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  • Hi, everybody.

  • My name is Richard McMunn and welcome to this tutorial, which is my Top 21 Interview Questions

  • for 2020!

  • So, the year 2020 is upon us and these are the questions that are being asked right now

  • across all job interviews.

  • I can assure you, if you watch this tutorial from beginning to end, not only will you know

  • the interview questions that you're going to be asked, I'm also going to give you some

  • great tips for scoring highly, beating the competition and above all, passing your job

  • interviews.

  • Before I get into those top 21 interview questions, a very warm welcome to this interview training

  • tutorial.

  • My name is Richard McMunn.

  • That's me there in the center, the bald chap!

  • I've been helping people for about 20 years now to pass their interviews.

  • And as I say, in this tutorial, we're going to focus on the TOP 21 INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

  • and tips to make sure you pass.

  • Please do SUBSCRIBE to the channel by clicking the red button below the video.

  • That way, you are not going to miss out on any of the weekly training videos that I'm

  • uploading.

  • And I would also very much appreciate your support if you gave the video a LIKE.

  • Thank you very much.

  • Okay.

  • Let's get straight into it.

  • Take notes as I progress - there is plenty to go through here.

  • First question.

  • Interview question number one isTELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF?

  • So, that is this is going to be the first interview question.

  • You walk into the interview room, you sit down.

  • They say, welcome to the interview.

  • So, start off and tell me about yourself?

  • How do you answer that question?

  • Here are some tips.

  • Make sure you focus purely on your work abilities.

  • Don't talk about what you get up to outside of work.

  • They are not interested - focus purely on your work abilities, and use powerful words

  • and phrases in your answers, such as “I am hard working”, “I'm enthusiastic”,

  • “I'm committed and professional”.

  • Use those keywords and phrases to score highly.

  • Tell them why they should hire you.

  • You could say – “You should hire me because I will learn the job quickly and I will start

  • contributing positively to the team in as fast a time as possible.”

  • So that's the first interview question.

  • The second one, interview question number two is

  • WHY DO YOU WANT TO WORK FOR US?

  • Why have you chosen our company?

  • Why do you want to work for us?

  • Here are my tips for answering this to score highly.

  • Focus on three things during your answer to this interview question.

  • Say the fact they have exciting plans for the future appeals to you.

  • So you've gone on their website.

  • You can see they are a highly-trusted and respected company and they have exciting plans

  • for the future, and you'd like to be a part of those.

  • Say the fact that they have a ‘strong reputationin the industry is also appealing to you because

  • you have high standards and also the fact you feel your skills, qualities and attributes

  • will be put to good use whilst working for them.

  • So, when they say to you, why do you want to work for us, you can say, “Well, I want

  • to work for you for three specific reasons.”

  • and then tell them those three reasons.

  • Next question.

  • Interview question number three: “What are your strengths?” orWhat are you good

  • at doing?”

  • We need to give them strengths which are appealing to them.

  • So how do we answer that?

  • Make sure you read the job advert or the job description prior to going along to the interview,

  • and then match your strengths to the ones that are listed there.

  • So, for example, if one of the key requirements for the role you're being interviewed for

  • is to work as part of a team, say one of my strengths is I'm great working with other

  • people to complete difficult tasks on time, or let's assume one of the key requirements

  • of the role is delivering customer service.

  • You can say, I'm great at always putting customers first and I will go out of my way to do a

  • great job for them.

  • So, that's the first tip - read the job advert and then list your strengths with the ones

  • that are on there.

  • A great strength to use if you are struggling to find one is, you know, my strength is my

  • ability to take on and complete multiple tasks whilst I am working under pressure.

  • That's very attractive to any hiring manager or employer.

  • Another great strength is your ability to always put the customer first.

  • And also, it is important that you understand how important customer service is to the success

  • of their company.

  • Essentially, if businesses don't have customers (and returning customers), they will go out

  • of business and you as an employee have to deliver great customer service.

  • Next question.

  • Question number four: WHAT'S YOUR BIGGEST WEAKNESS?

  • Guaranteed to be an interview question during your interview!

