What Are The Most Common Questions For A Job Interview

Question: Tell Me About Yourself

The 10 Most Common Job Interview Questions And How To Answer Them

One of the most common questions in an interview is Tell me about yourself. Actually, it is not even a question it is an invitation.

Your answer to this question is your opportunity to share with the interviewer whatever you think is important about you in their hiring decision.

More importantly, it is your chance to differentiate yourself from other candidates. In most cases, the standard questions offer the same opportunity.

What Can We Expect From You In Your First Three Months

Ideally the answer to this should come from the employer: They should have plans and expectations for you.

But if you’re asked, use this general framework:

You’ll work hard to determine how your job creates value — you won’t just stay busy, you’ll stay busy doing the right things.
You’ll learn how to serve all your constituents — your boss, your employees, your peers, your customers, and your suppliers and vendors.
You’ll focus on doing what you do best — you’ll be hired because you bring certain skills, and you’ll apply those skills to make things happen.
You’ll make a difference — with customers, with other employees, to bring enthusiasm and focus and a sense of commitment and teamwork.

Then just layer in specifics that are applicable to you and the job.

What’s Your Understanding Of The Role And Why Are You Interested

Why employers ask this: This question helps recruiters gain a genuine understanding of which aspects of the role you are most interested in, in order to assess if youre well suited to the role, McInerney says.

How to respond well: Hiring managers and recruiters want to hear how you interpret the role in your own words, rather than just repeating the job ad, McInerney says. The best answers are those that clearly demonstrate which aspects of the role you will be able to do well and how this will add value to the organisation and help achieve organisational goals.

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What Value Can You Add To The Organization

interview questions no.6

Interviewers arent only interested in learning about your background when they ask this question. They want to see that you grasp the companys or departments problems and difficulties, as well as how youll fit into the existing structure. Pay attention in your early round interviews to understand any difficulties youre being recruited to address by reading the job description carefully, doing your research on the organization, and making sure you grasp any challenges youre being hired to fix by paying attention in your early round interviews. Then, tie your talents and experiences to what the organization requires, and give an example of similar or transferrable work youve done in the past.

Tips For Answering The Top 10 Common Interview Questions

How to Answer the Most Common Interview Questions with ...

Before you download Richard McMunns TOP 35 EXAMPLE ANSWERSto all 10 common interview questions, read the following tips carefully they will help you to construct outstanding, top-scoring answers that are guaranteed to impress the hiring manager.

INTERVIEW QUESTION #1 TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF

TIP: It is imperative you get your job interview off to a positive start. Practice your answer to this common interview question several times before your interview. When answering the question, talk about the skills and qualities you have, any relevant experience you possess, one example of a significant achievement you have gained in your life, and what you will do in the role when they hire you.

INTERVIEW QUESTION #2 WHATS YOUR BIGGEST WEAKNESS?

TIP: Do not, under any circumstances give a weakness that matches anything listed on the job description. Choose one weakness that shows you are keen to improve and you are self-aware.

INTERVIEW QUESTION #3 WHAT ARE YOUR STRENGTHS?

TIP: Out of all the 10 common interview questions, this is by far the easiest to answer. Choose several strengths that match the job description but be prepared to back up your claims with evidence of where you have demonstrated the strength either in a previous role or in your personal life.

INTERVIEW QUESTION #4 WHAT CAN YOU BRING TO THE ROLE?

INTERVIEW QUESTION #5 WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 5 YEARS?

INTERVIEW QUESTION #6 WHY DO YOU WANT TO LEAVE YOUR JOB?

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Why Did You Leave Your Last Job

This question can really make a lot of job seekers nervous. If you were literally fired from your last job, youre going to have to own up to it and show what you learned from the experience and what measures you have taken to address the reasons you were let go.

If you left voluntarily be sure to explain why. For example: You wanted a different challenge. Hint: A challenge offered by the company and position youre interviewing for

We tackle this question in more depth in our blog post here.

If it was because you left voluntarily then reference a specific characteristic that the company you are interviewing for has that you are attracted to. One that your previous employer didnt have.

If you were let go, be honest and explain the situation and own it. Explain what you learned from the experience, because the interviewer knows youre human, you make mistakes, and just wants to see that you were able to do something about it

Words like downsizing and budget cuts and bad economy are good defenses if they are true and are the reasons for departure from the job.

