Successfully negotiating a job interview can be quite a daunting prospect as job interviews are not something most of us do very often. Even easy questions could be considered nerve racking. When the interviewer decides to see how we really perform under pressure, he or she will usually up the ante by asking us some more tricky questions. Fortunately, most interviewers use similar questions regardless of the job role. With a little anticipation and preparation, we can consider the best responses to a lot of the most common “difficult” questions. The key point is that the answers will be different depending upon the skills and experience required to fill the job vacancy.
Job Interview Questions Can be Extra Tough If You Haven’t Prepared
Here are some of the questions that are often asked, and some guidelines about what to consider when preparing your answers prior to the interview. Don’t forget to also read our tips for successful interviews.
Question 1: Who are you/Tell us about yourself?
Nearly 90% of interview questions begin with this question. Most prospective employees do not know how to answer the question. Many of them usually give their life history.
Best possible answer:
Relate the answer to the qualities asked for in the job advert. As you talk about yourself, focus principally on areas or strengths that you know will be important in this job. You might include previous experiences that you’ve had either in your previous jobs or your hobbies, or qualifications that you’ve achieved if you think those are important to the interviewer.
The object of the operation is to make the interviewer start to think that you might be a good fit for this job.
Question 2: Tell us your greatest strengths?
This is another of the most common questions. When answering it, be careful not to appear arrogant.
Best possible answer:
As with question 1, the secret to answering this question is to find out the specific qualities that the interviewer thinks are most important for the job, and then match your strengths to that (staying truthful of course). Have prepared some examples of incidents where those strengths have been useful. If as many people do, you have trouble coming up with your own strengths, ask a friend what they consider your strengths are.
Question 3: What are your biggest weaknesses?
This is a tricky question that might just cost you the job opportunity. The worst answer is “I have no weaknesses”, and also it’s key to make sure your answer relates to your performance at work. “I can’t cook,” is an unprofessional irrelevance, unless of course you’re a chef!
Best possible answer:
Strengths and weaknesses are different sides of the same coin. Too much of a strength can become a weakness because you start to lack flexibility. Follow this advice, pick a genuine but not too serious weakness and give an example of how you act to overcome your weakness when the situation requires it.
Question 4: We can see you previously worked at XYZ company, why did/do you want to leave?
Never speak badly of your previous employer or anything associated with the company.
Best possible answer:
If you are still in a job but are looking to move, be honest about your level of commitment to your current employer. Find a positive reason for the change you are seeking. If you are no longer with the employer, make sure that your reason for leaving doesn’t expose a weakness that is likely to cause the interviewer to lose confidence in you.
Question 5: Why do you think you are the best-qualified person for this position?
This is a question virtually everyone is unprepared for. If you look lost when answering the question, then you’ve missed a major opportunity and will probably be rejected like a discarded banana skin.
Best possible answer:
Do your research before the interview, try to figure out that your prospective employer needs. This will help you match your qualifications with his requirement. State very clearly your key skills, experience and qualifications in relation to what the employer needs.
Question 6: Three years from now, where do see yourself?
People’s ambitions vary widely, and the prospective employer will try to gauge and find out if you are the kind of a person who can’t seem to stay in a job for long or whether you’re going to be a valuable long-term addition to the organization.
Best possible answer:
For this question, the employer is gauging the likely commitment level to the prospective job. This assurance can be given by talking about the way the position meets your career objectives.
Question 7: Tell us why you want to work for this company?
The extent to which you did your research before applying for the job will be revealed by your answer. It is a win/loose situation.
Best possible answer:
This is the perfect opportunity to increase your chances of securing the job. There are lots of resources where one can gather information about a company, for example, websites, brochures, social media, and other employees (current and former). Talk about things you like about the company and how you can fit in and be of value to them.
Question 8: Tell us briefly of about a time when your work was criticized?
The interviewer is testing to see how you react when you are probed and checking that you can take criticism and turn it into a positive, learning lessons that help you along the way.
Best possible answer:
If you’ve had any problems with projects, the key point here is to talk about how you reacted to the criticism and what you learned from it. If you can apply the lessons to this job role, so much the better.
Question 9: What are your outside interests?
It is good to be a person who does more than one thing. However, you don’t want to appear to be doing so much that your work performance might be hampered. It may also be unwise to admit to doing dangerous sports or anything that is likely to cause the kind of injury which means you cannot work.
Best possible answer:
Have outside interests which the interviewer might infer would make you a better/fitter/healthier/more productive employee.
Question 10: If you were to lie, would you do it for the company?
This question makes a judgment on a person’s character.
Best possible answer:
Be honest, but if need be, you can give an answer such as: In my work, I would never do anything that is going to jeopardize the operations of the company.
Question 11: In your last job could you have done better?
The employer is trying to find out whether you had problems in your previous job.
Best possible answer:
Rule of thumb here, no opinion or story perceived to be negative should come out your mouth.Talk about a project that you did to your best and didn’t succeed not because of you but of somebody else.
Question 12: Can work under pressure?
Best possible answer:
The best way to tackle the question is by candidly describing an initiative you undertook under immense pressure, and you delivered successfully. If you can describe the way you did it and the consequences, so much the better.
Question 13: We are surprised you are not earning more money at this point in your career.
There you are cornered as a prospective employee.The funny side of this comment is that you might benefit from explaining why your salary is below what is perceived to be the market rate. At the same time, you do not want to appear to be the kind of a person who is all about money.
Best possible answer:
Talk about other factors that motivate you more than just money. If need be, give examples.
Question 14: How do you feel about working weekends and nights?
This calls for soberness. A polite answer from someone who has obligations like family does fine. A firm answer that doesn’t provoke discussion is necessary, or you stand a chance of losing the job altogether. Especially if the company culture is one where people work all hours.
Best possible answer:
Try to embrace the question to your strength. State the way you work based at such time.
Question 15: We can see you have worked for XYZ company for a very long time. Don’t you think it will be difficult for you to switch?
Your prospective employer has doubts whether you can cope with culture and work dynamics of the new company.
Best possible answer:
Try to assure the interviewer about different roles and responsibilities you have held from the company you have been working for and how you can easily adapt to their company’s culture and working practices.
Question 16: Give us an illustration of your creativity
Unless you’re interviewing for a role in the arts, it’s likely that this is really a question about problem-solving.
Best possible answer:
This question is best answered with examples. Think of some times when you needed to solve problems and explain how your creative solutions brought about a successful result.
Question 17: What are your goals?
Don’t appear to be the kind of a person who doesn’t have any goals. You will be seen as someone who doesn’t take the initiative or settles for mediocre – even if you’re not that kind of person.
Best possible answer:
Make your goals fit in with the role you are interviewing for, but take care not to imply that you want the interviewers job (yet).
Question 18: How much would you like to be paid?
The dreaded question! You need to handle this question like an egg. Hold it too tight, it breaks. Hold it loosely and slips off your hand. This article from Forbes.com has some excellent advice.
Best possible answer:
Consider the following guidelines:
1. Let the recruiter bring the issue of salary first not you.
2. Do research on your salary expectation before discussing it.
3. Do not deceive the panelists/recruiters about what you are earning in your present job.
4. Try, if possible, and find out the salary range they are expecting to play before the interview and then start negotiations at a figure above the median.
