Ask Questions With Substance

Getting to the interview stage of a job search takes a lot of effort — even after you craft a perfect cover letter, create a concise resume, talk to your former supervisors and organize your online personal brand. Still, more work begins as you prepare to answer interview questions that hiring managers may throw your way.

An interview is a way for an employer to gauge your personality and soft skills beyond what a hiring manager can deduce from your references, years of employment and education. Interview questions relate to the position at hand, but they also involve your work ethic, strengths and weaknesses. You should be ready for anything, but most definitely prepare to answer some questions with substance that get to the core of your professional life. Look for questions that answer a few key points about your personality.

Team Player

You should know whether you work well within a team, no matter what type of company hires you. Practice responding to interview questions about times you have collaborated in the past or solved a problem as part of team. You may have to navigate a hypothetical scenario in which you work with a colleague to approach a task or a specific situation.

Work Ethic

Interview questions about your work ethic delve into past projects that required a lot of time, energy and effort for a successful outcome. Did you take on extra roles to ensure the successful completion of a task? Accomplishments and awards can help an interviewer ascertain your work ethic at a previous company.

Good Fit

When it comes time to ask questions to the people in charge of hiring you, that's when you need to speak up and ask about the company culture. This lets you decide for yourself if you're a good fit for the business. Does your boss expect you to work long hours? Can you handle the work load? A good follow-up query to one about company culture is to find out what someone likes most and least about working there.

Customer Service

Chances are you need to interact with customers or clients at some point in daily job duties. Interview questions should ascertain if you have good customer service skills. HR may ask you questions to see if you're approachable, likable and a people person.

Self-Starter

Many job ads want you to be a self-starter, which is code for taking a proactive approach to your job. Someone could ask you to describe a time in the past when you took initiative, solved a problem on your own without someone telling you to do so or when you had to think creatively to move forward on a project.

Interview questions are a two-way street. Both parties decide if they have enough information from each other to make a decision as to the fit of a candidate. Your answers clear up any doubts about your abilities, while the company's responses let you decide whether to accept an offer.

Photo courtesy of Ambro at FreeDigitalPhotos.net