One of the things that make most job seekers uncomfortable is salary negotiation. You may be asking for too little, or too much or worse wreck your chances of getting the best possible salary deal. Negotiations will be smoother if you know what to ask. Mentioned below are 6 questions that job hunters should ask during salary negotiation.

1. Is this negotiable?- You have been short listed and the offer letter has been sent across. This is when you politely ask if the salary is negotiable. Asking this will make it clear to you if your recruiters are ready to put more money on the table. If the answer is a blunt no, move on to negotiating other things.2. Is this base only? You should be aware if the amount offered to you is just the base compensation or total compensation. When you ask is this base only? it portrays that you have done your homework and are interested in details of bonus and increments. This will also open up opportunities for you to ask about annual hikes and the likes.3. How will I be evaluated? Will it affect my raise? Though these are two separate questions they are usually liked because in most organizations a raise is given on the basis of evaluation of performance. There is a chance that your company may have a different policy, so to be on the safe side, ask.4. When do the benefits start?Could you provide me with the details? Benefits like life insurance and medical claims are offered by organizations. If your insurance or the likes are going to expire and need to be renewed you can ask your new employers to find a solution to it.5. May I have a job description? This is just to verify the job description discussed with you during the interview. It will give you a clear view of the list of duties you are expected to do. If some of the pointers were not mentioned to you previously you can use them to persuade your employer to pay you more.6. When would you like an answer? We live in a society where being thoughtful is appreciated more than being impulsive. Therefore, you should never accept any job offer immediately. When you say I think this a great opportunity but I will need to think about it and get back to you it buys you time which you can use to strategise your salary negotiation further. You should also avoid mentioning that you need to discuss the opportunity with your parents or spouse. This makes you seem incapable of taking decisions all by yourself.When you ask these questions you make your prospect employers aware of your capabilities as a good negotiator. It also brings across that you have done your homework and people cannot trick you into doing something you dont want to. After all, you want the recruiter to know that they are making a wise decision by hiring you and that you are not going to come inexpensive.In Pictures: How to Prepare for Common Interview QuestionsHow to prepare for common job interview questions:Do your homework. One of the biggest complaints ofhiring managers is that many job interview candidates know very little about thecompany theyre interviewing for, saysAndy Teach, author ofFrom Graduation to Corporation: The Practical Guide to Climbing the Corporate Ladder One Rung at a Time, and host of the YouTube channelFromGradToCorp. Google the company youre interviewing with and read some of the articles that pop up; study the companys website; know the companys mission, its products and services,its locations, and who their top executives are. Goto the Public Relations tab ontheir website and print out some of their latest press releases. Study them so thatyou can talk in the interview about whats going on with the company now, he says.Preparea list of likely questions.Shweta Khare, acareer and job search expertsays getting a list of common questions for an interview is easier than ever before. Youcannever underestimate theimportanceof preparation. Its the first step and the most important, she says.Identify what the organization wants and needs.While the focus of Why should we hire you? (and other similar interview questions) is on you, the interviewee, its important to remember the answer isnt all about you, says Miriam Salpeter, job search coach, owner ofKeppie Careersand author ofSocial Networking for Career Successand100 Conversations for Career Success.The Forbes eBook: Find And Keep Your Dream JobThe Definitive Careers Guide From Forbesencompasses every aspect of the job hunt, from interview to promotion. Discover how to get ahead today.The most successful interview responses focus on the hiring managers needs. Framing replies that demonstrate you understand their problems, or pain points, makes a big difference when competing with many other qualified candidates.Prepare by identifying the skills employers are looking for. Use their in-depth job descriptions, view videos the employers post about their organization, and visit theirFacebookpage and Twitter feeds, she suggests.Google yourself.Findout what the company knows about you, Teach adds. See what they see. If theres anything negative about you, have a response ready as to why its negative but dont get too defensive. Respond and then move on.Interview yourself for the position.Before every interview, ask yourself: Why am I a good fit for this job?I tell my clients to post the question, Why should we hire you? on their bathroom mirror, refrigerator or anyplace they will see it during the day, Salpeter says. I instruct them to answer, out loud, keeping different companies in mind each time. Rehearsing this way will help you hone in on what you have to offer.Identify what is unique or special about you. How have you gone above and beyond the call of duty? What did you accomplish that no one else managed to do? Did you volunteer to tackle a problem and solve it? Dont underestimate the value of looking at yourself, your skills and your accomplishments and outlining the key points you will want to share with a prospective employer.Practice and plan.Role play answering typical interview questions with a friend, colleague, or coach, saysAnita Attridge, a Five OClock Club career and executive coach.Be prepared for the typical interview questions by thinking about what your response would be to them before the interview, she adds.If you are a college student, set up an appointment with your career center and have them conduct a mock interview with you. Even if youre a recent graduate, many college career centers will conduct mock interviews to help alumni, Tech says. Request that your interview is filmed so that they can critique you and youcan study the film.Dont worry if youre nervous or you screw up. Youre much betteroffscrewing up in a mock interview than in the real thing.You dont necessarily want to memorize responsesbut try to have a general strategy for answering common interview questions.Today many organizations are using behavioral interview questions to better understand what you have done, Attridge says. They usually begin with, Tell me about a time when She suggests briefly describing what the situation was; how you handled the situation; and what the result was.To prepare for these, youll want to think about workplaceexperiencestories that describe your accomplishments or show how you dealt with a tough situation, Khare says. If you dont have any stories that you can recall now, set aside a few hours to think and write down at least two or three stories. A simple question like, Tell me about a time you made a mistake, can take you off-guard and it is not easy to recall unrehearsed. Having a repository of work experience stories written down before aninterviewwill make it easier to recall.Reflect on previous interviews.Keep a computer or paper record of your interviews, Teach says.Keep a record of the time of your interviews, how long they are,your impressions of the hiring manager, and perhapsmost importantly,what questions were asked of you, what answers you gave, and record any questions they asked you that you felt could have been answered differently. Study these elements and your interview skills will improve, he says.Figure out how to articulate your goals. Most of the commonly asked questions during an interview either dig into your previous experience or want to explore your