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masikafinance

Tag: Job interviews

  • Common Job Interview Questions

    Eliud Masika, MBA

    When you attend a job interview, the employer/HR already have predetermined questions to ask you. One of the biggest mistakes you can do is to attend a job interview without preparations. Here are some of common questions asked at a job interview:

    Tell me about yourself: This is the most common and always asked question in all job interviews. Most job applicants confuse this question as to tell their personal story about their lives. This question is designed for two reasons. First, is to determine your interpersonal skills, and most importantly a chance to tell the employer your work-related achievements from your previous employment and what value you bring to the employer. In other words, the employer wants to know why they should hire you. Include examples like you were the employee of the year at your prior employment or top salesperson.

    What are your strengths/ Weaknesses: This question is mainly designed to gauge your critical thinking and at the same time determine how creative you are. Please never respond that you have no strengths or weaknesses. Instead, think of something you do really well- you can respond that your strength is you go above and beyond of what is expected of your job responsibilities. For example, you answered a call on behalf of the receptionist. This portrays you as willing to help even when it is not within your job responsibilities and therefore a team player.

    For weakness, you can say something realistic but do not say something that may hurt your interview. For instance, you can say I help too much. This shows that you are a team player but at the same time shows that you do not delegate work or ask for help. Immediately after stating your weakness, follow-up with a solution; something that corrects your weakness. For example, delegation or prioritize tasks.

    Do you have any questions for me? This question always come at the end of the job interview. Never say you do not have any questions. When I interview applicants, and the applicant respond that they do not have any questions, it makes me wonder if they are even serious about the job. There are actually many things you can ask at the end of the job interview. This is your opportunity to connect with the employer. In fact, few years ago I interviewed an applicant, and the applicant did not do well overall in the interview but after the applicant engaged me in this last step, it led to change of mind. The better side of the candidate qualifications came out at this time as I probed more through the questions asked. Examples of questions you can ask are: the opportunity to rise through ranks in the company, what is the turnover in the position you have applied, company culture and reporting hierarchy, benefits (health insurances, 401k’s etc.) & compensation.

  • Resumes and HR

    Eliud Masika, MBA

    Most of us at one time or another, have applied a job and submitted your resume/application to HR for a job consideration.

    After close to 10 years in HR, I hate to break to you that very few things matter in a candidate’s resume. And one of them it is not the length of the resume! Actually, the length of the resume carries insignificant weight.

    Most HR scan through resumes first. After all, they are many applications to read each resume individually. My organization (name withheld for privacy), we do not use a software to scan applications, but we review them manually. This means only pre-qualified applications will be selected for further review.

    What you put at the top of your resume matters alot.This is what essentially catches the eye of recruiter first than anything else you write in your resume. Always put the most relevant and qualification at the top of your resume.

    Ideally, a resume should be a one page or two utmost. I have seen applicants with three or more pages of resume which I actually do not read, if anything I stop at page one. This is why most relevant qualifications should be at the top of the resume.

    Always have updated contact information. We have seen applicants copy and paste previous resumes and we are unable to contact them even when they were offered the position. Always check your email, this is what most HR use as primary communication.

    Provide only few years of experience unless specifically asked. Past 5 years’ experience is usually enough and be ready to explain any gaps of employment, if any.

    A resume does influence the type of questions you will be asked at the interview. So, understand your own resume before attending a job interview especially job duties you listed in the resume.

    Lastly, if you get shortlisted for a job interview, the interview starts from the time you walked in the door, not necessarily at the interview desk! HR assesses your communication skills and interpersonal skills from the moment you arrive at the interview. This is common in service industry.