Job interviews can be incredibly nerve-racking, especially because we never know what questions they’re going to ask us.
And there is that added pressure of you always wanting to reply with the best possible answer to impress your future employer.
The best thing you can do is always prepare before your interview, and research which questions tend to come up the most.
To help you on your way to land that dream job, we’ve put together the top five most common interview questions that may get darted your way along with the best answers.
We can't guarantee this will land you the job – but it will certainly help to be prepared should you suddenly be asked these questions.
- Tell me about yourself
Not a question as such – but this saying is usually the first thing the employer will want to hear from you.
They’ve already read your CV and cover letter so don’t get into a habit of reciting it word for word. This is the time to tell them more about you – what they don’t know yet.
This is the time to shine your personality through, they will be looking at how you present yourself and your confidence when talking about yourself.
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Business leader and star of The Apprentice, Claude Littner said: “What I generally look for is someone who is at ease with themselves”.
Interview coach and author of Land That Job, Margaret Buj said: “Answer this question in terms of the skills and experience required for the position.
“Start with a brief summary of your career history. Then give them a short overview of how your career has developed, focusing more on what you’ve learnt or achieved”.
Remember to speak with a clear voice, don’t ramble and use lots of eye contact. Experts recommend a one to two-minute summary when answering this first question.
2. Tell me how you handled a difficult situation
When put on the spot this can be a difficult one to answer, especially if past work experience isn’t in the same area as the job you’re applying for.
But don’t let that stop you from explaining a difficult situation in any past work experience, it will still tell the employer a lot about you and the type of person you are.
Experts recommend using the STAR method to answer this question. After you’ve thought of a difficult situation use this method to help you expand.
Situation: explain the situation, what happened
Task: describe the tasks the situation arose
Action: explain what action you took to complete or solve the issue
Result: tell them the specific results or outcomes you achieved from the action you took
Answering the question using this method will help the employer see the clear course of action you took, how you overcame the difficult situation and your skills as a problem solver.
3.What are your weaknesses?
Nobody wants to sit their weaknesses during an interview, but the employer wants to see that you recognise your own weaknesses and how you handle these or overcome them.
Think of weakness before the interview, if you’re on the spot and can’t think of an appropriate one the employer may see that you’re being dishonest.
Careers advisor at the University of Sheffield, Alison Clay said: “We’ve all got weaknesses. It’s recognising them that’s important. The interviewer is looking for you to be self-aware”.
Interview experts explain that during this question employers are looking to see how people perform under pressure and how the employee's body language is during the question.
The best way to tackle this question is to be open and honest. It doesn’t have to be a big weakness but something you acknowledge within yourself.
Examples found on Total jobs of what you could say include:
“Previously, when managing multiple projects at the same time, I wasn’t able to remember and prioritise my tasks. To counter this, each day I created a prioritised to-do list.”
“I used to spend too much time on tasks that weren’t the highest priority. Now I’m better at allocating my time to things that deliver value to the business.”
4. What do you have that other candidates don't?
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The employer is looking for someone who stands out – they want to know what makes you different from everyone else and what can you offer that others can’t.
Before the interview, write down a list of your skills and strengths you have. These will then be available to refer to if you get mind blank mid-interview.
Author of Knockout Interview, John Lees, said: “It could be you have a combination of skills or have done a similar role.”
Experts suggest if you’re struggling to think of a time in your previous job you exceeded your manager’s expectations, you can use this as an example to answer.
Avoid saying generic reasons like “I work really hard” or “I’ve got lots of potential”. Instead, give an example of a time you went above and beyond or an example of a time you worked hard.
5. Why do you want to work for us?
Another popular question, the employer wants to know that you’ve researched the company you’re applying to work for.
Research the company ahead of the interview, find out what excites you about working for this particular company, what do they have and what do you like.
Margaret Buj recommends focusing on the employer’s needs rather than your own during this question.
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Mention something specific about the company, Margaret said: “It can be their new lines of business or technology they use – make sure you’ve done your research”.
Remember they want to see that you don’t want any job, but this job with this company so make that clear but don’t overdo it.
Following these guidelines to the most common interview questions asked will help you ace that all important interview you’ve got coming up.
Remember to relax, be yourself, make eye contact and prepare for your interview.
Employers can tell when someone has prepared before the interview, compared with those who have not.
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