DONT:

Dont bash your last company or boss or anything along those lines.

Dont say, Its time for a career switch and Id like to try my hand at the job you are offering or Im tired of doing the same old thing. Give a pointed, Positive reason for why you want to head off in a new direction.

Dont lie if you were fired.

What Was Your Last Jobs Responsibility

Describe your experience with a sense of what you accomplished. Be prepared to answer questions about the responsibilities you had and how you approached them, including What was your strategy for managing customer service issues or complaints? How did you handle scheduling conflicts among employees or shift changes? How did you deal with demanding customers?

What Was The Most Difficult Period In Your Life And How Did You Deal With It

The Powerful Formula to Answer the Most Common Interview Questions (Story Toolbox)

Everyone has gone through difficulties at some point in their life. This question provides insight into the candidate’s personality, experience with stress, and coping mechanisms. There are no wrong answers, but the question does invite the candidate to tell a story and reveal how they overcame adversity.

Red flags: The candidate cannot answer the question or provides a single-sentence answer.

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What Attracted You To Our Company

This is your opportunity to show youve done your research.

Before the interview, read up on everything you can about the company: their values, their mission, their latest results and news releases, who their executive staff are, their origin story, as well as their products and/or services.

Then, identify what stands out about the companys mission and values, and how that resonates with you and your own career path. If youre a fan of their products or services, bring that up too.

Screening Part Is Just The Start Of The Interview Process

So you made it to the end. Wonderful!

But you should know that after passing the first, screening part of interview process , you will often have to deal with behavioral questions , and sometimes also the assessment test. Thats when the real fun starts

Assessment tests help the employers learn more about your personality, emotional intelligence, IQ, and other important things that determine your readiness for the job. They may let you complete verbal reasoning test, numerical reasoning test, personality test, and many other tests. These tests are common especially in Fortune 500 corporations, and the only way to prepare for them is practicing We recommend the following assessment test practice package , which should suffice you to prepare for the assessment center in any big corporation.

And for the behavioral questions we have a separate article you can look at here. Check it out to see how to answer these questions. I hope you will manage to prepare for all challenges of the hiring process, and eventually sign a great employment agreement. Good luck to you!

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What Are Your Strengths/weaknesses

This question is often seen as challenging by many candidates, even those with significant experience. However, if approached correctly it is easily possible to avoid ‘bragging’ when discussing your strengths or seeming excessively negative when talking about your perceived weaknesses.

Strengths – Based on the job description, choose three examples of traits the employer is looking for and give examples of how you have used these strengths in a work situation. Ideally, include a mixture of tangible skills, such as technical or linguistic abilities, and intangible skills, such as management experience.

Weaknesses – The best approach here is to pick a trait that you have already made positive steps to address.

Consider how you have approached your perceived weaknesses in the past and what you have done to address them

If your tech skills are not at the level they could be, state this as a weakness before telling the interviewer about training courses or time spent outside work hours you have used to improve your skills.

Question No : Why Did You Leave Your Last Job / Why Are You Planning To Leave Your Present Job

Hint: Changing a job, or even a career, is completely normal. Nevertheless, employers want to understand why you plan to make a change, or why you were forced to make your move. They try to understand whether they can count with you in a long run, and how it will feel to work with you. Do you look for good things, or for bad things in a job? Do you demand a lot from your colleagues, or do you demand a lot from yourself?

Regardless of your past experience, you should focus on good things. Even if they fired you in your last job , try to speak nicely about your former colleagues and employers. Nobody wants to hire an employee who will complain about everything, a person who always looks for the worst

I had my job in a restaurant for four years. I enjoyed the company of my colleagues, and believe that I helped the guests to enjoy the place. But I needed a change. The duties were repetitive, and I felt I was not moving forward anymore. Thats why I left, and decided to apply for your offer, as I really see a potential for learning and growing in your company.

They fired me because I had a different opinion than the director of the company. Nothing wrong with himwe just had a different philosophy of leadership, and how things should be done. Maybe he was right, maybe I wasonly time will tell. But I do not want to live in the past. Now I am here, looking for a new challenge, and an opportunity to help your company to prosper.

