The Best Interview Questions, EVER!

by Mary Salvino

The last time I went surfing on the web, I came across an interesting article written by Dr. Deepak Chopra, an Indian-born, American physician, public speaker, and writer.  The article centred around the 7 questions you can ask yourself that will help you to clarify your ‘Soul Profile’. 

As I was reading through the questions, listed below, I was struck by how well these questions, (the questions in bold type are the original questions asked by Dr. Chopra), with minor modifications, can just as easily be asked during the interview process:

Who am I?

            Tell me about yourself.

What do I want?

            Why do you want to work for this company?

What's my purpose in this life?

            What are your plans for your future with the company? [3 months, 6 months, 12 months, etc.]

What sort of contribution do I want to make?
            Why should I hire you?

What are my unique skills?

            What makes you different and/or a more suitable candidate than your competition?

Who are my heroes?

            Who are your heroes?

What is a meaningful relationship—what do I expect from one, and what do I give?

            What does a successful working environment look like to you?

            What can I expect from you as an employee?      

            What do you expect from me as your employer?

Regardless of whether you believe in the spiritual guidance offered by Dr. Chopra, or not, by taking the time to answer the questions listed above, you will gain clarity of purpose in both your professional and personal life.  Clarity of purpose breeds confidence.  Employers gravitate towards candidates that exude confidence.  It’s a win-win situation and there is no ‘downside’ to that!

Do you have any questions that you would add to the list?

Copyright © 2012, Career Matters. All Rights Reserved. Permission to Reprint: This article may be reprinted, provided it appears in its entirety with the following attribution: Copyright © 2012, Career Matters. Reprinted by permission of the author, Mary Salvino. “Career Matters” is a blog authored by Mary Salvino, Senior Consultant for SMART Career Planning.com that is dedicated to those who are seeking advice on managing their career and future job opportunities. We welcome readers to share their experiences, post their comments or ask questions about career related matters. This blog is also dedicated to those who stand a little taller each time they picked themselves up after failing and those who gained the wisdom and humility from those experiences to help others do the same. For any questions or comments that are better addressed privately, please feel free to e-mail Mary directly at Mary.Salvino@shaw.ca