The Real You

Tell me about yourself?
This is not an invitation to ramble on. If the context isn`t clear, you need to know more about the question before giving an answer. Whichever direction your answer ultimately takes be sure that it has some relevance to your professional endeavours. You should also refer to one or more of your key personal qualities, such as honesty, integrity, being a team player, or determination. For example, if you choose `team player`, you can tell a story about yourself outside work - perhaps as a member of a sports team - that also speaks volumes about you at work.

How well do you feel other people rated your job performance?
This is one very sound reason to ask for written evaluations of your work before leaving a company. You should also ask for a letter of recommendation whenever you leave a job. Don`t thrust these under your interviewer`s nose, but when you are asked the question, you can produce them with a flourish. If you don`t have written evaluations, try to quote verbal appraisals, such as `My boss said only a month ago that I was the most valuable engineer in the work group, because...`

What is your greatest strength?
Isolate high points from your background and build in a couple of your key personal qualities, such as pride in your work, reliability and the ability to stick with a difficult task, yet change course rapidly when required.

What is your greatest weakness?
This is a direct invitation to put your head in a noose. Decline the invitation. If there is a minor part of the job at hand where you lack knowledge - but knowledge you will obviously pick up quickly - use that. For instance: `I haven`t worked with this type of spreadsheet before but, given my experience with six other types, I should be able to pick it up in a few days.` Another option is to design the answer so your weakness is ultimately a positive characteristic. For example: `I always give each project my best shot, so if I sometimes feel others aren`t pulling their weight, I find it a little frustrating. I try to overcome it with a positive attitude that I hope will catch on. `Also consider the technique of putting a problem in the past and showing how you overcame it.

What are you looking for in your next job?
You want a company where your talents and experience will allow you to contribute to their business. Avoid saying what you want the company to give you; you must say what you want in terms of what you can give to your employer. The key word is `contribution`.