Top 10 Interview Questions asked in InterviewsQuestions and Answers: Top 10These are common questions asked in interviews. Read on to see successful answers and responses... 1) Questions about YOURSELF. “Tell me about yourself or Why should we hire you? 2) What are your strengths? 3) What are your weaknesses? 4) Questions about the new company. Why do you want to work here? What do you know about us? Or more specifically, why have you applied for this particular job? 5) Why did you leave your last job? Or Why do you want to leave your current job? Or How did you lose your last job? 6) The Case Study Scenario Question- describe a successful or difficult work situation and tell us how you managed or worked through it. 7) Questions pertinent to the new role- these may be more technical- depending on the type of job you are applying for- are you aware of legislation changes or the latest research. Have there been significant changes in your industry recently? 8) What are your goals for the future? Where do you see yourself in 3-5 years time? 9) How do you handle stress and pressure? 10) Be prepared to ask your prospective employer questions.
1) Questions about YOURSELF. “Tell me about yourself or Why should we hire you?”Be Specific- Be Unique- Be You! At this point the interviewer does not want your life- story or to know your favourite toy when you were at school- as interesting as that may be... They are looking to get the essence of who you are. Think through your Unique Selling Point-a 30 second commercial summarising who you are in a couple of sentences and what you can offer. What makes you different to the other 4 candidates? For example, “I am an experienced and qualified childcare assistant who has worked in a number of environments in different parts of the UK. I have taken responsibility for curriculum planning which has enabled previous managers to concentrate on other priorities.” In two sentences you have shown yourself to be experienced, qualified, flexible, able to relate to different people groups, responsible, dependable and an asset- not bad for 39 words! Personal details aren’t a complete no-no: but think through the reason for sharing them... they need to say something about you that are relevant to the job. For example, “I enjoy walking my dog in the forest”- isn’t particularly enthralling... but if this becomes, “I regularly take part in 5km sponsored dog walks to raise money for Diabetes UK...” this could be relevant to your potential new role- industrious, caring, creative, active, empathic... it’s all about standing out in the crowd. However, don’t talk too much- short and sweet does it! 2) What are your strengths?a) Don’t be concerned about modesty... go for it... b) Avoid saying what you think the interviewer wants to hear e.g. good team player, conscientious... c) Consider your strengths in the light of the job you are applying for- do they fit at all- or could you get a better fit. Have prepared 3 or 4 strengths- and think through specific examples to go with each of them- just in case the interviewer probes a little deeper! Remember- being different can be a good thing. A dictionary is a good starting point to get your creative thinking started. 3) What are your weaknesses?We can’t avoid weaknesses, but equally don’t be so honest that you talk yourself out of the job! Getting the right balance can be tricky- if you say you don’t have any, you run the risk of being perceived as arrogant- if not deluded! If you turn the interview into a confessional they may run a mile. You will need to decide for yourself your personal boundary and make sure that you do not cross over it. Make sure you only mention one weakness and preferably one that is not essential to the job! The perceived wisdom is to share a weakness that could also be interpreted as a positive. For example,
However, experienced interviewers will have heard this kind of thing before. Only say you are a perfectionist- if you really are. Make sure you are aware of the impact of your weaknesses on others around you- and outline any steps you have taken to improve your weakness. An example could be “I know my team think I’m too demanding at times- I realise I do tend to work them very hard- but I am getting better at rewarding their efforts and focussing on the positives as well.” 4) Questions about the new company. Why do you want to work here? What do you know about us? Or more specifically, why have you applied for this particular job?Research, research, research! Don’t just use their website- look at them from different angles. Use LinkedIn and other social media to find other people who might have worked there... ask for a pre-interview visit... read newspaper articles/ trade journals, inspection reports about them- the internet makes all this very possible. Show the prospective employer that their company/work place/ brand matters to you. Some of us will remember The Apprentice Series 4 where Lee McQueen was almost able to recite Lord Sugar’s CV verbatim- he may have come across as a little obsessive- but he got the job! It is usually unwise to say you want to work in a particular place because of the money. Regarding the particular job, the employer is looking for evidence that this job suits you and that you suit it! Does it fit with your experience, general skills, does it involve things you have said you enjoy, and does it fit with your longer term aspirations? Do make sure you have a good understanding of what the role entails and how it fits within the wider organisation- again, research, research, research! . 5) Why did you leave your last job? Or Why do you want to leave your current job? Or How did you lose your last job?There are several perfectly acceptable reasons for wanting to leave a workplace:
If you have been laid off- try and remain non-emotional- try not to panic. You will just need to think through what happened and why, and try and communicate it in the best light. However, NEVER be negative about other people/ ex-employers... you will just come across as a whinge-bag and not able to take personal responsibility- no matter how true your grievance may be, a job interview is not the place to air it! 6) The Case Study Scenario Question- describe a successful or difficult work situation and tell us how you managed or worked through it.Thinking through these scenarios in advance will definitely help. It is also likely that you can work out the kind of scenario they may ask. For example, if the new role has an emphasis on customer service- it is likely that they will ask you to describe a customer service scenario. Equally, if the job is all about time management- expect a scenario on that! Focus on:
7) Questions pertinent to the new role- these may be more technical- depending on the type of job you are applying for- are you aware of legislation changes or the latest research. Have there been significant changes in your industry recently?Again, the trick is research, research, research. Typing these queries into a search engine will yield dividends. You will need to show you are up to date in your particular area of interest and have thought through the implications for your new role, your new colleagues and management. For example, in the NHS- how could the proposed white paper affect your work with clients? 8) What are your goals for the future? Where do you see yourself in 3-5 years time?Don’t say retired or working for a rival company! It is great to show ambition and vision...however make sure you come across as realistic- having thought through how you can achieve these goals. For example, if your goal is to be a supermarket store manager, feel free to say that, but outline the steps to getting there. “I would hope to be promoted to section manager within the next year and this will enable me to apply to the fast track management apprentice scheme, where I can develop my leadership skills. My ultimate goal is to be a well-equipped successful store manager.” However, there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to stay at your current level and be the best that you can be in that role. It is important to not give the impression that this role is just a stepping stone onto the corporate ladder- as your employers want to fill this role now! Not everyone wants to be a manager- and that is great! Again- be honest- don’t try and second guess the answer you think they want to hear. You just need to show your employer that you have some views on it and realistic expectations. 9) How do you handle stress and pressure?This is a common question to try and ascertain a bit more about you and your personality. It is fine to be quirky if your outside activities are a bit quirky! However, if your outside interests could be considered controversial- step a little lightly. For example, if you go on anti-hunting protests that is great, but your employer may be concerned that you could get arrested and also it is possible that they are pro-hunting. In this question it is also worth communicating what you consider to be stressful. One candidate may find a messy desk stressful, whereas another candidate may consider human conflict more stress inducing. Neither one is necessarily better or worse, but your prospective employer will be trying to assess your stress levels- but more importantly how you manage that stress. 10) Be prepared to ask your prospective employer questions.This is important- it shows that you are taking working for them as a serious proposition. The questions can range from practical things like “when I am likely to hear from you or when would I be expected to start” to questions about the organisation management structures- to how did this vacancy arise- is it a new position or how long was the previous employee in the post?” However, the best question to ask is the one that you genuinely want an answer to. If it is important to you- that will come across to your interviewers and will again give them further insights to who you are as a potential work colleague. SUMMARY!
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