Job Vacancies And Jobs Search In Malaysia : Allyhunt

For as long as I remembered, the thought of attending a job interview is as scary as hell. The last interview I had took place almost 9 years ago but the picture of me being “grilled” by 3 “predators” is still very vivid in my mind, as though it just took place yesterday.

The nerves had finally left me when I changed role and became the “predator” and having the understanding of the many facets of job interview techniques. Whew! So, age and experience does make a difference after all!

The following is our compilation of the top 10 most common interview questions job-seekers should expect. All the best to you, guys and gals!

1) Tell me about yourself.

This is usually at the very beginning, after the initial greetings and “ice-breaking” exchanges. At first glance, this seems to be an easy question but watch out, as you have the liberty to say almost anything, you are also being assessed on your “thought organization”. How are you going to start? What should be your starting point – to begin with a history of yourself since the day you were born or the day you graduated? What are the details you should include and exclude? One tip: It’s best to stick with your “professional” history – it means no details on your last break-up or problem with your maid. Smart interviewees should always view this question as an opportunity to “sell” your strengths!

2) Why did you leave your last job?

As much as honesty is the best policy, it is always difficult to convince the interviewer that your immediate superior was a rascal even though he is one. Whining to the interviewer is not going to impress him at all. If that is the sole reason and you really cannot find any other better reason why you had quit, make the explanation as brief as possible. A possible answer: “I had a falling off with my superior due to different opinions over certain issues. We felt the best way to resolve it is perhaps to part ways for the benefit of the organization and our relationship.”

3) What are your greatest strengths?

It is best to elaborate by substantiating with some examples or evidences. For instance, if your strength was “well organized”, perhaps you can give evidence of the recent event that you had help to organize that turned out successful due to the systematic and methodical approach that you had adopted in organizing the event.

4) Why did you choose this career?

This is one of the most fundamental questions but many job-seekers including the experienced ones had overlooked. Perhaps many job-seekers were themselves uncertain of why they had chosen the career in the first place. Your answer will tell a lot about your maturity and the things that you care and value. The interviewer would like to see a match between your personal convictions and the job requirements.

5) How would your boss describe you?

It’s time to recall your most recent performance appraisal. Hopefully you had a good boss that has given you some feedback of your performance and attitude at work. As an interviewer, I realized many Malaysian bosses and superiors do not give feedback to their workers and thus, many interviewees have nothing to share. However, it is best to have an inkling or general idea of what your boss felt about you. Be careful that you do not put words in your boss’ mouth because a reference check with your boss anytime later will reveal all the facts anyway.

6) What do you see yourself in three to five years from now?

It’s always good to have some good and realistic goals crafted even though no one really knows what happens tomorrow. Talk about in terms of growing together with a dynamic company or work towards a position of higher responsibility indicates to the interviewer that you are a serious worker that plans his/her career ahead.

7) What is your greatest achievement so far?

There may be many achievements in the past but select one that gives you an advantage for the job that you are now applying. For example, if you are being interviewed for a Junior Managerial position, talk about your achievements in terms of getting your team together to successfully implemented a project. Talk about the leadership style that you had used that helped to steer the team to have cohesive working relationships.

8) Why should we hire you?

Talk in terms of your strengths and how you can contribute to that position with your experience and skills. The key is to show to the interviewer the confidence that you exudes but avoid “over selling” that portrays desperation. A brief summary should suffice: “With the six years’ experience in database administration and my experience in supervising some juniors in the past, I am confident of leading a small team in this project. You can rest assured of the quality of my work as can be testified by my past customers’ testimonials.”

9) What can you tell us about our company?

It is a question to test your seriousness in working with them. A serious jobseeker would do his/her homework by doing some background findings – the current and past projects/contracts secured by the company. Finding out the background of the company has become easier now as most companies had a web presence. Thus, there is really no excuse for jobseekers to say they do not know anything about the company.

10) What is your expected salary?

This is the most common question and you are expected to give a range of salary for the interviewer to assess whether the hiring of you would meet or exceed their budget. If you have no clue on the going rate, then it is only proper to ask politely. However, it is always wise to check out the going rate for the job prior to the interview –evidence of proactive attitude is always a big plus. This is a question that is usually asked at the end of the interview only.