Interview Questions and ready answers (Examples)
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Check out the list of the most frequently asked questions in an interview and don’t be surprised! See ready-made answers to make a good impression on your future employer.
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Interview is the most stressful time of recruitment. Imagine sitting in the room with a director, manager and HR representative. So far, the conversation goes pretty well. And then the question is asked: How many times a day do clock hands overlap?
You are completely surprised. You try to make calculations in your head, but you go blank due to stress. You end up shooting. Unfortunately, you didn’t hit.
You wouldn’t have any problem answering this question if you had read this article beforehand. Recruiters admit that 9 out of 10 candidates fail in an interview because they are unable to skillfully answer even the most common questions. However, you will soon gain an advantage over 90% of competitors.
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In this article, you will learn the most common questions in an interview and the best answers to help you get your dream job!
- you will learn what are the most frequently asked questions in an interview
- you will know the best answers, thanks to which you will positively surprise the employer
- you will learn for what purpose the recruiter asks specific questions
- you will see examples of difficult and even strange recruitment questions (and you will learn how to answer them)
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Frequently asked questions in an interview. How do I respond to them?
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Below you will find a list of the ones asked most often. You will also learn why the employer asks a specific question and what answer will impress him well.
Employers don’t have time to invent unique questions for an interview for each candidate.
They typically use a scenario that matches a specific position. They also asks questions referring to the content of your CV. In addition, each recruiter has a pool of general recruitment questions that each candidate asks.
How do I respond in an interview? First of all, try to be honest and not to lie to the employer. Exaggerated bragging mostly quickly comes to light. When you tell about your skills and experiences, try to refer to the requirements described in the job offer. Avoid generalities, support your statement with specific examples of success espoused and resolved issues with numbers. Do not avoid answering questions, even if you are not sure if you are right. Be open, kind and smiling. Show your enthusiasm for your employer to see that you care about your position.
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Interview – questions and answers:
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1. What do you know about our company?
You can be sure of this question! In theory, all candidates know this, but only a handful can prepare for it. Many of them say they have not found time for research. This answer actually deletes you because it suggests that you don’t care about your position.
Why is this question asked? There are still candidates who do not bother to check basic information about the company and the chosen position. You might as well save yourself extra effort and not go to a conversation at all. If you don’t know what your business is doing, you’re significantly reducing your employability. This way you show your employer that you don’t care about your position and suggest that you won’t be doing your job as well.
How do I respond? The ideal candidate knows what the company is doing and is aware of what he will be able to offer himself. Think about your experience and skills in the context of the position you’re applying for. In an interview, prove how much you can offer if you are hired. Show how you can help your business. Just take a moment to get acquainted with your business page, Facebook or LinkedIn profile before the interview. Learn about business goals and values.
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2. Why should we hire you? / What distinguishes you from other candidates?
This question has many forms and you will definitely hear them in an interview. The employer may ask, for example, “What are your strengths”, “What you can bring to your business” or “Why are you the right candidate for this position”.
Why is this question asked? Recruiters ask this question to see if you are aware of your market value. By responding to them, you can show your knowledge of the industry and the specifics of your job. If you are convinced of your worth, the answer to this question will definitely go well.
How do I respond? For this question in an interview, be sure to prepare in advance. Consider what unique perks you have and, instead of enumerating them, describe it in specific examples. Try to speak about your advantages related to your job requirements. Consider why you are the perfect candidate for a specific position. Enter 2-3 arguments, and each of them, support with an example, e.g. from your previous job.
Read the job offer again before the interview. Focus on requirements and responsibilities. The most important will be at the top of the list. Mark them and consider what skills and professional achievements you have related to the requirements in the announcement.
Tips for Answering this question in an interview, mention:
- employee awards
- improvements you have made to
- implemented projects
- received promotions
- money earned or saved for the company
- acquired customers
- campaigns carried out
Get ready and think about the achievements you’re proud of. Then learn to talk about them. Use measurable data whenever possible. The numbers and percentages convince the most. Just be careful not to reveal confidential information about your current employer.
What sounds better for an employer in an interview for a salesperson?
I acquired customers and did sales of the company’s products.
Or maybe?
Over the course of 18 months, I acquired more than 20 key customers and made sales on average 17% above the plan.
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3. Why do you want to change jobs?
Why is this question asked? In the comments, you often ask why these questions are used in an interview. Does each of you want to change jobs just to have the money necessary to live and live at a decent level? Do you always leave your job just because you don’t get along with your superiors? The employer is looking for a person who likes his work and wants to develop in this direction. It is known that the employee involved will perform duties much better than the one for whom the only motivation is money.