future goals, Khare says. Prepareandarticulate your goals, and remain honest here. Inconsistent answers wont get you the respect and credibility that is a must to impress an interviewer.Be positive.When preparing for an interview and anticipating likely questions, plan to answer all questions positively. Even if you were in a bad situation, think about how you can talk about the situation positively, Attridge says. You always have a choice. It is much better to talk about a glass being half full then to talk about it being half empty. Its all about your perspective, and in an interview being positive counts.Never say anything negative about your prior employers or bosses, eitherno matter how bad the situation may have been. A negative answer actually is a reflection about your judgment and business acumen, and not about the employer or manager.Get comfortable.Preparationand practice aside, the most important tip I would like to suggest to job seekers is to feel comfortable with the interview process, Khare says. You can read all the advice in the world about acing the interview, but none of the tactics will work out of you are not yourself during the process.Feeling comfortable and relaxed positively influences your confidence. And interviewers always appreciate a relaxed and confident candidate, as opposed to a heavy promoter and edgy one, she adds. Practice calming your nerves, and focus on how you can prove youd be a valuable asset to the company.How to answer 7 of the most common interview questions:Tell me about yourself.While this isnt exactly a question, answering this the wrong way could really hurt your chances of getting a job, Teach says. I was once told by an HR executive that this can actually be a trick question. Hiring managers cant ask you certain questions legallybut if you go off on a tangent when answering, you may tell them some things about you thatare better left unsaid. The worst way to approach this request is to tell them your life story, which is something theyre definitely not interested in. The best way to approach this is to only discuss what your interests are relating to the job and why your background makes you a great candidate.What are your strengths and weaknesses?Its easy to talk about your strengths; youre detail oriented, hard working, a team player, etc.but its alsoeasy to get tripped up when discussing your weaknesses, Teach says. Never talk about a real weakness unless its something youve defeated. Many hiring managers are hip to the overused responses, such as, Well, my biggest weakness is that I work too hard so I need try to take it easy once in a while. The best answer is to discuss a weakness that youve turned around, such as, you used to come in late to work a lot but after your supervisor explained why it was necessary for youto come in on time, you were never late again.Where do you want to be five yearsfrom now?What employers are really asking is, Is this job even close to your presumed career path? Are you just applying to this job because you need something? Are your long-term career plans similar to what we see for this role? How realistic are your expectations for your career? Have you even thought about your career long-term? Are you going to quit after a year or two? says Sara Sutton Fell, CEO and founder ofFlexJobs.Show them that youve done some self-assessment and career planning. Let them know that you hope to develop professionally and take on additional responsibilities at that particular company. Dont say something ridiculous like, I dont know, or I wantyourjob, she says.Teach says no one can possibly know where theyll be in their career five years from now but hiring managers want to get a sense of your commitment to the job, the company, and the industry. In fact, I would even mention that its hard for you to know what jobtitle you may hold five years from nowbutideally, youd like to have moved up the ladder at this company based on your performance. Youre hopeful to be in some management position and your goal is to help the company any way you can. If you give the impression that this job is just a stepping stone for you, its unlikely the hiring manager will be interested in you.Please give me an example of a time when you had a problem with a supervisor/co-worker and how you approached the problem.I think that the hardest thing about work isnt the work, its the people at work, Teach says. Most employees have a problem with a supervisor or co-worker at some point in their career.How they handle that problem says a lot about their people skills. If you can explain to the interviewer that you were able to overcome a people problem at work, this will definitely help your chances of getting the job, he says.What are your salary requirements? What employers are really asking is, Do you have realistic expectations when it comes to salary? Are we on the same page or are you going to want way more than we can give? Are you flexible on this point or is your expectation set in stone? Sutton Fell says.Try to avoid answering this question in the first interview because you may shortchange yourself by doingso, Teach says.Tell the hiring manager that if you are seriously beingconsidered, you could give them a salary rangebut if possible, let them make the first offer. Study websites like Salary.com andGlassdoor.com to get an idea of what the position should pay.Dont necessarily accepttheir first offer, he adds. Theremay be room to negotiate.When itistime to give a number, be sure to take your experience and education levels into consideration, Sutton Fell says. Also, your geographic region, since salary varies by location. Speak in ranges when giving figures, and mention that you are flexible in this area and that youre open to benefits, as well. Be brief and to the point, and be comfortable with the silence that may come after.Why areyou leaving your current job?Hiring managers want to know your motivation for wanting to leave your current job. Are you an opportunist just looking for more money or are you looking for a job that you hope will turn into a career? If youre leaving because you dont like your boss, dont talk negatively about your bossjust say you have different work philosophies, Teach says. If the work was boring to you, just mention that youre looking for a more challenging position. Discuss the positives that came out of your most recent job and focus on why you think this new position is ideal for you and why youll be a great fit for their company.If youve already left your previous job (or you were fired), Sutton Fell suggests the following: If you got fired:Do not trash your last boss or company. Tell them that you were unfortunately let go, that you understand their reasoning and youve recognized areas that you need to improve in, and then tell them how you will be a better employee because of it. If you got laid off:Again, do not trash your last boss or company. Tell them that you were let go, and that you understand the circumstances behind their decision; that you are committed to your future and not dwelling on the past; and that you are ready to apply everything that you learned in your last role to a new company. If you quit:Do not go into details about your unhappiness or dissatisfaction. Instead, tell them that while you valued the experience and education that you received, you felt that the time had come to seek out a new opportunity, to expand your skills and knowledge, and to find a company with which you could grow.Why should I hire you?A hiring manager may not ask you this question directly but every question you answer in the interview should contribute to helping them understand why youre the best person for the job. Stay focused on why your background makes you an ideal candidate and tell them how you are going to contribute to that department and that company, Teach says. Letthe interviewer know thatone of your goals is to make their job easier by taking on as much responsibilityas possibleand that you will be excited about this job starting on day one.Salpeter suggests you print and highlight the job description, looking for the top three or four most important details. Do they include terms such as, cross-functional