A job interview is a critical staffing process since it allows employers to review potential employees’ skills, experience, and compatibility with the organizational culture. Interviewers use questions to test different areas of abilities in the candidate. Still, it is essential to know that interviews do not have to be terrifying – with proper preparation, they can be manageable. Job seekers need to know the most frequently asked questions and their rationale so they can be answered appropriately. Here, we present several of the most common questions, their purposes, and how the interviewee should approach their answer.

Common Questions in a Job Interview

Tell Me About Yourself

This is one of the questions commonly asked at the beginning of an interview to break the ice. Employers have certain expectations about your work experience, competencies, and character to determine your suitability for a position.

How to answer: There are several points to consider when you want to answer: Begin from the current status, describe previous experience related to the position, and what was achieved. As an option, you may provide a short conclusion as to why you want to work in this position.

Example

“I have five and half years of experience in marketing with an interest in digital marketing and branding. Currently, I am a marketing coordinator at XYZ Company, where I am involved in developing social media marketing plans and posts. Describing one’s interests in the job, the applicant wrote, “I am enthusiastic about getting the target audience more involved and interested in the brand I am promoting.”

Why Do You Want This Job?

The interviewers ask you this question for your reason for applying for the job. It is after asking them what the company’s values are and whether or not you are genuinely interested in the job.

How to answer: Enumerate certain features of the position and organization that may interest the employer. Avoid generic responses. Thus, it is advisable to demonstrate some interest and link your experience to the requirements of the given company.

Example

“I admire your company’s commitment to innovation in the tech industry. This role aligns perfectly with my expertise in software development and problem-solving. I’m eager to contribute to your team’s success by applying my coding and analytical skills to develop efficient solutions.”

What Are Your Strengths?

The following question enables the employer to appreciate your competencies and how you can apply them in the given job.

How to answer it: One should select strengths relevant to the job description. Give examples that depict these qualities in the following context.

Example

“One of my strengths is adaptability. In my previous role, I had to learn and implement new software systems quickly. Within a few weeks, I became the go-to person for troubleshooting and training colleagues. I believe my ability to learn quickly and adjust to changes makes me a valuable asset to your team.”

What Are Your Weaknesses?

Asking this question helps employers to gauge your self-awareness and your level of dedication to personal development.

How to answer: While choosing a real weakness as part of your answer is ideal, it is even better to select one that is not very severe and for which you have tried to address. It is essential to avoid using overused phrases such as ‘I work too much.’

Example

“I had many phobias about speaking in front of an audience, which limited me in meetings. To rectify this, I signed up for a public speaking class and offered to do more presentations. Most players get nervous, but that has not been my case. I have gained confidence, and my performance has also enhanced.”

Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years?

This question gives the employer insight into your goals for the company and whether or not they are consistent with those of the company.

How to answer: Be specific when disclosing one’s career plans and be honest. Explain why each of the responsibilities fits into the role and how it helps to achieve what you are looking forward to doing.

Example

“I envision myself as a manager in this industry within the next five years. I also want to improve my management competencies and positively impact the firm’s strategic pursuits.”

Why Should We Hire You?

Employers would like to know the unique characteristics that make you different from the rest of the other applicants.

How to answer: The best approach would be to look at your strengths and achievements about the job requirements. Showcase your value proposition.

Example

“I, therefore, come equipped with strong analytical skills and problem-solving creativity. In my previous role, I initiated a project that improved productivity by 30%. My capacity to identify solutions and make changes is ideal to fit this position.”

Describe a Challenging Situation and How You Handled It

This behavioral question tests one’s ability to solve problems and make decisions.

How to answer: The best way is to use the STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result).

Example

“In my previous workplace, one of the key clients had a deadline for a project that was critically affected by technical problems. I also communicated with other teams, reshuffled work assignments, and offered a solution. All the work was completed before the deadline, and the client was happy.”

What Is Your Greatest Professional Achievement?

Employers are interested in learning about your accomplishments and achievements.

To answer this one, you must select an accomplishment most relevant to the job you are applying for. Quantify the impact when possible.

Example

“In the previous position, I created a customer loyalty program and extended customer visits within six months by 25%.” Due to the proper segmentation of the customers and the subsequent targeted strategies to engage them, I increased its revenues considerably.

How Do You Handle Pressure and Stress?

Stress is present in almost every position, and the interviewer is eager to understand how well the candidate handles stress.

The best way to answer this is to demonstrate how the candidate manages stress.

Example

“I can manage based on priority by distinguishing what needs to be done as soon as possible most of the time.” For example, when launching a product, it is possible to have so many things to do within a short period, so I distribute the tasks into doable sub-tasks. This helped us to achieve all the targets on a successful note.”

Do You Have Any Questions for Us?

This is the best time to show concern for the company and seek clarity on some issues.

How to answer: Ask relevant questions about the firm’s organizational culture, employees, or personal/professional development.

Example

You may ask the employer, “May I know more about my colleagues on the team?” “What are the department’s prospects, and what are the biggest problems the department is experiencing at the moment?”

Conclusion

You get to prepare for the most common questions employers ask during job interviews, so these interviews will not shock you. Employers seek a candidate’s ability, behavior, cultural match to the organization, and passion for the position. Rehearsing and adapting answers for a certain position can land you a job because it will show the employer that you can fit into the job.