  • But again, we have to be very careful how we answer this question.

  • So here's some tips.

  • Make sure you do actually give a weakness.

  • So I've been in interviews before where I've interviewed people and say: What's your weakness?

  • They say, I don't really have any weaknesses.

  • Those people who say that, they are not being truthful, we all have weaknesses.

  • However, the two important things here are the fact that you are aware which weaknesses

  • you have, and also what you are doing to rectify them.

  • Do not give a weakness that is a match for the job description or the person specification.

  • Look at the job advert and if you have to work under pressure to complete difficult

  • tasks, then don't say: “Well, my weakness is I'm not very good at working under pressure.”

  • Because you will not get the job!

  • So, my favorite weakness to give in this kind of scenario where you're responding to the

  • interview question, what are your biggest weaknesses?

  • I would say: “I have been criticized before in the past for my inability to say no to

  • people.

  • I'm usually the first person to volunteer and put my hand up to do additional tasks,

  • and I sometimes get overloaded with work.”

  • If you said that to me, yes, that is a weakness because you can't say no.

  • But if you're working for me and you're always going to sayyesto jobs, that's very

  • attractive to me as an employer; I would want you working for me.

  • Question number five, WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN FIVE YEARSTIME?

  • There is one specific reason they want to ask you this question.

  • Only one reason.

  • They are going to be spending time, investing money and resources training you up in the

  • role, and then if you leave within 12 months, they've got to find someone else.

  • And it's not easy to find the right person, going through a recruitment selection process.

  • So they want you to stay there for a long period of time.

  • When you're answering this question, you have to say you're going to still be working for

  • them.

  • That's very important.

  • Say you expect to be competent in the role and well-respected by your work colleagues,

  • supervisors and peers.

  • So if they said, where do you see yourself in five years time, I would be saying, “Well,

  • first of all, I still expect to be working within this role and to be competent and well

  • respected by my work colleagues, managers and supervisors.”

  • I would also then go on and say: “I would also be willing to help train up other people

  • in similar roles to this one, due to the length of time I will have been here and also the

  • experience I would have gained within the role.”

  • So that would be my model answer to that question.

  • By the way, I hope you are you are enjoying this tutorial.

  • Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE.

  • And again, if you would hit that LIKE button, I’d very much appreciate that!

  • Thank you.

  • Question number six of our top twenty one interview questions for 2020.

  • Why do you want to leave your job?

  • Difficult question, but there is an easy way to answer this.

  • So, why do you want to leave your job?

  • Here are some tips.

  • Do not, under any circumstances, criticize or be disrespectful to your work colleagues

  • or your manager.

  • Don't say I want to leave my job because I just don't get on with the team, or they don't

  • understand me.

  • There is a better way to answer this.

  • A good thing to say is

  • Basically I am now ready for a new challenge where my skills and qualities are going to

  • be put to good use.”

  • So, you will leave your previous job on good terms and with fond memories of the great

  • things you achieved whilst with your previous employer.

  • You have to put yourself in the shoes of the interviewer.

  • What do they want you to say?

  • That's the key tip for passing any interview.

  • If you were interviewing me and you said, why do I want to leave my job?

  • And I said I didn't really get on with my boss.

  • You don't know the circumstances surrounding that situation, or all you hear is me being

  • negative.

  • OK, so we need to avoid that at all costs.

  • Interview question number seven.

  • When have you delivered excellent customer service?

  • So, this is a behavioral type interview question, a tough interview question.

  • My advice is to make sure you give a SPECIFIC EXAMPLE of when you have delivered great customer

  • service, and you do that by using what's called the STAR technique.

  • When you construct your answer, use SITUATION, TASK ACTION and RESULT.

  • I'll give you an example of that in a second.

  • So, here is my sample answer to the interview question: When have you delivered excellent

  • customer service?

  • Here we go.

  • Whilst working in a previous job, I helped a customer who was having problems choosing

  • a product specific to their needs.

  • I spent time explaining the products we had available, and which ones in my opinion, would

  • be most suited to their needs.

  • Although it took me longer than usual to deal with the customer, I felt it was important

  • to provide outstanding customer service in line with my employer’s customer service

  • values.

