25 Most Common Job Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

25 Most Common Interview Questions and How to Answer Them.

There is no way of being certain about what questions you will be asked during an interview. This is one of the most difficult aspects of preparing for the interview; you could literally be asked anything! Even during your job search, there is no indication of possible questions. There are, however, some common questions which are asked during interviews, and if you prepare for these, you should be able to answer any which are similar, even if not exactly the same. These are some of the most common interview questions, with some tips on how to answer them.

1. Tell us about yourself

Not so much a question, but this is the standard start to any interview process and a way to sell yourself. This can really throw candidates off, as they take this as a question about what kind of person they are and what they enjoy doing. The interviewer is not asking what clubs you like to go to, or how many books you have read this year, they want to know about your professional life to date. Explain where you currently are in your career, and what your aspirations are. You may also want to mention some quality traits you have which make you a great choice for the role. The interviewer is looking to find out how you reached the point where you are sitting in front of them.

2. What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?

It can be difficult to  market yourself. Most people find this quite daunting, as it may feel like you are being egotistic. However, this is a standard part of any job interview. If you are asked about your strengths, focus on those which are relevant to the role, and back them up with examples. For instance, you are a great leader, a strong communicator, a people person. Always make sure you have examples to support this. For example, I am a strong communicator and have undertaken more than 20 presentations to groups of over 100 this year.

In terms of weaknesses, this is one which is even more difficult to answer. Don’t choose a weakness which is a crucial part of the role. For example, if you need to do presentations, don’t state that you hate public speaking. Instead, choose something which is desirable for the role, and explain how you are improving your knowledge. For instance, if the job spec states that French speaking is a desirable, state that this is a weakness but explain that you are currently taking lessons. Of course, only say things that are true, but this is a good example of what to consider.

3. What do you know about us?

This question is the reason it is so important to do your research. If you haven’t read up on the company, this is not something you will be able to disguise. To be able to answer this question, you should find out some key elements of the organisation, including what they do, where they are location, number of staff and any other key information, such as recent awards, location changes etc. The more knowledge you have about the company, the better prepared you will be to answer this question. Qualified job seekers will usually read up extensively on the company and the interviewers.

4. Why are you looking to leave your current job?

Don’t be tempted to answer this negatively, even if you want to leave because you have a terrible boss, or you don’t get on with a colleague. Good answers are that you see this as a new opportunity to progress or that you just want a new challenge. The interviewers are looking to see that there is a positive reason for the move, and usually this will come down to a desire to progress your career.

5. What attracts you to this role?

Focus on the elements of the role which interest you the most, together with the elements of the organisation which attract you. The interviewer is looking to find out what motivates you, and to be sure that you are in it for the right reasons. This helps them to choose between those who are applying for anything, and those who have a genuine interest.

6. Why Should We Hire You?

With this question, you should consider the attributes of the role which are relevant to your experience. They want to know that you can do the job, and achieve results. For example, if you were being interviewed for a digital marketing role, you may want to discuss your expertise in this area, together with statistics to help quantify what you are able to achieve

7. What is Your Greatest Achievement?

You should try to quantify any example you use for this question. For instance, if your greatest achievement is getting promoted from a sales assistant to a manager, you would talk about the achievement, and what action you took to get there. For example, you worked your way up by leading a team and producing excellent results, through sheer determination you received various promotions to reach this level

8. What Type of Culture Do You Like?

Make sure this fits in with the culture of the organisation you are applying to. For instance, if they have a dress down Friday, team nights out and flexible working, the general culture would be relaxed and inclusive, so this is what you want to focus on, while also maintaining your desire to work hard. If the culture is regimented, then you may want to say that you like a structured routine and schedule. You should only apply to organisations who operate in a culture which is suited to your needs.

9.Tell Me About a Time When You Have Dealt with a Difficult Customer

With this question, you will be expected to go into detail about the situation, what happened, what you did and the outcome. For example, you had a customer who wanted work completed within a timeframe which you were unable to achieve. You may say that you explained to them that you would be unable to complete it within the timeframe, but you would keep them updated and set out a more realistic timeframe. The outcome may be that the customer was happy that you would communicate with them throughout the project and that you would achieve the deadline you set out. It is important that, like many of the other questions, you provide specific examples.