How do I respond? You can answer that you needed a promotion, and the previous company, despite the great atmosphere, for now can not offer it to you. You can also answer that you need more responsibilities in a given area, you want to explore another industry or gain new skills. Don’t tell about the background of leaving your previous job and don’t complain about your former employers. Focus only on the positives!
Remember that an experienced recruiter will easily sense that the candidate is speaking the truth.
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4. Why do you want to work in our company? / Why are you applying for this position?
Why is this question asked? The employer thus tries to find out if you really care about the position and have chosen the offer consciously. No one wants the employee to be guided only by the salary and that he just has to work somewhere. Employers value the most people for whom work is passionate, want to grow and tie with the company for more than 2-3 years.
How do I respond? Before interviewing, read the company’s information and position description carefully. Choose items that connect to your interests or are related to your experience and skills. This will allow you to explain specifically why you think you’re going to be great in a new workplace. For example, if you want to use the going for an interview with Samsung, mention that you are interested in new technologies and want to get to know this industry from the inside.
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5. How did cooperation with previous superiors work?
Why is this question asked? In any work, there are many difficult moments. Valuable employees can cooperate even when their opinion differs from their superiors. Recruiters are investigating what attitude you have to authorities and whether you can work to achieve your goals, not just your own.
How do I respond? Don’t mention that your boss was incompetent. You’ll be much better off if you give an example of how you’ve been able to work out a new solution despite your disagreement. Show how you overcome difficulties instead of focusing on them!
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6. Say something about yourself
Why is this question asked? “It’s a stupid question in an interview that recruiters ask when they don’t know what to ask at the moment.” Are you sure? Contrary to appearances, this simple question may include the intention to check the candidate’s self-representation. You should be able to tell about yourself in a few meaningful sentences. Candidates aware of their own value can do so and interest others with their own persona.
How do I respond? Don’t focus on private issues or what you did over the weekend. Unless it was something fascinating and can show your passion. Speak about your accomplishments in a few sentences. Show what your company will gain by hiring you. Think about your strongest character traits and how they helped you work. Finally, mention what you are interested in and what your passions are. Practice the answer to this question with some friends or family and ask for a sincere opinion about how you look.
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7. What motivates you to work?
Why is this question of motivation asked? Recruiters like to talk to people worth investing in. The employment of a new employee must pay off for the company, which is why it is so important to emphasize the desire for professional development.
How do I respond? Show that you can perform tasks with satisfaction and enthusiasm. You may mention that you are motivated by ambitious tasks. It can motivate you to succeed and recognize your projects. Whatever you choose to answer, make sure it’s consistent with the rest of your speech. Example: One of the candidates at an interview in a bank, stated that customer satisfaction was the most important thing for him. Moments later, when he answered another question, he mentioned that he did not like to answer a large number of emails from customers. Unfortunately, at this point, he lost a lot of credibility.
Can you say that your motivation for work is money? Proper pay is important because it helps you feel safe and pursue passions. You can subtly emphasize that rewards are important to you. Then it will be easier for you to negotiate the rate if you get a job offer.
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8. What is your dream job?
Why is this question asked? For a recruiter, this is one of the easiest ways to see if you are the right and committed candidate. Note that you are actually indirectly answering the question of whether you will be a satisfied employee in a given position. Imagine what an impression a candidate for the position of assistant, who mentions that she loves creative tasks and hates the so-called paperwork.
How do I respond? Few candidates can determine what they would like to achieve in their professional lives. Have you ever compiled a list of employers and the positions you would like to work on? Think about what gives you the most professional satisfaction. When we look for a job, we often accept proposals far from ideal. However, it is worth knowing where we would really like to work. In the long term, such work should always be pursued. If you want to go out well on the conversation, try to make sure that the description of your dream work is to some extent related to the position you are applying for.
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9. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? / What are your career goals?
Why is this question asked? The recruiter checks that you do not jump from one job to another, and whether you make hasty decisions.
How do I respond? Think of your professional life as a path that brings you to perfect work. If you start working with the vision of the end, you can steadfastly pursue your goal and be more motivated. Create a plan for your development. If you already have a career map, you can tell about it by referring to the position.
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10. What are your strengths?
Why is this question asked? The question shows whether you are aware of your strengths and whether you can use them effectively. The employer also checks whether you know your value.
How do I respond? If you’re talking about advantages, be sure to provide examples of behaviours and achievements that confirm a particular trait. Never give an example of a trait that you cannot support by example. Do you know how embarrassing a candidate who talks about himself as “creative, easily adapts to change and effectively works under time pressure”, and then can’t give a single example of a situation where he has shown creativity?
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11. What do you think your greatest success? / What is your greatest professional achievement?
