Interviews have commonly carried the most weight in job recruitment processes. They make for perceptible proofs of your skills and personality and can typically make or break your career.
Interviews today are a lot more informal. What was earlier an oral question & answer session has today transformed into a conversation which gives you and the interviewer the chance to be genuine. However there are certain questions which have consistently being asked over time. Here’s a list of these questions so you aren’t caught unprepared.
1. Tell me about yourself?
Speak about your professional journey so far. Your educational qualifications and job history should suffice. Do not speak about your hobbies or your life history, instead stay relevant & concise. Your answer for this could set the tone for the entire interview.
2. What’s your biggest strength?
Pick 1 or 2 strengths relevant to your job & which you truly excel at. It could be anything from spectacular knife skills to commendable frosting piping techniques. Do not exaggerate or speak about clichéd qualities such as punctuality or honesty.
3. And weakness?
Do not speak of being imperfect with zero weaknesses. Instead pick that one weak point along with how you intend to overcome it. For example if you know you stress a lot, have you tried yoga? .
4. Why did you leave your previous job?
If you were fired, own up to it and explain what you learnt from your mistakes. If you voluntarily left then give your reasons without bad mouthing your previous employees. .
5. Describe a challenge you faced at your last job, and how you overcome it.
What the interviewer is looking for is your personal success story. Describe a challenge you personally faced and the steps taken to solve it. This could be certain skills you lacked but learnt, or a blunder you caused then fixed. .
6. Why should we hire you?
The answer to this is already present in the job description so make sure you’ve studied that before your interview. Understand the skills & qualities this job demands & explain why you think you’re a good match. .
7. Why do you want to work for us?
Always browse through the company profile as well as job description before applying. Accordingly you can understand how this job fits into your personal objectives & accordingly answer this.
8. Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
Start off with how committed you are to this job. Next outline your growth strategy so the interviewer knows how serious you are about your career. .
9. What does your family do?
Here’s a question meant to understand their background. Explain their professional roles. If there’s a family business, prepare to explain why you aren’t interested in joining it. .
10. Do you have any questions for me?
Do you? Be honest. Anything about the job or company you’d like to know? Be articulate & treat this as an opportunity to clear pending doubts. .