10. What are your Salary Requirements?

There is a fine line with this question, you don’t want to under value yourself, or price yourself out the job. If you are not sure what they are paying, you may want to answer by stating your previous salary and explain that you are looking for a similar salary, but you are flexible. If it’s true, you may want to say that the job and opportunities it brings are more important.

11. What Would Your Previous Manager/Colleagues Say About You?

This reflects how you perform in work, so you should have a careful think about both the attributes you possess, and how these would be relevant to the role. For example, they may say you are friendly, positive, always willing to help, you work hard, and you are reliable. You may even want to think about previous performance appraisals you have had or any relevant feedback. Make sure it’s positive, don’t add in any negative comments, if there are any!

12. What Motivates You?

It can be difficult to know how to answer this question, but you should use an element of the job description and explain why this motivates you. Make sure you are being genuine though, as it will be obvious if you are just making it up. The energy will show in your body language. You should avoid saying money, as although this motivates everyone, it shouldn’t be your main motivation.

13. How Do You Manage Your Workload?

Most companies will want to gain an understanding of your ability to manage your workload and meet deadlines. With this question, they want a breakdown of how you would do this. For instance, you create a to-do list, with timescales and you prioritise the most important or urgent tasks. This question is used to understand your ability to complete tasks within a certain timeframe.14. Tell me about a time you made a mistake

Everyone makes a mistake from time to time, but the interviewer is not trying to pull you apart for your mistakes, they are interested in finding out how you deal with your mistakes. With this question, you should answer with what the mistakes was, how you dealt with it and the outcome. For example, you sent the wrong product to a customer, you apologised, sent the correct product, and offered them a discount. The customer was happy and left with a good impression of the company, despite the mistake. There are ways of dealing with mistakes, and if you deal with them in a positive way, customers are unlikely to leave you with a bad review. If you say you’ve never made a mistake, this will instantly be a red flag as it suggests you can’t own up to your mistakes.

15. What is your dream job?

Don’t say ‘this one’, if it’s not true. The interviewer just wants to gain an understanding of your aspirations and how they may be able to help you. If you are being interviewed for an office manager role, don’t say your dream job is a doctor, even if that is the case, as it will show that you won’t be there for the long term. Instead, focus on something that is either relevant to the job you are being interviewed for, or at least a role that the company would be able to provide. Get some career advice, if you are unsure what you want to do in the future.

16. Do you know who our competitors are?

This is another question which comes down to the research you have conducted in preparation for the interview. When researching, you should always find out about the history of the company, what they do, who they are, their values and goals, any major achievements, and their competitors. Regardless of the company, you should always have an awareness of who your competitors are, so you can keep on eye on what they are doing. You should be able to do this through an international job search or looking on similar company websites.

17. Who inspires you?

You can answer this with anyone you wish, but the main point is that you have an explanation for your answer. For example, if your mother inspires you because she raised five children on her own or because she held down three jobs at the same time, this is as valid as a celebrity. This question really tells a lot about who you are and what you value in life, and this is what the interviewer is looking to find out.

18. What motivates you to get up in the morning?

Although it may be tempting to answer with ‘the toilet’, this not really what they are looking to hear with this question. They want to know that you are inspired by your job, and that there are elements which make you excited to start your day. For example, you enjoy the prospect of meeting new people, you like idea of new challenges ahead or you just love what you do. The interviewer wants to feel that you are genuinely excited about your work, and not dragging yourself out of bed each morning. Show enthusiasm in this answer, and you’ll be on the right track.

19. What hobbies do you have?

The interviewer is looking to see that you have a busy and fulfilled life, not that you sit around watching TV all day and night. Think about the activities you really enjoy, such as reading, drawing, travelling or exercising. Even if you spend all your spare time in the gym, this is still a positive and productive way to spend your time. Always make sure you answer with something that shows that you like to enjoy your life, and you spend your spare time well.

