10 most common interview questions and how to answer
If you’re looking to land your dream job, you’ll need to answer some tricky questions. It’s not just about knowing the right answers; it’s also about being able to think on your feet when asked difficult questions by a potential employer. That’s why we’ve gathered up 10 of the most common interview questions and provided tips for how best to answer them during an interview:
Tell me about yourself.
You should be able to give a brief overview of your education, work experience and interests. Don’t include personal information like marital status or family details. If you are married, don’t mention that in the interview; it makes it come off as too personal rather than professional. Don’t go off on tangents either—stick to answering the question at hand!
Why are you looking for a new role?
The question that all interviewers ask is, “Why are you looking for a new role?” The answer is important because it has a direct impact on your chances of being hired. If you’re honest about why you want the job, it’s unlikely that the interviewer will think negatively about your intentions or motives. However, if you say something like “I don’t like my current employer,” or try to justify why money matters so much when most people would agree that it’s not actually necessary to be happy at work (you can find happiness outside of paychecks), then this could lead them to believe there may be other things going on behind-the-scenes—namely, ulterior motives such as wanting more responsibility or power within their organization!
So what should candidates do? Try answering this question honestly and without hesitation; otherwise they might just get dismissed right away before even getting into more detailed questions such as those listed below:
What do you know about us?
You should have done your homework on the company and its reputation before the interview. You should be able to answer any questions about them with ease, but here are some specific things you can talk about:
- How long have they been in business?
- What were their first few years like? Did they make it through tough times or succeed in a difficult niche market?
- What was their biggest sale or accomplishment up until now (and how does this relate to what you’ll do for this job)?
Why do you want to work here?
- Talk about the company culture and values.
- Explain why your role is a good fit for you.
- Talk about how you will benefit from working at this company, and what you can bring to the table in terms of skills or experience that are not common knowledge among potential candidates.
What makes you most excited about this job and our company?
The first step in answering this question is to be specific. You want to give the interviewer a good idea of what it will be like working with you and what skills and experience you have that are relevant to the job.
- Give examples of how your past work experience has helped you solve problems, or how it has developed your skills as an employee. This can be something as simple as telling them about a project that required teamwork with other members of the team, or something more complex like explaining how your knowledge of various software programs helped when developing marketing strategies for a company’s website redesign project.
- Use positive language when describing past projects; don’t say “I didn’t do well” in response – instead use phrases like “I learned from this experience,” “this experience taught me valuable lessons,” etc., so that everything sounds positive!
What are your biggest strengths, and how will they benefit our company?
Your answer should be honest, but also relevant to the job. For example, if you were asked about your weaknesses and how they will help the company (or not), don’t give a generic answer like “I’m self-conscious.” Instead say something like: “I’ve always been shy around strangers but I’m getting better at it so that’s something I’d improve in order to succeed here.”
Another way to think about this question is by thinking about what your strengths are as an employee today and how these might translate into benefits for us as an organization. Do your strengths include: leadership skills? Problem solving abilities? Teamwork skills? Are any of these things directly related to our business goals?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
It’s important to be specific about where you see yourself in five years. A good answer would include the company you work for, your title and responsibilities, and where they fit into the company’s overall strategy. If you want to leave your current job someday, it’s good practice to mention that too.
Be ambitious but realistic! Saying that you want a promotion because it sounds better than what your current role entails will get you nowhere—and might even lead employers to think less of you as a potential candidate down the road when they find out what really goes on during business hours (which is why we recommend taking care of now). You should also avoid saying things like “I want this so badly!” or “I can’t wait until my dream job comes into fruition.” These responses make us feel sorry for whoever answered them; if anything was meant as an aspiration statement rather than an honest reflection of reality then maybe consider rephrasing it into something more appropriate such as: “To succeed at this level I need X amount more experience”
What is your greatest weakness?
- What is your greatest weakness?
This question is designed to see if you are self-aware and able to admit when you’ve made a mistake. This can be a difficult question, but it’s important that you don’t make it sound like it’s the end of the world. Instead, talk about how this could be something that will help you improve in the future and how it has shaped who you are today—not just as an individual but also as part of a team or organization. If possible, try taking ownership over what happened so that no matter what happens next (or even if nothing happens), there will always be someone who knows where this came from and why things went wrong at some point along the way.
Do you have any questions for us?
If you’re asked this question, the interviewer is probably looking for more information on the company and its culture. He or she may also be looking for a glimpse into your personality—is it something that would appeal to them? What kind of questions can you ask in return?
For example: “What’s the best way to get around town?” Or: “I’ve never been here before; what should I do first?” Or even just: “Do you have any recommendations on where I should go next?”
Preparing for these questions will seriously improve your interview skills.
Preparing for these questions will seriously improve your interview skills. Here are some tips:
- Practice answering them in a mock interview. If you’re not sure how to answer a question, ask yourself “What would I do if this were my own business?” The more comfortable you are with the situation and its details, the easier it will be to come up with an appropriate response.
- Be honest but not too honest: Don’t say something like “I don’t know” or “I don’t have time right now.” Instead say something like “It depends on what part of our company culture we’re talking about here…can we talk about that?” By asking questions instead of just giving answers, employers can get a better sense of who you are as an employee—and whether or not they want to hire someone who’s capable enough at their job responsibilities!
Conclusion
We hope these tips have been helpful for you. They may seem simple and easy, but don’t be fooled: these questions can make all the difference in your interview! If you want to get the best possible results from all of them, just remember that preparation is key to success. Remember that each one of these questions takes a different approach; so prepare yourself accordingly by knowing what kind of answer will work best with each one
