Whenever you apply for a job, you are called for an interview to find out if you are a fit candidate for the job or not. Interviews can be one of the scariest situations for some people. It is a situation where everything about you is observed and whatever you say and do, makes a difference. Everybody is nervous about their first interview. But then with time and experience, they gain some confidence. There is one thing you need to keep in mind, be well prepared for the interview so that you are not spellbound when you are asked any question. Here, let’s know some Disappointments like Top Interview Questions.
Many basic questions are usually asked during the interviews but some may be different and unique to evaluate different traits within you. It completely depends on the interviewers and the company’s needs. Also, keep in mind that you have to answer the questions in such a way that reflects why you are the best candidate out there to get hired. So through every question, reflect on what is useful about you. Not only qualifications and experience but attitude too is a significant factor to determine if you are fit for the job or not.
Let us begin by answering some basic yet important questions.
- “Tell me/us about yourself”
Try keeping it short but impressive. Be prepared for this answer. You must know well about yourself and know what to tell and what not to tell about yourself. They are not much interested in knowing your personal life or favorite color. They want to know what your passion is, what your interests are.
- “Would you mind to run me through your CV?”
Here the recruiter is going to analyze your personality and traits. Grab this opportunity to flaunt your communication skills, confidence, and passion for work or your interests.
- “What are your strengths?”
Conveying the right description of yourself is a critical task here. Let them know how your strengths helped you overcome your problems, or how your strengths help you to make decisions and how well you function due to them.
- “What are your weaknesses?”
Here you need to express how you identify your weakness, accept it, and work on it. Do not sound submissive or negative about yourself. Tell what you think is a hindrance in your performance and what you are doing to overcome it. This will show the willingness to improve.
- “Where do you see yourself in five years?”
The question would be either this or the interviewer may ask what your short-term and long-term goals are. Do not mess it up by showing your overconfidence in front of the interviewers by saying that you will be the boss of the company. That is impractical and absurd. Answer this question by explaining how much you will grow on a professional level and how much you will learn and achieve. Do not forget to stay polite during the interview.
Do not be blank too. It will show that you have no farsightedness and no plans or expectations for the future. Show how you are expecting to grow and cause the growth of the company you will be working in.
- “What do you know about our company/brand/institution?”
This is a question that must be prepared before the interview. It can’t be stressed enough how important it is to prepare for this question. Imagine what impact you would leave if you are applying for a job in a company you have no clue about. Seems unprofessional right? And this is not something you can make up on the spot because the interviewers of course know well about their company.
Knowing about the company shows how serious you are about this job. Do your research well for this. Know what they are known for. What awards the company may have won or what are some of its achievements. This is of great help.
- “How well do you handle change?”
The functioning of a company might not necessarily be smooth and just of one type. It needs to change according to the need and the efficiency. As change is inevitable, it the essential for the hirers to know if they can handle changes well and will not degrade your performance in different circumstances. Give an example of how flexible you are or have been in the past to let the interviewers know better.
- “How well do you work under pressure?”
As the company wants someone who can have a greater workload and greater responsibilities, they would want to know if you can manage the level of stress or you will panic. Therefore let them know if you can handle the stress or share how have you managed things in your past stressful situations.
- “How do you make important decisions?”
Let the interviewers know how you are going to think and analyze situations before making any decisions. You may include that you will take some advice from others and then think over it to get to a decision.
- “Why is this job important to you? Or why do you want this job?”
This is something we all know that the interviewer might ask during the interview. Let them know what made you apply for this job. What job description or responsibility of the said job opportunity fascinated you to apply for the job. Do not reply in any cliches. The interviewers have heard them a lot. With thorough research about the company and the job position, let them know what appeals to you.
- “Tell me what challenges you have faced in the past.”
This is a question that helps the interviewers determine your management and problem-solving skills. This will help them know how you actually work under pressure or how to think while being under stress. Do not frame it emotionally and sound personal. Describe the challenge and tell what you learned and how you overcame the challenge.
Telling them that now whomever you see someone in the same situation, you always help them out will show your concern for the people around you and leave a good expression.
- “Is there anything you want to know or want to ask?”
By this question, the hirer wants to know how interested you are to have the job opening. But this does not mean that you ask them questions about the salary or what benefits you may get. Ask some questions related to the responsibilities and roles of the job. This shows your interest and curiosity towards it. You may even ask about the company, for example, its culture, environment, etc.
- “Why should we hire you?”
This is a very important question.
- “How much salary are you expecting?”
Firstly, it is important to remember that you must never ask this question. Let the interviewer come up to it. Do not just give straight figures while answering this question. Keep it indirect regarding the money and lay stress on the other things like the skills you will be learning, the work environment you will be in, etc.