  • Once I had finished helping the customer, they thanked me for the time I had taken ensuring

  • they got the right products and they then went away and left a positive review online.”

  • That's a specific scenario utilizing situation, task, action and a positive result at the

  • end.

  • Interview question number eight.

  • What would you do if you didn't get on with someone within your team?

  • This is pre-empting some form of conflict.

  • What would you do if you didn't get on with someone in your team?

  • Now, some people will say, well, to be honest, it wouldn't be my problem.

  • It would be their problem.

  • I get on with everybody.

  • I would just leave them and just get on with my job.

  • That's not what you want to be saying here!

  • How do you answer this question?

  • First and foremost, be the better person.

  • Say you would tackle the situation positively with a view to resolving any conflict quickly.

  • Now remember this.

  • The aims and goals of your employer, the company you are working for, must always come first.

  • Any form of conflict in the workplace is counter-productive.

  • It's negative.

  • So, you should be the one who sorts it out quickly.

  • Now, if you can't sort it out, you would always act with professionalism at all times, and

  • you do all you could to get on with the person for the sake of the team.

  • The important thing here is to always put the team first and the company you are working

  • for.

  • Question number nine of our top twenty one interview questions for 2020.

  • How do you handle pressure?

  • Some people can't handle pressure.

  • The way to handle pressure is to understand what it is and how to prioritize your task.

  • Say

  • “I understand that pressure is all part and parcel of everyday working life, and I

  • actually perform really well whilst I'm under pressure.”

  • And then the best way to work under pressure is to follow these three things.

  • Number one, say I priority prioritize which tasks are the most important ones which I

  • need to do first.

  • Then I will draw up a list of priority tasks and by what time and date they have to be

  • completed by.

  • And then number three, I will work solidly and put in the extra hours if needed, to get

  • the task done, within the set timeframe.

  • That shows you have a logical approach to handling pressure in the workplace.

  • Interview question number 10.

  • Why should we hire you?

  • This is sometimes posed in a different way.

  • Why should we hire you over the other applicants?

  • The best way to answer this is simply to say this.

  • “I have read the job description in detail and I strongly believe I have the necessary

  • skills, qualities, attributes to carry out the job to a very high standard, and if you

  • hire me, I will work hard to fit into the team so I can start contributing positively

  • in a very quick timescale.”

  • That's a short, punchy and positive statement that would be attractive to any interviewer

  • or recruiting manager!

  • Interview Question number eleven.

  • When have you worked as part of a team?

  • So again, it's a behavioral type interview question.

  • Make sure once again you use a star technique of situation task action result and when creating

  • an answer to questions that are based around team working.

  • Make sure you say that you listened to the brief, that you allocated team tasks based

  • on each team members strengths.

  • You then worked hard as part of a team to do your particular job to the highest standards

  • possible.

  • You then supported other team members and you also worked really hard to achieve a successful

  • outcome.

  • That's how you should answer questions based around teamwork.

  • Question number twelve: What didn't you like about your last job?

  • This is a difficult question and it is okay, I suppose, to say – “Well, there wasn’t

  • really much I disliked”, but it's better to give something that you didn't like.

  • So, don't say you didn't like your manager or a particular member of the team or a work

  • colleague.

  • Avoid that at all costs.

  • But you could say this: “There wasn't really anything I disliked; however, I sometimes

  • found my employer's lack of ambition slightly frustrated me as I felt they could have achieved

  • so much more.

  • I'm actually quite a positive and enthusiastic person, and I would have loved it if their

  • future plans would have been more ambitious.”

  • That shows that you are somebody who is ambitious and enthusiastic, which is very attractive

  • to any employer.

  • Or you could even say this

  • Well, there wasn't really anything I disliked.

  • However, I felt my skills and qualities were not always used to their full potential.

  • Whilst I always did my job properly, professionally and on time, I felt I could have done so much

  • more for my employer, given the opportunity.”

  • That just shows that you're in a job where your skills are not being used to their full

  • advantage, but you're going to work for this company that you're being interviewed for,

  • and they have the opportunity to really use somebody who is positive and enthusiastic!

