5 Frequently Asked Interview Questions and Answers
5 Frequently Asked Interview Questions and Answers
The following are (5) key questions and following answers to help you initially. Though you may be familiar with these questions I want to help you develop your mindset for your interview. See I believe it is more important to understand the thought process behind the questions. Below I am not just providing you with answers but a code cracking solution to understanding the interviewer psyche.
So lets get started.
“Tell Me About Yourself”
This is a classic question. But under the surface what they are looking for is your history, mindset, personality, and focus. They want to be able to fill in any gaps in your resume and have a understanding of what type of professional you are.
Naturally you should avoid talking about your personal life and any negative issues. The idea is to stay focused on
- Your history and background
- What your professional focus is
- Your goals
You have to be upbeat and friendly. It is not only what you say but how you say it. Talk with a smile, explain with a twinkle of interest in your eye. And show confidence in your answers.
“Why Did you Leave Your Last Job?”
This one can get really tricky especially if you left for bad reasons. Obviously you don’t want your interviewer to know that. The best response is to give them a professional answer. You never want to bad mouth the company or your former supervisors.
- A crazy past boss could be described as a challenging supervisor and you are now ready for new challenges.
- Poor working environments could be described as a glass ceiling situation where you wanted to seek better opportunities to grow.
- Fired could be describe (now this is NOT a lie) as a difference in working styles. then back that up with a explanation.
Overall you want to paint a picture of positivity.
“What Do You Know About Our Company?”
Over 87% of people do not prepare for this question. They go into the interview blind. We have all been guilty of this. But take my word and don’t be This is your time to shine and look really good. Before you ever get near a company you must research via the web. Also see if anyone in your network worked at that company before. Not to just put in a good word but find out what the corporate culture is like.
“Why Should we Hire You?”
You need to clarify in no uncertain terms why you are the BEST candidate for the job. The way you do this is your time to state your unique selling proposition. The one of more thing that you can do that few if any others can. An example explain your unique skills and talents. I always like to look at the job description in detail. And repeat back several solutions. For instance if they are looking for a marketing specialist with experience in social media I would explain to them the massive network online I have built.
The point here is that you need to give them say (3) definite reasons why you would stand out and say it with absolute confidence.
“Where do you Want to Be 5 Years from now?”
Wow don’t you just get tired of that question (laughing)? The reason people asked this in the old days was to see if your a long term employee. Today the average time at a job is 2 years vs. 6+ years 15 -20 years ago. Today they want to see what your career thought process is and what the big picture may be from you. This is of course after they have been told a little something about you in my first question.
Remember to keep it short and sweet. Be as descriptive as possible about your professional and in this case you can share some personal thing like raising kids, being healthy etc. Expound to add that human element.
In the future I am going to share more insight into the standard and the tricky questions. If you need answers now asap. I strongly suggest you click here.