For a safer side, while researching about the company and the job profile, do look for the salary estimates as well so that you have an idea of what is the possible pay and what accordingly you can demand. Also, start by listing your skills and the benefits of you being an employee and then state the range.
- “Why do you want to work for this company?”
Through this, let them know that you have researched the company well. Tell them what made you apply for the job and what part did the company play in it. Tell them what you think will make you highly productive through the company.
- “Are you okay with traveling?”
If you are willing to travel then let them know. Tell them if you are okay with specific cities or any city they like. If you are not okay with it, then tell that as well.
- “What keeps you motivated?”
This is an important question. Let them know how you manage to keep yourself motivated. And it should not be a money-oriented answer or an answer that shows inclined towards materialism. You may say that the opportunity to learn something new or to test your limits keeps you motivated.
- “Describe your dream job.”
Be very thoughtful while answering this question. Tell them what life goals you are going to fulfill through your dream job. How you will learn new things and have new experiences through the same. Also, tell them how you would like to contribute to the company through your dream job.
- “Why did you leave your last job?”
Here you may tell that you believe you have more potential and would like to grab more opportunities for self-development.
- “Do you have any prior experience in this field?”
You may tell them about the projects you have worked on before. If you are a fresher, you may let them know what all knowledge you have about it.
- “What do your colleagues think/say about you?
This is a good opportunity for you to tell them how impressed your coworkers are with some specific skills you have and how you helped them to get their work done. This shows that you are not just good at your work, but also help others to bring in their full potential.
- “Are you good at working in a team?”
This is an essential question. You will not always have your individual tasks. There might be several occasions when you will be needed to work as a team where all the tasks would be divided to attain a specific goal. That is why you need to be a team player and have those social skills to work together efficiently. Being rigid will not help the team to work. Therefore one must be flexible as well as creative to work well with a team.
- “What kind of temperament do you keep for work?”
This is to understand your philosophy or the way of thinking towards your work. Tell them what are principles you believe in and practice in your work life. This way they would be able to know if you are the best fit for the company.
- “How have you grown from your mistakes?”
Nobody is perfect. It is okay to make mistakes. What is important is that you learn from your mistakes and do not repeat them. Taking the right preventive measures is essential. Let the interviewers know what you learned from your past mistakes and how you avoid them now.
- “Tell us about your management style.”
This is a crucial question that tells if you are disciplined and organized or not. It is important for them to know if you are someone who completes his tasks on time or not. And what strategies you use for yourself to become efficient and productive.
- “Why do you think you are fit for the job?”
Answer this by telling them how you think you are an apt candidate and how your skills are best suited to be used for this job.
- “Do you mind working overtime? Are you okay with working on nightshifts or weekends?”
It is not like you have you work overtime every day. You can welcome this opportunity without any issues. Extra hours of work bring extra benefits and learning. So do keep that in mind and then answer the questions.
- “Do you have any other plans if you do not get this job?”
You need to show that yes you will not get demotivated if you do not get a job here. Tell them that you will continue looking for other job opportunities.
- “What have you been doing for the development of your skills lately?”
This is an essential question as they will know if you keep upgrading your skills or not. Upgrading your skills is something important to have good growth in your profession and be a preference.
- “How long do you plan to work with us if you are hired?”
Do not say that you will work for a year to get an experience and then switch to a more renowned company or a company that offers you more benefits. This is very unprofessional and unlikely. But yes you need to express that you expect to have fair growth opportunities while working for the company.
Therefore, answer this question by saying how you are willing to be in this company as long as you attain all the growth and opportunities you can have.
- “How may we know that you will be an asset to the company?”
Tell the interviewers how your skills will work as an asset for the company and how well versed you are with the responsibilities or the aspects of the particular field you work in. also mention yoYOu ur soft skills such as time management, discipline, etc that will show how willing and worthy you are to get this job opportunity.
- “Did you ever have any problem with your supervisor or manager?”
If you ever had such an incident, make sure to put it professionally in a polite tone. Do not say anything negative about the company you were working with or any of your seniors who have worked with. If you did not have any problem then simply say that you do not remember if you have ever had such an incident.
- “Tell us any disappointing incident you have had at work.”
You may share how you did not like when you were not given some opportunities to work when you could have performed well. This will show that your disappointments are regarding the opportunities you miss and not something non-serious. This will also show that you do not get disturbed by little things.
- “If you were the hirer, what would you look in the candidate?”
Do not simply describe yourself. They know you might do that. But let them know that you want someone with the skills and qualifications that are required. You may also pinpoint some specific trait or skill you may want the candidate to have and the reason for how you will utilize the same.
- “What role would you be playing as a team player?”
