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Dem Bewerbungsgespräch, also dem "Interview", kommt auch in UK eine große Bedeutung zu. In einem hat cm eine hervoragende Auflistung mit typischen Fragen erstellt, die ich hiermit in die Hauptseite einbinde:

Occasions where you have

* solved problems

* motivated team members

* worked within a team

* managed a project

* achieved goals/objectives

* international work experience

Von einem Vermittler aus Dublin/Irland erhielt ich zwei Listen. Einerseits folgenden Fragenkatalog:

* How would you feel spending your day on the phone?

* What computer skills do you have?

* How would you deal with a difficult customer over the telephone?

* What qualities do you think are required for this position?

* What are your strengths/weaknesses?

* Why would you want a position like this?

* What can you bring as an individual to the company?

* How would you feel about relocating?

* Talk me through your work experience to date?

* How does this work experience relate to this position?

* What are the attributes of a strong customer service person in your eyes?

* School/University, what were your favorite subjects?

* How would you describe yourself?

* How do you handle pressure or stress in the work environment?

* Do you like working in a team environment or do you prefer working alone?

* Where do you see yourself in 2 years time?

Und andererseits folgenden Katalog mit Beispielantworten:

Interview questions you may be asked

Before attending an interview you should think about your responses to the following questions. Your answers may depend on the job or company in question, so you should go through your responses just before each interview.

Why do you want this job?

Think carefully about this question. Stress the positive aspects which have attracted you to applying for this position. Do not mention the negative aspects of your current job or the job in question.

What qualities do you think will be required for this job?

The job specification I sent you for the job may help you a little bit, but you should also think of the other qualities that may be required. These may include team player, leadership ability, communication skills, interpersonal skills, problem solving, analytical skills, etc.

What can you contribute?

This is your chance to shine. Tell them about your achievements in your previous position(s) which are relevant to the new position you are applying for.

Why do you want to work for this company?

Emphasise the positive reasons why you want to join their company, but avoid aspects such as more money or shorter hours. These would not endear you to a prospective employer.

What do you know about this company?

This is your chance to impress the interviewer with your knowledge of their company. Give them a run down of their products/services, sales figures, news, company figures, customers, etc.

What interests you about our product (or service)?

Again, your research into the company should aid you in answering this question.

You have not done this sort of job before. How will you cope/succeed?

Say that you are the sort of person who aims to succeed at everything you do and that you are very determined and will do whatever it takes to get the job done.

Why should we employ you?

The answer to this question will be based on your previous experience and achievements which relate to the company. At the end you could add that you think there is a good fit between you and the job, and do ask the interviewer for their opinion.

What do you like and dislike about the job we are discussing?

Likes: stress things such as a new challenge or the opportunity to bring fresh experience to the company. Dislikes: Imply there is nothing to dislike about the job, which is why you are so interested.

Why did you choose a career in ...?

Be positive about your reasons. If you have changed careers make a logical argument as to why you did so. Career should come from your experience and achievements, stress the transferable skills you have, such as leadership ability, etc.

How much does your last job resemble the one you are applying for? What are the differences?

The interviewer is trying to see how well you would fit in to the position you are applying for. So you should stress the similarities rather than the differences. When it comes to discussing the differences it will help your case if you can show that either you have done something similar in the past or that you can quickly pick up the new skills.

What do you think of the last company you worked for?

You should stress the positive aspects of your last company saying that they were a good company to work for. Tell them about the training you received or the work related experience you gained.

How long have you been looking for a new job?

If you have been unemployed for a long time this may be a rather tricky question to answer. But be honest. If you have been away on holiday or done some voluntary work you could mention this.

Do you prefer to work in a small, medium or large company?

Remember where you are! If the company interviewing you is a small to medium sized company say that you enjoy a close atmosphere with a good team spirit. At a large company say that you enjoy the stability of working for a large and established company.

What are you looking for in a new job?

Make sure your answer fits in with the company who is interviewing you. A suitable reply would be that you are looking for a new job where you can apply your existing skills and learn new ones.

What would your ideal job be?

Again, remember where you are! Describe the job in terms of the criteria they have used to describe their job. An ideal job might include things like challenging work, a fair rate of pay for the job, nice colleagues, good career prospects, good team atmosphere, opportunity to learn new skills, apply old skills, etc.

Are you considering any other positions at the moment?

If you are say so, but do not give too many details away - it will weaken your negotiating position later. If you do not have any other job offers at the moment just say that you have a few irons in the fire.

What did you think of your manager/supervisor?

Say that he/she was the sort of person you could learn from and you communicated well, which meant that the task in hand was completed on time.

How would you describe yourself? / How would others describe you?

Pick your best attributes and achievements from your career.

How could you improve yourself?

Do not mention anything negative about yourself - the interviewer is looking for a chink in your armour.

