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  • Hi there everybody.

  • It's Richard McMunn again from the career guidance company, How2Become.com.

  • And in this video, I'm gonna give you my top 10 interview questions and also the answers.

  • So if you're going for any kind of interview whatsoever, I strongly urge you to watch this

  • video from beginning to end because it's certainly gonna help you beat the competition at your

  • interview.

  • So quickly, just a bit about me.

  • That's me there with a bald head.

  • My name is Richard McMunn, a very warm welcome to you guys.

  • I understand how difficult an interview can be, but I strongly believe that if you prepare

  • fully and you follow my training, you will have the best chance of success.

  • I've been helping people like you for many, many years now.

  • I've been on the other side of interview panels and I've interviewed people as well.

  • So these are my top 10 questions and answers.

  • Now, I'm gonna give you the top 10 common interview questions and answers.

  • And what I'd like you to do is to watch the video from beginning to end because I will

  • then give you these slides so you can download the slides.

  • I mean obviously, I recommend you take notes as we go along, but yeah, I'm gonna give you

  • the slides that you can download and you can copy and work on them for your forthcoming

  • interview.

  • Please, just quickly, I'd very much appreciate it if you click the red subscribe button below

  • the video and also don't forget to give it a thumbs up if you like the training.

  • I'm giving you, the free training.

  • Also, say hi in the comments section below if you've got your interview coming up, I'd

  • very much appreciate that because it would motivate me to do more for you guys.

  • Okay, let's get straight into it.

  • So the first one of my top 10 interview questions.

  • Question number one.

  • Okay, so why did you want this job?

  • You walk into the interview and they say, "Why do you want this job?"

  • So you need to sell yourself.

  • Now, on each of these questions, I'm gonna give you some important tips to help you prepare.

  • Okay.

  • Three important tips for this one.

  • Tip one, demonstrate you have carried out some research about the job you're applying

  • for.

  • And what I mean by that is if there is a job description, read it and like get a highlighter

  • pen or a pen and underline the keywords.

  • So if it says, for example, you must be good at customer service or you must be able to

  • work as part of a team, then you need to demonstrate that you understand that's what's required.

  • So you can say in your response, "Well, I'm very good at working as part of a team, I'm

  • great with customers," and that will resonate with the interviewer.

  • Next one, tip two.

  • Tell them you already have the skills and attributes required to do the job.

  • Okay?

  • Because trust me, a lot of employers, they don't wanna spend time training people up,

  • okay?

  • Because it's time sensitive.

  • You know, they would rather have somebody who comes in who already has some experience

  • and the skills required.

  • Number three, tell them something positive about their company.

  • Okay?

  • So go on their website and have a look for a good news story like maybe they've won an

  • award or they recently launched a new product or one of the members of staff has won an

  • award or been recognized and say, "Oh, you know, I looked on your website and you know,

  • there's a positive news story," because that will resonate with them that you carried out

  • research.

  • Okay, here's my answer to the interview question, why do you want this job?

  • First and foremost, I have read the job description in detail and I believe I have the skills

  • and attributes to carry out the role competently and professionally.

  • Now, because I believe I already have the skills required, I believe I will be able

  • to learn the role very quickly.

  • For example, one of the skills required to carry out this job is an ability to work well

  • as part of a team.

  • Now, in my previous role, I was required to work closely with other members of the company

  • and external partners to achieve time-sensitive topics.

  • I believe the experience I have gained in my previous role will stand me in good stead,

  • if I am successful today at interview.

  • Finally, I have studied your company in detail and I've been nothing but impressed with your

  • achievements and how you treat your staff.

  • I noticed recently that you have won an award for outstanding customer service.

  • And when I read about the award it made me want to come and work for you even more, as

  • I believe customer service is really important if a company is to thrive in the modern era

  • we live in.

  • Now, don't forget you're gonna get a copy of these slides at some stage.

  • If you watch it from beginning to end, I'll give you a link where you can download them,

  • so do take notes, but you will get a copy of the slides.

  • Question number two.

