Simply Hired UK Blog

The Interview Questions That Haunt You

In honour of Halloween and all things frightful, we thought we’d delve into one of the more fear-inducing aspects of the job search: the interview. Even with careful planning, there are a few interview questions designed to make you go cold and clammy. 

To help you prepare, here are a few tips for answering some of the worst questions HR managers have to offer.

Why should we choose you?

Do:         Open with your motivation (i.e. your passion and dedication for the work), summarise your strengths (i.e. excellent communications skills) and finish with the benefits you could offer the organisation (i.e. industry contacts that will generate new business).

Don’t:     Freeze up or appear nervous—this question is psychological and the interviewer is watching for your reaction as much as they are listening for your answer.

What is your biggest weakness?

Do:         List a weakness you’ve already overcome. For example, if you’re afraid of public speaking, talk about the steps you’ve taken to improve that skill, such as a night class or volunteer work. The goal is to show you’re focused on continuous self-improvement.

Don’t:     You don’t want to sound fake OR be too honest. Don’t give a strength as your weakness (“I’m a workaholic”), say something damaging (“I drink too much”) or that you don’t have any weaknesses (you’re refusing to answer the question).

Have you ever been fired?

Do:        Be brief but honest. Mention that what you learned from the experience and how you have improved.

Don’t:    Never lie. Lying in an interview or on a job application could be grounds for termination. Also, avoid criticising your former boss or company as it will only reflect negatively on you.  

Sell me this pen!
Do:         This exercise is designed to show that you can think about the bigger picture. Focus on the benefits of the pen, i.e. the professional presentation of the pen, the longevity of the pen.

Don’t:     Get stuck on the features of the pen. It doesn’t matter that the pen is plastic, unless you’re talking about the benefit of plastic pens, such as lightweight portability.

Now practice up so your answers won’t come back to haunt you. Good luck on your job search!

How to Find Networking Opportunities

A personal connection can make you stand out from the crowd of applicants when you go in for a job interview. It’s one reason why our LinkedIn feature – Who do you know? – is so popular among users. But with the focus on online networks—Facebook, Twitter, etc.—many forget that in-person networking is an important way to extend your professional circles and learn about potential job opportunities.

Here are a few ways to find networking events in your area:

• Meetup—Meetup.com is the largest network of local groups with more than 2,000 groups meeting every day around the world. It’s easy to search by location or topic.

• Professional Associations—Research the professional associations in your industry and find out when they meet. Great sites to try are the findnetworkingevents.com, ecademy.com and smarta.com.

• Trade Shows—Take advantage of the fact that many major trade shows offer free passes. Walk the floor, introduce yourself and work the “happy hour” that typically happens around 4 p.m. If you’re an excellent blagger you may even be able to score a pass to one of the after parties.

• Alumni Associations—Sign up for your university’s alumni association and attend any events in your area. Having something in common immediately makes breaking the ice a bit easier.

• Industry Publications—The websites of your industry’s key publications are great resources for very targeted networking mixers, classes and events.

Network, network, network – now, go get that dream job!

Video Tutorial: Work Your LinkedIn Network

The Who Do You Know?™ feature lets you connect from a SimplyHired.co.uk job listing to your LinkedIn network to find out if you have contacts within the organisation. It’s a feature you’ll only find on Simply Hired and it’s made possible through our partnership with LinkedIn.

The folks at LinkedIn have created a great online tutorial that demonstrates how to use the Who Do You Know? feature. View the video below to learn how to work your connections to find the job of your dreams!

Simply Hired UK is on the Tweet

For all you tweeple out there, Simply Hired UK is now on Twitter! We’ll be tweeting about employment trends, job search tips, interesting articles, links to job and the latest features on SimplyHired.co.uk, making @SimplyHiredUK a must-follow for those in the midst of finding their dream job.

Start following us!

Using Transferable Skills to Change Careers

According to a survey conducted by the council Lifelong Learning, 70% of UK workers have changed careers at least once and one in six has changed at least three times. Making a career change isn’t easy--especially if you don’t have the amount of experience a particular position you’ve been eyeing calls for. This also holds true for new graduates looking for their first job out of uni and those re-entering the job market after a long absence.

If you don’t have the experience required for a specific position, you may be able to utilise the skills and experience you do have to get that interview. Look at the job description of the position you are interested in applying for and ask yourself the question, "What have I done in the past that would make me excel in this position?" This will help you identify the transferable skills you can use to convince potential employers that you are qualified for a certain job.

So remember that bar job you held during summers at uni? That could translate into people skills, customer service and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, opening doors for a number of possible career paths. You could even use SimplyHired.co.uk and search for those transferable skills in the Keywords field to find jobs where you could utilise these skills.

Common transferable skills include:

• Communication (oral & written, proficiency in multiple languages)
• Research and Planning (analysing, evaluating)
• Organisation (logistics, handling details, coordinating)
• Management and Leadership (motivating, delegating)
• Work Ethic (ambition, reliability, positive attitude)

Get started today and see what types of jobs your transferable skills can get you.