Psychological job interview. Psychological test when applying for a job - what are there and how to successfully pass? What not to say in an interview

Each of those who are going to look for a new job understands that before crossing the threshold of the interview room, it is necessary to prepare a story about yourself and find out at least minimal information about a possible place of work in order to answer questions without giving the impression of a confused person. In this article, we offer some tips on how to behave in an interview.

You must clearly understand that the questions will be asked to find out the reasons for seeking a new job and your business qualities. Prepare answers that characterize you on the positive side, as a person who understands that only your business qualities, and not the ability to sort things out or fry potatoes, if you are not a job seeker in a restaurant.

The most common standard interview questions

Here are a few questions that come up in almost every interview:

  1. Why did you find yourself in a situation that forces you to look for a new place? State the reasons for leaving.
  2. Why did you choose this profession and what do you like and dislike about it? What mistakes and achievements did you have before?
  3. Your positive and negative traits.
  4. Why should they hire you, how will you be useful in a new place.
  5. Prospects for your growth or where you see yourself after a while.

When going for an interview, the advice of a psychologist will not be redundant.

Psychologist's advice

Psychologists can give a 100% guarantee that you will not be hired if:

  1. You will scold previous employers.
  2. Sluggishly and indifferently talk about their work.
  3. Hysteria, talking about your mistakes, showing complete confusion, unwillingness and inability to cope with the situation.
  4. Be clever or get off with standard phrases, not be interested in anything, passively agree with everything. You will not be interested in either the future salary or responsibilities.
  5. Show that you don't value yourself.

When applying for a job, there are no trifles, actively find out all the points that interest you so that in the future there will be no need to change jobs due to some small detail that will be decisive in your case.

If you ask to how to behave at an interview, the advice of a psychologist regarding what you need to demonstrate in order to get a positive answer from the personnel officer, and not the standard promise to call back in the near future, will sound like this:

  1. Don't worry. It didn't help anyone. In condition peace of mind you express your thoughts more clearly. Imagine the upcoming interview as a chance to meet nice people. If you're not well received, that's the interviewer's problem. Not everything in their life is smooth.
  2. Don't doubt yourself. You are the best candidate. But don't be provocative. When demonstrating your “package”, remember that you most likely do not apply for a position CEO, therefore, the minimum dress code is intended to show your understanding that clothing should not distract from the performance of duties, but at the same time reveal individuality.
  3. Show your potential. If you do not know something, do not hesitate to ask and discuss.


You will get a position in most cases if you show yourself as a person who is able to learn, respond flexibly to the situation, changing it in your favor.

Summing up, we can formulate a few simple rules for those who are going to look for a new job, so to speak, here is the basic psychology of the interview:

  1. Dress so that the details of your clothes, the smell of cologne and perfume do not irritate.
  2. Be kind.
  3. Remember that stressful situations are created artificially and are designed to force you to “open up” and show the ability to collect yourself in a rapidly changing situation.
  4. Discuss and show interest in all the details of the work ahead.
  5. Smile more often.

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When going for an interview, each of us would like to know in advance all the tricks and tricks that employers use and which are so often the reason for refusing a job. Not infrequently, these methods play a decisive role in the process of determining your suitability for the proposed position. Having mastered them, at least you will retain decent self-control, confidence in your professionalism and your own capabilities.

1. If at an interview you are asked to draw a non-existent animal on a piece of paper, do not be surprised.

As my experience has shown, you often have to draw, especially if you get a job in foreign companies. This is not a joke for those who come to the interview, but only one of the so-called. graphic techniques widely used in psychology. So feel free to take a pencil and draw any animal that comes to your mind. No one will look at your artistic ability and quality of workmanship. The catch and trick is only that this animal will ... personify you, being your psychological portrait. So draw a furry, big-nosed, small or big creature, the main thing is that it should turn out to be kind and endearing. Don't forget that this is your internal prototype!

