7 Most Common Job Interview Questions with Impressive Answers
Whether you are a sales manager or a customer support representative, every recruitment story is distinct. In almost every case, there are a number of common job interview questions that are typical yet popular. If you are already prepared about 40 to 50% of the questions, you have a chance to give yourself an edge over the rest of the candidates.
If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. —Sun Tzu
List of Common Interview Questions and Answers:
Here is the set of those common job interview questions and answers that you are more likely to face during your first interaction. The answers to these questions serve to get the best out of the one appearing for an interview.
- Tell me about yourself.
- Why do you want to work for us?
- Why should we hire you?
- What was the reason for leaving your last job?
- What are your salary expectations?
- What are your weaknesses?
- Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Acing the Job Interview Questions:
1: Tell me About Yourself
This is often an opening question for most of the interviews. This will create your first impression on the interviewer.
Purpose of question:
The major purpose of this question is to break the ice and start the interview. The interviewer wants to:
- Know about your work experience
- Have an overview of your personality
- Analyze your verbal and nonverbal communication
Steps to Answer:
- Know your resume inside out
- Deliver one minute of your advertisement
- Highlight your employment history and major achievements
Answer:
“I have done MBA in Marketing from ABC University. I have 4 years of experience during which I have worked for companies like COMPANY-A, COMPANY-B, and COMPANY-C. I was awarded the Pride-of-Performance award for achieving annual sales targets for two years in Company-C. I had been dealing with top-performing clients.
Since now I intend to dig a little deeper into this field, I am so excited about this opportunity to work for XYZ LLC.”
Caution: Follow the same structure as presented in your Resume. You should not sound different from your CV. Never go in much detail unless the interviewer asks you to. Never show a lack of excitement in your answer.
2: Why do you want to work for us?
There are multiple variants of this question like: why do you want to work here? or why do you want this job?
Purpose of question:
The hiring manager or interviewer wants to:
- Know your career goals
- Know the level of your seriousness and interest in the relevant work
- Find out what you know about the specific organization
- Understand your preferences and priorities that appeal you
Steps to Answer:
- Research the company through their website, media coverage, and your LinkedIn network
- Mention at least three reasons that why you like that company
Answer:
“Well, the reputation of XYZ LLC is the major factor. I’ll be obliged to work for a company known for its history of leadership and unorthodox approaches in industry.
Also, a close friend of mine has been working as a finance manager at XYZ LLC for the last 4 years. I got to know a number of positive things about the professional corporate climate and supportive learning environment where hard work is rewarded.”
Caution: Never ever give them a generic answer. Keep your answer specific to that company.
3: Why should we hire you?
This question shifts the focus from the company to yourself. An answer to this question should provide the interviewer with some unique reasons to consider you for the job. There are multiple variants of this question like: What would you bring to the position? Why are you the best candidate for the job? Or Why are you the right fit for the position?
Purpose of question:
The hiring manager or interviewer is asking you to:
- Sell yourself to the company
- Tell him the Unique Selling Prepositions (USPs) of you
- Present the areas of your strengths
Steps to Answer:
- Brainstorm on your major achievements
- Think about the areas in which you outshine others
- Experience, awards, technical skills, and training should be mentioned
Answer:
“I have a strong professional background, experience, and attitude to excel in the position of sales manager. I have worked for 3 years as an assistant sales manager at ABC llc including one summer interning at DEF llc where I mastered on the matters of sale management with hands-on experience.
I have been consistently achieving all the quarterly and annual sales targets. I have earned this reputation of getting the things done on time.
All this is because I love the field of sales and it always excites me to take bigger challenges.”
Caution: Focus on your achievements, not on your job description. Keep it straight and simple. Do not memorize a script.
4: What was the reason for leaving your last job?
“Why do you want to leave your current job” is a vital question of an interview. The reasons for leaving a job should be straight and acceptable for the interviewers. Your answer will decide the extent to which you are likely to stay in their organization.
Purpose of question:
The interviewer wants to know:
- Level of your professionalism
- Whether the reasons were professional or personal
- If you will stay for a longer time in their company
Steps to Answer:
- Make it clear in your mind that what are your priorities
- Focus on the missing gap in the previous job
- Do not leave a loophole in your presentation that no contradiction should be found by the new company during a background
- Identify some good and bad answers to this question
Good Answers:
“I am looking for better career prospects and bigger work opportunities.”
“I am looking for new challenges in work”
“I am made redundant and the company was about to close”
“The growth prospects of the company were poor”
“My job duties were reduced and outsourced to others”
“The company was going through a merger or an acquisition”
“I had to travel too often”
Bad Answers:
“I didn’t like my boss and job”
“The company was quite disappointing”
“The boss didn’t fulfill his promise of raise and promotions”
“I hate working overtime”
“I left for some legal reasons”
“I was fired from the job”
Caution: Never ever defame your previous boss or company. Focus on yourself rather than the company.
5: What are your salary expectations?
One should never ever mention salary expectations unless asked by the interviewer. This is a tricky question that where you have to stay within the salary range of the company.
Purpose of question:
The major purpose of this question is to know:
- how high you aim for
- how much have you researched on the company?
- if you fall within salary-range of company
Steps to Answer:
- Make a little research on the worth of someone with your level of skills
- Make a research on what does the company normally pays for that specific position
Answer:
“No less than $XXXX. And, I am always open to negotiation.”
Caution: Always present the lower limit rather than the upper limit. One might stand a chance to get the job while being underpaid. Rather than being stiff on a figure, show some flexibility and be ready for negotiation.
6: What are your weaknesses?
Many people think that the answer to this question forces them to lose their job. This statement is controversially WRONG. First of all, one must be aware of the fact that no one is perfect and having weaknesses is a 100% normal thing. Normally the interviewers ask to put at least three weaknesses.
Purpose of question:
The interviewer is actually analyzing:
- The level of your self-awareness
- How honest you are with yourself
- How motivated you are to address your setbacks
Steps to Answer:
- Do not lie about your weaknesses. Choose some real weaknesses.
- Choose the weaknesses that do not interfere with your expected duties at the job.
- Mention the steps you are taking to overcome the flaws of your personality.
Answer:
“Yes, I have a few weaknesses. I often find it difficult to work with bigger teams. I find myself comfortable while working alone. Also, sometimes I rush to get the things done. Sometimes, I lose my patience when things are not done on time.”
Caution: Do not put your strengths disguised as a weakness. Do not panic. Avoid discussing personal issues and hateful sentiments.
7: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
This question judges the extent to you which you are realistic. This is a great chance to show yourself as a planner.
Purpose of question:
The interviewer wants to:
- Know your long-term and short-term goals
- Get an idea of your ambitions and commitment to the work
Steps to Answer:
- Energize and excite yourself about the future.
- Focus on the kind of jobs you would eventually like to do after five years.
- Work out some realistic and gaugeable goals
Answer:
“Well, I am really thrilled about this post at XYZ LLC because right after five years I’d become a person with profound expertise in the field of sales management. I’ll be excited to have more managerial responsibilities that would make me a potential employee. I really want myself to be transformed into a great manager.”
Caution: Never tell him that you just want this job.
Conclusion:
There is no hard and fast rule to satisfy every hiring manager through such job interview questions. These questions may vary in their wording but the meaning might be the same. A good interview is much more than verbal communication where the body language and dressing for an interview are equally important. Y should always keep yourself focused and confident to get through.
