Interview Prep Questions: Know Your Answers To Common Interview Questions
Prepare your Smart Answers to Common Interview Questions and review the Smart Strategies to Answer to Behavioral Interview Questions. Practice with a friend, a video, or your mirror.
In this guide, we cover the questions you will be asked, like Tell me about yourself and Whats your greatest weakness? Knowing and practicing your answers is very important for your success.
Why Did You Leave Your Job
One of the most critical job interview tips: Don’t badmouth a former employer. So if an interviewer asks, “Why did you leave your job?” and you’re unemployed, state your reason for leaving in a positive context: “I managed to survive two rounds of corporate downsizing, but the third round was a 20% reduction in the workforce, which included me.”
If you are employed, focus on what you want in your next job: “After two years, I made the decision to look for a company that is team-focused, where I can add my experience.”
What Skills Would You Bring To The Job
While this is similar to questions like, Why should we hire you? or What can you bring to the company? it allows you to be more specific about your work ethic, style and unique abilities as it relates to the role.
An impactful answer will discuss your hard and soft skills and use the STAR method to illustrate how your unique skills might benefit the team or organization.
Example answer:I can make anyone feel comfortable in a new environment, which makes me a good fit as a human resources assistant. In my previous position, a new employee came to me and told me that she didnt think she was right for the company culture. After talking to her for a few minutes, we realized that she felt too much pressure to participate in company events. I started introducing events that involved fewer competitions and more casual environments, and she quickly grew more comfortable with her team.
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Prepare For Common Questions
Before you set foot in your interview, you should prepare by testing yourself with interview questions that are commonly asked in the companyâs industry or, better yet, commonly asked in the companyâs interviews.
Use Glassdoor to search interview questions that are asked at the company youâre interviewing with to get insights into the exact questions recruiters and hiring managers will ask.
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How Have You Used Or How Will You Use Technology In The Classroom
What They Want to Know: Interactive classroom technologies have transformed learning over the past decade. Be ready to describe your familiarity with common tools like Smart Boards.
In my last classroom, the students used tablets to create and manage their own website, which proved to be a great tool for communicating with parents and allowing them to see the daily activities their kids participated in.
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If You Were An Animal Which One Would You Want To Be
Don’t be alarmed if you’re asked weird interview questions. Interviewers use this type of psychological question to see if you can think quickly. If you answer “a bunny,” you will make a soft, passive impression. If you answer “a lion,” you will be seen as aggressive. What type of personality would it take to get the job done? What impression do you want to make?
How Do You Define Success
Employers ask this to help them understand how your definition of success influences your goals and how you measure them. A good answer will show that you know how to define and measure goals and youre willing to challenge yourself and work hard to meet them.
Consider your proudest achievements, your long and short-term successes and how the company youre interviewing with views success. Give specific examples of how youve succeeded in the past.
Example answer:I define success as fulfilling my role in my team and in the company. I work toward completing my individual duties as effectively as possible, balancing that with professional growth and contributing to larger organizational goals. In my previous role, success meant exceeding weekly metrics, implementing processes that supported the companys KPIs and meeting quarterly professional development goals.
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What Are You Passionate About
Much like the previous question about motivation, employers might ask what you are passionate about to better understand what drives you and what you care most deeply about. This can both help them understand whether you are a good fit for the role and if it fits into your larger goals. To answer, consider this structure:
1. Select something you are genuinely passionate about and explain why youre passionate about it:As a software developer, Im passionate about creating truly beautiful, efficient digital products to make peoples experience with technology memorable…
2. Provide examples of how youve pursued this passion:”…One of the things I loved about my last job was witnessing the results of my teams code update and watching as our months of work yielded positive user feedback…
3. Relate it back to the job:”…Having the opportunity to lead projects from ideation through launch was one of the reasons I was so excited to apply for this role.
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Learn About Behavioral Interviewing Techniques
Behavior-based interviewing is when your interviewer asks you about how you handled past situations at work. This interviewing technique gives a potential employer valuable insight into the way you approach challenges in your job and turn them into favorable opportunities.
