Skip to main content
11 answers
13
Updated 81978 views

What are some common interview questions? and how to answer them the best way possible

Help for job interviews and college interviews
#job-application

+25 Karma if successful
From: You
To: Friend
Subject: Career question for you

13

11 answers


0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Simon’s Answer

I have conducted hundreds of interviews, both group and individual over my career. They are nothing to worry about if you are honest and prepared. Before you go to the interview learn a little about the company, office and position. Try to use the names of the people interviewing you if possible. Dress business casual as a minimum, but a suit coat is always good. There will be both technical questions as well as situational questions. Basic technical questions will involve your experiences, projects you have done, knowledge you have gained and problems you have solved. Don't stretch the truth you will eventually be caught, and that will probably disqualify you. What will also be important are your verbal communications, how you would react in situations, as a team member and as a leader. Think about the question before you answer, and be concise with your responses. A lot of the discussions will be on your personality, what you like to do, and your ability to lead and or be on a team. Answering "I" did this and that, should be balanced with "we" did this and that if possible. A lot of interviewers like to ask what has been your greatest accomplishment so far...technically and personally. Remember.... be prepared and be honest.
Good luck. I hope this helps.

0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Nouha’s Answer

There are different types of interview questions that you might be asked during a job interview. However, few of them appear repetitively and some of them you might want to focus on more diligently.
First one is a classic, “Tell me about yourself”. So for this type of question keep your answers short and simple. What the interviewer actually expects is for you to give a small introduction about yourself, your background but most importantly, he is expecting you to elaborate on your experiences and how these relate to the company and the position you are applying to. Summarize your resume in a very concise way and directly talk about your transition to employment and how these are relevant to their business.

Second one would be: “How do you see yourself in 5 years” or “What are you goals in the future”. So this one is asked very frequently if not during every interview. Here what the interviewer is looking for is to know whether you are a good fit for the company in the long term. In other words, they are seeking to obtain answers for the following questions: Are your goals and aspirations aligned with the company’s vision and the type of opportunities they offer? In here you need to explain what type of skills you need to acquire and would like to be known for. Also, another point for you to mention is the type of responsibilities you would like to have within the company and how you can reach those.
Third, Another common question that frequently pops up is “What are your strengths and weaknesses” – for this one you need to highlight your qualities the one that most represents you and give examples of situations that most represents/bring out those qualities. Regarding the weaknesses try to showcast the areas you need to improve and how you can turn these into strengths.

Final tips it is highly viewed when you give examples that illustrates your answers.


Good luck!

Thank you comment icon Thanks for the advice. Costar
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Mary’s Answer

Now a days many interviews are in the style of behavioral based questions. When answering behavioral interview questions, focus on providing examples of situations that are specific, personal and professional. You should be able to tell a concise story in two to three minutes. By asking behavioral interview questions, interviewers want to learn more about your thought process, and the strategies and skills you use to solve problems.

Examples of Behavioral based questions:
Tell me about a time when you handled a challenging situation.
Tell me about a time when you made a mistake. What did you do to correct it?
Tell me about a time when you collaborated with others who were different than you.
Tell me about a time when you were in conflict with a peer and how the situation was resolved.
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Christophe’s Answer

Hi There


Ask for past experiences ( school or job) , especially the one that could be interesting for the position you are offering


Ask for main contributions in previous experiences - What did you take away from these ?


Check the knowledge the candidate has about your company ( check motivation here)


Ask the candidate to resume the job you are recruiting for and his/her understanding


If I am one of your best friend , what could be the 3 main qualities he will give me about you and the 3 maind defaults ?
This will give you a good understanding on how the candidate knows him/her


Describe you first day with us ? this will help me to evaluate motivation, preparation, commitment and projection


If you have an issue , how do you react , what will you do to solve it ?


I hope this will help


Cheers

0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Simeon’s Answer

Some common interview questions would be "Name a time you dealt with a stressful or difficult situation", "Name a time you made a mistake and learned from it", "Tell me a time in which you needed to work with others. Essentially, you'll want to show your ability to endure and strive through difficult situations and get along well with coworkers. You'll want to remember some times in the past you did well on these points and be ready to redirect relevant questions in their direction.
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Wael’s Answer

Interviews are dependent on the position and the company you are interviewing with. Engineers don't get asked the same questions as doctors. Moreover, certain companies use certain standardized systems to do interviews. Regarding answers, always answer in a way to show that you are welling to work, try, and learn. Lastly, do your research about the company and the industry.

0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Steve’s Answer

Every interview situation is different so the questions will be different too. That said, think of an interview as having two parts: during the first phase, you're selling yourself; during the second phase, they're selling you on their organization. For phase 1, you'll want to be able to discuss your skills and experiences; for phase 2, you'll need some questions about the company's history and current goals.


Some questions to be prepared to answer:
Tell me the contribution you can make to the organization.
Tell me about a professional assignment you've handled.
What was your most rewarding school experience?
Describe your most meaningful work experience.


