Number 1: Tell me about yourself. This is probably one of the oldest interview questions ever but I guarantee it's going to come up at every interview you go on for the rest of your career plus it's not just for job interviews either I've been asked this question in sales meetings luncheons even while shopping for a new car. Obviously,the way you answer it depends on the context in which it is asked but obviously I'm going to cover it from a job interview point of view and don't just think you know how to answer this because your answer could negatively affect whether you get the job or not and you want to take your time and practice what you'll say when answering these top 10 questions.
Even seasoned professionals who've been interviewing for jobs for twenty years or more still fumble their answer to this question and that's what I want you to be prepared for so here are some of the things that you want to do or say when you're answering this question. Keep your answer brief and related to your career and the position. Keep your answer on topic and related to your career. While talking about your journey tell your interviewer how you got started in your profession perhaps where you went to school or what got you interested in your profession in the first place and then gloss over a few jobs and tell them what you liked about your profession and where you see yourself heading. Tell them a few things that you learned along the way and how those things have strengthened you.
Before your interview and even during the interview find out what they're looking for in the ideal candidate for this position this could be experienced leadership strengths management qualities,technical abilities. You want to find out what is important to them and weave those things into the fabric of your answer that way you sound like the exact person they're looking for. Don't do these things -don't give your life story because this is of no interest to them . Doing so will derail your interview faster than you can say.
Number 2: why should we hire you? This question is your best opportunity to prove you're the best man or woman for the job. The key is to discover what they're looking for and why you're the best person for the job since you'll be competing against many other professionals, you need to articulate why you're the best person for the job,let them know that you know what you did in your last job and how that's related to what you can do for them in this job. You want to connect the dots for them and show them why you're the right person for this job,you'll want to do some extensive research to know what the company is looking for and the best place to get this from is the job description because employers leave all kinds of clues in there. Prove that you can help the company solve their problems. It's the best way to answer this question so here are some things that you need to do when you're answering the question why should I hire you? First,prove that you're a solution of their problems,prove that you understand their problems,talk about your understanding of their business,the competitors and problems in that industry,tell them how you've been successful before,let them know that in your last job you were faced with similar problems and you solve them and then explain how you can do the same for them in this job.
And when you connect the dots and demonstrate that you're showing an understanding of their business and their problems, then they will see you as a potential solution to their problems. Now don't do this-don't give a vague answer,don't tell them "because I'm the best",don't tell them "because you're hiring", don't answer their question with a question. My advice for you when answering this question,this is a great opportunity for you to sell yourself and show them why you're the best person for the job. Get your resume out and put it next to the job description and draw lines from job description duties and the requirements to your resume and then talk about your experience as a solution to their problems and that's why they should hire you,
Number three: what are your greatest strengths? They're asking you in a broad sense so ask yourself what are you best at doing? Are you a good leader? Are you a good manager of your time? Are you a great communicator? Are you a good planner? Are you good at convincing others of your ideas? Whatever you are best at doing give the interviewer the top two or three things you excel at when answering this question. Do these things first research the job description, find out what they are looking for and then leverage your strengths to match. If leadership is something they are looking for then talk about your experience as a leader and projects that you've led. You always want your strengths to be well aligned with the requirements of the position you're applying for.
Talk about your strengths as a solution to their problems. Don't do this when answering the question-don't rattle on a list of strengths that are out of context with the job,don't list personal strengths like you're a good parent,don't list strengths that are you're unable to articulate through work experience,don't tell them that you're not sure,don't tell them that you don't have any and don't be modest with your answer because this is an opportunity for you to sell yourself.
Number 4:what is your biggest weakness? Most people are afraid of this question because it asks you to tell them something that you're not good at doing but if you're like anyone else you have a lot of weaknesses even me so don't sweat it there are two good ways to answer this question is, first, talk about a weakness and what you have done to overcome it and that way it's not a weakness anymore. Second, talk about a weakness that isn't related to the job perhaps a personal weakness you can talk about a weakness as it's a weakness for you but the interviewer will see it as a strength that's my personal favorite is to turn a weakness into a strength.
When you're answering the question what is your biggest weakness?when talking about your weakness,don't say that you don't have any weaknesses,don't tell your interviewer that you're perfect in your work and you have no weaknesses,don't tell them a real weakness because chances are it's not really a weakness at all and you're just overly critical on yourself. Don't worry we all are. Don't tell them that your weakness is a lack of tolerance for people who ask stupid questions though one day I'm going to say that really that my advice for you if you have absolutely no idea what to say consider saying something like I can get frustrated with people who miss deadlines especially when my work depends on them completing theirs.