  • Interview question number two out of 10.

  • What can you tell me about yourself?

  • Now, three important tips again.

  • Tip Number one, tell them three things about you that are relevant to the role and also

  • tell them something like a big achievement that you've done.

  • Your most proudest achievement to date.

  • Tip number two, use power words in your response when you describe yourself.

  • So say, you know, I'm motivated and enthusiastic, flexible, determined, conscientious, quick

  • learning, and I'm organized as well because these are positive words that will make the

  • interviewer feel good about you.

  • Tip three, only tell them a very small amount about your home or personal life.

  • Trust me, they're not interested.

  • It's a shame, but they're not.

  • Okay.

  • Now if you do mention anything about it, you know, say something positive like you know,

  • I like to keep fit, I read, I carry out self-development, that kind of thing.

  • Okay.

  • Here's my response to the interview question, what can you tell me about yourself?

  • I am an honest, reliable and hardworking person who prides himself on getting things done.

  • I'm a quick learner and I have a track record of achievement.

  • Now, for example, my biggest achievement to date was when I won a customer service award

  • in my previous job for delivering consistent high standards when dealing with our customers.

  • I'm also a great team worker.

  • Whilst I am perfectly capable of working alone unsupervised, I certainly thrive in a team

  • environment and I love the feeling of completing tasks and projects whilst working with other

  • people.

  • Now, outside of work, I enjoy keeping fit and I visit the gym a few times a week.

  • Whilst I'm certainly not obsessed with the gym, I feel more motivated at work when I

  • am able to concentrate for longer periods of time when I keep my fitness levels up.

  • I also like to undertake a bit of personal development from time to time and I'm currently

  • undertaking an online course to improve my skills in a number of areas.

  • Okay, great answer.

  • I would also say that overall, I'm confident, happy, organized, and a trustworthy person

  • who will certainly not let you down if I'm given the opportunity to work for you within

  • your business.

  • Question number three.

  • What are your strengths?

  • Virtually a guaranteed question.

  • This one gets asked all the time.

  • Quite easy to respond.

  • However, this is what you need to do.

  • Three important tips.

  • Number one, tell them about three key strengths you have.

  • So just give them three.

  • Okay?

  • That's more than enough.

  • Three key strengths.

  • Now, match your strengths to the person-spec or the job description.

  • So again, if it says, you know, you need to be highly organized, well, tell them that

  • that's one of your strengths.

  • If it says you need to be flexible, tell them you're a flexible person.

  • And then tip number three, give them an example for each of the strengths if at all possible.

  • Okay.

  • So what you need to do is have a look at the person specification or the job description.

  • This is an example for a job where someone's applying for a customer service role.

  • Okay.

  • So it's customer service assistant and it says here, you have to be able to deliver

  • high levels of customer care.

  • So that should be one of your strengths.

  • Another one is a working knowledge of Microsoft Office.

  • Well, tell them, you know, you're highly competent in Office, you can use Excel, you can use

  • PowerPoint.

  • Another one.

  • makes a positive contribution to teams or tell them you're a great team worker.

  • And give an example.

  • And also, you should be able to multitask, remaining calm and professional even under

  • pressure.

  • Okay, so you look at the job requirements and then tell them those are your key strengths

  • and you are virtually guaranteed to get the job if you can provide examples.

  • So here's my response for you for, what are your strengths?

  • I believe one of my key strengths is that I can deliver exceptional customer service.

  • For example, in my previous job I was tasked with dealing with a sensitive customer complaint

  • that had the potential to go wrong and cause the company lots of problems.

  • I dealt with the complaint in a calm and professional manner and I took my time to resolve it to

  • the satisfaction of the customer.

  • Another key strength is that I am very flexible and loyal.

  • In a previous job, my employer was looking for people to come in at the weekend because

  • a number of people had come down with an unexpected bug.

  • I was one of the first to volunteer as I knew how important it was for the business to carry

  • on operating during one of its busiest days.

