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Interview Answers – How to Give Winning Answers to Interview Questions Every Time

By Annette Lewis

Doing well in a job interview has nothing to do with luck!

Neither is it simply a question of experience. Nor is it a measure of your suitability for the job.

Unfair as it may seem, succeeding in an interview has everything to do with giving winning interview answers to what are very often predictable questions.

The fact is the same interview questions arise time and again.

Get your interview answers right and you greatly increase your chances of a job offer. But where do you begin?

Here are some easy to remember tips which will help you create winning answers to interview questions every time.

Always use “I”: The interviewer wants to hear about you and your achievements so always use ‘I’ when giving interview answers. Use it even if the task was a group achievement, avoiding the use of ‘We’ as this can suggest that you were not heavily involved.

Blow your own Trumpet: Avoid the use of qualifying phrases which weaken your answer, for example if asked about your strengths, avoid statements such as:

“Well, I think I am quite good at communicating”

A more powerful interview answer is one which is direct and clear such as:

“I am an excellent communicator.”

Giver not a Taker: Be mindful at all times that the interviewer is interested in what you can do for them as an employer and not the other way around. So for example, when asked why you want the job, it is better to say:

‘I have a, b and c skills to bring to this role.’

rather than

‘It is a good career move for me’ or ‘The salary is higher than my current one.’

Answer the question that has been asked: Keep your interview answers relevant and avoid the temptation to give an unrelated response no matter how useful you think the information is. This can give the impression either that you have not listened to the interview question or that you are unfocussed and unable to communicate effectively.

Give Examples: Very often you will be asked to talk about situations where you demonstrated a particular skill and it is wise to prepare relevant and recent examples in advance. Stay focused and give relevant, brief and concise responses.

Demonstrate all your Skills: When giving examples in your interview answer, choose scenarios which demonstrate more than one key skill. For example, if the question is asking you to talk about a time when you demonstrated good interpersonal skills, talk about a situation where you used these skills effectively but also demonstrates maybe your Leadership skills AND your Managerial Effectiveness AND your Planning Skills. Use this technique selectively however, avoiding the temptation to fill every answer with every single skill you can think of.

How to Give Perfect Answers In Your Interview

So, how would you answer tough interview questions such as 'What are your weaknesses?' or 'Why should we hire you instead of the other candidates?'.

And, how confident do you feel about answering Competency Based or Behavioural questions, both very commonly used at present.

For expert help with answering these difficult questions, we recommend InterviewGOLD™ a great online interview skills course that has helped thousands of candidates get jobs. Easy to use online system Video Practice Interviews Interactive Mock Interviews Questions with Model Answers All specific to your job and level Created by Recruitment Specialists

Want to Answer Any Interview Question Confidently and Easily?
Click here to learn how » 

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About the Author

Annette Lewis is an accredited interviewer and has recruited for many organisations within Healthcare, Education, Customer Services and Banking.

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