team, team work, and team player several times? If so, your answer to, Why should we hire you? (asked directly or as an underlying question) should mention and focus on your abilities as they relate to teams.What are the ten most common questions asked at graduate interviews?At the University of Kent we asked students what questions they were asked at graduate selection interviews by a variety of employers and for a range of jobs. Whereas we doubt if this survey is very reliable it does give an idea of the key questions to watch out for, and to prepare answers to, at interview.You can find an excellent inforgraphic of this page produced by Headway RecruitmenthereOf course questions were sometimes asked in slightly different formats. For example,"Why do you want this job?" was sometimes phrased "Why do you want to be an accountant/social worker/journalist?"1. Why do you want this job?One of the most predictable questions and very important! You need todemonstrate that you have researched the employerand tie your knowledge of them into theskillsandintereststhat led you to apply. For example, an interviewee with a smallpublic relations agencymight say:"I'm always ready to take on responsibility and feel this will come more quickly with a firm of this size. A small firm also gives the chance to build closer working relationships with clients and colleagues and I've found through my past work experience that this makes an organisation more effective as well as more satisfying to work in."Try tofind some specific feature on which the employer prides themselves:their training, their client base, their individuality, their public image, etc. This may not always be possible withvery small organisationsbut you may be able to pick up something of this nature from the interviewer.See ourCommercial Awareness pagefor more help with this2.Have you got any questions?At the end of the interview, it is likely that you will be given the chance to put your own questions to the interviewer. Keep them brief: there may be other interviewees waiting. Ask about the work itself, training and career development:not about holidays, pensions, and season ticket loans! Prepare some questions in advance:it is OK to write these down and to refer to your notes to remind yourself of what you wanted to ask.It often happens that, during the interview, all the points that you had noted down to ask about will be covered before you get to this stage. In this situation, you can respond as follows:Interviewer:Well, that seems to have covered everything: is there anything you would like to ask me?Interviewee:Thank you: I'd made a note to ask about your appraisal system and the study arrangements for professional exams, but we went over those earlier and I really feel you've covered everything that I need to know at this moment.You can also use this opportunity totell the interviewer anything about yourself that they have not raisedduring the interview but which you feel is important to your application:Don't feel you have to wait until this point to ask questions - if the chance to ask a question seems to arise naturally in the course of the interview, take it! Remember that a traditional interview is a conversation - with a purpose.Examples of questions you can ask the interviewerThese are just a few ideas - you should certainly not attempt to ask them all and indeed it's best to formulate your own questions tailored to your circumstances and the job you are being interviewed for! Make sure you have researched the employer carefully, so that you are not asking for information which you should be expected to know already. Is there a fixed period of training for graduates? I see it is possible to switch job functions - how often does this happen? Do you send your managers on external training courses? Where would I be based - is this job function located only in ...? How easy is it for new graduates to find accommodation in this area? How often is a graduate's performance appraised? What is a typical career path in this job function? Can you give me more details of your training programme? Will I be working in ateam? If so, what is the make-up of these teams? What is the turnover of graduates in this company? What are the possibilities of using mylanguages? What are the travel/mobility requirements of this job? How would you see this company developing over the next five years? How would you describe the atmosphere in this company? What is your personal experience of working for this organisation?3.Describe a situation in which you led a team.This is an example of acompetency-based question. Many graduate positions involve people management, where you will be expected toplan, organise and guide the work of others as well asmotivating themto complete tasks. The interviewer needs to assess how well you relate to other people, what role you take in a group and whether you are able to focus on goals and targets.Outline the situation, your role and the task of the group overall.Describe any problems which arose and how they were tackled. Say what theresultwas and what you learned from it. Examples could include putting on a drama or music production; a group project at university; a business game or Young Enterprise scheme or being team leader in a fast-food restaurant.This, and other skills which the employer considers essential for effective performance in the job, should have been highlighted in the job description or graduate brochure - so always be prepared to give examples of situations where you have demonstrated these qualities! While your example should indicate the nature of the team and the task, you need to focus on your own role as leader and on the personal qualities that led you to take on/be nominated for this role and which helped you to succeed in it. Leadership involves many skills:planning,decision-making,persuading, motivating,listening,co-ordinating- but not dictating!See ourLeadership Styles pagefor more help with this4.Describe a situation where you worked in a teamAnothercompetency-based question. Most jobs will involve a degree of teamwork. The interviewer needs to assess how well you relate other people,what role you take in a groupand whether you are able to focus on goals and targets.Outline the situation, your particular role and the task of the group overall. Describe any problems which arose and how they were tackled. Say what the result was and what you learned from it.Examples could include putting on a drama or music production; a group project at university; a business game or "Young Enterprise" scheme or working in a fast-food restaurant.See ourTeamworking pagefor more help with this5. What do you expect to be doing in 5 years time?Try to avoid vague or general answers such asI would hope to grow with the responsibility I am offered and to develop myskillsas far as I am ableorI would expect to be in a management role by then.Be specific, but flexible: recruiters want to know you know what you want. Hiring, training and developing staff costs a lot of money, something like 7,000 to recruit a new graduate, so they want to make sure that you are committed to staying with the organisation."I'd like to gradually take more and more responsibility and perhaps by then be a brand manager for a major product."Talk about your interest in the industry in which the company with operates. Emphasise the value you can bring to the organisation and what you can do for it.You need to show that you are ambitious but also your goals must be realistic - saying you expect to be a senior manager after two years is unlikely to go down well! Use the employer's website or LinkedIn profiles to gain an idea of the career paths followed by past graduates. You may be able to supplement this by showing your knowledge of professional bodies and the steps you will need to take to gain their qualifications, e.g. in areas such asmarketingorHR.This question allows you to demonstrate that you have done your research on the career routes open to you within the organisation and so you should try to be more specific - not necessarily tying yourself down to a particular route, but showing that you have at least a general idea of where you want to go.

