You wouldn’t go to war without a battle plan, and you wouldn’t coach a team without scouting your opponent first. A job interview fits into the same category. To get the best results, you need to prepare. You need to anticipate the interview questions you might be asked and practice killer answers that will improve your chances of getting hired.
Different employers might utilize different wording, or put unique spins on the questions they ask. However, the same basic queries show up in almost every interview. By learning these fundamental questions, and planning out how you will answer them, you put yourself in a great position to impress.
Here are the seven interview questions you’re likely to get asked at your next interview:
What About Your Experience Makes You Right For this Job?
Interviews usually begin with a simple icebreaker question. These questions allow you to give a brief synopsis of your experience and skill-set. Tailor your response to the qualifications necessary for the position at hand, focusing on items in your background that relate directly to the job under discussion.
Why Are You Interested in this Position?
Job-seekers are attracted to open positions for a wide variety of reasons. You may be interested in the type of work you will be doing, or in the culture of the company, or the compensation, or the work-life balance, or the proximity of the office to your home, or the opportunity for further advancement within the company, or any number of other factors.
Your interviewers want to know which of these appeals to you the most. It will help them get a handle on your personality and how you can fit into the overall structure of the company. You can be honest in the specifics of your answer – the key is to show your interest and enthusiasm with the opportunity.
What Are Some of Your Biggest Accomplishments?
Your background and skill-set will let your potential employer know whether you can handle the fundamental requirements of the position. However, they also want to know what added value you can offer. They don’t just want you to get by… they want to know you can excel.
What Are Your Weaknesses?
This is the classic trick question that will come up at almost any interview. Answering this type of question can be difficult. Your main goal is to switch the focus on how you overcame a past weakness, and then pivot back to the value you can bring the company.
Can You Tell Us About a Time You Dealt with a Conflict at Work? How Did You Resolve It?
Filling the requirements of a position only represents part of what it takes to succeed. You also have to thrive in a team setting. As such, your employer will want to know how well you operate in a group dynamic. Specifically, they want to know that you can communicate effectively and diffuse any tense situations.
Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?
Everyone has ambitions. Your prospective employer wants to know what yours are, so they can better understand your motivations and predict how you can contribute to the company’s long-term plan.
Why Did You Leave Your Last Job?
This question contains a significant danger of turning the conversation sour. You want to resist this temptation. Instead, focus on the positive and turn the discussion toward the future. After all, the interviewers are just probing for any red flags in how you discuss previous employers. Keep it light and simple, and move on as fast as possible.
Preparation is key to impressing a prospective employer. This gets easier when you have someone on your side. A strong recruiting partner, like Recruiting In Motion, can give you the insight and connections you need to find the perfect position.
Contact Recruiting In Motion today to learn what they can do to jumpstart your career.
