How do you guarantee a successful job interview? Well if you have been wondering the same thing then this article right here is for you.
If you want to get hired first you need to face an interview and make sure it goes smoothly. It takes a great deal of preparation to crack an interview and more so to leave a strong impression.
You do not want to pause for too long or answer abruptly during the interview. It would also be awkward, and unprofessional to show up unprepared. You will come off as someone who is not serious about the job and chances are that you will get rejected.
There’s no shortcut to succeed in a job interview other than continuous practicing.
But to practice, you must know what the most common interview questions are. And even more important to know how to answer those common questions with accuracy.
On that note, here are the 25 most common interview questions and points to consider while answering them
Tell me about yourself
Do not repeat things that you have already mentioned in your CV
Talk about your previous work experiences that match with the job requirement
Talk about your interests perhaps some of your hobbies without giving away personal information
Touch on your education, past jobs, and other experiences that led you to this moment
Disclose with your future goals and touch upon why and how this job position can help you get there
What do you consider to be your strengths and weaknesses?
State your strengths that suit the job requirements without sounding too generic
Being a high achiever is not a weakness
Talk about your weaknesses that can hinder your performance and how you are working on improving it
Highlight your strengths, could be skills and experiences in such a way that it applies to the position you are applying for
Focus on making your weaknesses sound in a positive light
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Keep your answer pertinent to the job and company you are applying for
Think about a career plan in advance that aligns with the company’s goals
Make sure to convey that you are here for the long term and can be a solid investment
Do not tell your hirers that the position you are applying for is a temporary plan even though they would want to know that.
Emphasis on how keen you are regarding the job and all the things that are eager to learn
Why are you leaving your current job?
Talk about how the new job will be effective in meeting your career goals
Do not demean your current job in the hopes of impressing the hirers
Say that your new job offers more learning and career prospects
Do not bad mouth your boss or coworkers
Make sure your reasons are valid and can help you get hired
You perhaps want more challenges and are craving growth and the new job could be the perfect job opportunity for those purposes
What something unique you can offer from the rest of the candidates?
Talk about how your backgrounds and accomplishments make your distinct
Highlight your qualities without deprecating your competitors
Expand on your abilities or skill sets that can be applied in the job
Don’t say anything basic like you are a hard worker or a perfectionist
Make sure your answer values and aligns with the company’s goals
Tell me about a time when you faced a conflict and how you resolved it.
Practice your response numerous times to get your answer across comfortably.
Explain how the conflict came about and how you handled the situation in a professional manner
Provide instances of your conflict resolution resulting in better outcomes.
Add more on how conflict resolution is a normal thing that should take place in working spaces
Do not go off on ranting or complaining too much
How do you deal with difficult clients?
Draw attention to your abilities to stay calm and cool while dealing with demanding clients
Be specific while describing the situation as details help with visualization
Provide examples from the past
Talk about how your priority will be offering a solution and customer satisfaction
Focus on your other important abilities such as communication and interpersonal skills
What are your salary expectations?
Let the hirers bring up the topic of salary expectations.
Let them know that you are open to negotiations.
Do some research on how someone of your expertise and experiences is likely to get paid.
Avoid giving a specific number and provide ranges of salary amount higher than the average salary for someone in your position
Decline respectfully if you think the offer is too low
How do you handle work-induced stress and pressure?
Provide instances from your previous work on how you handled stress and pressure
Work-related stress is normal but the hirers want to know whether you will be able to cope and how you will cope
Respond with how a moderate level of pressure motivates you to do better
Also, pressure can help one focus and complete the task on time
Your techniques on handling stress and pressure can be handy to other employees as well
What would say is challenging about working with you?
Something challenging about working with you can also be something beneficial that you bring to the company
Add more on how you are open to criticism
Talk about how you learning and are flexible
If there are any specific challenges then talk about how you are working towards minimizing it
Provide instances that show your patience and growth
What would your former manager say if asked what your area of improvement would be?
Point out something you are new at and lay out your plans on how you hope to improve
The area of improvements can be something your new job can help you achieve
Don’t hesitate to mention areas you have talked about with your former boss
It would be ideal to mention something you are good at but want to get better at eventually
Emphasize your willingness to learn new things and improve as well
How would you deal with a situation where your supervisor is wrong?