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What Do You Consider To Be Your Most Significant Professional Achievement

interview questions no.9

Nothing says hire me like a track record of outstanding performance in previous employment, so dont be hesitant to answer this interview question! Using the STAR technique is a fantastic way to accomplish so. Set the scene and the work to offer background information for the interviewer , then describe what you did and what you accomplished : I simplified the process in a month, saving my group 10 person-hours per month and reducing invoice mistakes by 25%.

Do You Have Any Questions For Me

What They Want to Know: The last question at a job interview is usually one about what you want to know about the job and the company. Be ready with a list of questions to ask. You may seem disinterested if there isn’t anything you want to learn more about.

Do you have a formal schedule and mechanism for performance reviews? How soon after hiring would I receive my first review?

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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 Kind Of Work Environment Do You Perform Best In

Top 6 Common Interview Questions and Answers | Indeed Career Tips

Hopefully, your truthful answer to this question will line up with the type of environment at the company youre applying to. The interviewer is trying to see whether or not youd be able to stay at the company for a long timethey dont want to have to find a replacement for you in one month because you cant stand hearing background noise.

But dont change your answer based on the environment of the company just because its what you think they want to hear. Instead, explain how youll be able to adapt to the environment if its different from what youre used to.

For example, if you work best in a quiet environment with very few distractions but youre applying to a fast-paced company with lots of chatty employees, describe the steps youd take to make sure you get your work done . Hint: Read Deep Work by Cal Newport. Itll give you some great techniques for managing distractions!

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Question: What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment

Consider this question an invitation to do some bragging about what you have achieved in your career that can benefit this new employer. By asking this question, the interviewers are inviting you to share an achievement/accomplishment which provides proof that you are the best candidate for this job

Focus on them: Choose a recent accomplishment, if possible, that demonstrates your ability to do this job very well. Have several good examples prepared before the interview.

Like your greatest strength, your greatest accomplishment aligns with something they need. Again, as with strengths, while you have many accomplishments you could describe, the smartest strategy is to focus on your recent accomplishments that make it clear you can do their job very well.

Be truthful and also be very careful about treating this question casually. Advanced preparation is the smartest strategy.

Hopefully, your and your resume reference this accomplishment or situation in some way.

Out Of All The Candidates Why Should We Hire You

Since a candidate cannot compare himself with people he doesn’t know, all he can do is describe his incredible passion and desire and commitment and … well, basically beg for the job.

And you learn nothing of substance.

Here’s a better question: “What do you feel I need to know that we haven’t discussed?” Or even “If you could get a do-over on one of my questions, how would you answer it now?”

Rarely do candidates come to the end of an interview feeling they’ve done their best. Maybe the conversation went in an unexpected direction. Maybe the interviewer focused on one aspect of their skills and totally ignored other key attributes. Or maybe candidates started the interview nervous and hesitant, and now wish they could go back and better describe their qualifications and experience.

Plus, think of it this way: Your goal as an interviewer is to learn as much as you possibly can about every candidate, so don’t you want to give them the chance to ensure you do?

Just make sure to turn this part of the interview into a conversation, not a soliloquy. Don’t just passively listen and then say, “Thanks. We’ll be in touch.” Ask follow-up questions. Ask for examples.

And of course if you’re asked this question, use it as a chance to highlight things you haven’t been able to touch on.

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Tell Me Something About Yourself

How hard can it be to talk about yourself? We do it on a daily basis without much thought to it.

However, recruitment managers are not looking for your whole life story, your third-grade achievements, or what you had for dinner last night. Instead, they are looking for a pitch.

This is usually the first question asked in an interview, so it acts as your introduction. Make sure your answer is relevant to the position you are applying for. What you should be aiming for here is to present yourself as the ideal candidate for the job.

A good rule of thumb is to structure your talking points as follows:

Briefly introduce yourself: Whats your name? How long have you been working as ?
What do you love about your job?
What are your top 2-3 achievements that are relevant to the job youre applying for?

Now, lets go through some examples:

Possible Answers for “Tell me About Yourself”:

Sample Answer 1:

Hey! So, my name is John Doe and Ive worked as a business analyst for 5+ years in Company X and Company Y.

I have some background in data analysis, having studied Information Systems at University.

Throughout my career, Ive done some pretty impressive stuff .

For example, at Company X, I led a project for migrating all operations data to a new data warehousing system to cut down on costs. The new solution was a much better fit for our business, which eventually led to savings of up to $200,000 annually.

Sample Answer 2: