Those safe questions in an interview like “ Tell me about yourself “ or “ Where do you see yourself in next five years?” may leave you with a feeling of ecstasy. You will have a perfect rehearsed answer ready to it and are feeling tempted to recite your life story. Most of us think that these are just conversation starters. However, to have an insight of what goes behind the recruiter’s mind while asking these will help you structure your answer properly. Here are few examples:
- Question: Tell me about yourself ?
Translation: Tell me why you are the right fit for this job?
The interviewer already has your resume, so she is not looking for a rundown through your employment history. She also is not interested in knowing where you grew up or whether you love to jog or not. She is looking for a concise pitch which will let her know if you are fit for the job. So while answering this question, make it a point that you include your experience and accomplishment which is relevant to the job that you are looking for. - Question: How would you explain our organisation’s mission ?
Translation: Can you be an ambassador for our organisation?
The interviewer is not trying to know if you have visited the company’s website and have gone through the “About Us“ section or not. She is looking for someone who can relate himself with the organisation and can align to the company’s goal. Start with one line that shows you understand the mission, using a couple key words and phrases from the website, but then go on to make it personal. - Question: Where do you see yourself in five years ?
Translation: Do you care about our work ?
By asking this, she wants to know whether this particular job is part of your career path or you are going to quit as soon you find your dream job. It’s OK to say that you’re not quite sure what the future holds, but that you see this experience playing an important role in helping you make that decision, or that you’re excited about the management or communications skills you’ll gain. - Question: Do you have any questions for us ?
Translation: Have you really been listening ?
It is easy to have a long list of question ready for the position. However, the interviewer is actually looking if you are engaged in the conversation or not. Are you asking questions that were not already answered during the course of the interview?