Number five: why do you want to work here? Now this is a genuine question and all I want to know is what you like about the company,its products or services. So what is your driving reason for wanting to work for them? Have you always had a lifelong goal of working at Google or Goldman Sachs? This is your chance to express why you want to be a member of their team and most importantly the contributions that you feel you will make as a loyal employee. This question helps weed out desperate job seekers who are just looking for a job and not a lifelong career so do this when answering this question,tell them what you like about their business . Is it their products,reputation,services,whatever it is,express your interest in it this is a great time to compliment them on the products or reputation you will want to dig deep to find out what it is that attracts you to them and express it.
Don't do this,don't tell them you like their location,don't tell them that you heard they pay well and have great benefits,don't tell them because you heard it's a great place to work,don't tell them because your friends work there,don't tell them you want to work there to get some experience. My advice for you,try to connect your reason for wanting to work there with something personal or emotional,maybe when you were a kid you saved a little kitten from harm and you felt really good about that and since that moment on you knew you always wanted to help animals and that's why you want to be a vet today.
Number six: why did you leave your last job? Unless you're still working,you're going to get asked this question even if you're working,they're still going to ask you why do you want to leave. But more often than not,it's you're not working chances are that you were laid off,terminated or you just quit. So you just have to let them know the reason behind why you're not working. It's your most recent job, if you left of your own free will then explain why you left and what your plans were .If you were fired because of performance reasons then a simple explanation is all that's needed but make sure that your lack of performance reasons will not affect the requirements for this new job.
If you were laid off, then just tell them that. Many of us were laid off due to the economy and slowing sales of our company and products but warm that up a little bit and put it in your own word so it makes sense and it sounds natural. Do this when answering this question ,if you left of your own free will then tell them why you left and reflect positively on your former employer and tell them that it was a hard decision to make but you felt it was the right decision for you at the time. If you were fired,then be as brief as possible and explain why. If you were laid off due to downsizing or the economy,then tell them this as long as they're true.
Now if you were fired tell them what happened and accept responsibility for it. Remember,don't badmouth your past company boss or coworkers,don't say that the pay was bad and you wanted more money,don't say that the hours were terrible,don't say that you could not get along with your past manager,don't lie if you were terminated and don't defend yourself or place blame on the employer.
In answering this, remember you're not there to defend why you were fired. You're there to talk about what you can do for them so it's very important to keep your answer brief when answering this question if they want to know more they will ask you but don't volunteer too much information because it will make them more cautious about you now more than anything if you were fired accept responsibility for what happened because this shows courage and then explain that they were right and you were wrong but that you learned from this experience and you're a better person because of it.
Number 7: What is your biggest accomplishment? Though many people believe this is the same as the other,what is your greatest strength,but it's really a completely different question and here's why. An accomplishment is a noteworthy high-profile task or project that you worked on or completed. Basically you accomplished something and it may or may not have played to your strengths,your strengths might be in managing people but your biggest accomplishment was writing a white paper that was published in Scientific American magazine. Do you see the difference?
When answering this question about your accomplishments, first it's best to talk about a noteworthy accomplishment that is aligned to the requirements for the job you're applying to. Treat this somewhat like a behavioral question and answer it using the star method. Set up the situation,talk about what you did, the action and then talk about the results of what you, your project or your team accomplished. It's best to use a work related story but if you're out of good stories consider as a last resort a personal story or a personal accomplishment. Don't do this when you answer the question,don't think that you need a grand accomplishment where you saved your last company from failure,don't use a personal accomplishment unless absolutely necessary. Avoid using a bushmen that does not cast you as the hero.
Avoid using an accomplishment that is not related to career that has meaning to you and helped your last or current employer. Pick something you enjoy doing and then it made you feel good about doing it, optimally pick an example that is related to the job or your career or the type of company that you are interviewing with.