Why is this question asked? Recruiters are impressed by candidates who can tell about the achievements they are proud of. Remember that talking about facts is not a brag. Employees who can strive for and enjoy success are always positively received. The employer is looking for exactly such candidates.
How do I respond? Be sure to prepare an answer to this question in advance and recall specific examples. Ideally, achievements are related to the responsibilities you are applying for. Mention: employee rewards, improvements, promotions, money earned for the company, acquired customers, campaigns conducted, and everything that can help you show in a positive light.
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12. Who do you like to work with? Do you work effectively in a team?
Many candidates do not expect this question in an interview.
Many people say they like to work with people like them. What if there are no such people in the group?
Why is this question asked? Such questions in the interview check whether you fit well into the new team. Depending on your new position, you’ll have to take on the role of leader, team member, or smooth enforcer who sets and achieves your own goals.
How do I respond? Consider what role you will play in your business and support your response with convincing examples from your experience so far. If your future position requires you to be involved in working with other employees, don’t mention that you like to do the job yourself.
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13. How much would you like to earn? / What are your financial expectations?
Why is this question asked? You can be almost sure about this question in an interview. Your employer must determine whether you agree to work at the proposed rate and whether it will be satisfactory for you. If you specify too low an amount, it will be more difficult to negotiate your salary later. If the rate is too high, there is a chance that the employer will choose to hire a cheaper candidate.
How do I respond? Few candidates can speak openly about their financial expectations. Questions about earnings in interviews often involve an awkward atmosphere and embarrassment to the candidate.
The question may also be: “What salary are you worth?”, or “How much do you earn now?” This is an important question. Treat this demand wrongly and the offer can be wiped off the table immediately, or you’re just going to work for much less than you might have gotten.
Never bring the salary to the table first. Let your interlocutor do that first. Good sellers first praise their value before talking about the price. So you also need to apply this method. Make sure the interviewer wants you first and your negotiating position will be much stronger.
If your interviewer raises the salary early in the conversation, even before you’ve had a chance to create a desire for your qualifications, ask the question by saying something like: “Money is important to me, but it’s not my primary concern. Opportunity and growth are much more important. What I’d rather do, if you don’t mind, to see to what extent I’m the right person for this position. Then we’ll talk about money. Do you like this?”
The number 1 rule of the negotiations is: the side with more information wins. The trick is to make sure the employer is to talk about what he is willing to pay, before you indicate what amount you might accept. So if you’re asked about the salary, respond by asking, “I’m sure the company has already set a salary for this position. Can you tell me what that is?” Or: “I want an income that is consistent with my attributes and skills. I trust you to be honest with me, how much does this position normally pay?”
Know in advance what amount you would accept. To know what is reasonable, do preliminary research on the labour market and this position for relevant salary data. Never lie about the salary you currently earn.
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14. Where else did you apply? / How many recruitment processes did you participate in?
Why is this question asked? It’s quite a tricky question in an interview. The recruiter is not curious to which companies you have sent a CV to. You can meticulously build the impression of a consistent employee, and then ruin this image with an answer that will show that you are desperately looking for a job in a position that suits your experience.
This is also often a very pragmatic question. If you are taking part in other recruitment processes but have liked your employer, you will know that the decision about your employment must be made more quickly. Remember, not every question must be a trap!
How do I respond? It’s best if you honestly say where else you’re applying. Unless you send your CV en masse for completely different jobs. Then it is better to tell only about similar positions in a given industry. Show that your job search method is not a coincidence and that you have an idea that you consistently implement.
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15. What are your weaknesses and the biggest drawbacks? What was your biggest failure?
Why is this question asked? In this way, the employer checks whether you know your weaknesses and disadvantages and try to work on them. There are no perfect employees, the recruiter knows this well, but it’s important that the candidate knows what elements he wants to improve.
How do I respond? Do you know how candidates answer this question most often in an interview? “I am a workaholic or I am a perfectionist.” If you want to make a good impression, do not repeat this mostly used statements. So how do you answer the question of weaknesses?
You can start by saying that “the features you’re constantly developing are…..”. Try to show that these are not your flaws, but the challenges you take.
But don’t mention the disadvantages that prevent work in your industry. Make a list of your weaknesses and tell the ones you’re best about.
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16. What are you interested in?
Why is this question asked? This question allows your employer to know you better than a private website. In this way, the recruiter can assess whether you will find yourself well in the team and find a common language with other employees. In addition, employers value people who combine work with passion. Such employees are more engaged and are more satisfied with their duties.
How do I respond? First of all, be honest, do not invent exceptionally original interests. Please note that your employer can ask additional questions. For example, if you say you’re interested in cinema, you should be able to answer a question about what video you’ve watched recently and be able to express your opinion about it. If you have an interest in the industry and the position you want to work on, be sure to mention it!