Interview Question: If you were interviewing someone for this position, what traits would you look for?

Interview PositionIt may not be the hardest question to pop out in the interview, but getting this one right is crucial.

This question often sounds like a trap, especially if you go to the interview without any prep. But if you’re reading this, you’re actually on the right path.

Below are some tips to help you answer the question professionally:

Mention your skills without overdoing it. Say you would hire someone who holds the same qualifications you have without explicitly saying it. It’snot a good idea to promote yourself too heavily, especially if you have no idea what kind of candidates you are up against.

State the skills needed for the job. Look at the job description and think of the traits needed for the position. Does the company need a team player? Disciplined employee? Is sincerity especially important? Draft all the traits that you think are necessary.

Match your skills to the qualifications needed for the job. Now,evaluate what you can do as an employee and the skills needed for the job.What matches up? Emphasize this to the recruiter to help him realize that you are a perfect fit for the job.

Don’t rub it in. Of course you have to be careful about praising yourself. At the same time, you don’t want the recruiter to think that you’re in over your head.

Keep it short. It’s best to keep it short and professional to avoid sounding over the top. As long as you’ve gotten your point across, you can proceed to the next question.

Practice. Like other job interview questions, it is important to practice beforehand to get rid of nerves. Use a pen and paper to draft your answers, and ask for help from a friend when you practice delivering your answers. Take note that the answers don’t have to be memorized, and shouldn’t be. You don’t want to sound like a cyborg.

Answering interview questions like this requires time and preparation. Don’t skimp on this —do your part to help land the job you’ve always dreamed of.

Read 7539 times Last modified on Thursday, 18 February 2016 16:50
Alan Carniol

Alan is the creator of Interview Success Formula, a training program that has helped more than 80,000 job seekers to ace their interviews and land the jobs they deserve. Interviewers love asking curveball questions to weed out job seekers. But the truth is, most of these questions are asking about a few key areas. Learn more about how to outsmart tough interviewers by watching this video.