Technical Jobs Interview Question and Answer


Although many candidates dread them, job interview questions are wonderful things! They are your greatest opportunity to prove to the interviewer that you are the best person for the job!

The key is to give better answers than anyone else. To do this, you must:

(1) Anticipate likely questions;

(2) Develop excellent answers;

(3) Practice!

Be enthusiastic and confident when responding to questions. Don't rush your answers, but don't ramble on and on, either. Try to, um, avoid, like, using unnecessary words, right? And um, repeating yourself or, like, annoying phrases, you know?

A good technique is to write out your answers to the questions you anticipate, then edit them to make them more concise. Then practice your polished answers out loud, over and over. If you can have someone help you do a "mock interview," that would be the best way to do this.

Most questions will relate either to your ability to do the technical jobs/job or to the type of employee you will be. Here's one that is very commonly used to help the interviewer learn about both:

"Tell me a little about yourself."

When responding to this request, you should focus on both your personal and professional values. Always be honest, but talk about your best traits only, especially those that relate to the position for which you are applying. Highlight experiences and accomplishments you are most proud of. Here's an example:

"I'm an experienced communications specialist with extensive knowledge of public information tools and techniques. I've developed comprehensive communication plans for major public events, written dozens of articles accepted by worldwide publications, and created specialized educational programs for adults and students. I am always eager to learn new methods and procedures, and have implemented continuous improvement techniques in my past positions that saved money and increased productivity. I like working with people and enjoy group projects, but am also a self-starter who doesn't mind working on my own. I'm a volunteer with the local chapter of Special Olympics and enjoy participating in community events. My goals are to complete my Master's Degree and broaden my experiences with community relations."

Remember to tailor your response to the specific job. By studying the job announcement, you'll get a good idea of the skills and experience being sought. Work those into your response.

Consider this your own personal commercial. If the interview consisted of only this ONE chance to sell yourself, what would you say?

Guides for interviewing job seekers in a Philippine Technical world


An interview is not a dialogue. The whole point of the interview is to get the narrator to tell his or her story or to give you information. Limit your own remarks to a few pleasantries to break the ice, then ask brief questions.

  1. Avoid dead-end questions; ask questions instead that require more of an answer than "yes" or "no." Start with "Why, how, where, what kind of . . ."
  2. Ask one question at a time.
  3. Ask brief questions.

Start with non-controversial questions. A good place to start with is the person's background. This allows you and your narrator to become comfortable, make eye contact, etc.

Don't let periods of silence fluster you. Give the person a chance to think of what he/she wants to add before you hustle into the next question.

Don't worry if your questions are not as beautifully phrased as you would like them to be for posterity. A few fumbled questions will help put your narrator at ease.

Don't interrupt a good story because you have thought of a question or because your narrator is straying from the planned outline. If the information is pertinent, let the person continue, but jot down your question so you will remember to ask it later.

If your narrator does stray into non-pertinent subjects, try to pull him/her back as quickly as possible. Example: "Before we move on, I'd like to find out . . ."

It is often hard for a narrator to describe persons. An easy way to begin is to ask him to describe the person's appearance.

Interviewing is one time when a negative approach can be more effective than a positive one. Ask about the negative aspects of a situation. Example: In asking about a person, do not begin with a glowing description. You will get a more lively answer if you start out in the negative. "Despite the mayor's reputation for good works, I hear he was a very difficult man for his immediate employees to get along with."

Try to establish at every important point in the story where the narrator was or what his or her role was in this event, in order to indicate how much is eye-witness information and how much based on reports of others. "Where were you at the time of the Oklahoma Bombing?"

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