40 Common Interview Questions to Make You 90% Prepared Before the
Interview
Interviewing for a new job
can be stressful. Especially if you’re asked questions that you haven’t
prepared for.
Fortunately, most interviews
follow a standard format, and are likely to include common interview questions.
While it’s impossible to
cover all questions that you may be asked, we’ve picked out 40 of the most
common interview questions. If you learn responses for these, you’ll find
yourself 90% prepared for any interview.
Imagine how much more relaxed
you’ll be going into an interview, knowing that you have answers prepared for
the vast majority of questions you may be asked.
Let’s dive straight into the
questions…
Focus
on These 10 Most Common Interview Questions First
To help you get started,
we’ve chosen 10 most common interview questions that could make or break your
interview.
1. What can you tell us about
yourself?
Employers often ask this
open-ended question as a way to break the ice. It also gives them an early
opportunity to view your personality, as well as an insight into whether you
would be a good match for the company and job.
Tips:
- Summarize your career highlights and
goals.
- Talk about personal interests or
accomplishments that could create a positive impression in the minds of
the interviewers.
- Avoid rambling.
Good Example:
“After my graduation with
honors, I immediately found work with a blue-chip company. I’ve spent the last
five years helping them to grow their B2B market by more than 75%. I’m now
ready for a new challenge and a new company.”
Bad Example:
“I
wouldn’t describe myself as lazy, but I do like to sleep in late and go home
early!”
2. What motivates you?
Depending on the role you are
applying for, it’s likely the company will ask this question to determine if
your motivations match what they are looking for. If it’s a sales role, then
they’ll be expecting you to say money. For a caring or nursing role, then
they’ll expect you to say you’re motivated by helping others.
Tips:
- There are no right or wrong answers to
this question.
- It’s best to be open and honest about your
motivations.
Good Example:
“I’m driven by a desire to
have a successful career.”
Bad Example:
“I’ve got loads of credit
card debts so I really need the money!”
3. Why should we consider
hiring you?
Employers ask this question
to see whether you’ll be a good fit for their company. They’ll also be looking
to see if you understand the duties of the role they are hiring for.
Tips:
- Reply with a concise sales pitch.
- Show that you’ve researched their company.
- Talk about how you can fill the duties of
the role successfully.
- Avoid talking negatively about your
current (or past) employer.
Good Example:
“I believe I have the
necessary skills and experience to be a genuine asset to your company.”
Bad Example:
“It’s a good question. Let me
see… I live locally, and I’m happy to start anytime after 10 a.m.”
4. Why do you want to work
here?
This is similar to the two
questions above. Namely, employers are looking to ascertain if you’ve
researched their company and the role you are applying for.
Tips:
- Research the company thoroughly. (For
example, their history, ethos and market sector.)
- Demonstrate your career goals.
- Explain why you believe you’ll be a good
match for the company.
Good Example:
“I was tremendously excited
when I saw your advertised position. I know your company well, as I already use
some of the great services you offer. I believe that I can contribute
significantly to the continuing growth and success of your company.”
Bad Example:
“My friend used to work here,
and he told me that you have some great staff benefits. To be honest, I think
your early finish on a Friday afternoon would suit me perfectly!”
5. Can you list your
strengths?
Don’t be fooled by the
simplicity of this question. Employers are looking to see if your strengths
include suitable qualifications for the specific role as well as personality
traits that match the needs of the company.
Tips:
- Avoid cliches such as: capable,
enthusiastic and hard-working.
- Give concrete examples of things you do
well.
- Talk about attributes that might set you
apart from other applicants.
Good Example:
“I am a skilled public
relations expert with over ten years of experience. I have represented and
protected my current employer for the last five years. This has included
several ‘damage limitation’ exercises, all of which ended positively for the
company. My contribution to the company was rewarded recently with an ‘Employee
of the Year’ award.”
Bad Example:
“By strengths, do you mean my
force of personality? If yes, then I’m great at telling people what to do and
getting my own way!”
6.
What weaknesses do you have?
Let’s be honest, this
question appears to be designed to catch you. In reality, however, employers
will most likely ask this question simply as a contrast to the one about your
strengths.
Tips:
- Don’t say that you have no weaknesses.
(Looks arrogant!)
- Talk about a weakness that would not
affect the job you are applying for.
- Identify a weakness that you’re now in the
process of eliminating.
- Turn a perceived negative into a positive.
(For instance, your obsessive attention to detail.)
Good Example:
“Organization was never my
strongest point, but I’ve recently learned and implemented a time management
system that has massively boosted my organizational skills.”
Bad Example:
“I have lots of weaknesses.