You can prepare for this type of interview by making a list of your skills, strengths and weaknesses. Prepare an example of a time when you displayed each of these qualities. Your example should show the employer how you successfully handled the situation.
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Once Youve Had The Interview Confirmed:
1. Research the organisation
Youll already know the basics from your research ahead of submitting your application, but now is the time to delve a bit deeper. What are their current projects? Have they been in the news? Who are their clients? Who will be interviewing you? Check out the organisations website, newspapers, or social media for this information. Showing you know what the organisation is up to will look good to your interviewers. If you have been told or can find out who will be interviewing you a bit of research about them could potentially help reduce your nerves.
“Once, someone I interviewed had looked through the news online and pulled out quotes from journalists about the organisation. I was so impressed, it showed how much time and effort she’d put in and that she really cared about the organisation.”
Katy, Director, Events Business
2. Prep the possible questions and their answers
Check out our advice on some of the tough questions you might get asked, here and log in or sign up to hear from 22-year-old entrepreneur and seasoned interviewee, James sharing some of his interview success secrets.
3. Research career progression and training opportunities
4. Sort out extra support you might need
If you need special access or additional materials to be arranged for your interview, make sure you get in touch with the organisation and let them know.
For example:
5. Plan the route
6. Figure out what to wear
Thalia, 21, student
Why Do You Want To Work For
When a hiring manager asks this question, not only do they want to know why you want to work for them, but they also want to know what you know about the company. This question tests how well you know what the company does and how passionate you are about the work they doâso make sure you know the company well and can speak truthfully about your desires to work there.
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Follow These Steps To Get Properly Prepared For Your Interview
Alright, now that you know a bit about why preparing for an interview is important, as well as some mistakes to avoid, lets get down to brass tacks: how to prepare for an interview. After all, knowing you need to do it is only half the battle you have to follow through, using the right approach, too.
Luckily, we have your back. If you want to blow away the hiring manager, you need to take your interview prep to the next level. Heres how to do just that:
Would You Be Interested In Leading Any After
What They Want to Know: Good schools are always looking for ways to enrich their students lives. Being willing to lead after-school activities like sports teams, clubs, or academic teams will be a strong point in your favor.
During the summer, I am the director of a theater camp offered by the art center in town. I would love to take part in any drama clubs or performances the children participate in throughout the year. Or, if there isnt a drama club, Id certainly love to start one, if thats something that the school would be interested in. While theater happens to be my personal passion, if there are any other activities that are especially in need of support and that I might be a good fit for, Id be willing to help out however I can.
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Use Professional Body Language
Because interviewing via video or phone limits the ability to communicate with body language, it is important to utilize body language in a clear, professional way. For example, if you get a question that is unexpected, make sure to stay poised and take a moment to collect your thoughts.
Sit up straight and ensure your camera is placed so your face is in the middle of your screen . In most interviews, you shake hands with your potential employer at the beginning and the end of the discussion. It’s an important body language cue that helps you establish the relationship. Instead, find other ways to greet and exude enthusiasm, like smiling and giving a confident wave with eye contact.
Review The Job Description
The first step you need to take when preparing for an interview is to review the job description. The job description is chocked full of critical details, including the must-have skills and traits the hiring manager needs to find.
Once you bring up the original vacancy announcement, go over it word-by-word. When you spot skills and qualities, consider highlighting them or writing them down in a list. Anything the hiring manager felt was worthy of inclusion will likely come up during your interview.
Essentially, the job description is a cheat sheet. If the hiring manager listed a skill or quality in the job description you should be prepared to show the hiring manager you possess them!
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S To Prepare For Your Job Interview
- Post authorBy Guest
Now that you have an interview, there are certain things you will want to do in advance to prepare for it. This article will provide practical tips on how to prepare for a job interview. Remember, you never get a second chance to make a first impression, so youll want to do your best in preparing for your interview in advance.
Tips For After The Interview
When the interview is over, give yourself the best chances of moving forward by doing the following:
20. Ask about next steps. After your interview, it is appropriate to ask either your interviewer, hiring manager or recruiter about what you should expect next. This will likely be a follow-up email with results from your interview, additional requirements like an assignment or reference list or another interview.