Talk about responsibilities you would like to have and expected achievements rather than how much you would expect to be earning in five year time as this will make an employer think you're more interested in the material benefits than the career itself. Talk about your career development: skills you'd like to acquire or you'd like to be using, and professional qualifications you'd like to get.See ourCommercial Awareness pagefor more help with this6. What are your weaknesses?One interviewee, asked about her weaknesses, thought briefly and then replied"Wine, chocolate and men - though not necessarily in that order."She got the job!

The classic answer here is to statea strength which is disguised as a weakness, such as "I'm too much of a perfectionist" or "I push myself too hard". This approach has been used so often that, even if these answers really are true they sound clichd. Also,interviewers will know this trick. If you feel they really apply to you, give examples: you could say that your attention to detail and perfectionism make you very single-minded when at work, often blotting out others in your need to get the task done.A better strategy, is tochoose a weakness that you have worked on to improveand describe what action you are taking to remedy the weakness. For example: "I'm not a very self-confident person and used to find it very difficult to talk to people I didn't know well, but my Saturday job in the local library meant that I had to help people with all kinds of queries and that helped me a lot. Now I'm perfectly happy talking to anybody on a one-to-one basis and I've joined the debating society this year to give me experience ofspeaking in front of an audience."Don't deny that you have any weaknesses- everyone has weaknesses and if you refuse to admit to them the interviewer will mark you down as arrogant, untruthful or lacking in self-awarenessThis question may be phrased in other ways, such as "How would your worst enemy describe you?"7.Who else have you applied to/got interviews with?You are being asked to demonstrate theconsistency of your career aimsas well as yourinterest in the jobfor which you are being interviewed. So if you have applied to one largeaccountancy firmit is reasonable to assume you will be applying to them all.What you can certainly say in your favour, however, is thatthe present employer is your first choice. You may even answer the question by explaining you have yet to apply to any other organisations for this very reason. Perhaps your application to the other firms is imminent, depending on the stage you are at in the recruitment cycle.Give examples that are: Relevant- related to the business you are presently being interviewed for Prestigious. They will reflect well on the firm interviewing you Consistent. Not from lots of different job areas or employment groups of less interest to you than the present opportunity Successful so far. Do not list those firms who have rejected you.

See ourCommercial Awareness pagefor more help with this8. Why did you choose your university and what factors influenced your choice?If you had, in fact, no real choice in where you went to University - e.g. if you had to study close to home for financial or family reasons - you can talk about the more general issues you had to consider in coming to University and perhaps lead the question round to your choice of course rather than institution.Your actual answer is less important than theevidence ofdecision-making,planningand logical reasoning skillsthat it should demonstrate. This is an opportunity for you to demonstrate thesekey skills.9. What are your strengths?This allows you to put across your"Unique Selling Points" - three or four of your key strengths. Try to back these points up withexamples of where you have had to use them.

Consider the requirements of the job and compare these with all your own attributes - yourpersonality,skills, abilities or experience. Where they match you should consider these to be your major strengths. The employer certainly will.

For example,team work,interpersonal skills,creative problem solving, dependability, reliability,originality,leadershipetc., could all be cited as strengths. Work out which is most important for the particular job in question and make sure you illustrate your answer with examples from as many parts of your experience, not just university, as you can.

This question may be phrased in other ways, such as "Tell me about yourself" or "How would a friend describe you?"And some less common questions which have been asked in interviews Why aren't you in a more interesting business? Does your health insurance cover pets? Does your company have a policy regarding concealed weapons? Do you think the company would be willing to lower my pay? What are the zodiac signs of the board members? What is it that you people do in this company? What is the company motto?

10. What has been your greatest achievement?To say that your greatest achievement was getting to University, or getting your degree, will do nothing todistinguish you from all the other candidates. Unless you have had to contend with exceptional difficulties to gain your academic qualifications - such as illness or major family problems - try to say something different that will make you stand out.This doesn't have to be an Olympic medal or an act of heroism. Ideally, it should giveevidence of skills relevant to the jobsuch ascommunication,initiative,teamwork,organisingordetermination: Duke of Edinburgh's gold award - especially the expedition and community service parts Organising a sports or fund-raising event "Overcoming my fear of heights and learning to abseil" "Learning enough Spanish in three months to make myself understood when I traveled around Mexico" Training for and completing a marathon .. or even a 5 Kilometre raceOther common questions (in rough order of popularity) were: Why do you want to join our organisation? What would you do if ........ happened? (hypothetical questions) Describe a situation in which you dealt with confrontation (for example a difficult customer). Describe a situation in which youinfluenced or motivated people. What other careers have you considered/applied for? Why did you choose your degree subject? Describe yourself (in one word). Are you prepared to be mobile? Describe a situation in which you usedinitiative. Describe a situation in which yousolved a problem. Describe a situation in which you took responsibility. What are your hobbies? What was your biggest setback? (How do you deal with adversity?) Tell me about yourproject Describe a situation where you had toplan or organisesomething. Whatcomputing skillsdo you have? What is your usual role in a team? Describe a situation where you had a difficult decision to make.How to perform well in a telephone or Skype interview What are they? Who uses telephone interviews? How long do they last? Advantages of telephone interviews Disadvantages of telephone interviews Tips What questions will I be asked? Will I be given any tests? Skype interviews Video interviews and robotic interviews Tips from Kent students who have had telephone interviewsWhat are they?They arereal interviewsheld over the phone rather than face-to-face. You will usually be interviewed by a member of the graduate recruitment or HR team.A telephone interview will usually be given to candidates who have passedthe online applicationand/orpsychometric teststage of the graduate recruitment process and is used to sift out applicants to be invited to a face-to-face interview or assessment centre.Who uses telephone interviews?One company had telephone screening interviews with 10 graduates and not one had done any research into the company, leading to every single one being rejected! See ourcommercial awareness page

