Two Very Important Interview Questions 

You MUST Master!

By Roger Lear 

You only hope they ask you these questions during the interview.  If you are prepared, you can really make an impression!

If you want to interview well in any interview situation, this is where I see the disconnect between employer and you.  Simple questions but hard to answer.  Well, not anymore because this article will tell you what the employer really wants to know; not what you think they want to know!  

Here are some assumptions (except in the case of entry level): 

1. You are qualified for the job.

2. You have the proper education level.

3. You have done research on the company.

Question #1: Tell me about yourself?

Again, while this question is asked so many time, their must be a reason.  Follow these steps:

     Start with thanking the interviewer.  “First of all, thank you for having me in today to meet you and learn more about the events coordinator position”

2.     Next, move into the your work life by going disusing  who you are and why you. This is not the time to talk about your personal life, hobbies, traffic patterns on yourcommute or anything that is not relevant. This is a time to show you have great career experience that will fit into the culture and design of the job which you are interviewing for in the first place.

EXAMPLE: I have been in the events coordinator for the last 7 years and have had escalating responsibilities throughout this time.  My emphasis is had been in corporate events throughout Central Florida.  Most of the events I organized had between 200 and 1,500 attendees and took place at numerous venues.  With my current employer, I manage the entire department and was able not only to increase the business by over 320% but also save the company over $850,000 annually.  One of my strengths is my ability to negotiate better terms at all venues, printers, caterers and advertising.  I enjoy the challenge of making any event for a client the best event they ever attended.  (Give a real example)  I became interested in your opportunity because my event management  strengths seem to be a good match and challenge to help your company escalate sales as well as provide overall  gold standard satisfaction of events produced.

You have to be genuine and try your hardest to connect your previous experience to the job you are interviewing for and connect with the interview.  Also, make sure you back up all career statements of your skills with actual examples. 

Question#2: How will you add value to our company?

Great interview question and if you can’t answer it, you will not get the job.  The first thing you must know about the company you are interviewing with is how they make money.  Secondly, you must know how the job you are interviewing for “touches” that money.  If you are a claims adjuster, you touch the money when you adjust claims.  Your value is your customer service and your ability to adjust the claim correctly.

 You have to bring this out in the interview and you do that with real examples. Give them examples of your caseload, your closing ratio and overall performance within your current company.  Use specific example of a difficult claim, how you handled it and the final result. Give the interviewer a clear picture of your ability not only to manage the claim but also save the company money.  Your real life examples of your work are your value you bring to the interview and the reason you will be a strong candidate.

No matter if you are entry level or have twenty five years of experience, treat these two questions with precision.   Believe it or not, most fail in answering these questions not because they don’t have the experience but lack the ability to showcase their skills to the skill set of the position they are interviewing for in the first place.  Don’t let this be you!