Tell Me About Yourself/your Work Experience
Begin your answer with an overview of your highest qualification then run through the jobs you’ve held so far in your career.
You can follow the same structure as your CV, giving examples of achievements and the skills you’ve picked up along the way. Don’t go into too much detail – your interviewer will ask you to expand on any areas where they’d like more information.
What Really Drives Results In This Job
Employees are investments, and you expect every employee to generate a positive return on his or her salary.
In every job some activities make a bigger difference than others. You need your HR team to fill job openings, but what you really want is for them to find the right candidates, because that results in higher retention rates, lower training costs, and better overall productivity.
You need your service techs to perform effective repairs, but what you really want is for those techs to identify ways to solve problems and provide other benefits — in short, to build customer relationships and even generate additional sales.
Great candidates want to know what truly makes a difference and drives results, because they know helping the company succeed means they will succeed as well.
Why Did You Decide To Apply For This Position
Through this question, the interviewers want to assess how passionate you are for the position. And no, the answer isnt:
Well, Im very passionate about not starving to death.
Well, I needed the money, and you guys tend to pay a lot.
What the interviewer is looking for here is to see how passionate you are about the job or the company. After all, job performance is directly linked to job satisfaction. The happier you are about your position at the company, the more productive youll be.
And heres the kicker – your passion will be very evident during the interview.
When youre talking to a person thats passionate about something, you can pretty much feel them glow as they talk. And if youre an HR manager whos interviewed hundreds of people, this is a very good sign to hire the candidate.
So, use this knowledge to your advantage.
When asked this question, your answer should include 2 things:
Sample Answer 1:
Im very passionate about sustainability and renewable energy. In fact, I minored in Environmental Science at .
Ive always wanted to put my engineering degree to a good cause – and the position as a Sustainability Coordinator at is just the right thing.
Ive been following your company for the past few years, and I love how youre changing the renewable energy landscape in America.
Possible answer 2:
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+ Interview Questions And Answers
The time has come!
After creating a killer resume and cover letter and passing the first round, it is time to face the final challenge:
Your job interview.
And that scares even to the best of us.
Being judged and evaluated by people who have your future in their hands is more anxiety-inducing than meeting the in-laws.
Youve heard the interviewers and hiring managers say there are no right or wrong answers to calm you down before an interview.
But heres the thing:
They are almost always looking for a specific way of answering.
Which brings us to this guide. Were going to cover the most common interview questions and answers, turning you into a bona fide interview expert by the time youre done reading.
So, lets get started!
To make this guide as practical as possible, we covered just about every interview question out there.
Dont let that put you off, though. You dont have to read the whole thing end-to-end. To get the most out of the guide, wed recommend:
Most Common Interview Questions:
Behavioral Questions in an Interview:
Top 10 Interview Questions And Best Answers
Review these most frequently asked interview questions and sample answers, and then prepare your responses based on your experience, skills, and interests. Remember that its less about providing the right answers and more about demonstrating that youre the best candidate for the job.
1. Tell Me About Yourself – Best Answers
This is one of the first questions you are likely to be asked. Be prepared to talk about yourself, and why you’re an ideal candidate for the position. The interviewer wants to know why you’re an excellent fit for the job.
Try to answer questions about yourself without giving too much, or too little, personal information. You can start by sharing some of your personal interests and experiences that don’t relate directly to work, such as a favorite hobby or a brief account of where you grew up, your education, and what motivates you.
You can even and showcase your personality to make the interview a little more interesting.
2. Why Are You the Best Person for the Job? –Best Answers
Are you the best candidate for the job? The hiring manager wants to know whether you have all the required qualifications. Be prepared to explain why you’re the applicant who should be hired.
3. Why Do You Want This Job? – Best Answers
Be specific about what makes you a good fit for this role, and mention aspects of the company and position that appeal to you most.
