Advance preparation is one of the most important steps you can take to ensure success in a job interview and getting the job you aspire to. Being prepared in advance reduces stress and anxiety during the interview, giving you the opportunity to perform well and answer the questions posed to you better.
No matter how many companies and jobs there are, the questions that are asked during job interviews are somewhat similar, and if you take a look at them and practice answering them, you will be able to impress the employer and increase your chances of getting the job. In today’s article, we will learn about the most popular and common questions that are asked during job interviews, in addition to how to answer them in the most appropriate way.
Question 1: Tell us about yourself.
This question is the most common in job interviews, and hardly any are devoid of it. Despite what appears to be a simple question, many people fail to answer it.
In this case, many resort to summarizing what they wrote in the CV and talking about their career from beginning to end, but this is not what the employer wants to hear. Instead of telling your interview your life story, be prepared to talk briefly about your most important achievements and strengths, as well as a short synopsis of your career. Try to answer this question within a period of 60–90 seconds, max.
Question 2: Why do you want to get this job?
This question may come in other forms, such as:
- Why are you interested in this vacancy?
- Why would you like to work for this particular company?
When answering these questions, talk about what interests you about the job you are applying for, but be sure to talk more about the main tasks in this particular job or about the company’s main vision and values. You can also express your admiration and interest in one of the products or services that the company offers to its customers. Instead of talking about salary and material benefits, focus more on what ignites your enthusiasm for the place or position you are applying for, where you can answer the question as follows:
“What excites me most about this job is the opportunity I will have to meet and interview customers and talk to them about their experience with the company’s products. I’ve always been good at knowing what other people need, and I can’t wait to use this skill to understand the customer experience and then work to improve it. to keep this company ahead of its competitors.”
Question 3: Tell us about your career.
You may be asked this question in other ways, such as:
- Why did you leave your previous job?
Why do you want to leave your current job?
You have to be more careful when answering this question, as you should not start complaining about your current or previous job or give any negative information about it, and at the same time, you should be honest and frank. The reasons why someone might leave their job could be one of the following:
- Find a new challenge.
- Looking for an opportunity to develop your career.
- The difficult financial circumstances of the company (there is no harm in clarifying this matter if it is real and public).
- Moving from the place of residence
You can answer this question as follows: “The company I work for has reorganized the customer service department; the staff has been reduced by 10%; new employees have been laid off, and unfortunately I was one of them.” Nonetheless, I am grateful for the opportunity to develop and grow my customer service skills while working at that company, and I am excited to apply what I have learned in my new job.”
Question 4: What makes you the best candidate for this job?
This question comes in other forms, such as:
- Why do you think you are the best choice for this position?
What do you think is the reason why we might hire you?
With this question, the employer wants to know what you can offer the company. Think about what your skills and practical experience can do to contribute to the company’s goals and vision. This question is an opportunity for you to focus on your strengths, past achievements, and current skills, and all you have to do is link these strengths to how you can contribute to the development of the company.
You can answer this question as follows:
“As stated in the job description for this position, the priority is to increase sales returns.” I have the ability to identify potential growth opportunities and develop a strategy accordingly. In my previous job, I saw an opportunity to increase our market share in a sector, and by developing a new marketing strategy, I increased our sales by 12% in one year. “I look forward to applying these skills and abilities in this new position.”
Fifth question: behavioral questions
It is a set of questions aimed at identifying your behavior and the way you behave in certain situations. Behavioral questions may include the following:
- Tell us about a situation where you successfully dealt with a difficult customer or a customer complaint.
- Tell us about your most important achievement or the achievement of which you are most proud.
- Tell us about a situation in which you made a mistake in your work and how you dealt with it.
- Tell us about a situation during your career when you were under a lot of stress.
- Tell us about a situation where you demonstrated great leadership skills.
- Tell us about a situation where you disagreed with your boss or manager.
Behavioral questions are a little tricky because you never quite know what you’re going to be asked. However, you must understand that the person meeting you wants to know how you behave in certain situations by using real-life examples from your past.Not only that, but he wants you to give him measurable answers, and here you can use any of the following combinations to answer:
- I was able to increase sales by 6% through….
- Reduced customer waiting time by 11% by…
- I was able to contract with three distinguished clients through…
In order to answer the behavioral questions during the job interview, you can review the main tasks involved in the job you are applying for, because you will most likely be asked about situations related to these very tasks and the skills you need to deal with them.
Sixth question: What do you know about our company?
You may be asked this question in other forms, such as:
- What do you know about this institution or company?
- What do you know about our competitors?
The employer seeks, by asking such questions, to find out if you have any background on the company and its products. However, when answering this question, be sure to formulate your phrases intelligently, not only repeating what was written on the official website of the company, but rather being sure to mention a special matter related to the company’s field of work, strategies, culture, values, or competitors and its role in the market. By answering this way, you will show the interviewer that you have spent a fair amount of time learning about the company and that you are genuinely interested in the job.
Question Seven: What are your future goals?
This question comes in other forms, such as:
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
- What are your career goals?
- What will you do during the first three or four months of your job with us?
- How will your first month be in this company?
The focus of these questions will be on knowing how to solve problems, as the employer is looking for an ambitious and enthusiastic person to accomplish his tasks. For example, if you are asked the question: “How will your first month be in this company?” You could say, “The early days in any job require me to focus and learn new things, as well as get to know my co-workers and try to solve different problems in the company.” While answering, be sure to explain how you were able to do the previous things successfully in your old job and how you seek to achieve the same results in your new job.
Question 8: What are your strengths?
This question may be asked to you in different forms and several times in the job interview, as it may come in one of the following forms:
- If we asked your boss to describe you, what would they say?
- What do you think is your greatest strength?
- What are you particularly good at?
Talking about yourself and your strengths can be completely uncomfortable, but it is nevertheless necessary, and the best way to answer such questions is by addressing a specific skill or strength and talking about it through real-life situations that happened to you during which you used these skills. For example, you could say, “I can say I’m very skilled at noticing patterns in numbers and spotting irregularities, which is very important in the tax business. I really like using this skill to help clients save money.”
Question Nine: Questions related to the job at hand
It includes questions such as:
- What salary are you looking for?
- Are you ready to move to another city?
- Are you willing to travel on occasion?
- When can you join us?
- How would you describe your perfect day at work?
The most important thing in answering these questions is to be completely honest. State clearly when you can start working, and be honest about what you plan to do.
As for salary-related questions, here too you may feel uncomfortable, given that financial matters are generally sensitive. But you can look at the average wages that are paid to people in your position and field and use that as a reference for what you can expect to get. You can use the GlassDoor website to find out the average wages for various jobs.
Question Ten: Closing questions
These are questions the employer asks at the end of the job interview to ensure that all aspects of the job interview have been covered. They may include the following:
- Do you have any questions you would like to ask me?
- Do you have any questions?
- Is there a question you would like to have been asked?
Now is your chance to ask questions, and you must do so, as asking job-related questions to the employer will give the impression that you are really interested in getting this job and working for this company. Avoid asking questions about the benefits offered by the company, such as incentives, salaries, promotions, or permitted vacations.
Thus, we have addressed most of the questions that are asked during job interviews and learned how to answer them correctly, which increases the applicant’s chances of getting the job. All you have to do is practice answering it, as practicing and practicing before the job interview will increase your confidence and undoubtedly make your performance better.
Read also: 12 qualities that attract a hiring manager