You are more likely to have a telephone interview with one of the large corporate recruiters than with a small or medium sized company. Telephone interviews are used by all kinds of employers banks, accountancy and law firms, consultancies, retailers, manufacturing companies etcCompanies that use telephone interviews include Tesco, HSBC, Corus, BT, Lloyds of London, Shell, GlaxoSmithKline, Vodaphone, BSkyB and many others.They are especially common forsales-related jobs, such as recruitment consultancy and particularly (surprise!) telesales, where verbal communication skills are paramount.You may also expect a telephone interview if you are applying forjobs abroad in which case calls may come in at all hours of the day or night!How long do they last?Based on a small sample of 14 Kent students who have had telephone interviews recently, they varied in length from 20 minutes to 1 hour, with the average length being half an hour: see the pie chart on the right for details.Advantages of telephone interviewsFor the employer: They aretime and cost-effective- most last about 20-25 minutes. Theytest your verbal communication skillsand telephonetechnique.For you:A survey by Shortlister.com found that the most popular location for telephone interviews was the candidate's bedroom (29%) or living room (25%), but 9% of job seekers have been interviewed whilst in the bath and one candidate whilst riding a horse! 60% of under 34 years old had had a phone interview, compared to 32% aged 45 to 50.

You can refer (quickly!) to your application form, take notes even hold on to your teddy bear for moral support. You don't need to dress upor smarten up. You don't need to spend time travelingto interview or wonder if the employer will pay your expenses.Disadvantages of telephone interviews (for you) You can't see the interviewerto gauge their response. Tension you never know when an employer might call to interview you. They can seem to go very quickly, without giving you much time to think about your answers - so be well prepared! According toa survey of 2,500 office employees"Very distant and cold style of interview: no chitchat. They only want to know if you can fill their criteria. High rate of questions. Not at all easy but a good experience. "Kent graduate commenting on their telephone interview.

by Jurys Inn Hotels and CrossCountry trains,almost 40% of 18-24 year olds said they were nervous of using the phone in the workplacewhile one in twenty said they are terrified of using the phone, with 94% claiming to prefer email communication to the phone.The advertisement may ask you to 'phone the company. This gives you totalcontrolover the time and place of the interview although means that you will have to pay for the call. At the time arranged, make sure you are in a quiet location and that you will not be disturbed during the call.. . or they may phone you in response to your CV/application formYou will normally be advised when the telephone call will be made so always be prepared for this: Keep your mobile with you, charged, topped up and switched on at the appropriate time! Make sure that the reception is OK. If you have given a landline number, and share a house with other students/graduates or live in the family home, try andprepare other people in the housefor these calls and prevent replies such as:Lo. Uh? Who? Oh, right OI! DAVE! ITS FOR YOU! Try and take the phone to asquiet and private a locationas possible.One student had a fire alarm go off in the middle of their telephone interview!

If the call does come unexpectedly and you are not preparedsay "Thank you for calling, do you mind waiting for a minute while I close the door/turn off the radio/take the phone to a quieter room?". This will give you a little time to compose yourself. If it really is a bad time,offer to call back, fix a time and stick to it. Check your answerphone message:is it one that you would want a prospective employer to hear? Does it give a professional impression? If not, change it just in case you do miss a call for any reason.Tips Keep a copy of your applicationand information on the company handy, plus a pen and notepad to take notes. Have yourlaptop turned onif your application is on this. Before the call, make a list of your USP's (unique selling points): the things that make you better in some ways than most of the other people who will be applying. Don't just read out your notesas this will sound stilted. Its useful to have a glass of water to hand during a phone interview(but move the phone away from your mouth when you swallow ). You will be doing a lot of talking and you dont want your mouth to dry up at a crucial moment! Smile when you dial!(and, more importantly, when you speak): it really does make a difference to your tone of voice. Although the interviewer cant see you,you may find it easier to come over in a professional mannerif you are sitting at a desk or table rather than lounging in bed. In a face to face interview, youshow that you are listening vianon-verbal signalssuch as nodding your head. Over the phone you have to show this by the occasional"OK", "uh-huh", "I see", "I understand", "yes"or similar interjections. Listen very carefullyto the interviewer and try to answer with alively tone of voice. Speak clearly and not too fast. Reflect back what the speaker is saying in other words. This shows you're listening carefully and checks you are understanding. It is often the most useful way of giving positive feedback to someone: "I hear what you're saying and take it seriously". You can't keep saying "uh-huh" or "yes" for too long without it sounding false. Immediately after the interview,write down the questions you were askedand any ways in which you could have improved your responses.What questions will I be asked?These will be identical to those asked in aface to face interview!Here are some questions that Kent students have been asked at telephone interviews. How you choose your university degree? Why do you want to work for our organisation? Why do you want to work in the job you have applied for? What qualities are important to work in the role you are applying for? What evidence can you give to show you possess these qualities? What do we do? Are you willing to be mobile on the job? Tell me a time you have demonstrated teamwork/communication. Tell me about a time when you have had to cope with pressure Tell me about a challenge you have faced. How did you conduct the challenge? What were the advantages and disadvantages of your method? The steps you took? The results? Describe a time when you had to deal with a difficult customer? When have you used your initiative to achieve a goal? Can you mention a time when you have used your leadership skills? When have you set yourself a goal? What challenges did you face? Describe a time when you have exceeded a customer's expectations Describe when you had to motivate others? What do you think is important when communicating with people? What skills do you have to offer to a team? What is your greatest strength? Why shouldn't we hire you? Where do you see yourself in 5 years time? What do you think your job would involve doing? Commercial awareness what has been in news recently that would affect our organisation? Do you have any questions for us?For help with these see ouranswers to 150 interview questions

