Common Interview Questions

No matter the industry, there are a handful of common interview questions that will be asked in any scenario. So, to ensure you're fully equipped, we'll talk you through 10 frequently asked questions with advice on how to answer them.

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1. Can you tell me about yourself?

This question is used as an ice-breaker and gives the hiring manager a chance to get to know who you are. While it's easy to recite your entire life story, you must remember that it s an interview, and although your twerking skills might be impressive, it's completely irrelevant to the job. To be fully prepared, rehearse a short elevator pitch, and discuss your most relevant work experience and recent accomplishments. By doing so, you'll be able to convince the interviewer that you're the right candidate from the get-go.

2. What are your greatest strengths?

When answering this question, it's important to choose strengths that relate to the job specification. Discuss your skills, personal traits or qualifications and make sure you use a real-life example for each strength.

3. What are your weaknesses?

As well as discussing your strengths, you'll need to cover your weaknesses which can be even more challenging. Highlighting your worst qualities is the last thing you want to do, but it's often something that you can't escape during the interview process. Avoid generic answers and discuss a weakness that you managed to turn into a strength. For example, public speaking is a weakness many employees have, so if it s relatable to the job, explain how you improved in this area.

4. What's the biggest challenge you had to overcome in the workplace?

Tread carefully when answering this question; don't simply focus on sharing the problem. Instead, you want to talk about a scenario where you were faced with a problem, found a solution, overcame it and acquired a new skill in the process.

5. Why are you leaving your current job?

Whether you've already left your previous position, have been fired or are in the process of leaving, it's important to be truthful. But not too truthful! If your boss is a complete maniac, refrain from sharing this piece of information. To turn this challenging question around explain how your current position doesn't align with your career goals, and you feel that this is a good opportunity to grow as a professional.

6. Where do you see yourself in five years?

When answering this question, you should show that you have ambition and clear career goals. That said, you need to be realistic, too! If you're applying for an entry-level job, becoming the CEO of the company in the next five years seems rather absurd. Instead, highlight your desire to work hard and grow within the company.

7. What type of work environment do you feel most comfortable in?

The perfect answer can differ depending on the type of role that you re applying for. So, try to adapt your response to the general environment of the company. For example, if you're working in sales, you could say that you enjoy working in a busy and fast-paced environment.

8. What do you like to do outside of work?

Company culture is more important than ever before, which is why most employers want to know if you'll be a good culture fit. To help them learn more about you as a person, they'll want to identify a few of your hobbies. A good way to answer is to focus on activities that refer to personal development, such as writing a new blog or learning a new language.

9. How do you handle stress?

Saying that you crumble under pressure is probably the worst thing you can do. Instead, use real-life examples of when you had to work under stressful conditions and explain what methods you used to stay positive and productive.

10. Do you have any questions?

You've come to the end of your interview, and you've been given a chance to ask a few questions of your own. This part is essential and will show that you're genuinely interested in working for the company. You can ask about the company culture or progression opportunities to prove that you're in it for the long run.

Now that you know how to answer the most common interview questions, you're well on your way to interview success!

Zona Marwah