One of the secrets of a successful interview is to be ready with winning answers to common interview questions. While every interview you attend will take its own direction, there are some questions that you can almost guarantee will be asked.
Tell me about yourself
You may begin your answer with the highest qualification that is relevant to the job you want. Continue with jobs you held, experience and skills. Talk about your personal and professional goals. Keep your answers short and sweet.
What interests you about this job?
Talk about your interest in the job and emphasise the match between your skills and experience and the responsibilities of the role you’re applying for.
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
The interviewer wants to know what you are particularly good at and how this would fit into the role. Select only strengths that are relevant to the role and demonstrate how they’re useful in action by using real examples from your experience.
Speaking about weaknesses, tell only about minor ones that won’t greatly impact your ability to do the job. Explain how you overcame your weak points, or how you plan to do so. For example, “I’d really like to learn more about Adobe Photoshop.”
Why are you leaving your current employer?
Speak positively about your current employer but explain that you are looking for more challenges and responsibility. Focus on the future – opportunities available to you if you take the job.
Why are you the best person for this job?
The main tip here is to refer to the requirements of the role and emphasise what you can offer to your potential employer. Employers want someone who’ll be committed, not someone who just needs a job.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
It’s best to talk about a job you would like to do and the steps you will need to get there connecting to the position you’re interviewing for. Think about where this position could take you, and how that aligns with some of your career goals. Show the employer you have an ambition to go ahead and develop yourself.
An interview isn’t just a chance for a hiring manager, it’s your opportunity to understand whether a job is the right fit for you. Before you leave ask questions. Make sure the interviewer has all of the information he or she needs and that you’re clear on the next steps.
