"Interviews come in many forms. Make sure you dedicate sufficient time to prepare, practising both your skills and techniques."
It’s Your Opportunity to Excel
Interview questions are opportunities to demonstrate why you are the best fit for the role. Impress the interviewer with well-prepared, thoughtful answers.
Identify Your Selling Points
Make a list of your skills, strengths, achievements, and areas for improvement. Highlight qualifications, experience, and personality traits relevant to the job. Integrate these into your answers naturally.
Example interview questions
Prepare questions based on the job description and interviewer perspective. Common categories include:
Skills-related questions
Employer-related questions
Job-specific questions
Ambition-related questions
Experience-related questions
Motivation-related questions
Product/service-related questions
Teamwork-related questions
Personality-related questions
Interests-related questions
Unusual questions
Practise Your Answers
Write and review answers to your bespoke questions. Use examples, stories, and keywords from the company’s literature and website. Avoid rote memorisation—focus on specific experiences that illustrate your abilities.
Facts Tell, Stories Sell
Where possible, wrap your answers in short stories. Concrete examples make responses memorable.
‘What’s in it for me?’
Remember that interviewers want to know what you can do for them now and in the future. Structure answers to show the relevance of your past accomplishments.
Prepare Your Top 5 Questions
Have thoughtful questions ready to ask the interviewer about:
The role and responsibilities
Company growth and strategy
Industry trends and market impact
Team culture and expectations
Examples:
“I read in this month’s asset finance publication that… what impact might this have on your operation?”
“I see you have entered the middle-ticket market; what barriers to sale have you encountered?”
“How does an employee succeed in your team?”
Avoid Red-Flag Questions
At the interview stage, it’s best to avoid questions that focus on salary, benefits, holidays, or perks, as these can give the impression that you are more interested in what the company can provide for you rather than what you can contribute.
If you do need to ask about these topics, always provide a clear professional rationale to demonstrate that your focus is on performing well in the role.
For example, you might link your question about flexible working arrangements to how it would enable you to manage client relationships effectively or ask about professional development opportunities in the context of enhancing your skills to better contribute to the team.
This approach ensures that even practical questions are framed in a way that shows commitment, professionalism, and interest in the role rather than personal gain.
Be 3-Dimensional
Ask questions across different topics to show a rounded understanding of the company, its role, and the market.
Back: Before the interview
