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15 Interview Questions

The document provides guidance on common interview questions and how to best answer them. It suggests keeping answers brief, highlighting relevant skills and experiences, and providing concrete examples. The document also cautions against negative responses and oversharing personal details.

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Newlyn Everly Laroco
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52 views5 pages

15 Interview Questions

The document provides guidance on common interview questions and how to best answer them. It suggests keeping answers brief, highlighting relevant skills and experiences, and providing concrete examples. The document also cautions against negative responses and oversharing personal details.

Uploaded by

Newlyn Everly Laroco
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Tell Me About Yourself

This question usually takes about one to two minutes to answer and
will be your elevator pitch. You want to give them a brief rundown of
who you are as a person and show how articulate you are. Don't
start rambling on about your personal history. Talk about highlights
from job positions or schooling and how you can contribute to the
company with your background and experiences.

Know what the company is looking for. If it prizes technical skills,


play those up. Showcase the qualities needed for the job you're
interviewing for.

Before the interview, write down two to three notable achievements,


and be sure to bring them up during your elevator pitch.

What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses?


Think about what others have said about you when you're trying to
come up with a list of your strengths. Remember, always back up
your points with an example.

Pick strengths that align with the company's culture and goals. If
you're applying to a scrappy start-up, highlight your ability to
multitask and to take initiative.

The most important factor when choosing which strengths to


highlight is to make sure they relate to the position your applying to.
For example, if you're applying for a human resources position, talk
about your interpersonal skills.

The weakness question is always the hardest to answer. Don't give a


clichéd answer such as you work too hard or you're too much of a
perfectionist. Try your best to stick to the truth and make sure you
mention the steps you take to counter the weakness. Don't disclose
anything that will make you look like an incompetent employee,
such as not meeting deadlines and getting into conflicts with
coworkers. Put a positive spin on the weakness but make sure it
doesn't sound too practiced. An example of a weakness can be
impatience, which can mean that you want to get the job done.
Another weakness can be time management, but make sure you
name the steps you take to beat that problem. You will look like a
problem solver when you show them what you did to fix a flaw.
What Salary Are You Looking For?
You don't have to answer this question at the interview, and you can
try to deflect this question until you've received an offer. Tell the
interviewers that you want to hold off on salary talk until the both of
you know that you're right for the job.

Why Do You Want to Work For Us?


Read everything you can about the company, including the website,
news articles, profiles of employees, and any tidbits on LinkedIn. If
you or your friends know employees at the company, ask if they can
speak to you about what the company is like.

Try to get a sense of what the company culture is and what its goals
are. Once you've done your homework, you need to figure out how
the company ties into your own career path and future.

Where Do You See Yourself in a Few Years?


Think about how you can move forward from the position you're
eyeing. Figure out the natural career track and tailor your answer to
the company. Try to be honest but not to the point where you make
yourself look like an unattractive candidate, such as saying you
want to work for their competitor or something too personal like
becoming a mom. Stick to professional examples; they don't want to
hear about your personal life plan.

Are You Interviewing With Other Companies?


Try not to spend too much time on this question and answer briefly.
A simple yes and mentioning the fact that you're open to
opportunities will do the trick. You can also say that this particular
job is your first choice. Remember: honesty is always the best
policy, and don't lie and say you're interviewing at certain
companies when you're not.

What Can You Do For This Company?


There are several versions of this question, including, "What will you
do when you're at [job position x]?" When you're preparing for the
interview, think about why you would do a good job at the position
and what steps you would take to achieve that.

Bring in new ideas and examples of what you have done in the past
that have benefited your previous companies. One trick that will
help the company visualize you in the position is to tell them exactly
what you'd do in the first two weeks at the job. Be specific about
what you'd like to accomplish, so it's more believable and
impressive.

Why Do You Want to Leave or Why Did You Leave Your


Current Job?
It's understandable if you were laid off given the rocky economy or
circumstances beyond your control. You don't have to share the
dirty details, but you should be truthful and mention that your
company had to let go of X number of people or the department was
being restructured.

If you are leaving because of a negative situation, be sure not to


badmouth your old company or boss. It just reflects badly on you if
you do. You can focus on the fact that you're looking for growth and
that you feel this company feels like the step in the right direction.

Do You Have Any Questions For Me?


Asking good questions can reveal a lot of your personality and can
be the most important part of the interview. Take some time to craft
very personal, well thought-out questions that require more than a
"yes" or "no" answer.

Don't ask questions that seem to be too assuming and that make
you sound like you think you got the job. Don't try to focus on pay,
benefits, and getting promoted. Focus more on what you can do for
the company and not what the company can do for you.

Use your judgment during the interview on how many questions are
appropriate.

When Did You Have to Deal With Conflict in the Office,


and How Did You Resolve It?
Be careful when you're addressing this question and make sure that
you're not bitter or negative in your answer. You should always be
positive because this reflects the fact that you handle conflict well.
Talk about a problem you faced (preferably not something you
created), and detail the steps you proactively took to resolve the
problem. The best examples will come from your past experiences.

Testing Your Knowledge and Experience


Make sure what you can live up to your claims in your résumé and
cover letter, because your interviewer may try to test your
knowledge and experience.

For example, he might ask you questions in your field or get your
professional opinion on some current events happening in your
expertise. Another way to test your knowledge is to walk you
through a sample scenario you might face in this new job, and ask
you how you would solve the issue.

The best way to prepare for these questions is to read up as much


as you can about the industry that you're applying to, and brush up
on items in your past. Give yourself time to think about how you
would tackle the problem they present to you, and don't rush your
explanation. Even if you don't arrive at the conclusion the hiring
manager is looking for, they may be impressed by your thought
process.

Tell Me About Your Achievements


It's your time to shine when you talk about your achievements.
Make sure you're preparing ahead of time for this question.

Write down three possible past wins relevant to the company and
position you're applying to, and practice articulating your answers.
Do your best to be specific and possibly throw in numbers to really
back up your answers. For example, saying something like, "As a
result of achievement X, revenue numbers increased by X percent
year over year." This will really show your hiring manager how you
added value to your past company's growth and reveal your worth
as an employee.

Tell Me About Your Failures


Be careful when picking which failures to talk about because it can
either be a hit or miss answer.

Be honest in your answer. Don't pick a weak example, where the


failure wasn't truly a flop. It's very telling if you're uncomfortable
with the question. The interviewer may see you as someone who
can't take responsibility for her mistakes and grow from it.
You want to make sure that whatever you mention, you're able to
explain how you bounced back stronger than ever and how you took
steps to make sure that the mistake never happened again.

How Would Your Co-Workers Describe You?


It's time to talk yourself up! Highlight your positive traits, and make
sure you're not bringing up your flaws. You should only bring up
negative things if you're asked to do so.

Think back on what your co-workers and bosses have said about you
in your past reviews. This will help you formulate your answer.

What Was Your Last Salary?


Remember, you don't have to reveal anything you're not comfortable with to the hiring manager.
You can answer this question indirectly by giving the interviewer a range you're expecting.

Liz Ryan, CEO of consulting firm The Human Workplace, writes in a LinkedIn post, "When we
call the plumber because our tub drain is clogged, we don't ask, 'What did you charge the guy
down the block to unclog his drain last week?' If we do, the plumber is going to say, 'My rate is
$95 an hour. Do you want me to come over or not?'"

She suggests responding to this salary question with, "In this job search, I'm looking for jobs in
the $95,000 to $100,000 range. Is that in the ballpark?"

The best way to prepare for this question is to figure out how much salary you want to be paid.
Here's how.

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