Did you feel you progressed satisfactorily in your last job?

If you progressed faster than normal you should say so. If growth was not as good as expected then be careful how you phrase this.

How do you handle criticism?

Your answer should be along the following lines: "I always think that it is important to get feedback on how I am performing so that I can improve any areas which my manager/supervisor highlights. Do you have regular staff appraisals and a staff development plan?"

Are you accepted into a team quickly?

Hopefully you can answer a resounding "Yes" to this question.

Can you act on your own initiative?

You should say that you can. You could ask how much responsibility you would have.

What motivates you?

Our suggestions are career growth, opportunity to learn new skills, good co-workers, etc.

Can you work under pressure?

You need to say that you can. You could ask how much pressure the job involves.

How many hours are you prepared to work?

You would be prepared to work the necessary hours to get the job done on time.

What are your career goals?

Link in your goals with the company who is interviewing you.

What interests do you have outside work?

Your hobbies and interests can tell an employer a lot about you, including whether you are sociable or solitary, and whether you can take on 'leadership' roles. So you should think about which interests will paint the right picture of you given the position you are discussing.

Are you prepared to relocate?

If you are, say so. If you do not want to move then you do not have to accept the job - try and come across as someone who is positive.

How often are you off sick?

This can be a difficult question to answer if you are frequently off sick or you have just recovered from a prolonged period of illness. If you have generally enjoyed good health and this period of illness is not typical then you should say so.

What did you earn in your last job?

You have to be very careful when answering this question because once an interviewer knows your current salary they will try and fix your next remuneration based on this figure. This may be satisfactory if you only wanted a modest rise in salary and your current salary is in line with their salary range, but, what if your current salary is substantially lower than the rate for the job, or if you want a substantial salary rise? In these cases you would be best advised to say that you do not really want to prejudice yourself by being too high or too low. Ask if you can discuss this later after the responsibilities for the job have been discussed; you may also want to ask them what the range for the job is (if you do not already know).

What level of salary are you looking for now?

Be very careful when you answer this question - you do not want to appear to be greedy. If you are applying for a specific vacancy you could ask them what the salary range is. Once they have answered you could say "I think my experience would place me at the top end of your range, don't you?" If they ask you this question fairly early on in the interview you could delay answering by saying "It is hard to discuss salary without first knowing a little bit more about the job and the responsibilities."

What will your referees say about you?

Say that you expect excellent references.

Difficult questions

If you cannot answer a question you might reply with "That's an interesting question - how would you tackle it?"

Questions you may want to ask an interviewer

The interview is a two-way process. The company interviewing you will want to find out whether you are suitable for the position and you will want to find out if the company and position are right for you. You should therefore ensure that you have enough information to make up your mind whether you want the job. For example:

* What will be my responsibilities?

* Who will I report to?

* Who are your customers?

* What training do you provide?

* What is the next step?

Factors that can cost you the interview/job

* Being unprepared for the interview.

* Poor/ limp handshake.

* Saying unfavourable things about previous employers.

* Not being able to communicate clearly and effectively.

* Being aggressive or acting in a superior way.

* Making excuses for failings.

Ein andere Dubliner Agentur nannte mir folgende Musterfragen.

* Tell me about a time when you had to work against strict time constraints.

* What procedures you followed in order to prioritise your work in the past?

* What sort of things do you find distracting when you are trying to work? How do you deal with them?

* What activities have you undertaken as part of a team?

* Tell me about a time when things were particularly hectic. How did you feel? What steps did you take to deal with the pressure?

* What do you think that customers want?

* Why do you want a job in this company and what will you bring to the position?

* What are your positive qualities?

* What are your negative qualities?

* How comfortable are you using a computer?

* What is your understanding of the job?

* What skills can you bring to this job?

* What do you know about this company?

* Give an example of when you had to deal with a difficult customer.

* How would people describe you?

They will be asking questions to find out

* how customer focused you are

* how you react under pressure

* if you are a team player

* how motivated you are

* what motivates you

Gegen Ende des Gesprächs wird dem Bewerber normalerweise die Möglichkeit gegeben, Fragen zu stellen. Dabei kann man sich z. B. nach folgenden Details erkundigen:

* Why is this position available?

* Is this a new position? How long has this position existed?

* What happened to the person that held this position before?

* How many people have held this position in the last four years?

* What do you like about working here?

* With whom will I be working most closely?

* What kind of staff turnover rate does the company have?

* What projects and assignments will I be working on?

* How would you describe the company's culture?

* What do you consider to be the company's strengths and weaknesses as an employer?

* What are the most challenging aspects of the position?

* What are the opportunities for training and professional development?

* Will I receive any formal training?

* What is the company's promotional policy?

* Are there opportunities for advancement within the organisation?

* When can I expect to hear from you?