Do You Have Any Questions For Me
Too many job seekers hear this question and breathe a sigh of relief, thinking theyâve made it through the interview unscathed. Theyâre relieved the interrogation is over, and want to fast-forward to the handshake and goodbyes. In doing so, they miss out on a prime opportunity. This question is your final chance to show your enthusiasm for the role and demonstrate that youâre committed to the job. A ânoâ can seem disinterested. Not sure what to ask? Here a few options:
- What will a regular workday/workweek look like in this role?
- What can you tell me about this role that wasnât in the job description?
- How will success be measured in this role?
- How would you describe the office culture?
- What do you enjoy most about working here?
- What would you say are the biggest challenges of this role?
- Where do you see this role headed in the next few years?
No doubt, these are just a few of the challenging interview questions youâll face throughout your career. The key to answering any interview question is to be prepared. Interview questions tend to fall into one of three categories: about the company, about your career, and about your skills. If youâre prepared to answer questions about these 3 topics, youâll be able to answer just about any question thrown at you.
What Are Your Greatest Strengths
Heres an opening to talk about something that makes you greatand a great fit for this role. When youre answering this question, think quality, not quantity. In other words, dont rattle off a list of adjectives. Instead, pick one or a few specific qualities that are relevant to this position and illustrate them with examples. Stories are always more memorable than generalizations. And if theres something you were hoping to mention because it makes you a great candidate, but you havent had a chance yet, this would be the perfect time.
Sample Technical Interview Questions And Answers
After asking behavioral and situational interview questions and finding out more about your educational background, the interviewer will move on to asking you questions about your technical knowledge, skills and experience. When answering these questions, it is important to show your ability to communicate technical concepts in an easy-to-understand manner and describe your work processes. The specific technical questions you can expect to be asked will vary based on the technical needs of the role, but here are a few common technical interview questions and example answers:
- What coding language are you most comfortable with?
- What is a SAN, and how is it used?
- When is it appropriate to denormalize database design?
- What is the role of continuous integration systems in the automated-build process?
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What The Interviewer Wants To Know
The interviewer also want to make sure you know what they are looking for in a job candidate, and that you have the ability to do the job if you were to be hired. One of the goals of the interview is to determine whether you are a good fit for both the role and the organization. On the flip side, you’ll also need to for what you’re looking for in your next role.
When answering this kind of question, your objective is to sell yourself to the hiring manager and convince them that you are a unique and strong candidate. Read below for advice on preparing for and answering this interview question, as well as examples of the best responses.
How To Answer 14 Most Common Interview Questions
These questions are the ones youre bound to hear at just about any job interview – whether youre an intern, or a senior professional with a decade of work experience.
All of these questions are used to learn more about you, both as a person and a professional.
You might have heard the popular idea that theres no right or wrong answers for job interview questions.
Well, while that might be true, there ARE a set of rules you need to follow when answering these questions.
If you understand what, exactly, the interviewer is looking for with each question, youll be able to give the right answer
In this section, were going to go through 14 of the most common job interview questions and answers. Were going to explain what the HR manager wants to see in you, as well as give you sample answers you could use.
So, lets get started!
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What Is A Technical Interview
A technical interview is a job interview for any position that relates to the tech industry, such as information technology. Technical interviews may take place over the phone, online and in-person, and may range in time from one hour to full-day interviews. Interview questions may consist of traditional interview questions, brainteasers, technical proficiency tests and problem-solving questions.
During the technical interview, the interviewer will assess your technical knowledge, skills and abilities as they relate to the needs of the specific job you are applying to. In addition to assessing your technical knowledge and skills, the interviewer will also be looking for what your thought process is when solving problems and how you will fit into the company’s culture.
How Many Tennis Balls Can You Fit Into A Limousine
1,000? 10,000? 100,000? Seriously? Well, seriously, you might get asked brain-teaser questions like these, especially in quantitative jobs. But remember that the interviewer doesnt necessarily want an exact numberthey want to make sure that you understand whats being asked of you, and that you can set into motion a systematic and logical way to respond. So take a deep breath and start thinking through the math.
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How Did You Hear About This Job
When asked this during an interview, dont just say you heard about the job on a website. This is your opportunity to go into more detail about why you love this company and what motivates you to want to work there. Moreover, if you have a personal connection at the company, this would be a good time to mention their name!
