In a job interview, it is important not to get rattled by the questions.

The questions are only a means to an end.  They are invitations to talk about something you know about. Yes, you must answer all questions, but you can do much more than that.

Think of the question as the by-road you need to get off to get onto the main road.

The main road consists of all the preparation you have done: the attributes you have identified of interest to the interview panel; the examples you have that demonstrate your capacity in the area; and the ideas you have for the role.

So if they ask a question in an unexpected way, hold firm for a few seconds, perhaps repeating the language of the question to buy time, and see how you can get from the by-road to the main road.

If you’ve done your preparation effectively, you should be able to divert the answer to one of the examples you’ve prepared. Don’t obsess about the questions. Capitalise on the opportunities they present to talk about what you’ve prepared, full in the knowledge that this amounts to your understanding of the employer’s requirements.

Get a friend to throw some unusual questions at you and see if you can engineer the answers to places where you talk knowledgeably about the relevant skills, attribute and experience you possess.

Liam Horan is a Career Coach with Sli Nua Careers in Ballinrobe.

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