Number 8: Describe a difficult problem you were faced with in your career and what you did to overcome it. This question is sure to come up and though the interviewer asked how you dealt with or solve the problem he really wants to hear how you worked with a team of people to solve a problem. This is a problem-solving question that tests your critical thinking skills and is looking for two pieces of information-your definition of difficult and how you handle the situation. This is a great question for showing that you were creative and capable problem solver. You should have at least one of these stories ready to go. When answering the question,first prove you were capable of handling any problem that may arise in your new role. Your story should be one which puts you in a tough position were you analyzed and discussed a problem,reached a conclusion and that you came out on top. Be concise,talk about the people you had to work with and what was expected of them and how you tied it all together to reach a goal. A success story will be your best selling point in answering this question. The story you tell should demonstrate that you have all it is required to excel on this job. Remember, don't say bad things about your past colleagues,managers or your company,don't tell them a rambling story that jumps from one story to the next,don't tell them how you fix the light bulb or the copy machine avoid telling a personal story unless you have nothing else to say.
The best way to answer this question is by using a good team player example. Maybe you had to work with some very difficult people to accomplish a project or task that no one else wanted to work with but you were able to get everyone working together to complete the project with a tight budget and a deadline and keeping everyone in line and getting the whole project completed on time and under budget. You want to set up your answer using the star behavioral method where you talk about the situation the action you took and then the results you achieved.
Number 9: Where do you see yourself five years from now? Many job seekers are afraid to answer this top ten question because an answer that is inconsistent with the current position could disqualify them but at the same time who wants to be doing the same thing for the next five years? The best and safest way to answer this question is to give an answer that is based on the logical progression of the position that you're interviewing for,that way you're showing them that you want to do the current job at hand but as you get better at it you would like to take on more responsibilities and challenges and grow in that position.
When you answer the question, your answer should reflect your commitment to the job. Get them a real plan for this position and where you see yourself going in it. You show them how you'll do it and the resources that you'll need along the way. Since they're looking five years in the future,allow them to visualize you in this position five years from now. Show them a natural progression of you in this role,be realistic with your 5-year plan.on't tell them that Remember,your plan is to use this position as a stepping stone in your career or they'll feel like that you're using them for your own personal career gains. Don't give them an impossible five-year plan that is absolutely inconceivable,don't tell them you want their job that's far too threatening,don't tell them that you want to work here for a while and then move to another company that is your dream job. When answering this question start with your short-term career goals or goals for the position and then move towards the long-term and explain why that is the direction you want to move it.
If you don't say why it's harder for them to figure out if you're just sprouting off a meaningless answer or if your heart is really in it.
Number 10 top 10 questions,do you have any questions for us? This question usually hits job seekers like a ton of bricks and most of them will simply say no and that's the worst response you can give because it signals to the employer that you're not very interested in this position and anyone who's seriously considering making a job commitment to an employer will certainly have many questions,if they don't,they're not as serious about the job or they're just desperate and willing to take anything.
You should have a good handful of questions already planned out before your interview. You want to ask them questions that will help you qualify them as a place you want to work. You may not realize this, but you are interviewing them too and you have the right to tell them, no thanks, just as much as they do. When you're answering this question, ask meaningful questions that will help you qualify them as an employer for you. Your question should reflect what you can do for the company. Ask them questions about the position and their goals for the position as this will be a sound demonstration of your sincere interest. Highlight some of the things that you discovered about the company after your research. Ask the hiring manager if they feel you know if you'd be a good fit for this position .Remember, never say no,don't ask random questions for the sake of asking questions,don't ask questions that are unrelated to the position, don't ask about benefits unless you're wrapping it up and you are on the topic of discussing salary and benefits.
Do this,create a list of questions before the interview that will help you qualify this employer as a place you want to work at. Ask questions that will help you decide if you want to work there or not. As you're going through your interview,weave in your questions throughout the conversation and get them answered because you don't want to wait until the end and then ask all your questions at once because you'll likely be out of time .
My advice for you is, create a list of questions before they have you that will help you qualify this employer as a place you want to work at ask them questions that will help you decide if you want to work there or not as you're going through the interview weave in your questions throughout the interview ask them questions while they while the interview is going on and get them answered because you don't want to wait until the end to ask all of your questions as you'll likely be out of time. As you ask questions throughout the interview your interview will be more like a conversation and you'll be viewed as a stronger and more genuine candidate, one who is truly interested in this job and is doing his or her due diligence
That wraps up the top ten job interview questions and how to answer them. I hope you enjoyed it.Please subscribe to our newsletter and don't forget to share it on your most convenient social media network.
Happy job hunting.
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