For handling difficult interview questions, read http://www.lifehack.org/articles/work/the-best-answers-the-7-worst-interview-questions.html


Some questions I like to ask:
1. What new products or services are you working on?
2. What's a common career path for people in this job?
3. What projects have you canceled recently and why? (Helpful to know if they can make hard decisions).
4. Describe a typical day for someone in my role.
5. What are the company's growth plan or the next few years?


Remember: you're not being hired because you need a job; you're being hired because the manager has a problem that you might be able to solve. For more on this concepts, see https://under10consulting.com/articles/jobhunting/

0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

John’s Answer

It is important to go into any interview with several stories, examples and ideas that can relate to a number of questions. Come up with some examples of when you went above and beyond, solved a problem, or did really quality work. Every interview will have different questions, and every interviewer asks questions differently. It is important to have examples that can apply across different situations.


For example, you might be asked: "describe a time you that over came a road block" or "describe a time you did more than was required". If you have a single strong example, you could tailor the same story to either of these questions.


While most people don't actually ask "what are your strengths and weaknesses" they do often ask questions that are similar in nature. For example, "How would your peers describe you as a worker" or "what was some consistent positive feedback you have gotten".


I think the absolute most important thing when answering interview questions, is to understand the question fully before starting to answer. Listen to a complete question, and start by asking follow up questions to clarify if anything wasn't clear. A lot of people fail interviews, because there answer didn't match the question that was asked. For example. If you are asked "what was some consistent positive feedback you have gotten", you are being asked to describe your professional strengths.

Thank you comment icon Thank you so much! Costar
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Sophie’s Answer

Interviews will vary greatly from company to company and role to role, but generic questions will normally include relevant experience, team work, etc . The most important piece of advice is to understand the role and company that you are interviewing for so that you can tailor your answers and make it clear to your interviewer that you have real interest in the role. Make sure that you are tailoring each answer back to the job that you are interviewing for, with examples from your past experience.

A good way to structure your answers is using the STAR technique. S = Situation, T = Task, A = Action, R = Result.

Leadership skills and team work are really important traits to try and emphasize. Leadership does not have to be demonstrated in large projects or tasks but can be seen in many smaller ways.

Show your personality. An interview is not only for your employer to find out if you have the correct skills and knowledge for the role but for you both to find out if you will work well within the company. Also the take time you need to respond to questions, don't panic. If you need a little extra time to think about the question, ask for a moment to think about and then respond.
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Jordan’s Answer

As many of the answers above already indicate, every interview is different so it is best to be prepared for anything! However, here are some of the questions I ask and why:




  1. What are your long term career goals? Why? I want to know why you are applying for this position and how it fits into your plans for yourself. Most employers are looking for some longevity and if you are applying simply because you got an interview, but have interests in something else entirely, I may worry about whether or not my position will provide you with long term fulfillment.




  2. Why do you want this job? Why? I want to know what peaks your interest, similar to question number one, I am testing the water to understand whether or not not only are you a good fit for the company, but if we are a good fit for you.




  3. Why should we hire you/ Why? Sell yourself! This is an opportunity from the employer to really talk yourself up, share your experiences, spotlight yourself and add value to the resume we have already reviewed prior to coming in to meet with you.




  4. Do you have any questions for me? Why? PLEASE have questions. Ask us what we are looking for, ask more questions about the position itself, this is an opportunity to stay engaged and leave a lasting impression!




Good luck!

Thank you comment icon You rock! This advice is very helpful. Costar
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Sam’s Answer

Hello Abbas,

Great question.

Question #1: What the candidates understanding is of the job they are applying to.
Question #2: What do you understand about the company you are applying for?
Q 1-2: Response:
- Ensure you research the company to demonstrate your understanding of the role and the company. Utilise contacts and networks to deepen your understanding.
- Interviewers appreciate candidates who have taken time to understand the role and company. This also gives the interviewer an indication of how prepared you are, your dedication and attention to detail.
- This can be indicative to the hiring manager of how the candidate would act within the business.


Question #3: Highlight relevant areas of your CV based on your understanding of your role? Discuss the gaps you may have for the role and how you would close these?
Response:
- Essential to be able to demonstrate your self-awareness and understanding of the role.
- Demonstrate your learning agility particularly if you are applying for an area you have not worked in before.
- Provide examples, if you can, of how you have applied past situations where you have had to apply transferable skills and upskill your understanding of a new area.

Question #4: What key skills do you have that would make you suitable for the role?
Response:
- Clear understanding of the role that being applied for with time taken before the interview to consider how your previous experience/qualifications make you suitable for the role.
- Provide examples i.e. basic answer: working knowledge of Excel. Enhanced response: providing an example of when you have used Excel for example creating a database for automated reporting.

Question #5: What item would you take if you were stranded on a desert island? / What animal would you be? / How many basket balls would fit in the room you are in?
Response:
- The important part to responding to these types of questions is the why, being clear on the reason behind your answer, being clear when delivering your answer.
- Interviewers are interested to see how you get to a decision i.e. methodology for the response to the basketball question.

Hope this helps.
Sam.

Response is my personal view and not of Visa's.
0