14 answers
Meghan
Student
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
1
Question
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Most asked questions during interview
Hard worker, cooperative, always willing to learn more and I'm a fast learner, always put in extra, very devoted. #interviews
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14 answers
Doc Frick
Career Coach and Mentor
1590
Answers
California, CA
Updated
Doc’s Answer
Meghan as excited as you might be for that big job interview coming up, you’re probably also nervous—and we all know it’s hard to look and sound impressive when your heart is pounding and your brain is going into fight-or-flight mode. But have no fear, because some simple preparation makes a world of difference.
“TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF”
People are more thrown by this question than they should be! This is not the time to break out your life story, family anecdotes. This isn’t a question, but it’s a great way to start things off by creating an open dialogue between you and your potential employer. Your interviewer is looking for an answer that’s about one minute long and summarizes where you are in you career and what you’re especially strong at, usually with an emphasis on your most recent job.
“WHAT INTERESTS YOU ABOUT THIS JOB?”
You’re interested in the work, after all — but you can mess this one up if you focus on something that’s a very small part of the position (thus indicating that you don’t fully understand what the job is all about). Instead, your answer should focus on the substance of the job itself — the work you’d be doing day-to-day and the outcomes you’d be working toward. Interviewers want someone who’s enthusiastic about doing whatever the person will be spending most of their time on.
“TELL ME ABOUT A TIME WHEN _______________ ”
Good interviewers will ask multiple versions of the question, filling in the blank with situations and skills that are relevant to the job you’re applying for. To prepare for these types of questions, think about what skills you’re most likely to need in the job and what the challenges of the role are. Then look for “evidence” from your past work experience that shows you’ll excel at this role — examples of how you’ve demonstrated those skills or tackled similar challenges.
“WHAT ARE YOUR BIGGEST STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES”
The strengths part of this is, hopefully, easier: Talk about what would make you really excel at the job. Talking about weaknesses can be trickier and requires some honest reflection beforehand. But make sure you resist the urge to answer with something that you secretly hope will sound good to the interviewer like, “I work too hard,” or, “I’m a perfectionist.” Those answers sound disingenuous, and your interviewer will see right through them.
“DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME?”
Now it’s your turn! As your job interview comes to a close, one of the final questions you may be asked is, “Do you have any questions for me?” Your interviewer will expect for you to have some inquiries. Not asking any questions could make you seem unprepared or disinterested, so take the time to have some questions of your own ready to ask the hiring manager. Plan ahead and have interview questions of your own ready to ask. You aren’t simply trying to get this job—you are also interviewing the employer to assess whether this company and the position are a good fit for you.
Hope this is helpful Meghan
“TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF”
People are more thrown by this question than they should be! This is not the time to break out your life story, family anecdotes. This isn’t a question, but it’s a great way to start things off by creating an open dialogue between you and your potential employer. Your interviewer is looking for an answer that’s about one minute long and summarizes where you are in you career and what you’re especially strong at, usually with an emphasis on your most recent job.
“WHAT INTERESTS YOU ABOUT THIS JOB?”
You’re interested in the work, after all — but you can mess this one up if you focus on something that’s a very small part of the position (thus indicating that you don’t fully understand what the job is all about). Instead, your answer should focus on the substance of the job itself — the work you’d be doing day-to-day and the outcomes you’d be working toward. Interviewers want someone who’s enthusiastic about doing whatever the person will be spending most of their time on.
“TELL ME ABOUT A TIME WHEN _______________ ”
Good interviewers will ask multiple versions of the question, filling in the blank with situations and skills that are relevant to the job you’re applying for. To prepare for these types of questions, think about what skills you’re most likely to need in the job and what the challenges of the role are. Then look for “evidence” from your past work experience that shows you’ll excel at this role — examples of how you’ve demonstrated those skills or tackled similar challenges.
“WHAT ARE YOUR BIGGEST STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES”
The strengths part of this is, hopefully, easier: Talk about what would make you really excel at the job. Talking about weaknesses can be trickier and requires some honest reflection beforehand. But make sure you resist the urge to answer with something that you secretly hope will sound good to the interviewer like, “I work too hard,” or, “I’m a perfectionist.” Those answers sound disingenuous, and your interviewer will see right through them.
“DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME?”
Now it’s your turn! As your job interview comes to a close, one of the final questions you may be asked is, “Do you have any questions for me?” Your interviewer will expect for you to have some inquiries. Not asking any questions could make you seem unprepared or disinterested, so take the time to have some questions of your own ready to ask the hiring manager. Plan ahead and have interview questions of your own ready to ask. You aren’t simply trying to get this job—you are also interviewing the employer to assess whether this company and the position are a good fit for you.
