COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

AND HOW TO ANSWER THEM

Aaron Mitchel M Ancheta, RN
Business Unit Head – AXA Philippines, Trailblazers Financial Advisory

 Bachelor of Science in Nursing

 Registered Nurse (2010 – Present)
 Previously Team Leader / Senior Recruitment Consultant
in an International Executive Search Firm under the Financial Photo

Services Team – Insurance Recruitment, SEA; Worked as a

Nurse in Singapore; Was Medical Oncology, Blood and
Marrow Transplant Nurse in St. Luke’s Medical Center -
Quezon City.
 Joined AXA Philippines because of the love and interest in
Insurance Industry. Saw the potential of helping secure the
lives of millions while achieving own financial goals.
FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
Aaron Mitchel M Ancheta, RN
Business Unit Head – AXA Philippines, Trailblazers Financial Advisory

 Placed multiple headcounts in different regions like APJ,

EMEA and AMERICA (CFO, COO, Head of Actuarial, Head of
Finance, Chief Underwriting Officer, Directors, Senior
Managers and Managers) Photo

 Continuously expands a team of highly specialized

“Business Partners” who are well-equipped and ready to
make a difference.
 Has an unorthodox approach in sales and recruitment
giving bigger pool of prospects and hires.
 Future MDRT and GAMA awardee

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE THE INTERVIEW
 Failing is good
 Feeling nervous is also good; Feeling too nervous is bad
 The interview is not about you and your CV
 The interview is about HOW your track record and skills CAN ADD VALUE to their team
 Make sure you maintain EYE CONTACT at all times
 It is okay to pause for 5 seconds. Beyond that and they will think that you spaced out
 Wear CORPORATE attire (the one you would wear if you are going to meet the CEO of Amazon
 Be in the meeting lobby at least 15 minutes before the schedule
 SMILE often unless the topic is serious
TELL ME SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF THAT IS NOT FOUND IN
YOUR RESUME

 DO NOT GIVE TOO MUCH OR TOO LITTLE INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL
LIFE
 START BY SHARING PERSONAL INTERESTS AND EXPERIENCES NOT DIRECTLY
RELATED TO WORK
 FOLLOW WITH PERSONAL EXPERIENCES DIRECTLY RELATED TO WORK –
SHOULD NOT BE FOUND IN THE CV
 END WITH KEY TRAITS/ATTRIBUTES THAT WOULD ADD VALUE TO THEIR TEAM
 MAXIMUM OF 2 MINUTES ONLY
HOW AREYOU ABLE TO FIND THIS JOB OPPORTUNITY
 THIS REFERS TO WHERE YOU LEARNED ABOUT THE JOB
 START WITH ONE LINE OF “I FOUND THIS VIA LINKEDIN / JOB SITE /
REFERRAL”
 IF IT IS VIA SOCIAL MEDIA: TALK ABOUT HOW YOU USUALLY SPEND YOUR
TIME IN SOCIAL MEDIA PRODUCTIVELY
 IF IT IS VIA JOB SITE: TALK ABOUT HOW YOU CONSTANTLY CHECK FOR
INTERESTING JOBS
 IF IT IS REFERRAL: TALK ABOUT HOW YOU MAINTAIN GOOD
RELATIONSHIPS WITH COLLEAGUES
DO YOU GUYS GET THE POINT?
WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST STRENGTH?
 THIS IS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT EMPLOYERS ALMOST ALWAYS ASK TO
DETERMINE HOW WELL YOU ARE QUALIFIED FOR THE POSITION.
 WHEN YOU ARE ASKED ABOUT YOUR GREATEST STRENGTHS, IT'S IMPORTANT
TO DISCUSS THE ATTRIBUTES THAT QUALIFY YOU FOR THAT SPECIFIC JOB,
AND THAT WILL SET YOU APART FROM OTHER CANDIDATES.
 WHEN YOU'RE ANSWERING THIS QUESTION, REMEMBER TO “SHOW” RATHER
THAN “TELL.”
 FOR EXAMPLE, RATHER THAN STATING THAT YOU ARE AN EXCELLENT
PROBLEM SOLVER, INSTEAD TELL A STORY THAT DEMONSTRATES THIS,
IDEALLY DRAWING ON AN ANECDOTE FROM YOUR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE.
WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST WEAKNESS?

 ANOTHER TYPICAL QUESTION THAT INTERVIEWERS WILL ASK IS ABOUT YOUR WEAKNESSES.