4. How Has Your Experience Prepared You for This Role? – Best Answers
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How Do You Plan To Achieve Your Career Goals
Having goals shows interviewers you care, are ambitious, and can think ahead. Having a plan for how youll achieve your goals demonstrates your self-motivation as well as organizational and time management skills. Finally, the fact that youve accomplished past goals youve set for yourself is proof of your ability to follow through. All together, these are indications that you can not only set and achieve goals of your own, but also help your prospective boss, team, and company do the same. To craft your answer, make sure you focus on one or two goals in detail, explain why the goals are meaningful, communicate what milestones are coming up, highlight past successes, and connect back to this job.
Describe Your Dream Job
Three words describe how you should answer this question: relevance, relevance, relevance.
But that doesn’t mean you have to make up an answer. You can learn something from every job. You can develop skills in every job. Work backward: Identify things about the job you’re interviewing for that will help you if you do land your dream job someday, and then describe how those things apply to what you hope to someday do.
And don’t be afraid to admit that you might someday move on, whether to join another company or — better — to start your own business. Employers no longer expect “forever” employees.
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What Steps Have You Taken To Improve Your Skills
Look for candidates who have attended voluntary skills training or external courses, especially those with industry-related certifications. This will indicate a desire for growth and a willingness to take on additional challenges.
Red flags: The candidate has only attended work-mandated skills courses or none at all.
How You Heard About The Job
One of the most common interview questions during an interview is how you heard about the job.
It is very likely that the recruiters would as you questions such as:
- How did you hear about this job vacancy?
- Who told you about this job?
- Where did you come across this job?
You can answer these questions based on where you actually came across the specific job vacancy.
Sample Answer: I came across this job on LinkedIn.
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Question No 1: Do You Have Any Questions
Hint: You will get a chance to ask some questions in your interview. It is good to ask one or two questions at least, since it shows that you still want the job, after everything that has been said and done in your interview.
But you should not ask about something that was already discussed, or about something that was clearly explained on the job description. Focus on their working environment, next steps of recruitment process, company culture, their goals and plans, their product portfolio.
What are the next steps of recruitment process? Is there anything else I can do to improve my chances of getting this job?
I really like your product ABC. Can you tell me more about the plans you have with the product, and the innovation you plan in the future?
Do you set any goals for sales managers, such as monthly sales volume?
Why Are You Interested In This Opportunity
Why is this questionasked?
The hiring team wants to know if you have a genuine interestin the role and organisation. Additionally, they are keen to understand your motivationsand whats important to you. This helps them determine if there is a strongmatch between what you want and whats on offer, not just right now, but alsointo the future.
How to respond
Take time to research the organisation. Share what you findinteresting or inspiring about the opportunity and why want to work there bespecific and genuine. In some cases, motivation, passion, and enthusiasm cantrump skills and experience, especially when you consider which of these can bemore easily taught. If you are excited by a role, make sure you say so! Behonest about whats important to you and ask for more information if needed.
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How Would Your Professors/friends/co
This can be a challenging question if you havent thought about it ahead of time. Consider recent feedback youve received, both positive and negative. The interviewers main goal is to ensure you have a clear understanding of how youre perceived by others and understand how your actions impact them. To prove that youre self-aware, consider answering with two positive traits and one area for improvement. For example:
The other members of student council might say that Im an extremely effective leader as president. They also nicknamed me Mr. Congeniality because I get along with everyone. But theyd also say that I sometimes take on too many things at once. Im trying to delegate more.
What Are Your Weaknesses Examples
Here are a few examples of the best weaknesses to mention in an interview:
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Can You Tell Me 10 Different Uses For A Pencil Other Than For Writing
This is a great question to test out-of-the-box thinking and to put the candidate on the spot. Top candidates will come up with ingenious ideas in a relatively short time. Candidates that struggle to come with useful ideas or spend too long thinking may not be a good fit for creative positions.
Red flags: The candidate struggles to come up with useful ideas or takes too long to answer.
What Attracted You To Our Company
This is your opportunity to demonstrate that youve done your research. Prior to the interview, read up on everything you can about the company from their own website, social media channels and other news articles and forums.
Identify what stands out about the companys mission and values, and how that resonates with your own desired career path and personal values.
