What you should know about answering questions at job interviews

Answering interview questions

Honesty is the best policy. But be sure to temper honesty with wisdom. You do not have to reveal negatives about yourself that are not called for by the question or situation. If you are asked about where you think you need improvement, you might give an example that will not jeopardize your getting the job.

Maintain a calm and composed poise even when confronted with difficult questions. And give all answers in a direct, open and confident manner. That's not really difficult, provided you maintain your perspective and have done your preparation.

Even if you feel that a question is being asked for a second time, do answer patiently and with poise. This can sometimes happen when you have to attend several interviews for a job.

Answer all questions. Give information strategically - say what is required, but not more than that, unless the extra you say enhances your candidature for the job significantly.

When you prepare for the interview, you probably have anticipated questions in mind. Sometimes, the specific question asked by the interviewer has the same intent as one you've prepared an answer for. So make it a point to see the underlying intention of every question.

It is perfectly acceptable to pause for a few seconds before answering questions, if that is necessary to collect your thoughts. It may seem like a long pause to you, but to the interviewer, it will probably seem normal.

In every interview, your objective is not only to answer questions well, but to build a good level of rapport with the interviewer. You need to connect with him or her as a person. Very often the candidate who does that stands a far better chance than someone who just answers questions well but does not really gel with the interviewer.

Interviewers sometimes use silence as a weapon to extract more information than you intended to reveal. So, learn to get comfortable with silences on the part of the interviewer. If you have finished answering a question, then just keep quiet, if the interviewer is not saying anything. Don't start answering the question in different words all over again, or go off on a different track - that's risky. That's the easiest way to fall down!

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