5 Common Interview Questions and How To Answer Them Effectively
Did you know that most employers ask the same type of questions during every job interview? Knowing how to answer the most common interview questions can be a great advantage when going after your dream job.
Prepare for your interview ahead of time. Then when you are asked any one or more of these common interview questions, you can easily answer it without hesitation and with an air of confidence.
The 5 Most Common Interview Questions You Can Expect To Hear During A Job Interview Are:
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#1. Can you tell me a little about yourself?
This is one of the most common interview questions asked first, and it comes across as innocent. The answer you give can set the rest of the interview’s tone.
The key is not to get too personal. They don’t want to hear how you spent your last weekend or about your family’s history.
Instead prepare a short pitch ahead of time about the job you’re interviewing for. Cite at least three professional accomplishments that will improve your chances of getting the job.
Make sure you make remarks about how these accomplishments can help you be successful for the position you’re interviewing for.
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#2. Where did you hear about our open position?
It’s human nature to be curious. Hiring managers and recruiters are curious about how you learned about their job opening.
For instance, if you tell them you follow the company’s social media pages and came across a tweet that mentioned the position, tell them. Most people follow companies they like on social media. This shows to recruiters that you engage with them on social media and genuinely like them.
If someone suggested to you that you submit your resume for the position, go ahead and mention that person.
If you found the job through other means such as a job board, that’s fine too. While it’s good to let them know this, be sure it’s followed up by why their job board posting caught your eye over the many others.
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#3. Why should we employ you to work for us?
Of the most common interview questions, this is one of the most daunting ones to tackle. With a little preparation though, you can sell yourself and land the job.
There are three things that interviewers are looking for with this question:
• You have the skills to do the job
• You’ll fit into the company’s culture and can work well with the rest of the team
• You are better than other intervieweesAlways learn about the job and the role you’ll have. The job posting is the best place to get this information. Read it over and over and take note of certain keywords.
If you’re going to come across as “the one,” you need to be specific about your professional accomplishments – using keywords from the job posting itself will help with this. If you can create a persona that matches the job requirements, you increase your chances of being hired.
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#4. What professional strengths do you have?
This is where many job seekers go wrong. They answer with what they believe a recruiter is looking for and not with what their actual strengths are. The key here is to be honest.
Once more, homework and research will be your friends. Look at the job posting again. What do you feel are the strengths they are after that you possess? Mention them to the interviewer, citing professional examples when possible.
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#5. What are your weaknesses?
Another one of those intimidating common interview questions is this one. It sounds like a trick question. After all, why would you tell the person interviewing you what weaknesses you have?
However, the answer you give is telling. Most people try to sugarcoat the answer by saying they are a perfectionist who wants to finish a project from start to finish. Even if it’s true, this is the worst thing you can say.
This question is being asked to determine how honest you are and what your level of self-awareness is. Show them!
When it comes to the most common interview questions, you score bonus points if you can explain, in detail, what weakness you have and how you are trying to improve yourself.
For example, let’s pretend one of your weaknesses is taking on too many projects. Let them know that you are aware that this curtails your productivity level and that you are currently researching tools to help save time and improve productivity.
The key is to turn the weakness into a strength. The person who is interviewing you will appreciate your honesty and willingness to improve yourself.
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In Conclusion….What To Keep In Mind About The 5 Most Common Interview Questions
You may be intimidated by these most common interview questions, but don’t be. With a little research, foresight and perseverance, you can impress the interviewer and ensure that they remember you when it’s time to make a hiring decision.
What are some other common interview questions that you have been asked? Tell us and your answers in the comments below.
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