Will I be given any tests?"The telephone is such an important invention that one day every town will have one"Alexander Graham Bell

Perhaps tests can quite easily be administered over the phone. The interviewer may read out a series of statements and you will be asked to say if you agree or disagree. Sometimes this can be done by pressing the telephone keys.The tests involved aremore likely to be personality-type questions than reasoning tests. For example, you may be asked to rate the extent to which you felt the following activities reflect your personal style, from 1 (not at all) to 5 (a lot): Meeting new people Setting yourself targets to achieve Working on your own Repairing mechanical equipmentSkype interviewsConducting interviews via Skype offers employers allthe advantages of a telephone interview in terms of cost-effectiveness with the bonus of being able to see the candidate. While they are still not as widely used as telephone interviews, they areparticularly helpful for international recruitment when interviewing the candidate in another country e.g. for TEFL teachers. Universities often use them when interviewing candidates for postgraduate study and research.As the candidate, you are likely to find that face-to-face contact with the interviewer helps to make the interview a slightly less unnatural experience. The disadvantage is thatyou will have to dress as smartlyas you would for a real-life interview (at least from the waist up!) and itwont be quite as easy to refer to your notesor application form during the interview.A Skype interview will be more like a real-life interview than a telephone interview, but the following points are worth keeping in mind: When preparing for the interview,choose your location carefully. Use a private room(not a study area) and put a Do Not Disturb Interview in Progress sign on the door. Sitting at a desk or table, rather than in an armchair or on the bed, will help you feel more professional as you will be sitting up straight. Make sure that the interviewer is not going to be distracted by anything in the background tatty posters, lamps, unmade bed, piles of unwashed laundry, etc.According to a survey by OfficeTeammore than six out of 10 HR managersin the United States now use video to interview job applicants.Many British firms are now doing the same.

If you live on the ground floorit may be a good idea to pull down the blinds to avoid any of your so-called friends pulling faces through the window, but make sure that thelighting is bright enoughfor the interviewer to see you clearly. Ask a friend to Skype you before the interviewto check that everything is working, that the background is clear and that any notes or crib sheets are out of view of the camera. Turn off any other programs running on your computer you dont want to be distracted by an email suddenly popping up while you are speaking. Dress smartlyas you would for a normal interview as this will make you feel more confident.You can however wear your pyjama bottoms if these are out of view of the camera! Look at the cameraso it looks like you are talking directly to the employer and smile! Make sure thewebcam aligns on your face and shoulders. Sit up straight with a good posture rather than slouching. Speak clearly into the microphone.Avoid speaking at the same time as other people as this can make it difficult to hear what is being said on Skype, so you must to allow people to finish speaking to avoid missing information.Asurvey by Right Managementfound that 18% of candidates have had a video interview in the past year more than twice the number a year ago. 82% of hiring managers have used Skype, and 6% used pre-recorded platforms.Nineteen percent used video interviews and more than two-thirds expect video interviews to be used more in the next three years. (SeeVideo Interviewsbelow).

Consider turning off your own picturein the top right corner as this can be distracting. Make sure that you have a phone number and/or email for your interviewer, so that you can contact them in the case of any technical problems.For further advice, see: Skypewww.skype.com/intl/en-gb/home Skype interview advicewww.grb.uk.com/interview-advice-skype.0.html Skype interviewswww.jobs.ac.uk/career-tools-and-advice/interview-tips/1252/job-interviews-by-skype BBC Article: skype interviews: Is it more tricky to be grilled by video?www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21334710 Businesses wasting time and money on face-to-face interviewsVideo interviewsThe use of recorded video interviews is increasing. These started with technology companies, but have now spread to mainstream employers.These differ from Skype interviews in that all candidates are usually asked the same questionswhich can be tailored to the specific job the employer is recruiting for.Recruiters have the opportunity to replay, review, and rate the interviews online, so they can compare candidates without having to remember who said what.In a recentsurvey of employersin the US9.4% currently accepted video CVs7.1% planned to accept video CVs in the future28.2% wished to research the implications of video CVs before accepting them55.3% did not accept video CVs and probably would not in the future.A structure used by one company is as follows Arrangements for an interview are scheduled at a company office or via the applicant's laptop or tablet. A tutorial will provide instructions on the webcam and the interview. The applicant will have 30 seconds to read the question and two minutes to respond.How to get prepare. Many of the tips for Skype interviews above also apply Ask for help (available online or by phone) if you don't know how the webcam works or if you have questions. Follow the directions carefully Dress just like you would for a face to face interview. Practice - record yourself to see how you appear on camera. Be aware of your surroundings and the lighting. Look at the camera, not down at the desk or table. A video interview is a "real" interview, just like when you interview in an office. Given that the interview can be scored and reviewed, it can be even more important than a typical first round phone interviewRobotic interviews!Some companies are now using virtual interviewers using life-like avatars to ask the questions normally asked by an interviewer via online video interview software. It helps companies to save money and improves the candidates interview experience. The average cost per hire in the UK is about 5,000, and this software may save 43% of the screening cost by reducing the time involved in the process.The avatar keeps interviewees engaged via visual, audio and text prompts and is visible during the whole process so that the interviewee has something to focus on. Avatars are consistent, asking each question in the same way to each interviewee. SeeNew software replaces recruiters with avatars(HR Grapevine)