2. Questions about your weaknesses and strengths can carry tricks and tricks.

Speaking about your own merits, the main thing is not to overdo it in praising yourself and not to go aside to qualities that are not related to this vacancy. We can talk about your responsibility, diligence, punctuality, initiative, decency, ability to maintain efficiency in the most difficult work situations. But it is not at all necessary to mention your reliability and readiness to perform any work that employees may ask you for. There is no need to talk about excessive kindness and frankness with people, and even more so it is not worth mentioning that you can cross-stitch perfectly, and your dog is your greatest passion in life. Flaws are harder to find. You won’t admit that you really like to sleep in the morning, that sometimes you find signs of laziness in yourself, which often drags on for a couple of weeks, that you can sometimes put in place a person who is too intrusive and that you are completely unfriendly with your neighbors? In this case, come up with a couple of minor flaws before the interview, which can be interpreted in two ways, and, if the opportunity arises, successfully turn into your invaluable qualities. For example, that you take work too seriously and worry about the failures of others, that in conflicts you sometimes behave calmly and balanced, although sometimes you would have to express yourself sharply and categorically, that you are too decent in our difficult time, where people who think only survive About Me.

3. Psychological pressure is often applied during the interview.

Many of the interviewees will call it rather "psychological suppression." And they will be right. The task of this method is to look at your behavior and find out whether you are aggressive, balanced, whether you control yourself and whether you can adequately behave in complex, intractable and critical situations. Using this method, the interlocutor will simply begin to “drive you crazy”, then repeating his questions several times, then making an indifferent and indifferent look, then interrupting you, not letting you finish the sentence, then maintaining too long pauses, watching your reaction. Your goal in such a situation is to maintain self-control and, if the situation requires it, repeat the answer to the question asked for the umpteenth time several times; sympathetically ask what exactly the interlocutor did not understand; being interrupted in mid-sentence, skip it without a share of indignation and with a smile on your face, and, finally, in long pauses, look inquiringly into the eyes of the interlocutor, showing that you are ready to answer his further questions. Most importantly, keep your composure and confidence!

4. Your interlocutor may behave inappropriately.

This method is used to find out how you will behave in situations on the verge of conflict. Arrogance, self-confidence, too defiant behavior of the interlocutor can often simply piss you off and, thus, clearly demonstrate to the interlocutor your behavior in such situations. As a rule, the applicant may have three reactions to the inappropriate behavior of the interviewer: a response (coldness, arrogance, aggressiveness), withdrawal into oneself (silence, indifference, a desire to end the conversation as soon as possible) and a reaction of uncertainty and nervousness. You should know that such behavior of the interlocutor does not always mean that he did not like you or that this position does not correspond to your professional skills. Often, this is just a method of testing your personal qualities in case of conflicts that arise in any team. In such a situation of psychological testing, patience and self-control are appropriate.

5. Questions about future plans - a very subtle way to find out your future intentions regarding work in this organization.

I remember how my classmate almost got a prestigious position in the largest prosperous company. And already leaving the interview, the head of the company, saying goodbye at the door, asked the lucky young man if he wanted to go to work abroad in the future. My classmate, inadequately assessing question asked, frankly and cordially admitted that at the first opportunity he would leave the country and build his career in the West. The next morning he got a call saying no. Talking about your desires and plans at an interview is a common thing. But the answers should not go beyond your desires to realize yourself, show your most businesslike qualities and abilities, help the company become a strong competitor in the market - everything that will allow the employer to rely on you and be sure that you are looking for a job with long-term prospects, and serious plans are your main goal.

6. Too frank and talkative person does not make the best impression on the employer.

The interviewer may provoke you to excessive frankness. And even if you have tuned in to a purely business conversation about your professional qualities, incorrect questions or personal questions can confuse even the most self-confident person. The way out of this situation can be your answer question about how this strange interest in your opinion about your private life can be connected with further work. Ask how important your answer is to getting a job at this firm. In a word, be prepared for the fact that you will often have to get out of the interview: tactfully and with dignity.

7. Sometimes, having discussed all the professional qualities, the interlocutor will try to find out your views on abstract topics.

He may want to know your political or religious views or attitudes towards the current situation in the country. Here, as in the discussion of personal topics, some caution and distance should be observed. Ask again how this relates to the position you are getting, and how your answers can characterize you professionally. If the interlocutor still insists on receiving answers, limit yourself to general phrases about the instability of the economic and political situation in the world and make it clear that you are not yet an adherent of any one political party, and you have a special, individual attitude to religion, about which, to understand, you need to talk too long.

