Ten Most Common Interview Questions

Being a qualified candidate for any job cannot be measured only by your educational attainment. One has to be adept in establishing good impressions. And to be able to stand out among other applicants, get ready ahead of time through knowing the most common interview questions so as to be able to give the best answers. A typical interview will probably consist of the following interview questions and answers:

1. Among all the inquiries, being asked to tell about yourself is the top choice for any employer. Others will claim they are hardworking, loyal and dependable. Remember that you have to be remarkable while not appearing nonchalant or arrogant. Introduce yourself with the use of the Unique Selling Proposition which is a factual brief sentence. This has been used for many years by numerous brand labels. This is effective to generate the recall factor. For example, “I have been an active researcher of (company name) for 3 years now, wherein I spearheaded several fact-finding missions and module drafting under the urban community development program.” The conversation will then turn to your favor as you already established different points of interest for your work history.

2. Now that you are selling yourself, be careful in answering the query “why should we hire you”. Expand on your achievements, abilities, knowledge and skills. Note that everything you will say has to be correlated to the position in order to make the interviewer see you can be an “asset to this organization.” A portfolio of your output can substantiate your claims.

3. When you are asked, “What is your greatest weakness?” do not hesitate to be honest. Sometimes accepting defeat will show people how you balance your professional life. Tell him that through recognizing your flaw, you have developed ways to improve your skills and manner of responding to a particular situation. This then can also become your greatest strength, which is to have foresight and open-mindedness.

4. Another eminent question regards “what work environment do you prefer?” The interviewer will ask this leading question so as he can have an overview whether you are a team player or otherwise. It would be safe to answer that you have worked efficiently both in team efforts or individual tasks.

5. If you are asked how you handle stress, keep in mind to project a positive attitude towards this situation. Just describe how you respond to problems such as taking a breather, practicing meditation exercises or immediately devising solutions rather than delving into depression.

6. “Why did you leave your last job?” is perhaps one of the most intriguing questions. First of all, do not speak negatively of your previous work. Tell him that you left because you want growth in learning new things and experiencing a new environment. However, disclose any legal issues or pertinent problems as this company will probably ask your former employer for an evaluation.

7. Conversely, if you have been unemployed for a few months now, the interviewer will inquire, “What were you busy about since your last job?” Say that you have been working on improving your craft or had to attend personal matters like death or illness. Once again, such claims should be validated through certificates or other documentation files.

8. Towards the end of the interview, you will be asked, “how much salary do you need?” Do over/underestimate your and the company’s worth. Research beforehand about the salary per employee level the organization offers. Evaluate your skills, experience and knowledge and analyze as to which tier you belong to. Then you can safely say that you found out this specific amount is the compensation for an employee in their company range.

9. You may also be asked why you want to work for their company. Tell him that you have given in-depth thoughts why you firstly applied for the position. Say that the goals and interests of the company are parallel to the things you are passionate about. Make your past experiences come into play so as to prove this particular position in the line of your field.

10. Lastly, you will also be tested as how long you will see yourself working for them. When you are asked how do you see yourself in five years or so, simply say that a part of your long-term goals is to thrive financially and professionally. And you can only do that with their company.

All these questions are a test of your strength of character and sincerity. Thus, it is important that you must truly believe in everything you will say so as to manifest how seriously want to get the job.