General Interview Questions and how to answer


6)

What do you know about this organization?


Do your homework prior to the job interview. Doing the background work will help you stand out. Find out who the main players are—have they been in the news recently? You're not expected to know every date and individual, but you need to have a solid understanding of the company as a whole.

7)

Why do you want this job?


This question typically follows on from the previous one. Here is where your research will come in handy. You may want to say that you want to work for a company that is X, Y, Z, (market leader, innovator, provides a vital service, whatever it may be). Put some thought into this beforehand, be specific and link the company's values and mission statement to your own goals and career plans.

8)

Who are our main competitors?


This shows you really understand the industry and the main players. Think about a few and say how you think they compare (similarities and differences). This is a good opportunity to highlight what you think are the company's key strengths. 

9)

What would your previous co-workers say about you?


This is not the arena for full disclosure. You want to stay positive and add a few specific statements or paraphrase. Something like "Emaka Nwakpa always mentioned how reliable and hard working I was" is enough. 

10)

How do you handle stressful situations and working under pressure? 


There are several ways of addressing this one. You may be the sort of person that works well under pressure; you may even thrive under pressure. Whatever the case, make sure you don't say you panic. You want to give specific examples of stressful situations and how well you dealt with them. You may also want to list a few tools you use to help you, such as to-do lists, etc. It is alright to say that you will ask for assistance when the job is more than what you can handle. It is equally acceptable to say that you work best under pressure if this is indeed the case and relevant to the particular role.