How to approach personal questions Watch the video ( (http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v =cCQdloL8HV0) ) Script: "I'm Don Varney of Varney Speaks and on behalf of Expert Village. Today we're going to talk about the interview process. Let's take a moment and talk about some of the types of questions that you could be asked during the interview process. Sometimes the questions are misleading because we're taking them personally when they're really talking professionally. A good example would be if they were to say to you, tell me about yourself. You're sitting there saying, well I like to go hunting on the weekends. I like to go camping and take my family fishing, and I really enjoy that. Well, great answer, but that's not what they're asking. When they say tell me about yourself, they are asking you to tell them about yourself in this job environment. They want to hear I enjoying coming to work with people that I get around and I have a good time with. I like an atmosphere of friendliness. Your company being a company that specializes in public relations and customer service , well this is the environment that I like and it would work well for me to work well in your environment. That would me in line with what they're really asking when they say tell me about yourself. When they ask about strengths and weaknesses, again, they're not asking you for you to really tell them I'm very good at this and I'm weak at this, but in essence, they may be asking you about how that would apply to the work force, to the workplace where you are actually going to go to work. One of the simplest examples is you might say, I was told early on in my career that listening was a weakness. I didn't listen very well because I was always ready to answer whatever it was they were saying. The good news was they were right and I figured that out, so what I've done now is I've taken a weakness of not listening very well. I've taken classes on it, I've read books on it, I've done studies on it, and over the last few years what I've determined is I really wasn't a good listener, but now I really trained myself to understand the importance to listening to the person before I try to answer."

Watch the video ( (http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v =cCQdloL8HV0) )

Script:

"I'm Don Varney of Varney Speaks and on behalf of Expert Village. Today we're going to talk about the interview process. Let's take a moment and talk about some of the types of questions that you could be asked during the interview process. Sometimes the questions are misleading because we're taking them personally when they're really talking professionally. A good example would be if they were to say to you, tell me about yourself. You're sitting there saying, well I like to go hunting on the weekends. I like to go camping and take my family fishing, and I really enjoy that. Well, great answer, but that's not what they're asking. When they say tell me about yourself, they are asking you to tell them about yourself in this job environment. They want to hear I enjoying coming to work with people that I get around and I have a good time with. I like an atmosphere of friendliness. Your company being a company that specializes in public relations and customer service , well this is the environment that I like and it would work well for me to work well in your environment. That would me in line with what they're really asking when they say tell me about yourself. When they ask about strengths and weaknesses, again, they're not asking you for you to really tell them I'm very good at this and I'm weak at this, but in essence, they may be asking you about how that would apply to the work force, to the workplace where you are actually going to go to work. One of the simplest examples is you might say, I was told early on in my career that listening was a weakness. I didn't listen very well because I was always ready to answer whatever it was they were saying. The good news was they were right and I figured that out, so what I've done now is I've taken a weakness of not listening very well. I've taken classes on it, I've read books on it, I've done studies on it, and over the last few years what I've determined is I really wasn't a good listener, but now I really trained myself to understand the importance to listening to the person before I try to answer."

Tell me about yourself The most often asked question in interviews. You need to have a short statement prepared in your mind. Be careful that it does not sound rehearsed. Limit it to work-related items unless instructed otherwise. Talk about things you have done and jobs you have held that relate to the position you are interviewing for. Start with the item farthest back and work up to the present.

The most often asked question in interviews. You need to have a short

statement prepared in your mind. Be careful that it does not sound

rehearsed. Limit it to work-related items unless instructed otherwise.

Talk about things you have done and jobs you have held that relate to

the position you are interviewing for. Start with the item farthest back

and work up to the present.

Do you consider yourself successful? You should always answer yes and briefly explain why. A good explanation is that you have set goals, and you have met some and are on track to achieve the others.

You should always answer yes and briefly explain why. A good explanation

is that you have set goals, and you have met some and are on track to

achieve the others.

What do co-workers say about you? Be prepared with a quote or two from co-workers. Either a specific statement or a paraphrase will work. Jill Clark, a co-worker at Smith Company, always said I was the hardest worker she had ever known. It is as powerful as Jill having said it at the interview herself.

Be prepared with a quote or two from co-workers. Either a specific

statement or a paraphrase will work. Jill Clark, a co-worker at Smith

Company, always said I was the hardest worker she had ever known. It

is as powerful as Jill having said it at the interview herself.

Are you a team player? You are, of course, a team player. Be sure to have examples ready. Specifics that show you often perform for the good of the team rather than for yourself are good evidence of your team attitude. Do not brag; just say it in a matter-of-fact tone. This is a key point.

You are, of course, a team player. Be sure to have examples ready.

Specifics that show you often perform for the good of the team rather

than for yourself are good evidence of your team attitude. Do not brag;

just say it in a matter-of-fact tone. This is a key point.

What is your philosophy towards work? The interviewer is not looking for a long or flowery dissertation here. Do you have strong feelings that the job gets done? Yes. That's the type of answer that works best here. Be short and positive, showing a benefit to the organization.

The interviewer is not looking for a long or flowery dissertation here.

Do you have strong feelings that the job gets done? Yes. That's the type

of answer that works best here. Be short and positive, showing a benefit

to the organization.