Common interview questions

Get ready for interviews by preparing answers for some common interview questions.

While preparing for an interview, candidates should be careful about how to put forth an appropriate answer to the questions. Such that the information is useful to the employers without lowering your chances of being hired. 90% of the recruiters ask the following questions :

1. Tell me about yourself. This question seems simple so, many people fail to prepare for it. But it’s crucial. Here, don’t give your complete employment (or personal) history. Instead, give a concise and compelling answer that shows exactly why you’re the right fit for the job. Include the past, present and future into why you want, and would be perfect for this role.

Example: I've been in the marketing industry for over five years, primarily working in account and project management roles. I most recently worked as a senior PM for a large tech company managing large marketing campaigns and overseeing other project managers. And now I'm looking to expand my experience across different industries, particularly fintech, which is why I'm so interested in joining an agency like yours.

2. Why should we hire you? This question seems straight forward and definitely intimidating! But if you’re asked this question, you’re in luck: There’s no better setup for you to sell yourself and your skills to the hiring manager. Your job here is to craft an answer that covers three things: that you can deliver great results; that you’ll really fit in with the team and culture; and that you’d be a better hire than any of the other candidates.

Example: Though I’m a recent university graduate, my coursework, major, and minor all coincide with this position. On top of that, I have gained some job experience relevant both during my previous internship and in the volunteer gig that I work, both of which you may remember mentioned in my resume. Finally, I have been crossing my fingers for this job specifically, because there would be no place I’d rather work!

3. What are your major weaknesses? What your interviewer is really trying to do with this question is to gauge your self-awareness and honesty. So, “I can’t meet a deadline to save my life” is not an option—but neither is “Nothing! I’m perfect!” Strike a balance by thinking of something that you struggle with but that you’re working to improve.

Example: I have two greatest weaknesses. The first is my inability to share responsibilities. The second is remaining patient during group projects. I want to be in control. I don’t trust others with work I know I can do better. So, if I have to share a task, I lose my patience when I suspect that the other person isn’t doing it right. I’ve discussed these weaknesses with my supervisor as areas I’d like to improve. We’ve set up a timeline and goals for me to achieve. I’ve enrolled in several team building workshops and a volunteer group. I’m learning to let go and trust others. My supervisor complimented me on my progress.

4. What are your strengths? Here’s an opening to talk about something that makes you great, and a great fit for the job role. When you’re answering this question, think about quality, not quantity. In other words, don’t rattle off a list of adjectives. Instead, pick one or a few (depending on the question) specific qualities that are relevant to this position and illustrate them with examples. Stories are always more memorable than generalizations. And if there’s something you were hoping to mention because it makes you a great candidate, but you haven’t had a chance yet, this would be the perfect time.

Example: I am a very detail-oriented worker. When I work on a project, I keep a close eye on all the details and remain familiar with high-level and low-level tasks associated with the project. In my last job, this attention to details helped me identify a problem in one of our core marketing campaigns before it was released. This allowed us to mitigate embarrassment that could have been associated with the error being published to our marketing channels.

5. Where do you see yourself in five years? If asked this question, be honest and specific about your future goals. But remember this: A hiring manager wants to know if you've set realistic expectations for your career. If you have an ambition and if the position aligns with your goals and growth. Your best bet is to think realistically about where this position could take you and answer along those lines.

Example: My ultimate goal for the next five years is to master my position and advance into a managerial role within my department. I was drawn to the personalized training approach your company outlines on its website, and I truly believe this approach to training will allow me to learn new skills and grow within this position. Over the next five years, I see myself taking on new and exciting projects within your company that will prepare me for a management role with the organization.

6. Do you have any questions for me? You probably already know that an interview isn’t just a chance for a hiring manager to grill you, it’s an opportunity to sniff out whether a job is the right fit from your perspective. What do you want to know about the position? The company? The department? The team? You’ll cover a lot of this in the actual interview, so have a few less-common questions ready to go.

Example:

• What are the goals the company has for the next year?
• Is there anything I should know about this position that wasn’t included in the job listing?

7. Why are you interested in working for this company? Beware of generic answers! If what you say makes you sound like every other candidate, you’re missing an opportunity to stand out. Do your research and point to something that makes the company unique that really appeals to you; talk about how you’ve watched the company grow and change since you first heard of it; focus on the organization’s opportunities for future growth and how you can contribute to it; or share what’s gotten you excited from your interactions with employees so far. Whichever route you choose, make sure to be specific.

Example: I read an article a few months back on the outreach your company does within the community. Giving back and volunteering is a significant part of my own personal values, and I remember feeling excited that a company values the community as much as I do. That excitement grew when I saw there was a job opening in my field here. I would really love coming to work each day, knowing that I am helping to make a difference in the community through my work here.

8. Why have you chosen this particular field? To best answer this question you should decide how much information you want to share with your interviewer. You could give examples from your childhood that reveal an early interest in the field or you could simply state that you discovered the interest in your studies. Ultimately you should communicate that your motivation has compelled you to acutely develop the skills necessary for the field. It should also show that you are passionate about the field and touch on what skills and abilities you can bring to it.

Example: I studied a variety of subjects in college when I first began and I was not sure what I wanted to do until I took a course in writing. The class introduced me to concepts such as creative non-fiction and technical writing. I enjoyed these and immediately recognized both my passion and proclivity for communicating through the written word. I decided to continue this course of study and develop my skills to the greatest extent I could and after graduation I naturally chose to continue this path. I decided to pursue a career in this field because I enjoy writing and utilizing my communication skills. I hope to obtain a job where I can continue doing so and continue stretching my writing skills to new heights too.

9. In a job, what interests you the most/least? The first step in formulating an effective answer to this interview question is to perform thorough research on the position and company. This will help you highlight your professional skills in your answer and it’s important to portray your enthusiasm. Interviewers often want to learn several things about you with this one interview question, so it’s important to ensure you’re addressing all of this in your response. The key points you should include in your answer to this question are:
   • How does this job correlate with your future career goals?
   • What makes this job stand out to you?
   • How will this role support you in terms of future career advancement?
   • Why are you a good candidate for this position and organization?

What interests you the least in a job?, while this is a negative question in search of a negative answer, you would want to begin your answer with something upbeat that shows you're generally not a negative person, that shows you generally look for the good in situations. Try to focus on an element of the work itself rather than company politics or people. Try to limit yourself to one issue, such as workload, lack of growth or lack of flexibility. Use your closing sentence to acknowledge how this particular negative situation hampered you from deploying one of your key skills, so that the interviewer sees you as someone who wants to be able to work to their best potential.

Example: (Most interested) I’m interested in this job as a third-grade teacher because I highly value the mission of this school, which emphasizes the importance of catering to the specific needs of each child. With more than 10 years of school-teaching experience, I have developed several strategies to help children succeed both personally and academically. I believe I would be a great member of your staff and am confident my contributions would benefit the school as a whole.

(Least interested) I've given this question some thought, and overall I've been very satisfied with my job. I've been able to work with some really interesting people. I have to say that I did have a job where there was an inordinate amount of paperwork. The paperwork has bogged me down, and prevented me from doing what I do best, which is working with people.