The worst of these being my tendency to drift off to sleep at inopportune
moments…”
7. What makes a good team
player?
If an employer is considering
you for a team leader or department management position, then they’ll want to
be 100% sure that you can work well in a team environment. They’ll also want to
hear that you understand team
dynamics.
Tips:
- Talk about examples from your past that
demonstrate your team-building prowess.
- As well as work examples, you could
mention clubs and organisations that you are an active member of.
- Teams rely on harmony to be successful, so
show that you know how to get on with people.
Good Example:
“Being a good team player
means being able to understand the goals of the team and to be an active
participant in reaching these goals. I have some experience of this, as I play
weekly for my local basketball team. This has taught me the power of a
harmonious team as well as how to deal with difficult people.”
Bad
Example:
“Being in a team is great.
There’s always someone who can fill in for you. And plenty of space to hide
behind the more productive team members.”
8. Where do you see yourself
five years from now?
As you can probably imagine,
this question is usually asked to determine if you’re likely to move on quickly
from the role you’re interviewing for. Hiring new members of staff is
expensive. For this reason, companies will try to avoid hiring anyone who
appears to be drawn to constant change.
Tips:
- Use this question as an opportunity to
state your career goals and why they are a good fit for the company.
- Be sure to focus your answer on the
specific role and company that you are being interviewed for.
- It’s okay to say that in five years time
you’d like to have progressed from the role on offer.
- Don’t be afraid to sound ambitious or
success-driven.
Good Example:
“Once I’ve gained sufficient
experience, I’d love to move on to a management position.”
Bad Example:
“Hmm, I haven’t really
thought about it before. Five years is a long time. Maybe I could switch from
full-time hours to part-time?”
9. What is your salary
expectation?
Employers will ask you this
question to determine whether you’ve researched the average pay for the role,
and to ensure that you’re not expecting a salary higher than what can be
offered. Although it’s definitely an awkward question, employers will be
impressed if you’re prepared with an answer.
Tips:
- Make sure you’re aware of the pay rate for
similar jobs.
- Don’t feel pressured to provide a specific
number. (Instead, offer a salary range that you would be happy with.)
- As well as stating your salary
expectations, ask questions about company benefits (such as healthcare and
pensions).
Good
Example:
“I’m glad you asked me that
question. I’ve taken a look around at similar roles, and I’d be happy to accept
a salary in the range of $30,000 to $35,000.”
Bad Example:
“Well, I really need a lot
more money than my current role, so what’s your best offer?”
10. Is there anything that
you would like to ask us?
This question will be asked
at the end of the vast majority of all interviews. It gives you a chance to ask
questions about topics that may not have been covered in the interview. It also
gives employers a chance to see how curious and enthusiastic you are about the
role and their company.
Tips:
- Always have a least one question prepared
in advance. (Preferably more!)
- Ask inquisitive questions about the job and
company.
- Ask the interviewers to expand on points
they may have only touched on.
Good Example:
“You mentioned earlier that
there would be opportunities for relevant professional training. Could you give
me more information on this please?”
Bad Example:
“Err, when will I get my
first payment?”
30
More Common Interview Questions
While the below questions
aren’t as common as the 10 above, you should still read through them and make
sure you know how to answer them.
11. What do you think we
could do better or differently?
12. If you were an animal,
which one would you want to be?
13. How do you handle stress
and pressure?
14. Why do you want this job?
15. How do you deal with
failure?
16.
How do you deal with success?
17. What are your hobbies?
18. What separates you from
the other applicants?
19. What’s the low-point of
your career?
20. What’s the high-point of
your career?
21. What would your first
month look like in this role?
22. Can you tell us why you
changed career paths?
23. Why is there a gap in
your employment history?
24. How would your colleagues
describe you?
25. Why should we hire you?
26. If you had the
opportunity, what would be your dream job?
27. Why do you want to leave
your current job?
28. What are your
expectations for this role?
29. What’s your ideal working
environment?
30. Can you describe a time
you disagreed with your manager?
31. What do you regard as
your greatest contribution to your current employer?
32. Do you have a specific
management style?
33. Where else have you
applied to?
34. What do you think of our
competitors?
35. Are you a leader?
36. How do you go about
solving problems?
37. What gets you out of bed
in the morning?
38. What do you do when you
are late for work?
39. Would you describe
yourself as competitive?
40. What’s the most
fascinating thing about you?
Being prepared for interviews
will not only help you relax ahead of them, but it will also give you an edge
over most other applicants.
Of course, there will always
be unexpected questions. However, your preparedness will boost your confidence
and enable you to answer even the most difficult of questions.
http://www.lifehack.org/572814/40-common-interview-questions-make-you-90-prepared-before-the-interview
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