So you’ve got a job interview and your nervous thinking what if they ask me a question I don’t know the answer to? Everyone has been through that situation and I found an excellent resource that has 101 questions with answers that an interviewer could possibly ask you.
I’m sure you would get a few of these questions which are in this book titled “101 Toughest Interview Questions…And Answers That Win The Job” written by 2 very experienced career experts. Preparing yourself is the key and with anything in life if you want to get good at something you need to practice at it on a daily basis to give you that edge to land the job.
This book also has the answers for these questions that you can use to suit your situation. Some of the questions are exactly what I would like to ask during an interview. It helps both parties and I think it is worth the investment if you’re looking for employment. Knowledge is power and the it’s not hard to get there with a minor commitment.
I had the experience in the last couple of years to be part of the process interviewing and hiring two commercial transport mechanics for our fleet operation. It was a learning experience and our Fleet Manager who has been through it many times gave me a few interesting tips on questioning a candidate.
The best one was to form a question in a way that the candidate has to reply with an explanation not a Yes or No answer. For instance I would ask “If you had an engine code to troubleshoot what steps would you take to deal with it?”. That way they would have to think about their answer and I would get a good idea what kind of experience level they were at.
Here are some questions and answers I’ve chosen related to the Mechanic trade that are also generic. This will give you something to think about for an upcoming interview.
1) What is your teamwork style?
Answer: I believe in teamwork, thriving on keeping the peace with co-operation, listening to other’s ideas and working with the team by consensus.
Answer: Being quite new to this job market I enjoy the teamwork aspect, eager to learn from experienced coworkers and have input with my own ideas. I can offer a new perspective not being totally entrenched in the work culture.
2) Why are you looking for a job?
Answer: My current job no longer meets my goals and aspirations. I hope to (objective(s) related to the job you’re applying for) increase productivity in your shop, work well with the other mechanics and help maintain a positive atmosphere.
Answer: I wish to make a career change and offer my services to a company that (features of the company you’re applying to) believes in doing the job right and prides themselves on their reputation.
3) How long will you stay with us?
Answer: I am looking for long term employment at least ? to ? years.
Answer: My loyalty is long term once I find a job I am comfortable with.
Answer: I am a stable person committed to decisions I have made.
Answer: This is a secure company with varied jobs and responsibilities. I can see myself staying here for a long time.
That’s just three questions from this book with 98 more to focus on. Once you study the questions and answers you’ll be totally prepared and beaming with confidence. One other thing I would recommend is to always research the company background so they know you are very keen on working for them. If there is a silence during the interview (the book says to wait 8 seconds before saying anything) you can ask a question about their organization that will let the interviewer instantly know you have done your homework.
This book is for sale on Amazon but once you search google “101 toughest interview questions” there are a lot of resources available including a 3 hour video on YouTube. I guarantee you will stand out in the crowd when you take the intiative to study and research the job you desire.
