How to Answer the Most Common Interview Questions
Depending on the industry you work in, the questions that you will be asked during a job interview can vary drastically. However, there are nevertheless standard, universal questions that are likely to come up in nearly every scenario. These are touch points that help the interviewer understand more about who you are, your personality, goals and so on.
Even if some of the industry-specific, technical themes throw you for a bit of a loop, there is no excuse for not hitting these common, to-be-expected questions out of the park. Being able to answer them confidently will show that you have taken the time to prepare for the meeting and thought critically about the job.
Before your next big interview, practice your answers for these seven common interview questions to make sure it’s a success.
How to answer: ‘Tell me a bit about yourself.’
This seems like a question you can just ‘wing’, but don’t: this is your first chance to sell yourself to your potential future boss face-to-face, and you don’t want to miss an opportunity. When prepping for this question, think of it like an elevator pitch. How can you describe yourself as impressively as possible in 2 minutes or less? It’s harder than it sounds, so be sure to dedicate some time to figuring it out. Things you might want to include in your answer are:
- 1-2 past relevant work experiences
- 1-2 personality traits
- What interested you about this position/the company
- General interests or hobbies that relate to the position
- Any education, qualifications or certifications that are relevant
How to answer: ‘What are your strengths and weaknesses?’
These questions can be difficult to answer without sounding rehearsed or cliché. When talking about your greatest strengths, you have the chance to highlight the things you are skilled at – but you must be sure not to sound smug. A good general rule is to focus on strengths that will be applicable to the job in question, and something that your interviewer doesn’t already know about you. It can be assumed that you are a hard-worker, organized and punctual; a more unique and creative answer will peak their interest much more.
Classic advice for the greatest weakness question is to ‘show that your weaknesses are actually strengths’. While this is not bad advice, hiring managers are privy to it – and they will know a canned answer when they hear one. A better approach for this question is to take the honest and self-aware route, because if you do have any major weaknesses, they are bound to come out at some point during the job. Identifying a weakness in your personality but making some sort of conscious effort to improve or manage it will read well with employers.
How to answer: ‘Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?’
This is meant to display that you have thought (at least a little bit) about your goals for the future, and that you have considered how the job fits into your plan. Hopefully, the job you are interviewing for is aligned with your future goals. If the job in question is not integrated somehow into your 5-10 year plan, hiring managers might question why you are interviewing with them in the first place. So, in your answer, be honest about the goals you are setting for yourself but keep the job in mind as well.
How to answer: ‘What motivates you?’
This is another tricky one to answer on the fly if you haven’t done much preparation. It requires you to reflect on your past experiences and be honest about what drives you to do great at your job (or anything, really). This is a chance for employers to see if your values and work ethic align with theirs. Some career-oriented motivators that hiring managers love to hear include:
- Setting goals and reaching them
- Leading a team success
- Learning new things/teaching others new things
How to answer: ‘What do you think you would struggle with most at this position?’
This question is difficult because it forces you to think of, and share with your potential future employer, the areas that you think you would perform poorly at. It is not meant to shame you, but rather make you think critically of areas you know you can improve on and ask for help when necessary. It is also a chance for interviewers to identify any major red flags. For example, someone interviewing for a Social Media Manager position who struggles with using Facebook may not be a great fit.
Like the ‘What are your weaknesses?’ question, try to give this answer a positive spin. Nobody is perfect at everything, and it shows your human side to acknowledge that. Make it clear that you know what steps need to be taken in order to improve your potential areas of weakness.
How to answer: ‘Tell me about a time you had to resolve a difficult work situation.’
Behavioral interview questions like this one are meant to uncover how you perform and solve problems under pressure in certain situations. Employers want to know that they are hiring someone who is comfortable resolving conflict in a reasonable and professional way. The best way to answer these kinds of questions is to use the STAR format: situation, task, action, result. Clearly identify the scenario, what needed to be done, what you did, and the outcome. This way, you will be sure to not leave out any specific, important details when recalling the events.
How to answer: ‘Why should we hire you?’
It is the interviewer’s job to pick the absolute best candidate for the position, and it is your job to convince them that you are that candidate! To answer this question effectively, you will want to tell the interviewer something about yourself that they don’t already know from your resume, and something that makes you an indispensable member of the team. In addition to highlighting your experience and qualifications that will allow you to do your job well, draw attention to the soft skills and personality traits that would make you an excellent fit. Think of your 3-4 strongest selling points and summarize them concisely for the ideal answer.
How do you prepare for job interviews? Join the conversation on LinkedIn, Twitter, or email us directly at info@dunhillstaff.com.