Hope this is helpful Meghan
Gregg Tiven
Manager - eDiscovery
26
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Gregg’s Answer
In addition to the well thought out responses others have provided, I would recommend being able to talk about why you want to be in the industry you are interviewing in and what you do to keep up with your industry. This will alert interviewers that you are looking for a career and could be a long term fit.
Good Luck,
Gregg
Good Luck,
Gregg
Howard Christiansen
Professor
54
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Howard’s Answer
Based on my teachings in Career Management, below are the most common. Prepare yourself well.
Tell me about yourself
What are your major strengths?
What area do you need improvement?
Why do you want to to work for our company?
What are your major goals?
Why should I hire you?
Why should I not hire you?
What do you know about our company?
Do you have any questions? Have 2 questions ready for the interviewer and don't mention salary you are looking for. Just say you are open to the salary and are more interested in gaining experience.
Make sure you show up at least 15 minutes before the interview and don't be late.
Hope this helps and have a good day.
Tell me about yourself
What are your major strengths?
What area do you need improvement?
Why do you want to to work for our company?
What are your major goals?
Why should I hire you?
Why should I not hire you?
What do you know about our company?
Do you have any questions? Have 2 questions ready for the interviewer and don't mention salary you are looking for. Just say you are open to the salary and are more interested in gaining experience.
Make sure you show up at least 15 minutes before the interview and don't be late.
Hope this helps and have a good day.
May Chang
compliance
2
Answers
Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia
Updated
May’s Answer
a few other common questions are:
1. what challenges have you faced during your current role and how did you overcome them
2. can you share 1-2 examples of where you have reached certain goals or objectives you have set yourself?
3. why did you apply for this position and where do you see yourself in 3-5 years time
but basically most interviewers like to see how well you can communicate and what attributes you can contribute to the team / organization. most of them look for good work ethics, certain related experience and initiative and drive.
1. what challenges have you faced during your current role and how did you overcome them
2. can you share 1-2 examples of where you have reached certain goals or objectives you have set yourself?
3. why did you apply for this position and where do you see yourself in 3-5 years time
but basically most interviewers like to see how well you can communicate and what attributes you can contribute to the team / organization. most of them look for good work ethics, certain related experience and initiative and drive.
Simeon Snow
Risk Assurance
1790
Answers
Houston, Texas
Updated
Simeon’s Answer
There will be general questions about getting to know you better, but I believe some of the key questions are when they ask you how you worked with difficult people or turned a difficult situation around. The foundation of what they are trying to establish is that they can trust you, especially in stressful situations. They want to make sure that you will make the best of things and stick it out.
To make it easier to respond to questions you may not see coming, I would recommend writing down stories from your past that highlight traits of yourself you want to highlight. Have five or six of these stories in the back of your mind in the interview. If they are different enough from each other, you'll be able to use at least half of them in the interview. Make sure to tell these stories in a way to where they clearly answer the question asked, but you'll give yourself tools to work with and make it easier for you to stay in the moment with the interviewer.
To make it easier to respond to questions you may not see coming, I would recommend writing down stories from your past that highlight traits of yourself you want to highlight. Have five or six of these stories in the back of your mind in the interview. If they are different enough from each other, you'll be able to use at least half of them in the interview. Make sure to tell these stories in a way to where they clearly answer the question asked, but you'll give yourself tools to work with and make it easier for you to stay in the moment with the interviewer.
Rukhsana Begum
10
Answers
Updated
Rukhsana’s Answer
The "STAR" Interview technique is used often, here is what it means:
Situation : Describe the context within which you performed a job or faced a challenge at work
Task: Describe your responsibility in that situation
Action: Describe how you completed the task to meet the challenge(s)
Result: Describe the outcomes or results generated by the action taken
Situation : Describe the context within which you performed a job or faced a challenge at work
Task: Describe your responsibility in that situation
Action: Describe how you completed the task to meet the challenge(s)
Result: Describe the outcomes or results generated by the action taken
Ali Hussain
Team Lead
7
Answers
Oakland, California
Updated
Ali’s Answer
Most often, employers want to get a sense of the person they are hiring is 1) coachable 2) a good culture fit / personable 3) offers something to the team that is not already there, but valuable. Often, I like to understand how a person thinks through a scenario...ie describes a challenge they've overcome in the workplace, describe a complex project you worked on, etc. I also want to understand overall why they want to do the role that they are interviewing for...ie., what drives them?
