Top 10 Interview Questions To Prepare For

The purpose of the company interview and the questions raised during this meeting serve several purposes. First of all, it determines your interpersonal skills, or how well you interact with others. The interview also determines how confident you are based on your responses to the questions, and how quickly you think on your feet without having the chance to prepare.

It is for this reason why it is extremely important to be prepared for the company interview. Being prepared means knowing how to respond to the questions poised and how you come across through body language, facial expression, and the amount of confidence and calm you present while answering the questions through the tone of your voice.

While this article will not cover each and every question that could be raised in all interviews, it will suggest how to handle ten of the most commonly asked questions in an interview by explaining what the question really means and how to answer that question.

1. Tell me about yourself. This does not mean actually telling the interviewer about yourself but to determine what aspects (such as skills, experiences and abilities) about you relate to the position you applied for. When answering this question, ensure they match what is required from you in order to do the job.
2. What do you know about our company? This question is to determine how much interest and enthusiasm you have about the company and for the position you applied for. Not having a proper response indicates a lack of both professionalism and interest, so know as much as possible about the company, including any social charities it supports and business news that presents the company in a positive light.
3. How will you contribute to the success of our organization? This is a fair question. The company is not hiring you to do you a favour but to find the appropriate employee(s) to ensure both the departmental and corporate mission statement are met. Never answer in a manner how it will benefit you, but how it will benefit the company (for example, improve sales figures, determine inefficiencies in product design, or reduce errors during fiscal year end reporting)
4. What are your weaknesses? The interviewer is checking to see if you are a person who is constantly strengthening positive qualities while seeking to address and improve any negative ones. Never state you have no weaknesses, as it is understood everyone has a weakness to be improved on. Answer by saying how one weakness not related to the position is being addressed, such as taking a speed reading course to improve a slow reading time.
5. Why did you leave (or are planning to leave) your current position? This one should never be answered by stating what a bad boss you had, or how you hated your co-workers. Answer that you were happy with where you worked and were proud of your past accomplishments and are looking to expand and build on your track record by explaining what you can do for the company offering the position you are being interviewed for.
6. What are your long-range career goals? The interviewer wants to ensure you are open to new duties and opportunities, not someone who is unwilling to accept them. Answer that you are indeed the type of person who is willing to grow along with the company by mentioning goals and aspirations that indicate positive professional improvement.
7. What are your pay/salary expectations? If this question is raised during the first interview with the company, never state your desired figure. State instead that your pay is negotiable, or ask for a range based on what the HR budget has allocated and leave it at that until the position is offered to you after the first and followup interviews are held.
8. What is the most difficult situation you have had to face and how did you tackle it? This question determines your definition of what is hard to solve and how you were able to solve any difficult problems at your last job. Tell the interviewer about the most difficult problem you had to figure out and how you came up with the solution. Never mention problems you caused during your time there that you had to correct.
9. Tell me about the last time you disagreed with your boss. The question is meant to find out how you handle any differences in opinion regarding your immediate supervisor’s decision making. Give examples of how you privately met with your former employer to discuss your concerns in a constructive manner and how a common ground was forged. If no common ground was found, give examples on how you did your best to ensure your former employer’s course of action was followed through and obtained success.
10. Do you have any questions? Never answer, “No”. This implies you were coasting through the interview like it was a dull task. Answer instead, “When may I expect to hear from you?” or ask about something the company has done that was not brought up in your research on how to answer the “What do you know about the company?” question.

Regardless of any questions being asked, always remember to smile, look presentable for the interview, listen carefully, and show interest.