Every individual has to go through the experience of getting interviewed at least once in their lifetime. Although Interviews can be highly stressful and anxiety-driving situations, especially if it’s your first interview. A little practice and preparation can help you get through your interview with flying colors.
One of the most important parts of interview preparation is being ready to respond effectively and confidently to the questions that employers ask.
Common Interview Questions and Answers
Below is a list of the most commonly asked job interview questions and their answers. The list will help you dazzle your prospects, and hopefully, secure the role you want.
Tell me about yourself
This is usually the first question asked in an interview, so it acts as your introduction. Make sure your answer is relevant to the position you are applying for. What you should be aiming for here is to present yourself as the ideal candidate for the job. As an answer to this question, recruiters are usually looking for a pitch instead of your whole life story.
The rule of thumb is to structure your talking points as follows:
- Briefly introduce yourself i.e: your name and the profession you have been linked with for the past years.
- your recent successes, strengths, experiences, and abilities that relate to the current or former job or company.
- What do you love about your job?
- Your top 2-3 achievements that are relevant to the job you’re applying for?
Example answer
Hello! my name is David and I have a background and experience in content writing as I’ve worked as a content writer for 5+ years in Company X and Company Y. I have written numerous articles on different websites such as HVAC websites, food, and beverage websites, Recruitment agencies, etc.
As a content writer, good writing skills, extensive research about the subject, and creativity are paramount for me. I am well aware and familiar with content management systems like WordPress, and Joomla. I am also well aware of the writing tools such as ProWritingAid, Grammarly, Yoast SEO, neuron writer, niches, etc.
How did you get to know about this job?
Although at first glance this might seem like a straightforward question this question is an opportunity for you show your interest in their company.
- Show excitement and curiosity about the company and tell them that you have been refreshing the company’s website for job listings.
- Tell the hiring managers what excites you about the job opportunity or what exactly caught your eye.
- You’ll have a much better chance of getting hired if someone credible inside the company has recommended you for this job and if they can vouch for your skills. Make sure you mention that person.
Example answer
I was looking actively for jobs and found this job post on LinkedIn, etc. as I am following your company and the remarkable services they provide for a long time so I couldn’t help myself from applying. It would be an honor for me to be a part of your prestigious organization.
Why did you decide to apply for this position?
This question demands you show how passionate you are about the job or the company. This will allow the employer to access your future performance as good job performance is directly linked to job satisfaction. The happier you are about your position at the company, the more productive and committed you’ll be to your role. Your passion should be evident during the interview.
Example Answer
I’ve always wanted to get into marketing. I have done promotional jobs for a couple of clients but never got an opportunity to showcase my talent in such a reputable organization as yours. I’ve been following your company for the past few years and would be honored to work here.
What are your biggest strengths?
Pick those skills that
- Would help you in the role you are getting interviewed for.
- Skills that the interviewer might want to listen
- Also, add a couple of personal skills that might be less related to the job but this will help the interviewer judge your personality and your ability.
- After picking your strengths, back them up with a situation or story that should show how you have practically made use of these strengths in your professional life.
If your job is related to creative writing or graphic designing then your ideal strengths can be creativity, originality, curiosity, attention to small details, etc.
Example answer
My biggest strength is that I’m good at doing in-depth research about the topic and then writing creatively for diverse niches. I’ve written on a variety of different companies and industries. I have the ability to absorb the knowledge around me. I am a keen observer and researcher. These qualities make my writing authentic and distinguished.
What is your biggest weakness?
Nobody is perfect and the interviewers don’t expect you to be perfect. Everyone has flaws, weaknesses, and shortcomings. The thing is to constantly strive and overcome your weaknesses.
As an answer to this question
- Don’t mention a weakness that can be a hurdle in getting you the job. For eg: If you’re applying for the position of a supervisor or a manager in a busy restaurant, and you say your biggest weakness is performing under pressure, then you’re definitely not getting a callback.
- After mentioning a weakness that has no relation to your job role, it is a good practice to mention how you are working to combat that weakness.
Example answer
Well, I would say that my biggest weakness is my lack of real-life work experience with a well-known company like yours. Although I have worked with a dozen of clients, they were all short-term and remote-based. But once I get a chance to work with such a reputable firm like this, I will definitely combat this weakness and get real-life hands-on practical experience in managing my tasks, as I am an avid learner.
Why should we hire you?
This question should be answered in a way to sell yourself without trying to look arrogant, desperate, or needy. Also, don’t oversell yourself.
- Just keep it general and talk about your past experiences and achievements.
- Tell how your skills and capabilities are going to benefit the company and help them solve existing problems and improve its processes.
- How your skills fit their job requirements.
- How you have always dreamed and are super passionate about working for the company.
Example answer
I believe that I possess the right skill set and expertise to excel as a project manager for your company. I’m pretty confident that I am the best candidate for this job role. It’s not just my background in past projects, but also my skills and professionalism, which will be applicable to this position.
I have past experience in handling many projects simultaneously. This also involved continuous communication with 10+ companies, 30 speakers, and 15+ sponsors.
I am capable of putting in my 100 percent and I am sure the company can grow better in the coming years.
Related : Soft Skills required for Career Success
How do you handle pressure and stressful situations?
Through this question, the employer wants to know
- How you handle workplace stress.
- Do you work well in high-stress situations?
- Do you thrive on pressure, or would you prefer a more low-profile job?
- What do you do when something goes wrong?
The best way to respond to this question is to
- Assure the interviewer that you can handle pressure.
- Be honest, but stay positive. If you struggle under pressure, that’s okay.
- Follow up with a concrete example of when you successfully handled a stressful situation in the past.
- End on an affirming note that you’ll bring the same skills to this role.
Example answer
I take the pressure and stressful situations as practice for future challenges. If I am given multiple tasks to perform simultaneously, I prioritize the most important stuff. I stay calm in this situation as if somebody panics, they can’t even concentrate on a single task and end up doing nothing. I work for quality rather than running after quantity and whatever I am been assigned, I give my 100 percent to that task.
What are your salary expectations?
This is always a tricky question. Don’t lower yourself too much and also don’t, give such an outrageous figure. When answering, keep these 3 things in mind:
- What’s the average salary of your skill level in the job market?
- How much does the company pay employees of your skill level?
- How much are you getting paid in your current company?
- Is your skill-level above average? This should be reflected in your salary.
- Do your research before the meeting so that you’ll be prepared to name a salary
Example answer
My salary expectation is around $65, 000 annually.
The above list of interview questions and their answers will definitely help you impress your interviewer and secure your dream job.