  • Finally, I am a fantastic team worker who is capable of delivering tasks and projects

  • on time whilst working with other employees and stakeholders.

  • One of the final tasks I undertook at my old job was that of a comprehensive stocktake

  • during the weekend.

  • I took control of a team of seven people to make sure the stock take was done on time

  • and to company specifications.

  • And I briefed the team, allocated tasks according to their strengths and provided support for

  • everyone when needed.

  • Those are the three examples of the many strengths I believe I possess.

  • I've studied the person specification and I feel I would be an invaluable asset to your

  • team if I am successful.

  • Okay, so that's the strengths.

  • What about weaknesses?

  • And this again, is a common one.

  • You know, what's your weakness or what weaknesses do you have?

  • Now, three important tips.

  • We all have a weakness.

  • Those people who go and say at the interview, "Oh, I don't really have any weaknesses."

  • They're not telling the truth.

  • Tip number two, don't give a weakness that's connected with the job description or the

  • person specification.

  • So again, if one of the requirements is an ability to work calm under pressure, don't

  • say, you know, "I'm not very good under pressure, I tend to crumble."

  • That's no good because you're not ticking the requirement of the role.

  • Tip number three, turn your weakness into a strength, and I'll tell you how to do that

  • in a second, but whatever you do, don't tell the interview panel that your weakness is

  • chocolate.

  • Okay, let's have a look at my response.

  • What's your biggest weakness?

  • To be honest, we all have a weakness and I believe mine is my inability to sometimes

  • not delegate and share tasks.

  • Sometimes in the past, I've been known to take on too much myself without spreading

  • the workload amongst others.

  • This was made aware to me during an appraisal in my last job and I took the feedback onboard

  • that my line manager gave me.

  • I still take on lots of work, but if someone else is better qualified or experienced than

  • I am, I understand it's important they do the job instead of me.

  • So what you're saying is that you're a hard worker and you take up loads, you take on

  • too much.

  • I mean, that is every employer's dream to have someone who just takes them so much.

  • But you're saying that you're able to take on feedback, which is a strength.

  • So you're turning that weakness into a strength.

  • A great answer.

  • Question number five, what motivates you?

  • Okay, another common interview question.

  • Three important tips.

  • Tell them something work-related and also something family-orientated that motivates

  • you.

  • So something about work and something about your family.

  • And I'll give you the great answer in a second.

  • Tip number two, don't say the weekends are your motivator.

  • And certainly, don't say it's your salary.

  • Tip number three, be positive in your answers.

  • Smile and be uplifted because you're talking about being motivated.

  • Okay?

  • So you should be smiling when you're responding to this.

  • Okay, here's my answer for you.

  • Two key things that motivate me.

  • The first thing is doing a good job at work to the best of my ability.

  • I appreciate that might sound like a bit of a cliché, but it's true.

  • If I do a good job for my employer, I can go home after a hard day's work feeling satisfied

  • and all ready to work hard to following day.

  • Another thing that motivates me is being able to provide for my family.

  • If I work hard and I provide for my family, they are happy too.

  • I like the feeling of security I get from being able to provide for my family, and I

  • understand that this is only achievable if I work hard and do a good job.

  • Now, in the current job market where there are so many people applying for one position,

  • I understand how important it is to work hard and deliver for my employer.

  • Okay, great answer.

  • Question number six.

  • What are your salary expectations?

  • Oh, this is a tough question but it's quite easy to answer if you know what to do.

  • So three important tips.

  • Aim high, but back up your demands.

  • So justify the salary.

  • You know, if it's a salary of say $20,000 or 20,000 pounds and you're gonna ask for

  • 19.5 thousand, justify why you are asking for that.

  • Don't be overconfident or arrogant, you know, back up the reasons why, but yeah, don't go

  • on in at the low end, you know, justify your worth.

  • Tip number three, tell them you're happy to work a trial period to prove your worth based

  • on your salary expectations.

  • They're not likely to take you up on that, but if you offer it, it shows that you are

  • confident in your abilities.