Tips from Kent students who have had telephone interviews Shut yourself away in a quiet place. Have a glass of water by the phone. Be positive and articulate.Initial presentation is vital: you phoning them means first impressions really count. It's actually good fun though, provided you're prepared. (graduate sales interview) Supply good examples.Talk slowly!(Smith and Williamson Accountants) Relax, speak confidently(Accenture) Interviewer was very nice and didn't mind if you took a few minutes to think. Their call centre is very noisy so you have to speak quite loud for them to hear you properly(HP) The structure of the interview was explained well and the interviewer seemed friendly.(Logica) If you do your research and follow the advice on the careers website you should have no problemswith the telephone interview. I was notified of passing the interview after five days. When first contacted to arrange time for interview, the HR person made a point of stating that no knowledge would be needed of SAS for the telephone interview. I ignored this and read their website, their Wikipedia page and any other information that Google produced. Unsurprisingly, the first question asked was about my knowledge of SAS! After about five minutes the interviewer moved on to other questions, soalways do your research on the company.The rest of the interview questions were the standard; tell me a time when style of question, although one I was not expecting was tell me about a time when you had to persuade someone to change their mind and how did you achieve this?(SAS) Read your applicationand give strong examples. They seemed friendly: treat it as a chat and relax as they are quite people-focused and pride themselves on their open approach.(Grant Thornton Accountants) Calm down and be prepared.Think of examples when you demonstrated thecompetenciesthat they are looking for.(Mercer Investment Consulting) Prior to the telephone interview there were online numerical and verbal tests.Take your time. Keep your answers to a reasonable length. Eachcompetency questionwas covering a key area. Make sure you read through your application answers beforehand.(3M ) When on the phone, make sure you have a copy of your application form in front of you - and notes! (Cable & Wireless) Prior to the telephone interview there was verbal tests.Make sure you read through your application answers beforehand. Interview is entirely on soft skills. No need to worry about time limit , you'll even be asked if you wish to add to an earlier statement.(Orange) Prepare for interviews byresearching the company(including recent press releases) and re-reading your original application.Personality testtook about 10 minutes. Questions were describing a situation and asking which course of action you would take (multiple choice answers)(Barratt Homes) Just be yourself, try to relax and dont panic when they fire the questions at you. The questions seem to be based on your application and your knowledge of BT.They are checking if you fit in with their business. Asked a lot of questions, and they kept asking similar questions again to check you were telling the truth. They appeared to be checking what you had written on your application form and CV, and were trying to ensure it was true. This was certainly a verbal reasoning test and a test to see if you could think on the spot. It was hard not to repeat yourself.(BT) It was a telephone based interviewconsists of a role play and competency questions.Just prepare answers for all the common questionsand you should ace the interview. The telephone interview can be tricky and the interviewer will be difficult during the role, so just stay calm and think practically.(Centrica)

For details oftelephone interviews with a range of companiessee ourInterview ReportsHow to Answer 23 of the Most Common Interview QuestionsByPaul Michaelon 4 October 2007 (Updated 19 November 2013)274 comments396