Here it’s best to give an example where you did point out something your supervisor did wrong
Besides, it is better to explain how you handled that situation
Clarify further that you didn’t have any ill intentions
Also mention that you had let your boss know about their mistake one on one
Talk about your willingness to speak your mind and how it could have been anyone
Do you prefer to work in a team or by yourself?
If your job requires you to work in teams then you should say that you are open to working in a team even though you might prefer working alone
If you lean strongly towards working by yourself then prepare your explanations in advance on why you feel that way
Whether you work in a team or independently your company wants your best
Provide examples of how the results were better when you worked by yourself or in a team
Be honest about the approach that you genuinely prefer
Why do you want to work for this company?
Opportunity alone cannot be a good enough answer
Explain how the role in the company aligns with your career goals
Make sure you are interested and motivated to work for this company
Do some research before the interview so that you can prepare on what things appealed the most to you about the company
Talk about what you can contribute to the company
How long are you planning on working here?
Do not say that your job will be temporary because employers usually look for candidates willing to work for a long time
Talk about how you hope to move up the ladder within the company
It’s best to convince them that this job won’t be your short term gig
Do mention that you are open to career advancement plans within or outside the company
If you have got some moving situation because of the family then be honest about it
What can you contribute to this company?
Talk about distinctive values that you will bring to the company
Explain how your skills and experiences can help the company achieve its own goals
Provide examples of your past accomplishments
Talk about your career plans and how it is related to the company’s objectives
Research about the company’s goals to familiarise yourself with them
How do you measure success in this job position?
Here, talk about your attainable career goals
Customer satisfaction and company’s profit are easy answers
Simply completing tasks cannot be a measurement of success
Add on how you have attention to detail and a real knack to learn from mistakes
Talk about how it takes satisfaction of all employees, employers, and customers to measure the ultimate success
Describe your management style.
Talk about your strategies for leading a team and overseeing staff working under you.
Ponder upon the management style of your past managers and burrow some quality traits from them to implement
Give examples of some of the skills you consider to be best for management
Talk about the management style that you have followed
Make sure your style entails flexibility, efficiency, and productivity
What is your ideal work environment?
Let them know that you can be flexible and adaptable
Be honest if there are some environment where you wouldn’t be able to work at all
Emphasize how you can perform better working in your ideal environment
If you aren't familiar with the company’s work environment then do ask the interviewer
Research about the company and make sure your answer aligns with its culture
What are you hoping to accomplish within the first month on the job?
Answer accordingly to match with the expectations of your employers
Explain your plans and how you wish to transition into the new space
Emphasis on how you will be dedicated to learning and building relationships
Talk about how you will focus on understanding the company’s goals
Say that you are hoping to accomplish your personal goals that you have set for yourself
What motivates you?
Be honest about responsible factors that encourage you to work hard
Make sure the motivating elements are relevant to the company’s goals
Talk about the different motivating aspects in ways that can impress the hirers as well
Make sure your answer is solid, precise, and personal
Focus on keeping your answers something along the line of com
Have you applied to other companies too?
If you have then still make sure you show that are more enthused about this job position
If you haven’t then do talk about how you are looking for possibilities while still being serious about this particular role
If you have applied to other companies too then that means you are serious and dedicated
Even if you haven’t you can tweak your answers to tell that you are invested in this specific position
Make sure you don’t lie, answer professionally and avoid giving details unless asked
What are your plans in case you don’t get this job?
Answer with a mature tone that you will support the company’s decision
However, do remind them how your expertise will make you the best candidate
Talk about how you will focus on enhancing your qualifications
Say that you will search for vacancies in other companies
Importantly, do point out that this particular job will be a good fit for you
What qualities would you look for in an employee if you were a hiring manager for this position?
Talk about important qualifications and soft skills required for this position
Do mention the skills and experiences similar to yours without humble bragging
Highlight more abilities and knowledge necessary for someone in this position
Be honest and confident but avoid saying you would hire yourself
Always focus on listing down qualities that are relevant to the job
Do you have any questions for us?
Ask about day to day duties of your potential job position
Ask about what a typical day in the office looks like
Ask about the company culture and goals
Ask about how they determine success and failure
Ask if they have any concerns regarding your qualities
By now you must have familiarised yourself with the most common interview questions and how to answer them.
Now all you have remaining to do is practice these questions and prepare on how to answer them so that you can nail your job interview and get hired. Wish you all the best!