Going to an interview, you must believe that you will definitely be evaluated. Loyalty to the same attitude - confidence and calmness - is one of the main steps to your success. Indeed, in this case, there is every chance to impress a self-appreciating professional, a competent worker and a balanced person with self-esteem. And we should never forget that the interview process is just a conversation in which not only the employer, but also you have the right to ask questions and wait for specific, comprehensive answers to them, which in the future will allow you to assess the activities of this company, its seriousness and stability. and, finally, decide whether you should work here or if you deserve better.

According to Zontik.ru

The fascination of recruiters with psychology began quite a long time ago. The heyday of psychological tests as the basis for making hiring decisions in the West fell on the 1980s-1990s, in Russia this trend began to develop actively in the early 2000s. And immediately aroused bewilderment among applicants - how should one answer the tests? It turns out that now it’s not enough to be a competent specialist with work experience, you still need to have a “required” personality type and some specific accentuations and temperament ... Fortunately, most employers do not spend time and money on large-scale testing when searching for personnel, but psychological questions interviews are found almost everywhere.

How to distinguish psychological questions in an interview and answer them correctly?

It’s good if the recruiter provides you with a ready-made psychological test that you fill out on your own. At the very least, you will have time to think and an opportunity to figure out how best to answer. The problem is that a psychological question can be asked suddenly. For a headhunter, this is a great opportunity to see the "real" you, but for you - to put it mildly, an unpleasant surprise.

So, how to define a question with psychological overtones.

First, these are all questions regarding your self-esteem. For example, “Have you been turned down a lot in interviews? Why?" or “How lucky do you think you are?” To answer this question and demonstrate needed by the employer psychological qualities, you need to remember the "golden mean". So, the optimal answers for the given examples would be: “It happened. It happened that I, having clarified the conditions, refused a place. After all, everyone strives to find what is beneficial to him, what is completely satisfied ”and“ Lucky enough. I have a good education, work experience, family. Life is full of opportunities, you just need to use them, then luck will not turn away.

Secondly, these are questions about personal qualities. To answer this group of questions well, you need to study the basic psychological tests for determining personality. This way you will have an idea of ​​what the answers are, what they mean (what quality they are pointing to), and a question suddenly asked by the recruiter will not confuse you.

Thirdly, these are classic psychological tasks: draw a house, yourself, your family, etc.; what is your favorite color, what do you see in the picture ... Such tasks are always associated with psychology, but they, as a rule, turn out to be the most difficult even for candidates prepared in this regard. Let's dwell on them in more detail.

How to pass an interview in 2020: the most important thing in 3 minutes

Examples of questions and answers in a psychological interview

Question: Draw a house, yourself and a tree.

Answer: Draw proportionally, realistically enough. The house should have all the main details: windows, a door, a roof, a path to the house (means your openness and willingness to cooperate). If your position requires attention to detail, then your drawing should have a lot of details, even small ones that are not particularly significant at first glance - for example, cuffs on the sleeves, cufflinks, a peephole, a pattern on the shutters, etc. The tree should be beautiful, straight, have a large crown and roots - this is your vision of the team.

Question: What is your favorite color?

Answer: In the first place, put bright and light colors: orange, yellow, red. For the last (if you were offered the Luscher test) - dark and gray shades. When prompted to choose again, then slightly change the colors in places, while maintaining the overall picture.

Question: What do you see in the picture?

Answer: It doesn't matter what exactly is in front of you - a blot or a picture - you need to interpret it exclusively positively. Positive is your passport to work.

Perhaps the most insidious psychological question should be asked apart: how many points from 1 to 10 would you give a recruiter for an interview?

This is a test for flattery and sycophancy. You understand that for an employer this is a very important psychological quality of an employee.

Answer: Answer honestly and try to be objective. Be sure to justify the deduction.

So, you got acquainted with the psychological questions that you may come across in an interview. They may vary, but the key to their success remains the same - confidence, honesty and a positive attitude!

Having mastered the psychological techniques of passing an interview, at least you will retain decent self-control, confidence in your professionalism and your own capabilities.

1. If at an interview you are asked to draw a non-existent animal on a piece of paper, don't be surprised.

As my experience has shown, you often have to draw, especially if you get a job in foreign companies. This is not a joke for those who come to the interview, but only one of the so-called. graphic techniques widely used in psychology. So feel free to take a pencil and draw any animal that comes to your mind. No one will look at your artistic ability and quality of workmanship. The catch and trick is only that this animal will ... personify you, being your psychological portrait. So draw a furry, big-nosed, small or large creature, the main thing is that it turns out to be kind and endearing. Don't forget that this is your internal prototype!