Photo:Marco Bellucci / FlickrWise Bread Picks Travel Rewards Credit Cards Cash Back Credit Cards 0% Balance Transfer Credit Cards[Editor's note: If you recently lost your job, take a look at Wise Bread's collection oftips and resources for the recently laid off.]Let's face it; no one likes the interview process. Well, certainly not the people being interviewed anyway. You have to be on your best behavior, you only get one chance to get it right, and it's like taking your driving test all over again. Over the years I've been to countless interviews. To get my first job out of college I attended some 15-20 interviews a week. Whether it was in Britain or over here in the States, the questions never really seemed to change from job to job. Not only that, but the answers to them are usually the same, with your own personal interpretation of course. Here I present 23 questions you're likely to be asked, and how I have learned to answer them. Why 23? Because I had more than 20 and less than 25. Remember, being interviewed is a skill, and if you do the preparation you should ace it every time. (See also:12 Unique Ways to Score a Job Interview)1. So, tell me a little about yourself.I'd be very surprised if you haven't been asked this one at every interview. It's probably the most asked question because it sets the stage for the interview and it gets you talking. Be careful not to give the interviewer your life story here. You don't need to explain everything from birth to present day. Relevant facts about education, your career and your current life situation are fine.2. Why are you looking (or why did you leave you last job)?This should be a straightforward question to answer, but it can trip you up. Presumably you are looking for a new job (or any job) because you want toadvance your careerand get a position that allows you to grow as a person and an employee. It's not a good idea to mention money here, it can make you sound mercenary. And if you are in the unfortunate situation of having been downsized, stay positive and be as brief as possible about it. If you were fired, you'll need a good explanation. But once again, stay positive.3. Tell me what you know about this company.Do your homework before you go to any interview. Whether it's being the VP of marketing or the mailroom clerk, you should know about the company or business you're going to work for. Has this company been in the news lately? Who are the people in the company you should know about? Do the background work, it will make you stand out as someone who comes prepared, and is genuinely interested in the company and the job.4. Why do you want to work at X Company?This should be directly related to the last question. Any research you've done on the company should have led you to the conclusion that you'd want to work there. After all, you're at the interview, right? Put some thought into this answer before you have your interview, mention your career goals and highlight forward-thinking goals and career plans.5. What relevant experience do you have?Hopefully if you're applying for this position you have bags of related experience, and if that's the case you should mention it all. But if you're switching careers or trying something a little different, your experience may initially not look like it's matching up. That's when you need a little honest creativity to match the experiences required with the ones you have. People skills are people skills after all, you just need to show how customer service skills can apply to internal management positions, and so on.6. If your previous co-workers were here, what would they say about you?Ok, this is not the time for full disclosure. If some people from your past are going to say you're a boring A-hole, you don't need to bring that up. Stay positive, always, and maybe have a few specific quotes in mind. "They'd say I was a hard worker" or even better "John Doe has always said I was the most reliable, creative problem-solver he'd ever met."7. Have you done anything to further your experience?This could include anything from night classes to hobbies and sports. If it's related, it's worth mentioning. Obviously anything to do with further education is great, but maybe you're spending time on a home improvement project to work on skills such as self-sufficiency, time management and motivation.8. Where else have you applied?This is a good way to hint that you're in demand, without sounding like you're whoring yourself all over town. So, be honest and mention a few other companies but don't go into detail. The fact that you're seriously looking and keeping your options open is what the interviewer is driving at.9. How are you when you're working under pressure?Once again, there are a few ways to answer this but they should all be positive. You may work well under pressure, you may thrive under pressure, and you may actually PREFER working under pressure. If you say you crumble like aged blue cheese, this is not going to help you get your foot in the door.10. What motivates you to do a good job?The answer to this one is not money, even if it is. You should be motivated by life's noble pursuits. You want recognition for a job well done. You want to become better at your job. You want to help others or be a leader in your field.11. What's your greatest strength?This is your chance to shine. You're being asked to explain why you are a great employee, so don't hold back and stay do stay positive. You could be someone who thrives under pressure, a great motivator, an amazing problem solver or someone with extraordinary attention to detail. If your greatest strength, however, is to drink anyone under the table or get a top score on Mario Kart, keep it to yourself. The interviewer is looking for work-related strengths.12. What's your biggest weakness?If you're completely honest, you may be kicking yourself in the butt. If you say you don't have one, you're obviously lying. This is a horrible question and one that politicians have become masters at answering. They say things like "I'm perhaps too committed to my work and don't spend enough time with my family." Oh, there's a fireable offense. I've even heard "I think I'm too good at my job, it can often make people jealous." Please, let's keep our feet on the ground. If you're asked this question, give a small, work-related flaw that you're working hard to improve. Example: "I've been told I occasionally focus on details and miss the bigger picture, so I've been spending time laying out the complete project every day to see my overall progress."13. Let's talk about salary. What are you looking for?Run for cover! This is one tricky game to play in an interview. Even if you know the salary range for the job, if you answer first you're already showing all your cards. You want as much as possible, the employer wants you for as little as you're willing to take. Before you apply, take a look at salary.com for a good idea of what someone with your specific experience should be paid. You may want to say, "well, that's something I've thought long and hard about and I think someone with my experience should get between X & Y." Or, you could be sly and say, "right now, I'm more interested in talking more about what the position can offer my career." That could at least buy you a little time to scope out the situation. But if you do have a specific figure in mind and you are confident that you can get it, I'd say go for it. I have on many occasions, and every time I got very close to that figure (both below and sometimes above).14. Are you good at working in a team?Unless you have the I.Q. of a houseplant, you'll always answer YES to this one. It's the only answer. How can anyone function inside an organization if they are a loner? You may want to mention what part you like to play in a team though; it's a great chance to explain that you're a natural leader.15. Tell me a suggestion you have made that was implemented.It's important here to focus on the word "implemented." There's nothing wrong with having a thousand great ideas, but if the only place they live is on your notepad what's the point? Better still, you need a good ending. If your previous company took your advice and ended up going bankrupt, that's not such a great example either. Be prepared with a story about an idea of yours that was taken from idea to implementation, and considered successful.16. Has anything ever irritated you about people you've worked with?Of course, you have a list as long as your arm. But you can't say that, it shows you as being negative and difficult to work with. The best way to answer this one is to think for a while and then say something like "I've always got on just fine with my co-workers actually."17. Is there anyone you just could not work with?No. Well, unless you're talking about murderers, racists, rapists, thieves or other dastardly characters, you can work with anyone. Otherwise you could be flagged as someone who's picky and difficult if you say, "I can't work with anyone who's a Bronco's fan. Sorry."18. Tell me about any issues you've had with a previous boss.Arrgh! If you fall for this one you shouldn't be hired anyway. The interviewer is testing you to see if you'll speak badly about your previous supervisor. Simply answer this question with extreme tact, diplomacy and if necessary, a big fat loss of memory. In short, you've never had any issues.19. Would you rather work for money or job satisfaction?It's not a very fair question is it? We'd all love to get paid a Trump-like salary doing a job we love but that's rare indeed. It's fine to say money is important, but remember that NOTHING is more important to you than the job. Otherwise, you're just someone looking for a bigger paycheck.20. Would you rather be liked or feared?I have been asked this a lot, in various incarnations. The first time I just drew a blank and said, "I don't know." That went over badly, but it was right at the start of my career when I had little to no experience. Since then I've realized that my genuine answer is "Neither, I'd rather be respected." You don't want to be feared because fear is no way to motivate a team. You may got the job done but at what cost? Similarly, if you're everyone's best friend you'll find it difficult to make tough decisions or hit deadlines. But when you're respected, you don't have to be a complete bastard or a lame duck to get the job done.21. Are you willing to put the interests of X Company ahead of your own?Again, another nasty question. If you say yes, you're a corporate whore who doesn't care about family. If you say no, you're disloyal to the company. I'm afraid that you'll probably have to say yes to this one though, because you're trying to be the perfect employee at this point, and perfect employees don't cut out early for Jimmy's baseball game.22. So, explain why I should hire you.As I'm sure you know, "because I'm great" or "I really need a job" are not good answers here. This is a time to give the employer a laundry list of your greatest talents that just so happen to match the job description. It's also good to avoid taking potshots at other potential candidates here. Focus on yourself and your talents, not other people's flaws.23. Finally, do you have any questions to ask me?I'll finish the way I started, with one of the most common questions asked in interviews. This directly relates to the research you've done on the company and also gives you a chance to show how eager and prepared you are. You'll probably want to ask about benefits if they haven't been covered already. A good generic one is "how soon could I start, if I were offered the job of course." You may also ask what you'd be working on. Specifically, in the role you're applying for and how that affects the rest of the company. Always have questions ready, greeting this one with a blank stare is a rotten way to finish your interview. Good luck and happy job hunting.