Top 10 Most Common Interview Questions Part 1

Interview Coming up?

Looking for a Top 10 list of interview questions?  Well here you go!  If you have an interview coming up – be sure to have an answer prepared for these questions as you will most likely encounter all or many of them during the interview.

1. What interests you about this job?
2. What do you know about this company/this position?
3. Tell me about your Strengths.
4. Tell me about your Weaknesses.
5. Where would you like to see yourself in 5 years?

Let’s do Some More Thinking…

1. What interests you about this job?

   Do your homework, review the job ad and think about what compelled you to apply.  Is it because you see a good match between your experience and goals?  What is it?

2. What do you know about this company/job?

   Research the company and be able to speak intelligently about it.  Remember key facts – this shows that you have done your research and indeed are interested in the company.   Have a clear picture of what the job entails from whatever information you have available to you.

3. Tell me about your strengths.

   This is where you want to do your best to talk about a few strengths that directly relate to the job itself – meaning some key words directly from their job ad.  e. if they are looking for someone with experience in project management – you want to ensure to list project management as a strength if indeed it is.

4. Tell me about your weaknesses.

   This is a tough one for many as we don’t want to shoot ourselves in the foot, but we still need to answer their question.  Typically I advise people to come up with an answer that is a positive but still answers the question, so for example… “I tend to be a perfectionist and sometimes have to remind myself that it is time to move to the next task.” Or something to that effect.

5. Where would you like to see yourself in 5 years?

   By this question, they want to see that a) you have a goal in mind and b) that that goal is something that the company can actually provide if you are qualified for that role down the road.  If the goal is so over-the-top, and there is no way they could provide this, they know that you most likely will leave the company shortly down the line.

Preparation is Key

Being prepared for the interview is key – knowing what to expect in terms of the most common questions gives you an edge.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of our Top 10 Interview Questions in our next Blog.

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