2. Asking about your strengths and weaknesses can lead to tricks and tricks.

Speaking about your own merits, the main thing is not to overdo it in praising yourself and not to go aside to qualities that are not related to this vacancy. We can talk about your responsibility, diligence, punctuality, initiative, decency, ability to maintain efficiency in the most difficult work situations. But it is not at all necessary to mention your reliability and readiness to perform any work that employees may ask you for. There is no need to talk about excessive kindness and frankness with people, and even more so it is not worth mentioning that you can cross-stitch perfectly, and your dog is your greatest passion in life. Flaws are harder to find. You won’t admit that you really like to sleep in the morning, that sometimes you find signs of laziness in yourself, which often drags on for a couple of weeks, that you can sometimes put in place a person who is too intrusive and that you are completely unfriendly with your neighbors? In this case, come up with a couple of minor flaws before the interview, which can be interpreted in two ways, and, if the opportunity arises, successfully turn into your invaluable qualities. For example, that you take work too seriously and worry about the failures of others, that in conflicts you sometimes behave calmly and balanced, although sometimes you would have to express yourself sharply and categorically, that you are too decent in our difficult time, where people who think only survive About Me.

3. Psychological pressure is often applied during the interview.

Many of the interviewees will call it rather "psychological suppression." And they will be right. The task of this method is to look at your behavior and find out whether you are aggressive, balanced, whether you control yourself and whether you can adequately behave in complex, intractable and critical situations. Using this method, the interlocutor will simply begin to “drive you crazy”, then repeating his questions several times, then making an indifferent and indifferent look, then interrupting you, not letting you finish the sentence, then maintaining too long pauses, watching your reaction. Your goal in such a situation is to maintain self-control and, if the situation requires it, repeat the answer to the question asked for the umpteenth time several times; sympathetically ask what exactly the interlocutor did not understand; being interrupted in mid-sentence, skip it without a share of indignation and with a smile on your face, and, finally, in long pauses, look inquiringly into the eyes of the interlocutor, showing that you are ready to answer his further questions. Most importantly, keep your composure and confidence!

4. Your interlocutor may behave inappropriately

This method is used to find out how you will behave in situations on the verge of conflict. Arrogance, self-confidence, too defiant behavior of the interlocutor can often simply piss you off and, thus, clearly demonstrate to the interlocutor your behavior in such situations. As a rule, the applicant may have three reactions to the inappropriate behavior of the interviewer: a response (coldness, arrogance, aggressiveness), withdrawal into oneself (silence, indifference, a desire to end the conversation as soon as possible) and a reaction of uncertainty and nervousness. You should know that such behavior of the interlocutor does not always mean that he did not like you or that this position does not correspond to your professional skills. Often, this is just a method of testing your personal qualities in case of conflicts that arise in any team. In such a situation of psychological testing, patience and self-control are appropriate.

5. Questions about future plans - a very subtle way to find out your future intentions regarding work in this organization

I remember how my classmate almost got a prestigious position in the largest prosperous company. And already leaving the interview, the head of the company, saying goodbye at the door, asked the lucky young man if he wanted to go to work abroad in the future. My classmate, having inadequately assessed the question asked, frankly and cordially admitted that at the first opportunity he would leave Russia and build his career in the West. The next morning he got a call saying no. Talking about your desires and plans at an interview is a common thing. But the answers should not go beyond your desires to realize yourself, show your most businesslike qualities and abilities, help the company become a strong competitor in the market - everything that will allow the employer to rely on you and be sure that you are looking for a job with long-term prospects, and serious plans are your main goal.

6. Too frank and talkative person does not make the best impression on the employer

The interviewer may provoke you to excessive frankness. And even if you have tuned in to a purely business conversation about your professional qualities, incorrect questions or personal questions can confuse even the most self-confident person. The way out of this situation can be your answer question about how this strange interest in your opinion about your private life can be connected with further work. Ask how important your answer is to getting a job at this firm. In a word, be prepared for the fact that you will often have to get out of the interview: tactfully and with dignity.