21. Send a personalized thank you letter after the interview. Ask for the business card of each person you speak with during the interview process so that you can follow up individually with a separate thank you email. If you interviewed in the morning, send your follow-up emails the same day. If you interviewed in the afternoon, the next morning is fine. Make certain that each email is distinct from the others, using the notes you took during the conversations.
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Carefully Examine The Job Description
During your prep work, you should use the employers posted job description as a guide. The job description is a list of the qualifications, qualities and background the employer is looking for in an ideal candidate. The more you can align yourself with these details, the more the employer will be able to see that you are qualified. The job description may also give you ideas about questions the employer may ask throughout the interview.
What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment
Its easy to get hung up on figuring out your single most impressive accomplishment. Instead, think of a few achievements that showcase your work ethic and values. If you can, pick examples that also tie back to the job youre applying for. The STAR method is a great tool to ensure you highlight the parts of your story that employers want to hear.
Example answer:In my last role, I managed all social media content. I noticed other brands were experimenting with videos and seeing great engagement from their customers, so I asked my boss if we could do a low-budget test. She agreed, so I produced a video cheaply in-house that drove double the engagement we normally saw on our social channels. It also drove conversions with 30% of viewers visiting our website within a week of seeing the video.
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Common Interview Questions And Answers
Preparing talking points for common interview questions can help you feel confident and prepared. While every interviewer is different and their questions may vary depending on the job and industry, there are a few common questions you can expect and prepare for such as, “Tell me about yourself.”
Below, we’ve put together a comprehensive list of commonly-asked interview questions including what interviewers are looking for in your response, plus example answers to help you
Here are several common questions to use as practice for your next interview:
Why Did You Decide To Become A Teacher
What They Want to Know: Teaching is one of the most challenging of professions, with a high degree of burn-out. Youll be asked this question so the hiring committee can gauge your enthusiasm for and commitment to teaching.
From the time I was young, I have loved learning and appreciated the great teachers who opened new worlds for me. Its the only career I ever considered, because I truly want to follow their example and, now in my turn, instill a joy of learning in my own students.
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What Would You Do If You Suspected Neglect Or Abuse In The Home Of One Of Your Students
What They Want to Know: Teachers walk a delicate line as advocates for their students welfare. Think about how you would respond should you suspect a child has been subject to abuse.
I take my position as a mandated reporter very seriously. I am aware of the districts daily health check system that early childhood teachers are required to implement daily. In my previous position, we also did daily checks when the children would arrive each morning. There was one child in my previous classroom who had odd bruising on both arms and I was not sure if the bruises were from rough play with siblings or friends, or from an adult being physically abusive.
Before I said anything to anyone, I reported what I saw to the principal who guided me through the process to determine the cause of the bruising. Ultimately it was discovered that the bruises were from the childs older sibling. The way my school handled the situation enabled us to ensure the child was in a safe situation without falsely accusing or upsetting the parents.
Common Interview Preparation Mistakes To Avoid
When it comes to preparing for an interview, the biggest mistake you can make is not doing it at all. Even if youre a highly-skilled professional overflowing with potential and natural poise, you cant assume that is enough.
On average, it takes five job interviews before youll land a job.
Wow, right?
Plus, 57 percent of professionals say theyve had a job interview go poorly. Thats more than half of all professionals, people who know their jobs well and are likely at least reasonably successful.
An interview isnt like a normal conversation with a colleague. Instead, youre being tested, put on the spot, and asked to defend your resume. Some questions are designed to put you back on your heels. Others are so open-ended, that its easy to drift off-topic.
Preparation allows you to be at your best when that fateful interview day arrives. Youll have great answers just waiting to be deployed, and a strategy that can help you navigate the unexpected. In turn, youll be more likely to succeed, making all of the effort worthwhile.
However, thats not the only misstep aspiring new hires make. Choosing the wrong mock interview questions can also hurt you. For example, some candidates spend all of their time on generic interview questions. Sure, you need to be ready for classics like, Tell me about yourself and What motivates you? but you also need to be prepared to face off against field- or job-specific ones, too.
MIKE’S TIP:
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