Ever sat across a job interview panel wondering what the questions would be? And there you are straddled between the anticipated questions and your rehearsed answers, and your eyes are darting from face to face hoping to get a positive nod from the panel.
it is a scenario that is as vivid as it is explained verbally, following a series of questions that is doled out at intervals and a corresponding request for a response which creates an atmosphere that can be quite intense especially if the interviewee is not prepared for the questions that will be asked.
In this article, we will consider the top ten most common job interview questions and answers that are usually used during an interview session.
TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF
A GLANCE AT YOUR BIO
The temptation to furnish your interviewer with a full length of your life’s story can be nudging at your sides but I will advise that you flee from the tempter’s ploy and stick to what matters. Attempting a question like this one requires no prior knowledge as this is connected directly to your personal experience.
Try and use a target-response approach as the interviewer is not there to write your biography, employing this method you can touch on your job designation and previously assigned roles. A little information about your certifications might be the dessert that you serve before the main course meal.
At this point, the interviewer is trying to help you settle in and make you more comfortable and aware of the business of the day. Here are examples of a response to this question
SAMPLE ANSWER
I am a retail executive with eight years of experience in the Insurance sector. After receiving my business administration certificate at XYZ University. I worked with A&B company where I was hired as a sales representative. Five years later, I received an MBA certification as well.
WHY DO YOU WANT THIS JOB?
The race for pleasant and compelling rhetoric might begin at this phase as the need to fill the gap of reason suddenly beckons with a feverish rush. The interviewer uses this question to infer answers that are relevant to the job role and so, it is expected that you align your response to fit this purpose.
Your would-be employer needs to know that you are the right person for the job and peradventure you get hired for the job, the value you will be adding to the establishment. At this point, feel free to discuss your expertise and skills, ensuring that it is in tandem with the skill requirement for the new job you are currently seeking.
WHY SHOULD WE HIRE YOU?
This is a salient question in every interview panel, and it could be a tricky one if it is not approached with caution. The hiring manager wants to know the value you are bringing to the organization.
The impact your addition will be making is sacrosanct to the hiring organization and your response might ruin your chances if it is not well directed. Take the time to conduct research on the company as this will enable you to have background knowledge of their structure and working operations.
What is your unique proposition and what do you intend to do differently? Be articulate about this perspective and you might just be on your way to landing that new job.
WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST STRENGTH?
This question is often asked to compel a brief self-appraisal from a vantage point. Mention the skills and attributes that make you qualified for the role, please do note that instead of reiterating the skills with the use of the first-person pronoun ‘’I’’, you can use an illustrative approach, telling a story of an accomplished feat and a promise of the disposition of same if you get hired.
WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST WEAKNESS?
The mention of the word weakness might connote incompetency but that is not the case as the hiring manager needs to know that there are personality gaps that you have improved or currently improving. To respond to this question, be wary of dwelling on the weakness for too long, and ensure your strengths are emphasized while mentioning the weakness you have improved or currently improving.
WHY DO YOU WANT TO LEAVE YOUR JOB FOR ANOTHER?
Sometimes a response to this question could raise a red flag, prompting the hiring manager to question the departure from a previous job to a search for another. If the reason is premised on dismissal for bad conduct, then your guess is as good as mine.
No organization will hire such an individual but if the need for the change of job is based on reasons such as a change of location or a push for growth in the career ladder, then that is a viable reason. So, try and provide an answer that will not mare your chances of securing the job.
WHAT ARE YOUR SALARY EXPECTATIONS?
This is the crux of the matter in any interview scenario as the interviewee is expected to supply a figure to the above question. It is a bit dicey as some applicants are not sure if they should go high or low with the figures.
Trying to present an air of relevance, many are spurred to mention figures that are unrealistic while some, in a bid to stay within the borders of the new job, underprice the salary. There are free online salary calculators that will aid an applicant in having access to details about the salary scale of any job.
HOW DO YOU HANDLE STRESS AND PRESSURE?
No employer wants a staff who would cave in or break down at the slightest point of pressure. Work situations could become demanding, and staff could be called to lend a hand or put in an extra hour of work to save a situation.
So, a job interviewer will ask to know how you deal with pressures and stress in a subjective situation. An applicant can cite an example of a situation that was resolved regardless of the underlying pressure. This will give the interviewer a grasp of the scenario from the applicant’s point of view.
NARRATE A DIFFICULT WORK SITUATION AND HOW YOU RESOLVED IT
This is as straightforward as it gets, an applicant should give a narrative description of a challenging work situation that was encountered and give a brief explanation of what was done to resolve the issue.
WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE FUTURE?
Here, every employer wants to know that a would-be employee is a goal-oriented person who is willing to bring the expertise and experience garnered to bear in the new workplace.
It is believed that having goals brings a sense of purpose and direction and the same applies to a workplace environment. If an applicant has no goals for the future, then the same has no sense of direction and hence cannot help in stirring the wheel of change the organization is driving.