  • So let's have a look at a job that's advertised between say 15,000 pounds and 18,000 pounds

  • a year.

  • Here is my answer.

  • I believe I'm worth 17.5 thousand pounds.

  • Whilst I appreciate this is near the top of the salary range, I believe the skills, the

  • experience, and expertise I can bring to the role will very much justify my salary.

  • In my previous job, I more than made up for my salary as I feel I was very good with the

  • customers and I always took my time to make them feel valued and welcome.

  • We had many returning customers in the business and I feel this was due, in some part, to

  • the excellent customer service I and the other team members provided.

  • Now, because I am confident in my abilities and I feel I'm worth that salary, I would

  • be prepared to work a trial period if required to show you what I can do and the value I

  • can bring to your company.

  • Okay, so that's a great answer.

  • Okay.

  • Because you're being confident but you're not being overconfident.

  • You're not going right to the top of that range, but you'll say, "Look, I'm prepared

  • to come in and work for a trial period to show you how good I am."

  • Question seven, what makes a good team player?

  • And most jobs require a level of teamwork.

  • And this is a great answer.

  • Three important tips.

  • Give them the list I'm gonna provide you with on the next slide.

  • So I'm gonna give you what makes a good team player.

  • Focus on positive keywords in the response.

  • So, you know, say things like you have to be a good communicator, you have to be supportive

  • of other people.

  • And also give them an example of when you have worked as part of a team.

  • If you have one.

  • Okay, now a good team player is someone who listens carefully to the team briefs.

  • So there has to be a brief at the beginning.

  • So the manager or the supervisor will tell the team what to do.

  • You've got to listen carefully, you have to focus on the task in hand and you have to

  • remain calm.

  • Okay?

  • Really important.

  • Tell a panel that you'd have to listen to the other team members and their contributions.

  • You'd also have to be supportive of other team members and help those who are struggling.

  • You also have to be, to be a good team player, flexible and capable of changing direction

  • because not everything always goes right in the team task.

  • And you should also be determined to do a great job regardless of the pressure you are

  • under.

  • So repeat that list.

  • Okay.

  • So they have to listen, they have to focus on the task, listen to other team members,

  • be supportive of them, help those who are struggling, be flexible and be willing to

  • change direction and be determined to do a great job regardless of the pressure.

  • Question eight.

  • How do you cope with pressure?

  • Okay.

  • So a lot of jobs require you to deal with pressure.

  • Three important things here.

  • Tell the interview panel you are aware of how important it is to remain calm whilst

  • under pressure and follow your training.

  • Important.

  • And I'm gonna give you an answer in a second.

  • Now, tip two, always focus on the task in hand.

  • And tip three, don't be afraid to ask for help if needed.

  • Okay?

  • That's really important because sometimes people do a job, they make a mistake and it

  • costs the company dear.

  • It's important to ask if you are unsure.

  • Here's my response for you.

  • Okay, I understand pressure is very much part and parcel of any job.

  • In particular, having studied the person specification for this job I'm applying for, I understand

  • that it will be a common theme within the job.

  • I cope with pressure by remaining calm, maintaining a focus on the task in hand, and also remembering

  • my training and procedural guidelines.

  • Now, when the pressure is on, I believe far too many people forget their training and

  • that's when mistakes can occur.

  • Now, although I haven't had to do this often, if I ever feel I cannot complete a task properly

  • and to the best of my ability, I would never be afraid to ask for assistance or guidance.

  • I would much rather do the perfect job with the aid of assistance or advice, than push

  • ahead and make a mistake that could cost the company dear.

  • Question nine, why should we hire you?

  • Now, this might come near the beginning of the interview, but I've put it towards the

  • end because I think it's important.

  • And this next question after this, sell yourself.

  • Again, three important tips.

  • This is your chance to shine.

  • So make sure you sell yourself because they're interested in you.

  • So why should we give you the job?

  • So don't be afraid to show off.

  • Tell the interview panel you have the skills to match the job description and don't be

  • desperate, but do be enthusiastic and be excited about this opportunity because remember, positivity

  • is contagious.