20. Why did you leave your last job?

If you have been fired by a previous employer, you should say this, as they are likely to find out anyway. Most employers will look past this, depending on the reasons. You can turn the answer around too. For example, I had problems setting into the company, as it just wasn’t the right fit for me, but after researching your organisation, I can see that your values are much more in line with mine. Don’t be tempted to get into a conversation about how much you hated your boss etc, as this won’t impress the recruiters. Answer it, put a positive spin on it and move swiftly on. If you left because you weren’t enjoying the role, you can simply say it just wasn’t the right role for you and leave it like that. If they probe further then of course, you should answer any further questions.

21. What did you like/dislike about your last job?

This is another question which will test your ability to answer the question, without slandering your employer. A good way to answer the question is to talk about the positives around the job itself, and the personal connections you made. When it comes to answering the dislike part, focus more on the fact that you want to progress, or you didn’t find it challenging enough. It may not necessarily be the truth, but the last thing you want to do is to start giving the interviewers a big list of faults of the company.

22. How long will you stay here?

The recruitment and hiring process can be long-winded, and expensive, and this is why recruiters need to be sure that you are going to be around for the duration. That is unless it is a temporary or contract role. If you say you are intending to stay until a better offer comes along, or that you will see how it goes with childcare, this may be honest, but don’t expect a job offer at the end. Instead, tell the interviewer that you are in it for the long term. You should think carefully before going for a job if you are unable to commit to it though, as it is unfair on the company and it may leave them with a negative impression of you. If you only want work for a short time, consider applying for temporary or contract roles instead.

23. How do you feel about working outside normal working hours?

Some honesty is required on your part here, if you have reasons why you can’t work outside normal hours, don’t be afraid to say it. It is far worse to over promise at the interview, and then fail to do what you said. You may want to answer something like ‘I generally like to stick to my working hours, as I have childcare responsibilities (or whatever your situation may be), but I don’t mind occasionally doing additional hours, if required, as long as I have some notice.’ With this answer, you are being honest, while also being flexible. The interviewer should not expect you to work outside the normal hours, but just like any job, this sometimes happen, and it is good to show you are flexible. Obviously if you have no commitments and can work other hours at any time, then you should also state that. Just be honest, without refusing to be flexible 

24. Give an example of a time when you went over and above for a customer?

This is your time to show that you not only deliver a great service to customers, but you are happy to go above your normal duties as required. For example, you may have worked additional hours to ensure you met a deadline or gave a customer a discount for their loyalty. Whatever it may be, going above and beyond for a customer shows the interviewer that you take pride in your work and you want to ensure you deliver a greats service. Some people want to do the bare minimal in their job and collect their pay at the end of the month, and this is something interviewers will be looking out for. They don’t want clock watchers; they want staff who are going to perform well and be an asset to the company. If they get the feeling that you’re just in it for the money, they won’t be likely to want to hire you.

25. Do you have any questions for us?

Most interviewers will ask this question at the end of the interview, and it may seem like you don’t particularly need to answer it, but it is vital that you do. The interviewer is looking to hire someone with a genuine interest in the company and the job, so you should always have questions up your sleeve for this one. Many candidates say ‘no, I think you’ve covered everything’, but this is not the way to answer this question. This is a list of some potential questions to ask.

‘What would the day-to-day tasks of this role look like?’

‘Have you seen any challenges from other people working in this role?’

‘What would the career bath look like for someone in this role?’

‘What could I do within the first month to excel within this role?’

‘What attributes are you looking for someone to have in this role?’

It is a good idea to ask a few questions, so one or two like this and then a more general one that you may be interested in. For instance, you might want to know when they are expecting the person to start. Refrain from asking questions about salary or holidays, these are questions to ask if you receive an offer. Focus on questions which are more related to the actual role and try and refrain from asking questions on aspects which have already been covered. Interviews are nerve-wracking, but you don’t want the interviewers to think you have not been listening to them. If you want to ask something but you think it may have been covered, either refrain from asking it or say ‘I’m sorry if this has already been covered, it’s been a lot of information to take in.’ They are less likely to be annoyed you asked if you apologise first.