  • Interview question number 13: What three things would your last boss say about you?

  • So, what three things would your last boss say about you?

  • They might say that you were reliable, trustworthy, and when you were given a job, he or she knew

  • it would get done to the right standard and on time.

  • That's a great thing.

  • Or they could say that: “The standards of work you delivered were the benchmark for

  • others to followthat’s a brilliant thing to say!

  • The standards of work that you delivered with the benchmark for other people to follow.”

  • Or, that your positive, professional and hardworking nature always rubbed off on others, and that

  • he or she could rely on you to do your job properly on time and to the standards expected.

  • So you can take a note to those three things and use them when you are asked the interview

  • question: What three things would your last boss say about you?

  • Interview question fourteen of our top twenty one interview questions.

  • What are your salary expectations?

  • Now, this would normally come towards the end of the interview, and if you are asked

  • this tough interview question, this is how to approach it, because what you don't want

  • to do is to give a low salary that you are kicking yourself later on for because you'll

  • be stuck with that salary for at least 12 months!

  • But also, you don't want to go in overconfident and say something that is unattractive to

  • them.

  • So here's how to do it.

  • First and foremost, do some research, go online and see what the standard average salary is

  • for your role within the industry.

  • So a great website to do that research is GlassDoor.comthat will give you the range

  • of salaries for your particular area, for your job, the job that you're applying for.

  • So then, let's assume the salary range for your job is, for example, $21,000 to $27,000.

  • You could say, I believe that I'm worth the top range of $27,000, but I am prepared to

  • take a slightly lower salary of $25,000 because I understand I have to prove that I'm going

  • to be a great fit for the role.

  • So that is a good option to follow.

  • So, you've done some research to say the salary range for this job is twenty one thousand

  • - twenty seven thousand.

  • I believe I am worth the top range.

  • However, I understand you know you are employing me.

  • You don't know me yet.

  • I have to prove to you, so I'm prepared to take a slightly lower salary of $25,000 and

  • I'll prove to you how good I am, and that gives you a salary that you're happy with.

  • But then later on down the line, if you're really good in your job, you can then go back

  • and say, okay, I've done a great job for the last 12 months, will you increase my salary?

  • So that works for you.

  • And that also, more importantly, works for them as well.

  • Interview question number 15.

  • Can you give me an example of a difficult situation you faced in a previous job and

  • how you dealt with it?

  • So, can you give me an example of a difficult situation you faced in a previous job and

  • how you dealt with it?

  • So, the latter part, how you deal with it is really important.

  • Here's a great answer to this tough interview question.

  • “I was working as part of a team when my manager came in and told us all the deadline

  • for completion of the project had been cut significantly.

  • This meant we now had only seven days to complete the project successfully.

  • I approached the situation by being positive, putting in the extra hours needed to complete

  • the project and by also motivating the other members of the team to do the same.”

  • If you want to pause the video at this point and write that down, please feel free to do

  • so.

  • That's a great answer to that tough interview question.

  • Question number 16.

  • Explain the gaps in your employment?

  • This is a tough one, a very, very tough one.

  • But first and foremost, always be honest and upfront about why you had time away from work.

  • And the reason is, being honest is an attractive quality to any employer.

  • So, most people will be dishonest, but you don't want to get caught out because if you

  • do later on down the line, there is a strong opportunity or strong chance you will lose

  • your job.

  • So be honest.

  • But the key here is to think about what are good reasons to be off.

  • So maybe you did some volunteering while you were off?

  • Maybe you traveled where you were experiencing different cultures?

  • Maybe you have to be out of work, unfortunately, to look after sick or ill relatives, or maybe

  • you are raising or supporting your family?

  • The key is to try and reframe the reasons why you were off by saying the time I had

  • off enabled me to improve my existing skill set and I now believe I'm a much better or

  • more focused employee for that experience.

  • Question 17, interview question 17.

  • What's your greatest achievement to date?

  • So if they say to you, what's your greatest achievement to date, think of a work-related

  • situation that you were in that helped the employer.