  • We all love to speak and listen to positive people.

  • So be positive and upbeat.

  • Here's my answer for you.

  • Why should we hire you?

  • I understand you've had many people apply for this job and it's vital you get the right

  • person.

  • I strongly believe that I am the person for this job.

  • Now, I say that because I've studied in detail the job description and I feel it fits perfectly

  • the skills, attributes, and experience I have gained in my life so far.

  • I have a track record of achievement and I can assure you I will not let you down if

  • you give me the opportunity to work for you.

  • I'm very excited about the role and I genuinely hope I get the chance to prove to you my worth.

  • Finally, I fully understand that with this job comes responsibility.

  • I believe I have the maturity and experience to act as a positive role model for your company.

  • Great response that is.

  • Question number 10, why do you want to leave your current job?

  • So why do you wanna leave it?

  • This is if you are employed.

  • Three important tips.

  • Do not be critical of your employer in any way.

  • A lot of people do this but don't.

  • You know, you don't wanna say, "Oh, they've not been treating me well" or "I fell out

  • with somebody there."

  • That's no good.

  • Don't say it.

  • Tip number two, be positive about them, even if you don't actually mean it.

  • That's what I'd wanna hear is that you liked them because you're more likely to like me

  • as an employer.

  • Tip three, say you want to leave to focus on a new challenge.

  • So here's my response for you for question 10.

  • I have had a fantastic time with my current employer and I have learned a tremendous amount.

  • The people, staff, customers, and managers are great and I will be sad to leave them

  • as they have treated me so well.

  • However, the time has come to move on.

  • I believe I've learned as much as I can in that role and I am now looking for a new and

  • fresh challenge to get stuck in to.

  • Finally, I just wanna reassure you that I'm not looking to move on from this job quickly,

  • if I'm successful.

  • I plan to learn my role, become competent at my job and enjoy working with my new colleagues

  • and the customers.

  • I plan to stay in this job for a long period of time.

  • Okay.

  • So you get to the end of the interview, they're going to say to you if you've got any questions

  • you'd like to ask us.

  • These two questions are great ones to ask.

  • They'll say to you, "Finished the interview, have you got any questions to ask us?"

  • Yes.

  • Is there any further literature that I can read about your company whilst I'm waiting

  • to find out if I'm successful?

  • So that demonstrates you're keen and you wanna find out more about it.

  • And if you ask me that question at the end, I'll be like, "Well great."

  • I mean, to be honest, I'd probably say, "Oh no, it's okay.

  • It's fine.

  • You don't need to."

  • But it demonstrates that you're enthusiastic.

  • What you don't wanna do is hope they give you a massive sort of like folder with loads

  • of stuff in it, but if they do, it means they're really interested in you.

  • Next question.

  • I noticed on your website you have recently launched a new product.

  • Has it been a success?

  • So go on their website and have a look at one of their products and say, "Look, I noticed

  • you sell this product.

  • What's it like?

  • Is it any good?"

  • Okay, guys, look, please subscribe to the channel.

  • I'd like to give you more training now.

  • I really hope you've enjoyed the video.

  • Don't forget, give it a thumbs up.

  • Subscribe to the channel and say hello and let me know what you thought of the video

  • in the comments section below.

  • I always respond to every everybody who comments.

  • But if you'd like more free interview training, there is a link right now below this video.

  • Just click it and it will take you through to my website.

  • If you wanna go to the website directly, it's called passmyinterview.com and there's a free

  • training course on it.

  • It's free of charge and it's 50 training modules about interviews so you can learn more about

  • it.

  • Guys, I really enjoy making these videos for you.

  • I hope you've enjoyed it.

  • I genuinely hope you pass your interview and I believe with my training and advice, your

  • chances will skyrocket.

  • And like I say, give the video a thumbs up.

  • I would love that very much.

  • Appreciate it.

  • And then, yeah, I wish you all the very best for passing your interview.

  • I've been Richard McMunn.

  • Thank you for watching.

Hi there everybody.

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