Common Interview Questions

While every interviewer and organisation is different and questions vary from industry to industry, there are some questions that are common across the board.

Tell me about yourself.

While this question seems very easy to answer, it is crucial that you have given it some thought prior to the interview. The important thing is to structure your answer and choose the most important things that you would like to get across. The interviewer typically does not care to know about your personal life, your hometown or what you do on the weekends. There are trying to establish your professional history. Pick a couple of points about yourself, your professional experience and your career goals and stick to those points.

You can conclude your answer by stating your desire to be a part of the company. If you have a solid response prepared for this question, it can lead your conversation in a direction that allows you to elaborate on your qualifications and other strengths.

Why do you want to work here?

This is one tool interviewers use to see if you have done your research about their organisation. You should never attend an interview unless you know about the company, its positioning, direction, competitors and the industry in which it operates. If you have done your research, this question gives you an opportunity to show initiative and demonstrate how your experience and qualifications match the company's needs.

What are your greatest weaknesses?

This question is your opportunity to demonstrate your ability to recognise aspects of yourself that need improvement, and the initiative you took in the past to make yourself better. You should be honest about a weakness, but demonstrate how you have turned it into strength. For example, if you had a problem with any organisation in the past, demonstrate the steps you took to more effectively keep yourself on track.

Describe a problem situation and how you solved it.

With this question, the interviewers try to establish if you can think critically and develop solutions, regardless of what kind of issue you faced. Sometimes it is hard to come up with a response to this request, particularly if you do not have extensive professional experience. When drafting your answer keep in mind that the objective here is to demonstrate your problem solving ability you are your critical thinking.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

The secret to this question is being specific and selecting an accomplishment that relates to the position. Make sure you choose a professionally relevant accomplishment. Think of the qualities the company is looking for and think of an example that demonstrates how you can meet their needs.

Why did you leave your last job?

Even if your last job ended badly, be careful about being negative in answering this question. Be as diplomatic as possible. If you do point out negative aspects of your last job, find some positives to mention as well. Complaining about your last company can create a negative impression of your attitude.

Why should we hire you?

This is your chance to really sell yourself. You need to briefly and succinctly lay out your strengths, qualifications and what you can bring to the role.
Avoid answering this question too generically. Most interviewees say they are hardworking and motivated. Set yourself apart by telling the interviewer about qualities that are unique to you. Make sure you particularly highlight those qualities they are looking for.

What are your salary expectations?

This is one of the hardest questions. The first thing to do before going to your interview is to research the salary range in your field to get an idea of what you should be making. Steer clear of discussing salary specifics before receiving a job offer. Let the interviewer know that you will be open to discussing fair compensation when the time comes. If pressed for a more specific answer, always give a range, rather than a specific number.