10 Common Interview Questions
Often times interviewees stumble on the interview questions due to lack of preparation. Below are some common interview questions for your consideration with tips on how you should respond.
1. Tell me about yourself
In no way is this an invitation to ramble on about your personal or social life. The interviewer wants to know more about you professionally. They are in the process of identifying if you would be a great candidate.
Therefore, you should try a concise and enthusiastic response. Do not recite your resume Rather tell the employer about your past/current work experience, your educational background, skills, goals (anything long that line that would bring out the best of you, professionally).
2. What are your weaknesses?
This probably is the most dreaded question of all. Luckily we can help you prepare a response to it. You can minimize speaking about the weakness and maximize the strength. Choose a weakness that would not hamper you chances of not being hired yet choose one that relates to the job you are being interviewed for. Discuss your proactive measures to improve on your weakness, which shows your drive to be successful despite your weakness.
3. Why should we hire you?
This is your chance to convince the interviewer why you should be chosen to do the job despite the other candidates that applied. It is your opportunity to sell yourself. Speak about your knowledge, skills, abilities/strengths as it relates to the job that you are being interviewed for.
4. What are your goals?
Here you may want to focus on your short term goals rather than your long term goals. Focus on the current or near future. Yet be prepared in case the interviewer asks about the long term goals. This is not another opportunity to ramble about your social life. Respond by speaking professionally, possibly where do you want to be within the next 5 years and how you plan to achieve your goals.
5. Why do you want to work here?
The interviewer wants to know that you have a genuine interest in the company. They are hoping that you did not send your application simply because of the job opening that you may be qualified for. This is an opportunity for you to speak well about the company, stating a few notable facts while aligning them with your goals, values, beliefs etc
6. Why are you leaving/did you left your job?
You may want to focus on responding with your goals, what you would like to achieve in the new job. For instance, you may be in search of career advancement, upward mobility, industry change etc. This is not an opportunity to speak ill about your employer, coworkers or clients/customers of the company.
7. What are your strengths?
This is also one of the most common yet important interview questions. Discuss the attributes that qualify you for the job. The interviewer wants to know that your knowledge, skills and abilities align with what it expected to complete the job. Prior to the interview, make a list of skills that match the qualifications needed for the job.
8. Describe a difficult work situation and how you handled it?
The interviewer basically wants to know how you handle difficult problems. This type of question is referred to as a behavioral interview question and is simply designed to discover how you react to certain situations.
To answer this question you want to choose one or two examples. Of course the examples should have been difficult professional situations that you overcame, which shows your ability to be confident and capable of dealing with difficult situations.
9. Why do you want this job?
This is similar to 'Why should we hire you?'. Yet it is a bit different as the interviewer also wants to know what you know about the job. You should take this opportunity to point out the job requirements and how they align with your professional and educational background as well as your goals.
10. What are your salary expectation?
You should have thought about this as well before arriving to the interview. If the interviewer gives you a range first, then that is to your advantage. However, you should have an idea of your value considering your knowledge, skills and abilities. Yet you have to consider the job that you are being interviewed for - what is the going rate of that job.
Regardless, this question should be redirected to the interviewer - you may ask them, "Considering my background, in what range would you pay someone like me?" You really do not want to give a salary too low and disadvantage yourself giving the employer the opportunity to pay you low yet you do not want to go too high, having yourself being considered overpriced.
