You’ve secured a job interview! Congratulations, that’s fantastic news, and in this competitive job market, it’s a great achievement!
How beneficial might it be to know the interview questions beforehand?
While it may not be possible to know the exact questions, you can thoroughly research and prepare in advance. Doing so increases your chances of getting the job offer. Your answers will be stronger if you prepare and think about each response. You can also practice by recording yourself on your phone to hear how you sound and check your body language.
In addition to popular behavioural questions, there are also commonly asked questions.
Commonly Asked Interview Questions
Q. Tell me about yourself?
This common and important interview question is designed to break the ice and often serves as the first question asked. It sets the tone for the entire interview. Delivering a strong, succinct answer quickly gains the interviewer’s attention and distinguishes you from other candidates who might share their life story or too many personal details.
Briefly describe who you are, highlighting your key qualifications, strengths, and skills relevant to the job. Identify your Unique Selling Point (USP) and tailor your answer to the position you are applying for. State the strongest benefit you offer an employer to compel the interviewer to learn more. Aim to keep your answer around two minutes.
Q. Why do you want to work here?
The interviewer is trying to gauge your enthusiasm for the role as well as your level of knowledge about the company. Give specific examples of things that attracted you to the company. Know the company values, mission statement and purpose. Elaborate on your strengths, achievements and skills and how they match the position description.
Q. What are your strengths?
The interviewer wants to know what you are good at and how this would fit into the role. Choose a few of your key strengths that are required for the role. Give examples of how you have demonstrated them successfully in the past. Strengths could include the ability to learn quickly; composure under pressure; ability to multi-task; team player; excellent communication skills; analytical skills.
Q. What are your weaknesses?
The interviewer is trying to gauge your self-awareness. We all have weaknesses so it is best not to say you don’t have any. Avoid using the word ‘weakness’ and instead talk about an ‘area for improvement’ that is not vital for the job, or specify a ‘challenge’ you are working to overcome. Demonstrating a willingness to develop yourself and face challenges turns the answer into a positive.
Q. What have been your achievements to date? OR What are you most proud of in your career?
The interviewer wants to know if you are a high-achiever and ascertain how your accomplishments will be beneficial to them. Select one or two recent accomplishments that are directly related to the job you are being interviewed for. Identify the situations, the actions you took, skills you used and the positive outcomes and result; quantifying the benefits where possible. Show how you can bring what you learned to the new role.
Q. How would your colleagues describe you?
Even though this question refers to your colleagues, the interviewer also wants to see how you view yourself. The interviewer might also want to assess whether or not you have the soft skills to fit in with future team members. Make sure your answer is honest but positive, and focused on the skills and personality traits required for the job.
Think back to when a colleague has praised an aspect of your personality, such as when you were a great team player on a project, or when you demonstrated empathy and helped a struggling employee. Perhaps a colleague has recommended you on LinkedIn, read through their recommendation and what they said about you.
Q. Why do you want to leave your current employer? OR Why have you left your last employer?
This should be straightforward. Reflect positively on your current employer but state how you are looking for more challenge, responsibility, experience and a change of environment. Explain how your current role can no longer provide you with these things. Reaffirm how you believe the role on offer presents an opportunity for growth that will make full use of your strengths and potential.
If your role has been made redundant tell them that. For example, due to a restructure etc, my role was made redundant. There is no need to give any more explanation than this.
Q. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? OR What are your goals for the future?
A sense of purpose is an attractive feature in an applicant. This question is designed to probe your ambition and the extent of your career planning. Your commitment is also under question, but avoid blankly stating that ‘I want to be with your company’. Instead, describe how your goal is to continue to grow, learn, add value and take on new responsibilities in the future, that build on the role for which you are applying.
Q. How do you respond to working under pressure?
The interviewer wants to see that you have composure, problem solving skills and can stay focused in difficult conditions. Give an example of a time when you were faced with a stressful situation (not caused by you) and how you handled it with poise. Describe the context, how you approached the situation, the actions you took and the positive results and outcome. Demonstrate how you remained calm, in control and got the job done.
Finally
Remember, research and preparation is crucial. Being prepared helps you answer questions in an authentic and succinct manner.
Wherever you can, aim to give real life examples. Tell brief stories on when you have previous experience doing the things they are asking.
If you would benefit from one on one interview coaching, contact me directly for more information on how I can help you nail that job interview!
Whenever you’re ready, here are 3 ways I can help you:
- Career Clarity – Are you at a career crossroads and need help?
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- Interview Coaching – Nail your job interview and get the job offer.