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Here Are The Most Commonly Asked Interview Questions You Can Expect To Be Asked In Your Interview And Advice On How You Can Craft Effective Responses
Know these popular interview questions and answers.
Too many job seekers stumble through interviews as if the questions asked are coming out of left field. But many interview questions are to be expected. Need some job interview tips? Monster has you covered. Study this list of popular and frequently asked interview questions and answers ahead of time so you’ll be ready to answer them with confidence.
What Is The Reason For You To Leave The Current Job
Not sure of how to answer this question? Keep in mind this isn’t a period for a job searcher to bad mouth your boss or past employer. Doing as such will be a warning and make an issue that could hurt you as early on as during the telephone interview.
What this inquiry is genuinely getting at is the reason you are searching for another job at the place you’re interviewing. So even though it’s not expressed that way, react by discussing how engaging this particular opportunity is to you. As enticing as it might be to vent, don’t spend any time harping on the things that make you sound miserable or unsatisfied at your present organization.
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What Is Your Strategy For Working With People Who Annoy You
This question reveals a lot about the candidate’s character and how they maintain professional relationships. Not everyone in the office is going to get along. Strong candidates use proactive measures to create a positive office environment while remaining assertive.
Red flags: The candidate has never been in such a situation or uses inappropriate techniques to deal with annoying colleagues.
What Major Challenges And Problems Did You Face How Did You Handle Them
What They Want to Know: With this question, the interviewer is trying to understand how you handle issues and problems. Can you figure out solutions and workarounds when there is a problem? How adept are you at problem-solving? Do you enjoy a challenge, or do you get nervous when there’s a glitch?
When I was first hired as store manager, our turnover rate was 75% and we were chronically understaffed. I implemented performance incentive programs that reduced attrition by 63% and significantly improved our talent pipeline by focusing on internal training and promotion.
More Answers: Interview Question: How Did You Handle a Challenge?
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How Many People Were On Your Team At Your Last Job
This is a good interview question for screening people with management positions on their resumes. The number of people on their team should match what you would expect for the position.
Reg flag: If they were in a management position and didn’t oversee the number of people you’d expect, this could be a red flag and could indicate an inflated title. For example, a Vice President of Sales who didn’t oversee any salespeople could be a bad sign.
Tell Me About This Gap In Your Resume
This is one of several very common HR interview questions that may refer to anything out of the ordinary or interesting in a candidates resume, such as a job that lasted for only a few months or that was seemingly unrelated to the candidates background, or an outright gap in the candidates employment history. The purpose of these HR interview questions is to clarify these points and make sure there arent any red flags.
Sample answer:
After I finished my masters degree, I started working non-stop for six years. Thats why I decided to take a break from work and travel to other countries to volunteer. This helped me clear my mind and help other people, while acquiring new skills .
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What Are Your Goals
When you’re asked, “What are your goals?” sometimes it’s best to talk about short-term and intermediate goals rather than locking yourself into the distant future. For example, “My immediate goal is to get a job in a growth-oriented company. My long-term goal will depend on where the company goes. I hope to eventually grow into a position of responsibility.”
What Do You Know About This Company/organization
A quick search in the About page of the company/organization you are applying for should be enough, right? Well, yes and no.
Think of this as an open-ended question. Theres no real wrong answer here, other than:
Incorrect Example
I dont know anything about this organization. In fact, how did I end up here? Can you guys call me a cab real quick?
However, the more you actually know about the company, the better your chances of getting hired.
Imagine 2 equally competent candidates:
Which one would you pick? Exactly, the second one!
So, with this job interview question, you want to convince the recruiter that youre the candidate #2.
Now, how do you do that? Well, a rule of thumb here is to do some Googling before the interview and learn the following about the company:
- What does their product or service do?
- What impact does the product / service have?
- Whats the company culture like?
- What are the latest news about the company? How are they performing?
- …And pretty much whatever other type of info you can dig up.
Possible answers:
- Sample Answer 1:
I hadnt heard about you until recently, actually. I found out about through your job ad on RandomJobBoard.
- Sample Answer 2:
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