COVID 19, feel free to draw on the challenges you faced, but avoid getting into too much detail about the negative. Always mirror each challenge with an upside or a lesson to avoid seeming like looking for a pity party!
- Question 2: What are some of the key things your previous experience has taught you?
This question might be difficult for those of you that have only just graduated – but don’t let your lack of experience in an actual profession throw you off! Be confident and tell them about how certain aspects of your studies, internships, or casual work that you feel you learned something from! Even if you have never been hired before, make sure to let them know that you are worth hiring now. For those with solid work experience, be sure to point at a few direct experiences – give examples of positions you have held or responsibilities you have earned and let the interviewer know how they helped you grow within your field and aid you in this possible future position.
- Question 3: Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Wow, ten years…who knows, right? Wrong. Interviewers will be looking for goal-driven, self-assured, and who knows what they want out of life. Even if this may not be entirely true for you – fake it till you make it! Play out a few scenarios in your mind beforehand, pick one, and then tell them about it – and make sure to bring it back to the job you’re applying for. So if you see yourself as the head of division or department who lives in a nice neighborhood, has three kids, and regularly travels, make sure to add that the appeals of said position are the room for growth in the company, the location (and subsequent school district) and the fact that they offer roles with opportunity for travel. That is just one specific example, but the point is – always bring your explanation full circle back to the job you are applying for.
- Question 4: What would you say your greatest success in life so far has been?
This is a tough one, but don’t be intimidated by it! With just a little bit of planning, you can avoid becoming a stuttering, mumbling mess in the interview room! Choose a pivotal moment from your life – any achievement – personal or professional, and describe what you did, what your strengths and strategies it took, and what it taught you in the end. Remember, being proud is a great thing – but avoid using too much detail or too many positive adjectives when referring to yourself. You don’t want to seem arrogant.
- Question 5: What would you say are your weakest qualities?
Once again, here, it is best to lead with honesty. They don’t want to hear that your worst quality is that you are TOO hardworking. They want to know that you have a mature and realistic view of yourself, that you are self-aware, and that you have identified certain aspects of yourself that aren’t perfect – because nobody is! That being said, always add how you plan on working on each aspect – they want to know you are open to growth and change! So if you struggle to work in a team, say so, but then tell them that you are working on this by trying to be more involved in your current circles, that you are working on your communication skills, and that you ultimately want to become more of a team player.
- Question 6: What would you say are your best qualities?
Here it is – the moment you can really talk yourself up! It isn’t boasting if it’s true, right? When it comes to your best qualities, try to use powerful words rather than long, drawn-out explanations. Instead of saying, “I’m great at customer service and work well with people, which makes me a good salesperson,” say, “I have excellent interpersonal communication skills.” Remember that buzz words are used for a reason, and every employer likes the sounds of “disciplined,” “analytical,” “trustworthy,” “goal-orientated,” and “organized.”
- Question 7: Why would you be a good fit for this position specifically?
This may be the most difficult question asked by interviewers everywhere. Here you really need to dig deep – into your past experiences in the field or other fields and into your understanding of what the position really entails. Make sure you have fully taken in what the position requirements and specifications are, what the company itself represents, and their strategies and goals. If you can relate and tie your skills, experiences, personality traits, and personal goals to these specifics, then you’re bound to sound like the perfect fit!
- Question 8: Can you give us an example of a problem or challenge you have faced in your career and tell us what methods and strategies you used to overcome it?
For the new graduates out there – don’t panic. Essentially what they are looking for here is to show that you have systematic, logical, and successful problem-solving strategies. So if you can’t apply it to a work-based situation, apply the question to any challenge you’ve faced in your life in general. If you do have a career-based example in mind, go for it! Start by explaining what the challenge was, how it involved you and who else is affected. Then go on to explaining how you solved the problem – whether you took an aggressive or passive approach, whether you called in a mediator, whether you dealt with it using your advanced communication skills or whether you overcame it through pure analytical reasoning! All your interviewer wants to know is that if you face challenges within their company, you will handle them professionally and efficiently.
- Question 9: What would you consider to be the most important aspect of any working environment?
Although there may be many right answers, I would always go for this one first: COMMUNICATION. The experts aren’t lying when they say that communication is key. When it comes to working for a complex company, under superiors and co-workers, they need to know that you place a high value on communication. You can let them know that you are up to any challenge but that things are bound to fall apart without a good communication system. Explain that you think the working environment should be free of miscommunication, misunderstanding, and the resulting tension. You yourself want to work towards a stress-free and uncomplicated, professional life.
- Question 10: Do you have any questions for us?
This last question – also generally asked at the end of an interview – usually stumps people. You’ve been so busy focusing on answering the questions they could ask YOU that you haven’t even given a thought to what you would like to ask THEM, right? In most cases, they will ask you this, and they will be looking for a direct answer that shows them you are switched on, take the initiative, and are serious about working for them. Start slow with questions about logistics – Will you come to the office every day during the pandemic? Will the company be responsible for your traveling costs? What precautions have they put in place to protect their employees from getting sick? Then move on to the more “nitty-gritty” side of things and ask about their employment policies, what benefits they offer, if there is room to grow from this position, what they are willing to pay you per annum, and so on. Don’t be too pushy, but don’t be shy to ask what you need to have all the information you want.
So, now that you’ve read through these ten possible questions and have absorbed the trade tips and tricks do you feel more prepared? We hope the answer is yes! Always take a few deep breaths before any interview. Remember that the interviewer on the other side of the table, or the screen, is a person just like you who gets nervous sometimes too, and try your best to answer their questions to the best of your ability. If you’ve done the work and the preparation, it will show, and they WILL appreciate it. Lastly, stop to gather yourself during the interview if you need to – this isn’t a sign of weakness – and if you can manage it, smile every once in a while too!