Let them know how what roles you may play on the basis of your hard and soft skills. For example, you may have good management skills so you can work as a team member who allots everybody their tasks. Do mention that every role in a team is important and it will be an advantage if you can play different roles like that of assistance, communicator, leader, etc.
- “What was the most difficult decision you ever had to make?”
Questions like these are asked to see your analytical skills and thought process to come to a decision. Let the hirers know how you evaluate all the pros and cons, maybe take advice from others, and them think of it and come to a decision.
- “Are you ready to make sacrifices for our company?”
Here you may say that you will do your best and give your hundred percent to the company. You can tell how well you handle your work-life balance. Do not sound overdramatic saying you would do anything for the company, etc. Be practical while answering, and remember to stay polite.
- “What qualities do you look for in your boss?”
You may say that you want a boss you may be able to relate with you and understand your concerns. Someone who is open to new ideas and trying different things. And someone who treats everybody well and equally is something is an important trait.
- “Are there any workers in this company whom you already know?”
This is a normal question and does not require much thinking. Let them know if there is or is not anyone whom you already know.
- “Have you applied to any other companies as well?”
You might think why are the hirers asking you this question? How would it do any good to them? They want to know how eager you are to get this job. As they receive numerous applications and conduct numerous interviews, they also see who is more eager and promising to be appointed for the job opening. If you have applied somewhere else as well, then they will make a decision quicker if they want to hire you for the job.
You may share that you have applied to other companies as well and have given the interviews as well, but you were eager for this specific interview because this job profile is something you might perform well in.
If you have not applied to any other company yet, then you may frame your answer in a way that shows that you have just started your job hunt and this is the first interview and that you have been keeping records of the other openings too but have not applied because what you wanted in your job was offered here itself presently.
- “Ever had an experience in working for a job you did not like?”
If you have not, then simply put it this way. ‘ I have always loved what I do. Everything I have done has helped me learn something or the other.’ If you have worked in something you did not like, mention it but then mention what all benefits you got from it.
- “Would you rather be liked or feared by others?”
The answer to this question shows how you would want people to be around you and how you treat them. Do you treat them good so that they like you or do you dominate and overpower them to use your power? This is essential to know about your behavior with others.
- “What can be a challenging trait about you to work with?”
This can be an equivalent question to “What are your weaknesses?” so you can answer this question in the same way. You may share what might come as a challenge to your coworkers, for example, you might become too passionate while working and make people stay for longer to get the work done under the deadline. Now, this might sound like a weakness but the behavior here is justifiable as well.
- “What do you prefer, money or job satisfaction?”
If money is your answer, then the hirers would think that you have no willingness to contribute to the company and may not find you the best fit. Because this means that the only motivation you have to work is money. If a person is more concerned about his/her job, then he/she also uses the skills and talents to perform better and become a company’s asset and that is what the company is looking for. So you know how you have to answer this question now.
- “What is your coping mechanism to stress?”
This is an essential question to know how you may deal with stressful situations. You can say that you take a break, think over the situation by analyzing its pros and cons and then handle the situation. This shows that you know how to handle yourself and the situation, both.
- “What part of work do you enjoy the most?”
This shows your interest in the roles and responsibilities of the job. Whether you are going to do the work with utmost attention and interest or not. Because only with interest can one devote themselves well into their work.
- “Do you think that you are the best fit for this job?”
This is a tricky question. Do not sound too overconfident. Be as polite as you can. Show them how you count on your skills and feel that you will be an apt candidate and how much the responsibilities under the job opening intrigue you.
- “What kind of job environment are you expecting?”
You may let them know how you would like to uplift yourself with an uplifting environment of the company and how you expect to learn more from the company and its workers. Show that you do expect something from the company too and that you are not unconcerned about your personal growth too.
- “Why did you leave your last job?”
Express it to them that though you have left your previous job, you are willing to stay here as long as you learn and grow. You may say that you did not feel that you got enough opportunities and this is why you decided to switch.
- “What salary are you expecting from us?”
Now, this may sound like a direct question, but you have to answer wisely. Start with the roles and responsibilities you have managed before and the skills you have. Then mention your previous pay and then tell them how much raise you expect to have from them. This way you validate your expectation of the raise.
Conclusion
Keep in mind to prepare for your interviews beforehand and not just the night before. You must also reach the place on time, rather reach half an hour early just to make sure that nothing goes wrong and if something does, then you must have enough time to fix that. Do not overwork the night before, have some good rest so that you are fresh and prepared for the interview, and do not appear for it half-awake.
Giving examples is a very good point as, firstly, it helps the interviewers examine you better, secondly it shows how observant and analytic you are to use your presence of mind and evaluate your situations to know yourself better. Remember to be presentable, formal, confident, and polite. With these points in mind, you are ready to crack the interview!
