YOU NEED TO KNOW THESE USEFUL TIPS WHEN YOU ANSWER OPENING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Interview questions that are asked to start of an interview are usually general interview questions that give the interviewer(s) an understanding of your circumstances both in and out of work. Opening interview questions are more surface level than the tell me about yourself questions that you’ll get asked to get an understanding of your background, experience and interests.
Are you willing to relocate?
If your answer to this question is a hard no, you can say this. If you would consider relocating, then you can say that you’re not in a position to do this at the moment but it could be a possibility in the future. Give them an honest answer to this question as you don’t want to set expectations that relocating is a possibility when it’s absolutely not.
What’s your availability?
This is usually where they’ll ask about your notice period. Make sure that you know this before going into the interview so that you can answer accurately. If there is some flexibility with your notice period, you could suggest this here which shows that you’re flexible and willing to start as soon as possible. It’s a basic admin question to gain an understanding of when you would be looking to start.
Are you willing to travel?
Usually, if travel is a requirement for the job, you will know this when applying. However, sometimes jobs might involve the odd night away or day trip which might not be included in the job description. If the odd trip would be possible, communicate this. You could say that you could travel once a quarter but that anything more than that would be difficult. Giving them as much information about yourself and circumstances as possible helps them decide if you’re a good fit and if they can meet your needs.
These are usually first interview questions and are a way of breaking the ice before you get into the more tricky interview questions. Knowing your answers to these will help you ace that first part and be confident in your ability to smash your interview.
You can find more information on these questions on the national careers website HERE.
To read more of our interview blog posts, click HERE.