The Most Common Interview Questions

The Most Common Interview Questions:

1. What are your strengths?
2. What are your weaknesses?
3. Why are you interested in working for [insert company name here]?
4. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?
5. Why do you want to leave your current company?
6. Why was there a gap in your employment between [insert date] and [insert date]?
7. What can you offer us that someone else can not?
8. What are three things your former manager would like you to improve on?
9. Are you willing to relocate?
10. Are you willing to travel?
11. Tell me about an accomplishment you are most proud of.
12. Tell me about a time you made a mistake.
13. What is your dream job?
14. How did you hear about this position?
15. What would you look to accomplish in the first 30 days/60 days/90 days on the job?
16. Discuss your resume.
17. Discuss your educational background.
18. Describe yourself.
19. Tell me how you handled a difficult situation.
20. Why should we hire you?
21. Why are you looking for a new job?
22. Would you work holidays/weekends?
23. How would you deal with an angry or irate customer?
24. What are your salary requirements?
25. Give a time when you went above and beyond the requirements for a project.
26. Who are our competitors?
27. What was your biggest failure?
28. What motivates you?
29. What’s your availability?
30. Who’s your mentor?
31. Tell me about a time when you disagreed with your boss.
32. How do you handle pressure?
33. What is the name of our CEO?
34. What are your career goals?
35. What gets you up in the morning?
36. What would your direct reports say about you?
37. What were your bosses’ strengths/weaknesses?
38. If I called your boss right now and asked him what is an area that you could improve on, what would he say?
39. Are you a leader or a follower?
40. What was the last book you've read?
41. What are your co-worker pet peeves?
42. What are your hobbies?
43. What is your favourite website?
44. What makes you uncomfortable?
45. What are some of your leadership experiences?
46. How would you fire someone?
47. What do you like the most and least about working in this industry?
48. Would you work 40+ hours a week?
49. What questions haven’t I asked you?
50. What questions do you have for me?

Be prepared:

Always be prepared. Do not wait until the last minute. Try to get the information about company as much as you can. Many HR managers complaints that job interview candidates know very little about the company they are interviewing for. Google the details about the company you are interviewing with, study the company website, know about the company's goal, products or services, top executives and any latest news about it.

Planning:

Planning is the first and most important step in clearing the interview. Never underestimate the importance of planning. Prepare a list of likely questions and practise them.

Tips while facing interview:

The most successful interview responses focus on the hiring manager’s needs. 

“Framing replies that demonstrate you understand their problems, or ‘pain points,’ makes a big difference when competing with many other qualified candidates.”

Prepare by identifying the skills employers are looking for. 

Use their in-depth job descriptions and co-relate your previous experience.

Know yourself : If there’s anything negative about you, have a response ready as to why it’s negative but don’t get too defensive. Respond and then move on.

Question yourself as to why are you a good fit for this job. Identify what is unique about you like your accomplishments, handling critical situation in college/work or home. Do remember that interview is nothing but marketing yourself at the best.

Be Positive: 

Try to answer all questions positively. Even if you were in a bad situation, think about situation how you can talk positively. This describes your attitude, reflection about your judgement and business acumen.

Never say anything negative about your prior employers or bosses, either–no matter how bad the situation may have been.

It's always better to talk about a glass being half full then to talk about it being half empty.

Get Comfortable:

The most important tip i would like to suggest the interviewee is to get comfortable with interview process. Getting comfortable brings the best out of you. 

Feeling comfortable and relaxed positively influences your confidence. “And interviewers always appreciate a relaxed and confident candidate, as opposed to a heavy promoter and edgy one,” she adds.  Practice calming your nerves, and focus on how you can prove you’d be a valuable asset to the company. 

Watch out for my next blog on how to answer 7 most commonly asked interview questions.

1. Tell me about yourself.
2. What are your strength and weakness.
3. Where do you want to see yourself after 5 years.
4. Why are you leaving your current job (for experienced candidates)
5. Why should I hire you.
6. What are your salary requirement.
7. Give me an example where you had a problem at work and how did you approached to resolve it.

The Most Common Interview Questions