  • So give them an achievement where there was a massive benefit to the company you were

  • working for.

  • So you could say: “My greatest achievement to date has to be the time I worked as part

  • of a team to secure additional sales contracts for my employer.

  • We’d worked really hard as part of a team to win the contracts and it put our employer

  • in a great position for the future.”

  • You are answering that question intelligently if you use something like that because you're

  • putting yourself in the shoes of the interviewer, which as I've said all along during this tutorial,

  • that's really, really important.

  • Interview question 18: What would you do in the first 30 days of starting?

  • So they give you the job.

  • What would you do in the first 30 days?

  • This is important to have already considered what you will do in the position.

  • And this interview question catches a lot of people out, but not you.

  • You're going to focus on three things as follows.

  • “I would concentrate on three things: First of all, I would obtain a full brief from you,

  • my manager, on what you expected from me and the standards I needed to work to.

  • Secondly, I would get to know my team really well so I could understand the type of things

  • I could do to start contributing positively to the organizations goals quickly; and finally,

  • I would look to complete my first important project or task in the fastest time possible

  • to show you what I am capable of within the role, and to also repay the faith you have

  • shown in me by employing me in the position.”

  • When you're answering the interview question, what would you do in the first 30 days of

  • starting?

  • Focus on those three things to get the highest scores possible interview.

  • Question number 19: When have you had a disagreement with your manager?

  • This is a tough, tough interview question because we all disagree with our managers,

  • but it's how we disagree that's important.

  • You might decide to say something like this: “Following a team meeting I disagreed with

  • a proposal my manager had put forward.

  • I decided to speak to him in private to offer an alternative suggestion.

  • I explained to him, in a respectful and professional manner, the reasons why I disagreed with him,

  • and that I thought there might be some mileage in exploring the option I had come up with.

  • He listened to my suggestions but decide not to go ahead with them, which I totally respected.

  • I think it’s always good to say if you disagree with something, providing you put the needs

  • of the company first and you do it with respect and professionalism.”

  • Because I don't want to employ someone who is just going to agree with everything I say.

  • I want to be challenged at times, but I want somebody to challenge me in a positive way.

  • And if I don't agree with them, I want them to respect that also.

  • So, that's a great answer to that interview question.

  • Interview question 20.

  • What motivates you?

  • This, on the surface, seems like a very easy interview question to answer.

  • But you have to be careful what you say here.

  • So these are the things.

  • This is what I would say when someone says to me, what motivates you?

  • I would say three things motivate me: doing a great job for my employer, continually improving

  • within my role and also feeling that I'm continually contributing and adding value to the company

  • I am working for.

  • Those are three great things to say!

  • So again, pause the video if you want to write those down.

  • You can use that within your answer to the interview questionWhat motivates you?”

  • Question 21: Do you have any questions for the panel?

  • You get to the end of your interview.

  • You've answered all the questions.

  • This question can ruin it for people!

  • They either don't ask any questions, or they ask silly questions.

  • But you are going to ask smart questions that cap off the interview and put you across as

  • the person they need to hire.

  • So, what questions are you going to going to ask?

  • Here we go.

  • Number one, what would you need me to concentrate on in the first few weeks of starting?

  • You're already thinking about being in the role and helping the employer achieve their

  • goals.

  • Next question, what are the future plans for the company and do you have any exciting products

  • or services being launched soon?

  • That shows that you are interested in their future.

  • And then: What's frustrated you about previous employees who occupied the same role that

  • I'm being interviewed for today?

  • Already you're thinking about doing things the right way and to the satisfaction of your

  • manager.

  • I would only ask two or three questions.

  • Pick them from those if you want to, to gain the highest scores.

  • Thank you for watching.

  • I hope you've enjoyed that!

  • If you click the link below the video, you can get answers to loads of interview questions

  • from from my website, PassMyInterview.com.

  • I hope you've enjoyed that tutorial.

  • I very much appreciate the support.

  • Don't forget to subscribe and I'd appreciate it if you hit the LIKE button.

  • Thanks, guys.

  • Have a brilliant day and I hope you pass your interview.

  • All the best!

Hi, everybody.

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