Top 10 Most Common Interview Questions and Answers

Practice is the key to achieving success in interview of any kind. Working on your answers helps you to relax and feel more confident on the day of interview. Here’s a list of ten most common interview questions to help you gear up for the important day.

Tell me something about yourself

Here’s how to answer this dreaded question without going too much into details. You can begin by sharing some of your personal interests and accomplishments. Keep it short, though. You can move on to sharing your academics and achievements, your work experience, and a particular instance where you achieved your goals in spite of challenges. Your answer should be shaped according to the type of interview and the skills required for the role.

What is your biggest strength?

This has remained one of the most popular questions asked by employers at interviews from time immemorial. You can tackle this question by talking about the abilities that makes you a perfect fit for the particular job and sets you a step ahead of the crowd.

What is your biggest weakness?

This is another common question asked by interviewers. Although this question probes your weakness, it is worthwhile to structure your response around the constructive side of the skills you can offer as an employee.

Why should we hire you?

Do you think you the best among the rest? You should be ready to explain why. You need a brief pitch that explains the value you can bring to the company, and why they should hire you.

Why did you leave your previous job?

A potential employer would always be keen on knowing why you left the previous job. It is about knowing whether you left for a good reason. If you had left on an impulse, the interviewers will doubt whether they can trust you to be loyal and sensible. In case you hadn’t left the previous company under the best of circumstances, it would be prudent to highlight the positive and what makes you passionate about the new vacancy.

Why have you been out of work?

Here’s an example of how you can handle this question. You can say, “I had been out of work to pursue a career development course with some support from freelancing. Knowing that I have done well to complete the course, I am now looking forward to going back to work….”

Why are you keen about this job?

This question gives you and chance to demonstrate that you have done some research on the job and the employer. Explain how well your skills and experience match the job role, and mention features of the company and job vacancy that you find fascinating.

How well can you deal with pressure?

You can answer this question by offering an example of how you have handled pressure while you were working for your previous employer. The idea behind this question is to know what you can do while facing difficult decisions.

What are your future goals?

This question is meant to check whether you can stick to the company or jump to some other employer as soon as a better opportunity shows up. Make sure your answer is relevant to the job role and the employer. For example, you can say that you see yourself getting promoted to a senior managerial role in the company interviewing you.

Do you like working as part of a team?

The meaning behind this question is to assess your ability to be a team player. It helps to visualize the kind of team player the employer would be looking for and then shape your answer accordingly. You can give an example of how much you enjoy working with others and how you can shine in a close-knit team.