Grace: The first question was 'tell us something about yourself. Here
Alejandro makes two major mistakes. Firstly, his response is too
short – all your answers should be between 20 seconds and
two minutes. Secondly, he has made the common mistake of
simply repeating details from his CV. You should use this opportunity to
demonstrate your skills and experience relevant for the post you are being interviewed
for.
Now his second answer about what he learnt at university sounds impressive, but
It's a bit confusing. It feels like Alejandro has just listed some
of the options on his degree course and he doesn't demonstrate that he has
learnt anything. He doesn't go into enough detail or relate his answer
to the requirements of the position. With this question I think
the employer is really interested In real-life
transferable skills that Alejandro will be able to use In the position he has
applied for. When Alejandro starts talking about the kinds of things
he worries about 1 think the interviewer would really start to get a bit
worried at this point! His answer about work is okay but he goes on far too
long. I think. he
mentioned the environment to sound serious but he didn't go into
any detail, and his fear of tropical diseases, well, that's not something I'd
share in
an
Interview.
If
I were Alejandro, I'd stick to common professional concerns ~nd keep my answer brief, The question about whether
Alejandro is an ambitious person is an excellent opportunity to talk about
career plans which include your prospective employer. Don't mention any professional
objectives if they don't include the organisation
that is
interviewing
you. It's best to talk about how you are looking forward to developing a
lasting relationship with the company interviewing you.