Chapter 3 Part 4 – The Art of Answering Questions

Posted by admin on Feb 16, 2010 in 3. The Art of Answering Questions, Chapter 3 Interview, |Read The Book for FREE | 1 comment

When answering the various questions either the common ones or the more specific questions, be prepared to answer. Below are some useful tips in capturing the art of answering questions:

 Be alert and listen to the question.
When the interviewer speaks and asks questions, it is most important to capture what he or she is asking. Try to get the main question as sometimes the interviewer will embed questions with lots of explanation and stories. Always be alert when the questions are being asked so that you would not miss any important part of the questions. For example an interviewer might want to ask “Tell me about Project ABC in terms of financing structure”. Instead of going straight forward, the interviewer might make it sound complicated and rephrase it into this form “I have read in your CV about the success of Project ABC where your previous company through this project has achieved revenue of RM1.2 million within a year. We realized that financing for Project ABC was tricky as it is a project in a 3rd world African country. Share with us your view on this”.

It does help to write down important points of the question if the interview keeps going on asking you long questions. Make short note of what the interviewer need you to explain and interpret through voice tone and body movement on which area that interest the interviewer the most. For example, an interviewer might emphasize with a strong voice or nod his or her head when asking about your achievement in previous job, so when you explain about your past experience do highlight more your achievements.

 Preparing your answers
When should you start preparing your answers? The answer is before you even get yourself to the interview room. When you study about the company before an interview, list down potential questions than could be asked based on the job description and your CV.

However during the interview session, you should start preparing the answer the moment you understand the question. When the interviewer is asking the question, formulate your answer and be prepared on what to say and how to say it. This is to make sure that you can respond almost immediately to the question showing your confidence with your answers. Do not be too confident and cut the interviewer. Wait until he finishes before answering the question.

 Your answers: Keep it interesting, comprehensive and accurate!
Many books and interview guru will recommend the same old thing. K.I.S.S or Keep It Simple and Short! Guess what, I totally disagree with this concept. Many interviewers that I have met and interviews that I have been to revealed that candidates who apply K.I.S.S tend to answer too briefly and too general, forcing the interviewers to ask for more on the same topic.

The best way is to answer using my I.C.A method which stands for Interesting, Comprehensive and Accurate! It may sound like a new thing and not as glamorous as K.I.S.S technique but this what will make you different and be a better candidate for the job.

How to make your answer Interesting? In answering interview questions, many candidates made the mistake of being too generic. This leads to a boring interview session and keep in mind that interviewers go through up to hundreds of candidates for each session. The least you can do is to make your answers as interesting as possible. The rule of thumb is to answer the questions just like you are telling a story. When answering, always ask yourself “So what?”. A good answer should have continuity forming a brief story that answers the question. As an example, an interviewer might ask:

Interviewer: “What do you learn from your last job?”.
Candidate A: I learnt how to set a marketing plan for my company’s range of sports equipment. I was involved in the whole process together with the marketing team. In the end, we managed to sell and execute the plan in sports shops and stores nationwide.
Candidate B: In my previous job, I was exposed to the complete product marketing-cycle that taught me the importance of proper execution of customer positioning. Through a direct mentorship programme, I learnt how to be independent and at the same time maintain minimal reporting to my superior. I also learnt a few new things such as the importance and how things works in supply chain, sales and HR throughout my involvement in this project. In the end it complements what I have learnt in class.

As you can see, Candidate B gave a more interesting, comprehensive and accurate answer, and this candidate will often be chosen as the preferred candidate compared to the other candidate.

Giving relevant examples when answering your answer will help to clarify your responds. Always try to relate your answers with relevant experience and education that you have. The same principles such as not to lie and stretch the truth also applies when you answer the questions. It is ok to exaggerate a bit to polish your answers but always know the limit or your answer will haunt you back sooner than you expect.

Most interview questions are like a river flow. One question will lead to another. For example a question on the candidate’s computer literacy might be followed up by another question on skills on specific software such as Microsoft Excel. Often the next question probes deeper into the subject matter. Therefore, avoid answering your question too shortly and too general as it will invoke more follow up questions and will give an impression that you are not capable in answering the questions.

An additional tip is to list down at least 20 questions that are most probably going to be asked. This way, you may prepare your answers. Familiarize with the answers and it will give you more confidence in answering.