Top 5 Job Interview Questions: how to answer
Job interview coming up? Preparing for a job interview can feel stressful, but careful preparation will help you succeed. A job interview is an opportunity to show your skills and personality, and one of the best ways to succeed is to familiarise yourself with the most common interview questions beforehand. Do you know what questions you are likely to be asked and how to answer them? In this article, I’ll cover the five most common job interview questions and give you tips on how to answer them convincingly.
1. The classic – “Tell us about yourself”
I would argue that you will be asked this question in every interview. It’s a recruiter’s favourite – by the time HR asks you to tell them about yourself, they have time to go through your CV one more time. “Tell us about yourself” is one of the most common interview questions, and the very first one. The interviewer wants to get an overview of who you are and where you come from. This question gives you the opportunity to present yourself in the best possible light.
How to reply:
Keep your reply professional and focus on your career.
Briefly describe your education and training, your main professional experiences and your achievements.
For example, you can explain how you have developed your skills in different roles and how these skills have prepared you for this particular job.
Conclude with an answer about why you are applying for this job and how you see yourself as part of the company.
This will help create a strong first impression.
2. “Why do you want to work with us?”
This interview question measures your level of interest and motivation in the company. Interviewers want to know why you chose their company and how you see yourself as part of their team. This question is an opportunity to show that you have done some background work and are genuinely interested in working for that particular company.
How to reply:
Show that you have done background work on the company.
For example, mention the company’s values, culture or projects you would like to be involved in.
Link your answers to how the company and its activities match your own career goals.
You can also highlight how you are interested in the company’s current projects or future plans and how you see yourself as part of these projects.
3. “What strengths can you bring to our team?”
This is one of the key interview questions, as interviewers want to know what added value you can bring to their team and how your skills complement their needs. This question is an opportunity to highlight your strengths and show how they make you the right candidate.
How to respond:
Choose 2-3 strengths that are particularly relevant to the job you are applying for.
Give specific examples of how you have used these strengths in your previous jobs and how they could benefit your future employer.
For example, if you are applying for a customer service job, you could mention how your excellent communication skills and ability to solve problems quickly have helped you in previous jobs.
4. “Tell us about a time when you faced a challenge at work and how you resolved it.”
This job interview question will test your problem-solving skills and your ability to handle stress. The interviewer wants to see how you react to difficult situations and how you can turn challenges into opportunities.
How to answer:
Use the STAR method (situation, task, measures, results) to construct your answer.
Briefly describe the situation, explain what your task was, describe the actions you took, and conclude your answer with what results you achieved.
This structured approach will help you provide a clear and coherent answer that highlights your problem-solving skills.
5. “Where do you see yourself in five years?”
This job interview question asks about your career plan and how committed you are to your potential employer. Employers want to make sure that you are interested in a long-term employment relationship and that you have realistic career goals.
How to reply:
Show that you have realistic goals and that they are aligned with the company.
You can talk about your professional development and how you see yourself growing with the company.
For example, you can talk about how you want to develop in your role and progress to more responsible roles over time.
Avoid giving the impression that you only see this job as an interim step or that you have very different career plans.
Finally
Preparing for the interview is important to give the best possible impression of yourself and to make sure you bring out the things that make you an excellent candidate. Remember that a job interview is a two-way process: it is an opportunity not only to showcase your skills, but also to assess whether the company and its working environment are a good fit for you. Practise your answers beforehand, get to know the company carefully and go into the interview with an open mind.
Good luck with your job search!