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Job Interview Preparation | Cheat Sheet

Job Interview Preparation

I believe the saying “fail to prepare, prepare to fail” is very appropriate when it comes to job interview success. Having said this, sometimes we just don’t have enough time to prepare for job interviews. Job interviews can be set at short notice or a busy schedule limits our time to prepare effectively.

Stuck for time, then here is some good advice. I believe it’s possible to predict many of the questions you’ll face at a traditional interview. They’ll fall into three categories – CV questions, common questions and job spec questions.

CV Questions – It’s important to review your CV – dates of employment, reason for moving jobs and key achievements/highlights. Here are some of the popular CV based questions.

Talk me through your CV?
Tell me about “x” role?
Why are you leaving current role? (Why did you leave your last role?)
What have you been doing since you left your last role? (If relevant)
Tell me about your qualifications and training?
What do you do outside of work?

Common Questions – These interview questions come up over and over again. People often call them “difficult interview questions”.

Why do you want this job? / Why do you want to work for our company?
Why should we hire you?
What you know about our company?
Do you have any questions?
What are your strengths/weakness?
What are your salary expectations?
Define your career goals?

Job Spec Questions – Prepare to be questioned about any point highlighted on the job specification. You should be very familiar with the job spec prior to interview. You should address each point on the job spec and sift up relevant examples, achievements and experience. Knowing the job spec will help you focus during interview. Sifting up examples/achievements will minimise the amount of thinking you’ll have to do during interview.

Paul Mullan is a leading interview coach. He has helped many job seekers successfully navigate job interviews to land new jobs. Paul offers challenging mock interviews and practical interview preparation advice. He will ensure you maximise your performance at interview.

Call 0871223308 or email to book an interview coaching session

Job Interview Preparation – Dublin, Meath, Louth, Kildare, Wicklow, Ireland

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