 DO YOUR BEST TO FRAME YOUR ANSWERS AROUND POSITIVE ASPECTS OF YOUR SKILLS
AND ABILITIES AS AN EMPLOYEE, TURNING SEEMING “WEAKNESSES” INTO STRENGTHS.
 THIS QUESTION IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW THE HIRING MANAGER THAT YOU'RE WELL
QUALIFIED FOR THE JOB.
 IN ADDITION TO LEARNING WHETHER YOU'VE GOT THE RIGHT CREDENTIALS, THE HIRING
MANAGER WANTS TO KNOW WHETHER YOU CAN TAKE ON CHALLENGES AND LEARN NEW
TASKS.
 YOU CAN ALSO SHARE EXAMPLES OF SKILLS YOU HAVE IMPROVED, PROVIDING SPECIFIC
INSTANCES OF HOW YOU HAVE RECOGNIZED A WEAKNESS AND TAKEN STEPS TO CORRECT
IT.
WHY DID YOU LEAVE YOUR PREVIOUS JOB?
 BE PREPARED WITH A RESPONSE TO THIS QUESTION. YOU'LL NEED TO GIVE
AN ANSWER THAT’S HONEST AND REFLECTS YOUR SPECIFIC
CIRCUMSTANCES BUT KEEPS IT POSITIVE.
 EVEN IF YOU QUIT UNDER CHALLENGING CIRCUMSTANCES, IT IS NOT RIGHT
TO TELL SOMETHING NEGATIVE AGAINST YOUR PREVIOUS JOB OR BOSS.
 THE INTERVIEWER WANTS TO KNOW WHY YOU LEFT YOUR JOB AND WHY
YOU WANT TO WORK FOR THEIR COMPANY.
 STICK WITH THE FACTS, BE DIRECT, AND FOCUS YOUR ANSWER ON THE
FUTURE, ESPECIALLY IF YOUR DEPARTURE WASN’T UNDER THE BEST
CIRCUMSTANCES. 
HOW DO YOU HANDLE STRESS AND PRESSURE
 THE BEST WAY TO RESPOND TO THIS QUESTION IS TO SHARE AN EXAMPLE OF
HOW YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY HANDLED STRESS IN A PREVIOUS POSITION.
 AVOID CLAIMING THAT YOU NEVER, OR RARELY, EXPERIENCE STRESS.
 RATHER, FORMULATE YOUR ANSWER IN A WAY THAT ACKNOWLEDGES
WORKPLACE STRESS AND EXPLAINS HOW YOU’VE OVERCOME IT, OR EVEN USED
IT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE.
Example:
When customers or associates come to me with issues, I try to look at things from their perspective, and initiate a
collaborative problem-solving approach to keep the situation from escalating. I find that maintaining an efficient,
congenial office with open lines of communication automatically reduces a lot of workplace stress.
Of course, sometimes unanticipated stressors will arise. When this happens, I just take a deep breath, remembering
that the person I’m dealing with is frustrated with a situation, not with me. I then actively listen to their concerns and
make a plan to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.  
DESCRIBE A DIFFICULT WORK SITUATION OR PROJECT BEFORE
AND HOW YOU HANDLED IT
 THERE ISN'T A RIGHT OR WRONG ANSWER TO A QUESTION ABOUT
HANDLING A DIFFICULT SITUATION.
 HOW YOU REACT WILL SHOW THE HIRING MANAGER YOUR WORK STYLE
AND HOW YOU MANAGE ISSUES.
 IT WILL HELP DETERMINE IF YOU MESH WITH THE COMPANY, AND YOU'RE
A FIT FOR THE ROLE.
 THE INTERVIEWER WANTS TO KNOW HOW YOU RESPOND WHEN FACED
WITH A DIFFICULT DECISION.
 IF YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE SOMETHING UP (IMBENTO) MAKE SURE IT IS
BELIEVABLE. PREPARE BEFOREHAND.
WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS IN THE FUTURE?
 THIS QUESTION IS DESIGNED TO FIND OUT IF YOU’RE GOING TO STICK
AROUND OR MOVE ON AS SOON AS YOU FIND A BETTER OPPORTUNITY.
 KEEP YOUR ANSWER FOCUSED ON THE JOB AND THE COMPANY, AND
REITERATE TO THE INTERVIEWER THAT THE POSITION ALIGNS WITH
YOUR LONG-TERM GOALS.

Are you a job hopper? Or do you plan on staying with the company, at least for a while? Do your plans for
the future match the career path for someone typically hired for this position?
OTHER COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

• HOW DO YOU HANDLE SUCCESS?

• HOW DO YOU HANDLE FAILURE?
• DO YOU WORK WELL WITH OTHER PEOPLE?
• WHAT CAN YOU DO BETTER FOR US THAN THE OTHER APPLICANTS?
• WHY ARE YOU THE BEST PERSON FOR THE JOB?
MOCK INTERVIEW

 Will only interview 4 people

 Mock interview will last for 30 minutes
 If we have extra time or if you guys are willing to extend, we can do
mock interview for everyone
 Relax. Take a deep breath before we start.

WHO GOES FIRST?