Misbah Azeez
Financial Consultancy
3
Answers
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Updated
Misbah’s Answer
Few things that helped me while preparing for an interview are:
Brushing up the technical knowledge required.
I looked up a lot of behavioural questions and their answers on youtube.
Wrote down bullet point answers to the questions which also told my own story
Writing 3 or 4 stories from previous experience that can be fine tuned to many of the behavioural questions like -
• Describe a time when you disagreed with a team member. How did you resolve the problem?
• Tell me about a time when you failed.
• Give me an example of when you had to assume leadership for a team.
• What is the most difficult/ challenging situation you’ve ever had to resolved in the workplace?
• Tell me about a time when you disagreed with a supervisor.
Writing down your strengths and weaknesses (and how to over-come them)
Finally - Turn on the Camera video recorder on your laptop and give a mock interview, ensure you are dressed and speak exactly like you would on the interview day. After that rewatch the video and know where to take pauses and where to avoid stammers.
Lastly put on a smile and do your best to treat the interviewer as a friend, but at the same time maintaining the demeanor of respect.
Brushing up the technical knowledge required.
I looked up a lot of behavioural questions and their answers on youtube.
Wrote down bullet point answers to the questions which also told my own story
Writing 3 or 4 stories from previous experience that can be fine tuned to many of the behavioural questions like -
• Describe a time when you disagreed with a team member. How did you resolve the problem?
• Tell me about a time when you failed.
• Give me an example of when you had to assume leadership for a team.
• What is the most difficult/ challenging situation you’ve ever had to resolved in the workplace?
• Tell me about a time when you disagreed with a supervisor.
Writing down your strengths and weaknesses (and how to over-come them)
Finally - Turn on the Camera video recorder on your laptop and give a mock interview, ensure you are dressed and speak exactly like you would on the interview day. After that rewatch the video and know where to take pauses and where to avoid stammers.
Lastly put on a smile and do your best to treat the interviewer as a friend, but at the same time maintaining the demeanor of respect.
Cosmina Backs
Commercial Account Manager
11
Answers
Austin, Texas
Updated
Cosmina’s Answer
Hi Meghan!
Going through interviews can be stressful, but the best way to prepare is not to overprepare. Of course, you want to have general knowledge about the company you are interviewing for, so make sure to do some research before your interview. Also, I struggled with making sure I was concise and to the point because I tended to ramble on a lot and talk very fast. So making sure you are slow, clear, and straightforward is important. Also, using the STAR method when an employer asks you a question helps. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result. Some common interview questions include:
-What are your strengths?
-What are your weaknesses?
-What can you offer us that someone else can not?
-Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
-Tell me about an accomplishment you are most proud of?
-Tell me about a time you made a mistake?
-Discuss your resume.
-Discuss your educational background.
-Describe yourself.
-Tell me how you handled a difficult situation.
-Why should we hire you?
Always make sure to ask questions at the end about the role or the company! Prepare, Smile, and have fun! Employers love to see personality. Best of luck!
Going through interviews can be stressful, but the best way to prepare is not to overprepare. Of course, you want to have general knowledge about the company you are interviewing for, so make sure to do some research before your interview. Also, I struggled with making sure I was concise and to the point because I tended to ramble on a lot and talk very fast. So making sure you are slow, clear, and straightforward is important. Also, using the STAR method when an employer asks you a question helps. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result. Some common interview questions include:
-What are your strengths?
-What are your weaknesses?
-What can you offer us that someone else can not?
-Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
-Tell me about an accomplishment you are most proud of?
-Tell me about a time you made a mistake?
-Discuss your resume.
-Discuss your educational background.
-Describe yourself.
-Tell me how you handled a difficult situation.
-Why should we hire you?
Always make sure to ask questions at the end about the role or the company! Prepare, Smile, and have fun! Employers love to see personality. Best of luck!
Amy Costanzo
Solutions Architect
3
Answers
Akron, Ohio
Updated
Amy’s Answer
Hello- Make sure that when you are interviewing that you go into the interview very confident. Make sure that you are upbeat and positive and have good eye contact. Go to the interview prepared with what the company does, what the position, would entail. Do some research before you go in, also prepare some questions to ask them after the interview.
Examples: What are some of the companies key initiatives for the remainder of the year and the following,
-What is Your Role? What was your career path?
-What are your Expectations in filling this role as an Ideal Candidate?
-Best Career Advice?
-Biggest Opportunity in this Role?
-What is the Company Culture?