7. Sometimes, having discussed all professional qualities, the interlocutor will try to find out your views on abstract topics.

He may want to know your political or religious views or attitudes towards the current situation in the country. Here, as in the discussion of personal topics, some caution and distance should be observed. Ask again how this relates to the position you are getting, and how your answers can characterize you professionally. If the interlocutor still insists on receiving answers, limit yourself to general phrases about the instability of the economic and political situation in the world and make it clear that you are not yet an adherent of any one political party, and you have a special, individual attitude to religion, about which, to understand, you need to talk too long.

Going to an interview, you must believe that you will definitely be evaluated. Loyalty to the same attitude - confidence and calmness - is one of the main steps to your success. Indeed, in this case, there is every chance to impress a self-appreciating professional, a competent worker and a balanced person with self-esteem. And we should never forget that the interview process is just a conversation in which not only the employer, but also you have the right to ask questions and wait for specific, comprehensive answers to them, which in the future will allow you to evaluate the activities of this company, its seriousness and stability. and, finally, decide whether you should work here or if you deserve better.

Conversation with a psychologist

You will need to prepare answers to some common questions.

Get ready for:

- the fact that the psychologist will say little and ask a lot;

– that a conversation with him can be decisive.

This may not be useful if:

- there will be no interview with a psychologist;

The interview with the psychologist is purely formal.

In addition to passing psychological tests, a psychologist, a personnel specialist, can conduct a conversation with you. Since the evaluation of the test results takes some time, the psychologist will try to visually find out how suitable you are for the vacancy.

What questions can a psychologist ask?

1. The former place of work is very important for him. The time you worked there is a kind of indicator of the stability of your life positions. In addition, your attitude towards former job will be projected into the future.

2. The reason for leaving is also important. The psychologist thereby wants to find out for himself the presence of your social and interpersonal communication, the power of emotions and expressiveness of speech. Try not to show irritation, choose the least negative reason. The safest is “small wages”.

3. It is also important why you want to get this particular position. Thus, it turns out whether you really want to work or just put another tick in the track record, how you can be motivated in the future, what expectations you have.

4. It is important to know what position you want to work in the future. The psychologist wants to see career incentives, ambition or subservience.

5. Expected salary is a key point in the conversation. The salary that you name is an indicator of how much you value your work in this position. It is not scary if the amount called is significantly higher than the one that the employer is willing to pay. It is known that a person may well agree to a much lower salary than the one he aspires to. It is worse if the amount you call turns out to be less, in which case the salary may also be less than it could be.

The psychologist during the interview will definitely pay attention to the following points.

1. Whether you approach the collective background, whether you will stand out like a white crow. If a vacant position implies work in a team, then people of a certain type will be selected. This is done in order to prevent distraction by conflicts and grinding of characters. However, sometimes, on the contrary, they prefer to take people under the type of leadership, thereby suppressing personal relationships with colleagues. It depends on the type of your business.

2. Will you be able to carry out the entire front of the work? You may find yourself easily carried away and unable to concentrate on the routine of filling out paperwork or writing reports. The psychologist needs to immediately determine whether you have a labor potential. The questions that the psychologist asks are found in the questionnaire, but instead of a dry and short answer, you can voice your point of view in more detail.

Omit all hard facts. Only positive and purposefulness should be present in your answers. Of course, there is the possibility of unexpected questions. If you are stumped, ask again, thereby gaining time to think about the answer. Or change the question in your own way and voice it, then answer. Most likely you will not be interrupted, but listened to and continue the conversation further.

Avoid overuse of "I". Of course, this is an important particle, but in psychology it is regarded as a manifestation of self-centeredness and selfishness. Use “we”, “together” more often, but also know the measure.

Your facial expressions, gestures, postures will also be evaluated. Behave as confidently and calmly as possible.

Do not worry, remember that a conversation with a psychologist is not aimed at revealing shortcomings, but at showing dignity and positive traits for this job. To work in a team, a psychologist must select a non-conflict, sociable, friendly and executive candidate. With a separate place of work (i.e., when part of the work is performed by only one person, and all elements of each project are clearly distributed among employees), such qualities as concentration, consistency, purposefulness, and the ability to complete what has been started are necessary. If the work involves communication with partners and clients, diplomacy, sociability and optimism are required.