Last week I introduced Part 1 of Answering interview questions the right way, where I provided information to job seekers on how to answer specific interview questions. Continuing on, part 2 of 3 looks at additional questions you can expect to be asked in a job interview and how to answer them the right way.

“Why did you leave your last job?” or “Why do you want to leave your current job?”

This is question is always one of the favorites by the job interviewer. You should always know why you did leave or plan to leave a job. To guide you in the right direction, here are a few reasons you may want to use: 1) you were not able to grow further professionally in your position, 2) The commute was long and it became harder as time went on, 3) There was no way to move up the ladder anytime soon, since there were too many people ahead of you, 4) You felt that it was time to get reasonably compensated for your skills and knowledge, 5) The company was not stable and needed stability due to personal and family circumstance.

For example: “The current company I work for is a small ten person shop. I feel I have gone as far as I possibly can. It is time for me to grow professionally and join a more reputable company that offers greater challenges. “

“What was it about your previous company that you did not like or agree with?”

 This question is putting you directly in the spotlight. Provide an answer that doesn’t speak too negatively and get into too much detail. Also, provide only on answer without rambling on about a few negatives. When answering, mention how company policies and/or directives were misunderstood by some employees who disregarded the big picture – profitability. For example, “I didn’t like the way staff mentioned customers come first, but didn’t really go the extra mile to ensure this. It wasn’t the fault of the management, just a negative group that only looked to fill their own pockets. This brought on a negative vibe amongst individuals and all group cohesion was lost. I believe in team work and moving forward together.”

“What was it about your previous company that you did not like or agree with?”

 This question can be easily defused by looking for answers that do not hold a significant impact to the main requirements of the position. For example: “I think filing was my least favourite aspect of my previous job. However, it is important to the overall success for me, my department and company, so I always remain positive even though its mind numbing.” An answer like this will show the employer that you understand mundane tasks are necessary and you take the bad with the good.

Information provided by HR Difference.

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