After applying on job portals and emailing your resume to HR professionals for months, you’ve finally gotten the interview call you were waiting for. Kudos to that! You have read about the popular types of interviews and you’re all set. But wouldn’t it be nice to know of some important interview questions you’ll be asked beforehand?
We’ve done some research for you and gathered 25 of the most common interview questions that you can prepare for before your job interview.
Traditional Interview Questions
These questions are normally asked at the beginning of every interview to kickstart the conversation. It helps both parties get acquainted with each other. This gives the interviewer an opportunity to assess your strengths.
Here are some frequently asked traditional interview questions:
- Tell us about yourself
- What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
- Why should we hire you?
- Why do you want to work here?
- How did you hear about this position?
These questions help the interviewer understand if you’re the right fit for the job or if you’re genuinely interested.
How To Answer:
When answering these questions, be honest about yourself, your career background, and your skills. This will help you catch the interviewer’s interest right from the beginning. Remember, there is always more than one right answer!
Interview Questions Regarding The Job
After knowing about you, the interviewer might ask you a few questions about the job you’re interviewing for to be sure if you’re up to the task.
Here are a few common interview questions regarding the job you are applying for:
- What are your salary requirements?
- When can you start?
- What type of work environment works best for you?
- Are you willing to relocate?
- What can we expect from you in your first three months here?
Your interviewer wants to determine if your salary requirements meet their budget and whether or not you’ll be able to adjust to their work environment. If the job is in a different city, the interviewer might want to be sure if you’re willing to relocate before taking the interview any further.
How To Answer:
These interview questions are really important and how you answer them will determine if the interviewer want to take it any further. Do substantial research on the standard industry rate for the role you’re interviewing for, including your years of experience. Read the job description carefully regarding the job location and decide if you’re comfortable relocating.
Behavioural Questions To Test You
Behavioural interviews are quite popular in the corporate world. What makes this interview different from others is the questions asked in them.
Here are a few behavioural interview questions:
- What was the hardest obstacle you overcame in your last job, and how?
- Can you share an incident where you had to manage a difficult situation?
- Is there a goal that you failed to achieve? If yes, how was that experience?
- How have you handled a difficult situation with a coworker?
- Tell me about a time when you had to be creative to solve a problem.
The responses to these questions help them analyse your first-hand reaction to different workplace situations. They’re trying to see if you possess the required soft skills for the job.
Note: One major thing to remember while answering behavioural questions is that the interviewer is more interested in knowing how you handled a certain situation instead of how you will handle it in the future.
How To Answer:
The best way to prepare for this is to know what abilities your interviewer is seeking and keep a mental note of the events where you displayed those skills in your past experience. Another great way is to use the STAR interview method, as shown below.
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Interview Questions About You And Your Goals
By asking questions about your future plans, the interviewer simply wants to know about your ambitions and interests outside your professional life, and also whether you’re willing to stay with the company for the long haul.
Here are a few interview questions regarding your future plans:
- Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
- Describe your dream job.
- What do you like to do outside of work?
- What are you passionate about?
- Tell me something about yourself that’s not on your resume.
An interviewer asking questions about you and your goals is a good sign; it means they’re interested in getting to know you better.
Sometimes, you might come across an interviewer that might ask you inappropriate questions that have no correlation to the job you’re interviewing for. But fret not; you’re well within your rights to refuse any such questions.
Some examples:
- Are you planning on having children?
- Do you have any disability or illness?
- Do you plan on getting married anytime soon?
Your personal life should never be a part of your interview and you should not hesitate to let your interviewer know that.
Here’s a video that will help you tackle inappropriate interview questions.
Questions To Ask At The End
An interview is not just about the hiring manager assessing a candidate but is also the candidate’s opportunity to assess if the company is the right fit for them. Think of an interview as a conversation; an exchange of questions and answers from both sides.
Here are a few questions that you should be asking the interviewer:
- What are the next steps in this process?
- What challenges do you foresee for someone who fills in this role?
These questions will help you understand the job and the company better. Some might say that asking questions might come off as impolite, but it’s the opposite! It shows interest and curiosity, which is a trait hiring managers find impressive.
With these 25 common interview questions in your mind, you are all set to champion that job interview.
Good Luck!
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