We all know the importance of a job interview. Interviews are your way of impressing your experiences and personality upon an unknown entity. Being fully prepared for an interview, no matter what the position and level are paramount to your success. Sometimes candidates take the interviews too lightly. Few others also think that being called in for an interview is being guaranteed the job. If you are one of those, you are completely wrong. You could be the least preferred candidate among all the shortlisted ones. Your skills, knowledge, and abilities might be a good match for the position, but not necessarily the perfect match. Being called for a job interview means the hiring manager or recruiter is interested in meeting you, and allow you to sell yourself.
When you go for a job interview, it is very important that you are prepared and confident for it. It is necessary to be confident in a job interview so that you can deliver your best. Preparing for the interview includes researching about the company, checking the profile of the interviewer(s), running through your CV, and practicing the possible interview questions with friends or family members.
Practicing the interview questions will help you to quash the initial nerves. It will also help you to think about the best answers that will pertain to the job you’re applying for while highlighting your skills and experience. Last but not the least, a solid interview preparation will make you mentally prepared. However, don’t sound like you have mug up the answers, or giving a canned response for every interview question. Ideally, you should spend some time getting comfortable with what you might be asked, what the hiring manager is really looking for in your responses, and what it takes to show that you’re the right candidate for the job. You should put ideas into your own words and be spontaneous. Your body language, posture and confidence level should be impeccable.
Career site Glassdoor believes one of the best ways for job seekers to get ready for an interview is to practice their responses to any questions that may be asked. “Over and over again, we see some very common interview questions asked at companies for nearly all job titles, ” Scott Dobroski, a Glassdoor career trends analyst, told Business News Daily. “If you are aware and prepared for what is nearly always asked in any interview, you’ll start the interview off on a great foot.” Now, let’s take a look at the most common interview questions.
List of 40 Most Common Job Interview Questions
- Tell me a little about yourself
- What do you know about the company?
- Why are you interested in this job?
- Why should we hire you?
- What are your strengths?
- What are your weaknesses?
- What are your short-term and long-term goals?
- Why do you want to leave your current company?
- What are three things your former manager would like you to improve on?
- Are you willing to relocate?
- Are you willing to travel?
- Tell me about your biggest professional achievement
- Tell me about a challenge or conflict you’ve faced at work, and how you dealt with it.
- What are you looking for in a new position?
- How would your boss and co-workers describe you?
- Can you explain why you changed career paths?
- What’s your dream job?
- How do you deal with pressure or stressful situations?
- What are your salary requirements (or expected salary)?
- What do you like to do outside of work?
- Tell me about a time you made a mistake
- What would you look to accomplish in the first 30, 60 & 90 days on the job?
- How did you hear about this position?
- Discuss your educational background
- Why are you looking for a new job?
- Would you work holidays/weekends?
- Who are our competitors?
- What was your biggest failure?
- What motivates you?
- What’s your current salary?
- Tell me about a time when you disagreed with your boss
- What makes you uncomfortable?
- What are some of your leadership experiences?
- What questions do you have for me?
- How soon can you join?
- What were your responsibilities?
- What did you like or dislike about your previous job?
- How do you evaluate success?
- What values and expertise would you bring to this company?
- Are you single or married?
So, those were the most common 40 interview questions as per Glassdoor, Business Daily, The Muse, Undercover Recruiter, Forbes, Business Insider, LifeHack and The Balance. On a personal note, I am not a big fan of the Question Numbers 30 & 40. I have been interviewed for job positions based in UK, Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Australia, China, Singapore etc., and never faced those two questions. However, almost all of the Indian recruiters or hiring managers did raise those questions. So, you better practice those two questions as well.
Guidance on Interview Preparation
If you are unsure of the best possible answer for any of the above questions or need any guidance and/or tips on interview preparation, join the Stoodnt Webinar on Interview Prep on 13th June at 8:00 PM (IST). This webinar will cover all the basics of Interview Preparation – how and what you should prepare, do’s and don’ts during any interview, practical assignments to help guide you, and much more.
You will Discover:
- Basic Structure of an Interview
- Finding Stories, Achievements & Data from Own Life that Showcase The Best
- Communication Tips that Convince the Interviewer
- Most Common and Important Interview Questions
- How to ‘Sell Yourself’ in Any Job Interview
- How to Stay Calm and Confident during an Interview
The webinar will be presented by Richa Saklani. She is an IIM-A alumnus. She has worked across Banking & Finance, Media, Education, and other sectors. Being an accredited MBTI Trainer, she has worked extensively in corporate training with Google, Microsoft, Tata Teleservices, Fortis, Abbott, Indus Towers, EY among others. She has also worked in placement training with Ashoka University, SOIL, Infiniti and several other business schools.