Many of the questions that employers ask at job interviews are standard interview questions. If you interview frequently, you’ll start to accumulate your own question bank and corresponding answers.
During your interview preparation stage, think about possible answers that suit the job you’re applying for, while highlighting your skills and experience. Also, brush up your interview skills, so you’re prepared to make the best impression. You don’t have to memorize all the answers, just familiarize yourself with the common questions so you know what’s coming, and have an idea of how you will respond. This advance preparation will make you more confident and stutter less during the interview. Now let’s take a look at some common questions:
Could You Tell Me About Yourself?
This is an open-ended opportunity to talk about yourself. However, it is not as simple as it seems. The confusing part is that the question isn’t actually asking for your life story. What the interviewers really want is to know why you’re interested in this role and whether you qualify.
Question about yourself is a way to break the ice at the beginning of an interview and make yourself more comfortable. One way to structure your answer is to start with the present, go into your past, and finish off with your future. This approach covers your base by displaying your experiences earned from your past, demonstrating your current skills, and showing your genuine interest in the position.
What Is Your Greatest Strength?
When answering questions about your strengths, focus on the abilities you have that are key to the success in this job that you’re interviewing for. This question is so straightforward and doesn’t involve any tricks. It’s important to make the hiring managers aware of your qualifications and do your best to impress them.
What Is Your Greatest Weakness?
A more straightforward way an employer could ask this question would be, “Are you knowledgeable about the areas that you can improve upon? Generally, employers favor people who are reflective about their skills and actively seek to improve themselves.
There are different ways to tackle questions about weaknesses. One is to turn a negative into a positive by sharing an example of how something you considered a weakness actually helped you on the job. The other is to give a genuine weakness, but address the concrete steps you took to tackle your weakness and show improvement. Mention you’re still working on it, but you’ve made some great progress.
Why Do You Want This Job?
This is a common interview question, so it is a good idea to prepare your answer ahead of time. With this question, the employer wants to know why you think this job is a match for your career objectives.
When answering this question, you want to show that you have researched the company, and prove that you are a good fit for the job. Make sure you know some basic information about both the company and the job. This way, when you answer the question, you can mention specific aspects of the company and position that appeal to you. Also, be specific about what makes you a good fit for this role. In your answer, highlight a few of your abilities that qualify you for the job.
Why Should We Hire You?
By asking this questions, the interviewers want to know what you can bring to the table, what differentiates you from other candidates, and how can you contribute to their company. The best way to answer this question is to discuss what you can do for the company.
This is your elevator pitch, a perfect opportunity to sell yourself to the hiring manager. Remember, the employers hire workers to solve a problem. Your goal when making your pitch is to show that you’re the best person to solve that problem. One way to prepare for this question is to make a list of the requirements for the position, then, give a concise answer about how you meet these requirements and how you can achieve goals.
Do You Have Any Questions For Me?
The last question at a job interview is usually about what you want to know about the job and the company. Don’t just say “I’m good, I don’t have any questions.” This is where you show your curiosity in the company and genuine interest in the role. Prepare 2-4 questions in advance, you may seem disinterested if there isn’t anything you want to learn more about.
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