Get Directions And Arrange Transportation
It’s important to know where you need to go for your job interview. You don’t want to be late or arrive out of breath and flustered. Use Google Maps to get directions if you’re not sure where you are going. Program your GPS, if you have one, so you can find the best route to the company. Check on parking and/or public transportation, so you arrive with time to spare. Consider doing a test run the day before to make sure you have the right directions.
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Tell Me About A Time You Demonstrated Leadership Skills
You dont have to have a fancy title to act like a leader or demonstrate leadership skills. Think about a time when you headed up a project, took the initiative to propose an alternate process, or helped motivate your team to get something done. Then use the STAR method to tell your interviewer a story, giving enough detail to paint a picture and making sure you spell out the result. In other words, be clear about why youre telling this particular story and connect all the dots for the interviewer.
What Would The Person Who Likes You Least In The World Say About You
Imagine that your job interview has been going along swimmingly. You feel a kinship of sorts with your hiring managerand then they ask you this question. You might feel surprised since theyre asking you to pick a trait about yourself that is negative.
But theres a trick to this question. Youll still need to pick a quirky characteristic . Then, instead of just mentioning that youre impatient, turn it into something positive. Show how being impatient works in your favor as a remote workermaybe it means that youre a stickler for deadlines or that you will always follow up with a coworker who might lack quick communication skills.
For example, Theyd probably point out that Im impatient. However, I feel that it makes me a better worker as I rarely miss deadlines, I respond to emails quickly, and I regularly get answers to questions I have.
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Be Prepared To Prove Your Skills
Many technical interviews include an aspect where you are asked to prove your skills through a series of brainteasers, whiteboard coding challenges or remote coding assignments. While this phase typically occurs during the second or third interview, it is important to be prepared for at least one brainteaser question or whiteboard challenge during your first technical interview. With these questions, it is important to remember to talk through your reasoning process and explain the steps you are taking to answer the question.
Discover Indeedâs top resources for tech talent including career advice, sample resumes, job search quick links and more.
Questions About Your Strengths
The strengths employers look for will depend on the job role. You may be asked questions like:
- what are your main strengths?
- why should we hire you?
Along with specific examples, you can also highlight your personal qualities as strengths, for instance:
- communication shows you get on with others
- problem solving shows you can find solutions
- enthusiasm shows you have a positive attitude to work
- flexibility shows you can adapt to different ways of working
Plan your answers around 2 or 3 examples that are relevant to the job. You can back these up with qualifications or training you’ve done.
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What Do You Look For In A Boss
When an interviewer asks this question, theyâre probably trying to gauge how youâll fit in with the company culture and current leaders. The best path? Be honest without getting too specific you never know what type of leaders youâll be working with. Stick with traits that are universally positive such as fairness, good listener, capable, intelligent, etc. Most managers like to think they embody these traits, so thereâs no risk of alienating your potential boss.
What Do You Think Our Company Could Do Better
This question is an excellent opportunity for you to provide real insight and demonstrate that you will bring valuable skills and experiences to solve whatever problem you present. Just make sure to do your research prior to the interview. If youâre familiar with the company, youâll be able to provide a better answer. Never demur on this question and say you canât think of anything.
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What Are The Three Traits Your Top Performers Have In Common
Great candidates also want to be great employees. They know every organization is different — and so are the key qualities of top performers in those organizations. Maybe your top performers work longer hours. Maybe creativity is more important than methodology. Maybe constantly landing new customers in new markets is more important than building long-term customer relationships. Maybe the key is a willingness to spend the same amount of time educating an entry-level customer as helping an enthusiast who wants high-end equipment.
Great candidates want to know, because 1) they want to know if they will fit in, and 2) if they do fit in, they want to know how they can be a top performer.
Why Did You Leave Your Last Job What Are Your Weaknesses If You Were A Type Of Fruit What Would You Be And Why
OK, so some interview questions are easier to answer than others. But whilst you cant predict exactly what youll be asked, any question has the potential to make you stumble unless, of course, youve prepared in advance.
