Why do interviewers want to know why you selected your college, chose your major, or career field? They really want to learn how you make decisions. When answering this type of question, you want the interviewer to understand your thought processes. “Because my father went there” or “I thought it’s where I could make the most money” aren’t good answers, even if true.
In an article listing 10 common interviewing mistakes that stand out in employer’s minds, Dr. Phyllis Brust, Director of Career Development at Muhlenburg College discusses how to avoid this and other pitfalls.
Questions about your weaknesses are designed to see how you evaluate yourself. By giving a canned answer, such as “I have trouble saying no” or “I work too hard,” you’ll sound insincere. Both are well worn clichés. A better approach is to answer with a former weakness. That is, cite a problem you had in the past, then discuss what you did to eliminate it. That way you appear both insightful and disciplined.
It’s traditional for interviewers to ask questions about strengths and weaknesses. Behavioral interviewing presents a different style of questioning. In this approach, an employer identifies the qualities it seeks, and then asks candidates to cite specific cases when they used those qualities. A typical example might be where the interviewer asks for an example of when you went beyond a job’s description. With either approach, preparation is the key to giving an effective answer.