Also if you are unsure of a question they are asking that you ask them to repeat the question. This will give you time to gather your thoughts along with will provide any additional clarification you need.
When you give your answer to the interviewer stay on track and be as specific as you can. When you are done giving the answer you can ask them if that answers the question.
Good Luck!
Examples: What are some of the companies key initiatives for the remainder of the year and the following,
-What is Your Role? What was your career path?
-What are your Expectations in filling this role as an Ideal Candidate?
-Best Career Advice?
-Biggest Opportunity in this Role?
-What is the Company Culture?
Also if you are unsure of a question they are asking that you ask them to repeat the question. This will give you time to gather your thoughts along with will provide any additional clarification you need.
When you give your answer to the interviewer stay on track and be as specific as you can. When you are done giving the answer you can ask them if that answers the question.
Good Luck!
Ritu Prasad
18
Answers
Old Bridge Township, New Jersey
Updated
Ritu’s Answer
The first question that you would get on any interview is "Tell me about yourself?".
Please make a draft and put your best version of yourself in that. You need to practice and talk confidently on this.
This creates a positive impression and vibe for the rest of the interview.
Good Luck!
Please make a draft and put your best version of yourself in that. You need to practice and talk confidently on this.
This creates a positive impression and vibe for the rest of the interview.
Good Luck!
Andie St.John Kolb
Senior Account Executive
2
Answers
Denham Springs, Louisiana
Updated
Andie’s Answer
Hi Meghan! It's wonderful that you are using this forum for interviewing advice as it shows that you are preparing for the future and making the most of your resources! That right there says a lot about you as a potential employee!! :)
My advice is be prepared! Do research on the company you are applying with and the role you are applying for. Be prepared for the interviewer to ask you questions about past experiences, obstacles and how you handled them, future career goals, etc. When you get to ask questions, be candid and ask them what they love and what they would change, etc.
Good luck to you Meghan and many successes in the future!!
My advice is be prepared! Do research on the company you are applying with and the role you are applying for. Be prepared for the interviewer to ask you questions about past experiences, obstacles and how you handled them, future career goals, etc. When you get to ask questions, be candid and ask them what they love and what they would change, etc.
Good luck to you Meghan and many successes in the future!!
Ken Walsh
Project Manager
35
Answers
Updated
Ken’s Answer
Hi Meghan,
I like what you have written.
When I interview people, I want to see their positive attitude, confidence, enthusiasm, drive for success, team player, ability to get along with others.
Simple things like smile and lean forward in the chair help show that you are a positive person who is engaged.
I ask a variety of questions. Some questions about the job are why are you the best candidate for the position, how will you help improve the team / company.
The questions that I always ask about a person are tell me about the greatest success that you have had in life and what was your biggest challenge in life. The second part of each question is what did you learn from this. I want to see that the candidate looked at the situation, understood what needed to happen to be successful and what they did to succeed / try and overcome the obstacle.
Finally, as mentioned above. Always ask for the job. When I interview for a job, I almost always end with "I want this job and I know that I will succeed in it".
Best of luck
I like what you have written.
When I interview people, I want to see their positive attitude, confidence, enthusiasm, drive for success, team player, ability to get along with others.
Simple things like smile and lean forward in the chair help show that you are a positive person who is engaged.
I ask a variety of questions. Some questions about the job are why are you the best candidate for the position, how will you help improve the team / company.
The questions that I always ask about a person are tell me about the greatest success that you have had in life and what was your biggest challenge in life. The second part of each question is what did you learn from this. I want to see that the candidate looked at the situation, understood what needed to happen to be successful and what they did to succeed / try and overcome the obstacle.
Finally, as mentioned above. Always ask for the job. When I interview for a job, I almost always end with "I want this job and I know that I will succeed in it".
Best of luck
Keith Rodgers
Sales Director
108
Answers
Phoenix, Arizona
Updated
Keith’s Answer
First and foremost, be yourself. Be prepared to share all relevant experience.
* There will be questions about your background. Be excited about your achievements
* Be ready to ask for the business - ask for the job "It would be an honor to work _____ , if given the opportunity, I will ______."
* Know your "elevator speech" - Practice your answers to "why you?" to show you can fill the need they seek
Good luck.
* There will be questions about your background. Be excited about your achievements
* Be ready to ask for the business - ask for the job "It would be an honor to work _____ , if given the opportunity, I will ______."
* Know your "elevator speech" - Practice your answers to "why you?" to show you can fill the need they seek
Good luck.
Can you point to any specific background questions they may ask?
Gurpreet Lally, Admin