If you're preparing for an interview, one of the best things to do is review common interview questions and think about your answers ahead of time. Although every interview is a little different, interviewers tend to ask many of the same questions. Here are 10 of the most common interview questions and answers.
1. What is your biggest weakness?
You don't want to tell the interviewer about a major mistake, but you also don't want to frame a strength as a weakness. Instead, tell the interviewer about a genuine weakness related to your career.
2. Why are you leaving your current job?
Don't be tempted to badmouth your current boss or colleagues. If you do, the interviewer might question your judgment. Say you are looking for a new challenge or have a desire to use more of your skills on the job.
3. What is your greatest strength?
This seems like one of the easiest interview questions to answer, but be careful about what you say. Instead of bragging about all your achievements, pick one work-related strength and discuss it in detail.
4. Tell me about yourself.
Open-ended interview questions give you an opportunity to explain why you're the right person for the job, so don't spend a lot of time talking about personal topics. Talk about your professional achievements and your career goals instead.
5. Why are you the right candidate for this job?
Answer this interview question by explaining how your skills and work experience are directly applicable to the job. If you have any job-related awards, mention them to the interviewer.
6. What are your career goals?
It's important for all your interview answers to position you as a candidate who wants to grow with the company. If the interviewer asks this question, explain how your career goals would benefit the company in some way.
7. How do you handle job-related stress?
Potential employers want to know that you can handle stress without having a meltdown. Be prepared to tell the interviewer about the techniques you use to manage stress and maintain a positive attitude.
8. How do you define success?
Success has many different meanings, but you should focus on the job at hand when giving your answer. If you're interviewing for a job in quality control, for example, you might define success as meeting quality standards 100 percent of the time.
9. Why are you interested in this job?
If you're looking for a better salary or comprehensive benefits, don't tell the interviewer. Instead, talk about your passion for the industry or your desire to use your skills to benefit your employer. If you receive a job offer, then you can talk about salary and benefits.
10. Describe a challenging situation and explain how you overcame it.
Pick a situation that allows you to discuss your biggest strengths. A good example would be the time you had to write a report at the last minute because a client moved up a scheduled meeting.
Your interview answers should position you as a skilled expert who has what it takes to succeed in the job. Give yourself an edge over other candidates by studying common interview questions ahead of time.
Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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