Nobody will dispute the fact that a job interview is stressful, but if you are properly prepared for one your chances of success are much greater. The job interview questions and how well you answer them is an assessment of a candidate's intellect, their presence of mind, patience and general attitude. Every candidate who attends an interview should be suitably prepared. An unprepared candidate will appear foolish in the interview room. Each candidate who ask been asked to attend an interview has nearly the same qualification and the same objective. As such, it is imperative for each individual to be distinguishable from the crowd; giving yourself a personal "brand" is a necessity and it is always important to a candidate's success.



To date there are no available guides on job interview questions and answers focusing on personal USP. USP is a sales concept acronym for "unique selling proposition"; an applicant's USP is designed to project a unique and powerful image of themselves to an interviewer that positively distinguishes them from the rest of the applicants. Any job interview questions and answers session tests an applicant's endurance, preparation and capacity to influence the interviewer. Some typical questions which may be asked are:

"Describe yourself." "Why do you want to join our company?" "How do you personally manage stress?" "Do you consider yourself to be a team player?" "What would you expect as a starting salary?" "Why should we consider employing you over another person?" "What are your work ethics?" "How would you describe your dream job?" "Why did you leave your previous employment?" "Describe your previous employment." Would you like to ask any questions" etc

Whilst a candidate should prepare their personal profile, it should not appear rehearsed when they are delivering it at the interview. Within this personal profile should be the candidate's educational qualifications, family background and achievements. Any achievement that is relevant to the field for which the candidate has applied should be highlighted. Answers should be precise and succinct. The candidate should address everybody whilst replying to questions, maintain appropriate eye contact, use suitable body language and always have a pleasant smile.

The candidate should make it clear to the interviewer that they are suitably qualified for the position and that they are a team player for whom the job satisfaction is more important than money, but this should not be overstated. Regarding the reasons for leaving the previous job, a candidate should be honest but should not allow the answer to this question to take too much time. A job seeker should not make demands regarding salary as they may either not be offered the position as they have asked for one that is too high or they may have sold themselves short. Questions and answers will differ slightly between a new job seeker and an experienced person. For a newcomer the focus is on education and other related skills whereas for one who is experienced the focus is on previous work. No job interview question and answer guide will be of any assistance unless a candidate believes in their own abilities.