Get prepared for your interview with the Interview Question of the Week
A job interview is your biggest chance to stand out from the competition. When you are looking for a job, being prepared for an interview is key. Before going on any interview, you should know a little bit about the company and practice your answers for some of the most frequently asked questions.
Many people think that they can just play it by ear at the interview, but when the pool of available candidates is large, the person who demonstrates that they are professional and prepared is typically the one who stands out the most. In order to help you out, each week we break down an interview question, find out where the possible traps are and come up with the best answer.
Here is the Interview Question of the Week:
Question:
On a scale of one to ten, rate me as an interviewer
Why it's a trap:
This isn't really a questions, and it can really make you feel put on the spot. Personally, I hate these types of questions. It would be one thing if you were asked to give an anonymous answer, but when you have to grade the interviewer to their face, it is certainly an awkward situation. On one hand, if you give them a perfect score of “10”, they will think that you are just telling them what you think they want to hear. On the other hand, if you give them anything less than that, you can be sure that it will be held against you.
The best answer:
Of course, you know the golden rule is to never, ever be negative. Even if you think that the interviewer did a really bad job and that they could use some constructive criticism, don't fall into the trap of being the one to give it to them. They will resent any type of criticism coming from you, even if you think that they honestly want your feedback. Trust me, they don't.
Instead, offer them a sincere compliment that they can believe. No matter what type of interviewer they were, there has to be something they did during the interview that you can use as the basis for your compliment.
For example:
If they were a really tough interviewer, “You are a tough interviewer and very thorough. It's a great way to be sure that you select only the best employees for your company.”
If they were conversational and easy going, “You made me feel comfortable and at ease during the interview. I felt like you were willing to let me show you the best of who I am and what I have to offer.”
I'm sure that you get the idea. Try your best not to get forced to actually give a number. If you aren't able to avoid it, give the sincere compliment along with the highest rating. This way, they will at least be able to believe that you are being honest due to the compliment.
What do you think about this question? Have you ever been asked this during an interview? Let me know in the comments.
This is our last Interview Question of the Week. I hope you enjoyed the series.
By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for FinancialJobBank. Along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.
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