According to a recent study by GoDaddy, one in four seniors graduating college doesn’t feel ready to enter the job market, with 30% of seniors having the opinion that there aren’t any jobs available at all.
Along with the trepidation many seniors have about the job market overall, interviews can seem stressful due to unknowns: how will they get to the interview? What will their interviewer be like? And the scariest unknown: what questions will be asked?
A recent poll on Job Journey, Express Employment Professionals’ blog for job seekers, asked readers which interview questions they needed help with most. Below are the top three questions job seekers want help with, as well as guidelines for answering them.
What Are
Your Top Three Strengths and Weaknesses?
When
listing weaknesses, applicants should avoid saying they’re a perfectionist or
they work too hard, as these may come across as cliché and inauthentic. Tell
the truth. However, applicants should demonstrate they are successfully working
on overcoming these weaknesses.
Focus on your strengths as they relate to work achievements (e.g., a strong attention to detail leading to correcting an error that saved the company millions).
Where Do
You See Yourself in Five Years?
Most
employers want an employee who plans on improving themselves over time. Someone
who is in it for the ‘long haul,’ and thereby worthy of investment. Applicants
must show they have a passion for learning and want to work at the company
long-term (perhaps in a management position at some point).
Why Should
I Hire You?
Applicants
must show how their values line up with the company culture, that they have a
history of success in similar positions, and that they have the soft skills
(personality traits and behaviors) necessary to thrive in the position.
Successful job candidates are not necessarily those with the most impressive experience; they are the ones who truly understand what the company stands for, and how they can act as the puzzle piece necessary to solve a need.
About Express Employment Professionals At Express Employment Professionals, we’re in the business of people. From job seekers to client companies, Express helps people thrive and businesses grow. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, OK, our international network of franchises offers localized staffing solutions to the communities they serve, employing 552,000 people across North America in 2019. For more information, visit www.ExpressPros.com.
The Laramie Express office is located at 260 N. 4th Street and serves the Administrative, Light Industrial and Skilled Trades industries. Local businesses and applicants are encouraged to stop by, visit www.expresspros.com/laramiewy or call (307) 460-9074.