Hi, this is Eric with more help for ex-offenders and felons looking for jobs. Today we are going to talk about, how to handle tough interview questions. Employers, conduct interviews to meet the person behind the application or the resume. It is his responsibility to hire not only the person with the right skills but a person who cannot fit with the rest of the organization and give him what he pays employees for.
The person who can best convince the employer that he fill his wants will get the job. Ex-offender stand a better chance of giving a job by understanding exactly what employers are looking for. From experience I can tell you that aside from the skills to get the job done, he is looking for;
Communication skills, the ability to get ideas across both verbally and in writing in a way that is easy to understand.
Honesty or integrity, the refusal to lie, steal or deceive regardless of circumstance.
Strong work ethic, to be conscientious about doing a good job not because others are watching but because you take pride in what you do.
Team works skills, the ability to work well as part of the team to achieve a common goal.
Interpersonal skills, the ability to understand and interact well with others.
Self motivation or initiative, a personal desire to set and achieve goals.
Flexibility or adaptability, the ability to adjust to change, think creatively and solve problems effectively and quickly. It also is the ability to work well with others who are different from you.
Dependability, committed to arrive to work everyday on time and ready to work.
Positive attitude, demonstration of enthusiasm through words and actions.
Keep these principles in mind as you think about answer to these questions you are likely to hear on your next interview.
Tell me about yourself? This is often the most difficult question because most people are unsure how to answer it. Think of your best qualities and focus on them.
What do you know about our company? It is a good idea to get some basic knowledge of the company. How long they have been in business, exactly what they do, how many employees, they have. You can easily get this information by giving the company a call and just asking the receptionist or whoever answers the phone.
Why do you want to work here? He wants to get a feel for your motivations about wanting this job.
What are your biggest strengths? He is looking for some things about you that will work for him.
What is your biggest weakness? This is a tricky question that interviewers that use to weed out applicants. He is looking for honesty but do not put yourself down, remember the interview is a time to sell yourself so you are really not going to tell him any glaring weakness you have. You could use some really unimportant weakness. If the job does not include typing, you can say that you do not type very well. Just no big weakness is going to keep you from getting this job.
Why did you leave your last job? Never say anything negative about a former job or boss. It will make you look like a troublemaker. It is okay, to say that a job just did not work out.
I see you have been to prison, tell me about that. This question may come up, simply talk about how regretful you are about some past mistakes and what you have learned from your experiences. People are really forgiving, if you sound honest and convincing that you are really sorry; you did some things and that you really made some important effort to change, people are really forgiving.
How much money are you looking for? This is another question that used to weed out applicants. Only talk about money if somebody offers you a job, never mention a dollar figure. The best answer is, I want as much as you can afford to pay me.
And finally, this is usually the last question on the interview, do you have any questions for me? Most people answer no to this question. Show that you are interested by asking questions about the job duties.
Understanding what employers are looking for will allow you to focus your answers around these principles. You must be able to relate your skills and attitudes to best fit the needs of the employer. Being able to do this in a confident manner will land you a job.