To help give you an idea of what could come up, heres our list of common interview questions, and how to answer them:
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‘you Are Stranded On A Desert Island And Can Only Take Three Items With You What Would They Be’
You might be wondering if youve landed on a Tinder date, rather than a professional interview. Yet, some employers ask this question to get an insight into your personality.
Although you might be thinking an unlimited supply of booze and Doritos, refrain from giving that answer. Your potential boss wants to see that you are smart, have good judgement and can contribute to ideas. You could answer something like a water purifier, endless supply of matches and a good book. Depending on the industry youre applying for, you can tailor it to show youre thought process and favourite items.
What Makes You Unique
They genuinely want to know the answer, Dea promises. Give them a reason to pick you over other similar candidates. The key is to keep your answer relevant to the role youre applying to. So the fact that you can run a six-minute mile or crush a trivia challenge might not help you get the job . Use this opportunity to tell them something that would give you an edge over your competition for this position. To figure out what that is, you can ask some former colleagues, think back to patterns youve seen in feedback you get, or try to distill why people tend to turn to you. Focus on one or two things and dont forget to back up whatever you say with evidence.
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What Should I Know Thats Not On Your Resume
Its a good sign if a recruiter or hiring manager is interested in more than just whats on your resume. It probably means they looked at your resume, think you might be a good fit for the role, and want to know more about you. To make this wide-open question a little more manageable, try talking about a positive trait, a story or detail that reveals a little more about you and your experience, or a mission or goal that makes you excited about this role or company.
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How Do You Prioritize Your Work
Your interviewers want to know that you can manage your time, exercise judgement, communicate, and shift gears when needed. Start by talking about whatever system youve found works for you to plan your day or week, whether its a to-do list app you swear by or a color-coded spreadsheet. This is one where youll definitely want to lean on a real-life example. So go on to describe how youve reacted to a last-minute request or another unexpected shift in priorities in the past, incorporating how you evaluated and decided what to do and how you communicated with your manager and/or teammates about it.
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Where Do You See Yourself In Five Years Time
An interviewer will be impressed if you have considered your short-term and long-term goals. Talk about the kind of job you’d eventually like to do and the various steps you will take to get there.
Show that you have the ambition and determination to make the most of every job you have held to get where you want to be and always relate this back to the position you’re interviewing for. Avoid telling the interviewer that you want their job.
What Interests You About This Job
With this interview question, your interviewer is trying to gauge a) your enthusiasm for the job and b) if you read and understood the job description. An answer that highlights a role or responsibility from the job description is a great way to go. If you blank and canât remember specifics of the job, an answer about âthe opportunity to put to useâ is always a safe bet.
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Tricky Interview Questions And How To Answer Them
Don’t let your job search ride on a piece of paper.
Yes, it’s important to craft a strong, accurate resume but like it or not, most jobs are secured or lost in the interview stage. Don’t let your job search ride on a piece of paper.
I never saw a resume — and only a resume — get a job. That’s why you should put as much effort as possible into preparing for interviews than you do into any other part of your job search campaign.
While there are no perfect answers, some thought and discussion about potentially tricky interview subjects can help you avoid disaster. Here is a sampling of interview questions that tend to trip up job candidates.
What salary are you looking for?
Whenever possible, I suggest that candidates not provide a specific answer to this question until the negotiations phase, after a position has already been offered. To defer the discussion, try returning the focus back to the interviewer and noting: Its hard to discuss salary without knowing more about the job or responsibilities.
Or, if you are discussing a specific job: What is your range? Then relate your experience to the salary range without being precise: I think my experience would put me near the high end of your range, dont you?
What were you making in your last job?
Have you ever been fired?
Can you work under pressure?
What did you think of your last supervisor?
What is your greatest strength?
What is your greatest weakness?
Youve moved around a lot how long would you stay with us?
What Kind Of Work Environment Do You Like Best
Maybe you love working alone, but if the job you’re interviewing for is in a call center, that answer will do you no good.
So take a step back and think about the job you’re applying for and the company’s culture . If a flexible schedule is important to you, but the company doesn’t offer one, focus on something else. If you like constant direction and support and the company expects employees to self-manage, focus on something else.
Find ways to highlight how the company’s environment will work well for you — and if you can’t find ways, don’t take the job, because you’ll be miserable.
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