Wouldn’t it be great if you knew exactly what questions a hiring manager would be asking you in your interview?
1. Tell me about yourself?
This is the most famous question for an interviewer and also most difficult to answer this question for the candidate. This question puts all the pressure on the candidate, and the interviewer relax.
Why Interviewers Ask It
As with any interview question, the key to crafting an impressive answer is understanding why people are asking in the first place.
There are plenty of times when you’ll hear these exact words: “Tell me about yourself.” But interviewers might have their own versions of the prompt that are asking pretty much the same thing, including:
- I have your resume in front of me but tell me more about yourself.
- Walk me through your experiences.
- I’d love to hear more about your journey.
- Tell me a little bit more about your background.
2) Why should we hire you?
You’re funny. You’re smart. You’re a hard worker.
You’re a multi-lingual, multi-talented, able to juggle-ten-things-at-one-time, never-gets-tired, won’t-back-down-from-a-challenge, outside of the box thinker who is ready to tackle the world. When it comes down to it, you’re the best person you know.
So why is it when an employer asks you in the middle of an interview “Why should we hire you?” you suddenly go all deer-in-the-headlights and blank?
Don’t worry. We all do.
5 Tips For Answering Why Should We Hire You?
- “Tailor” Your Answer
- Research the Heck Out of the Company!
- What You Have That Others Don’t
- Solve a Problem
- Create a Pitch and Practice
3) What are your strengths & Weakness?
If you’ve ever been asked the question “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” in a job interview, you probably immediately noticed your heart racing. How do I say what I’m not good at without looking terrible and say what I am good at without bragging? Yep, this is a toughie. But there’s a secret formula that can help you succeed: Emphasize a positive quality or skill that’s needed for the job, and minimize—but be truthful about—the negatives.
So what is the best way to answer this common interview question?
Assessing your weaknesses
Let’s get the hard part out of the way first—your weaknesses. This is probably the most dreaded part of the question. Everyone has weaknesses, but who wants to admit to them, especially in an interview?
Some examples of weaknesses you might mention include:
- Being too critical of yourself
- Attempting to please everyone
- Being unfamiliar with the latest software
The best way to handle this question is to minimize the trait and emphasize the positive. Select a trait and come up with a solution to overcome your weakness. Stay away from personal qualities and concentrate more on professional traits. For example: “I pride myself on being a ‘big-picture’ guy. I have to admit I sometimes miss small details, but I always make sure I have someone who is detail-oriented on my team.”
Assessing your strengths
When it comes time to toot your own horn, you need to be specific. Assess your skills to identify your strengths. This is an exercise worth doing before any interview. Make a list of your skills, dividing them into three categories:
- Knowledge-based skills: Acquired from education and experience (e.g., computer skills, languages, degrees, training and technical ability).
- Transferable skills: Your portable skills that you take from job to job (e.g., communication and people skills, analytical problem solving and planning skills)
- Personal traits: Your unique qualities (e.g., dependable, flexible, friendly, hard working, expressive, formal, punctual and being a team player).
Some examples of strengths you might mention include:
- Enthusiasm
- Trustworthiness
- Creativity
- Discipline
- Patience
- Respectfulness
- Determination
- Dedication
- Honesty
- Versatility
When you complete this list, choose three to five of those strengths that match what the employer is seeking in the job posting. Make sure you can give specific examples to demonstrate why you say that is your strength if probed further.
4)What are your salary expectations?
Even though you may have gone through a phone screening that involved answering questions about salary, the subject may come again as the interviewer becomes more interested in hiring you. At this point, the interviewer wants to know whether they can “afford you.” This is a very tricky part of the interview and could even break your chances of getting the job. Tread lightly and protect your information is the rule.
Some questions asked based on salary expectations:
- What Are Your Salary Expectations?
- What Do You Expect in the Way of Salary?
- What Salary Range Would You Require to Take This Job?
When you have that information, you will be able to assess whether this is a job where you have something to offer and what the value should be. In other words, what you deserve to be paid.
Never try to negotiate anything—until there’s an offer.
5) On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your technical abilities?
The interviewer would like to know how you rate your technical skills. Likely, they will mention specific tech skills in the job posting or job description. First, on a scale of 1-10, discuss how skilled are you in their tech requirements. Try to avoid giving yourself a 10, since nobody is perfect, and you do not want to come across as overly confident or someone who has no room for feedback and improvement. Alternately, avoid giving yourself too little credit. You do not want to paint the picture that you are a tech dud! Try to remain in the 7.5-9.5 range while staying honest and accurate. Be sure to list which programs, apps, or systems in which you shine!
These are some possible examples:
Example #1
“I rate my technical skills as a 9/10 as I will, on occasion, have times when I am not as savvy as I would like to be. My supervisor and co-workers will attest to my ability to pick up new tech very easily. I would say I’m strongest in GIS and AutoCAD.”
Example #2
“I will rate myself an eight because I value strong technical capabilities but, just like most people, I have things to learn. My strongest technical skills are in the Microsoft Office suite including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.”
Example #3
“I will rate myself an 8.5 because I consider myself tech-savvy, but not an expert. I am always striving to be better with our systems so I will take every opportunity to attend a webinar on the matter, or ask for help from a senior manager when needed. You mentioned proficiency in Red Prairie as well as SAP, which I certainly possess.”
Example #4
“Technology, social media, and apps are at the heart of what drives our projects. We have to communicate messages through technology, stay in touch with our clients and team, and always be in-the-know when it comes to the latest and greatest apps. I am exceptional when it comes to staying up to date with the latest marketing tech and will rate myself as a 9/10 and always improving.”
Example #5
“I will rate my technical skills as a 7.5/10. I am newer to my career, but I have gone through a great deal of training in handling transactions through a Point of Sale system. I plan only to become better! If you have recommendations for online training, I would love to hear them.”
Example #6
“I should not rate myself as a 10/10 because I do not believe that one can be perfect, but I am truly the most tech-savvy person that I know. I am great with all PC and Mac-related products as I use both at home, and work.”
6) What are your hobbies?
What is a hobby? A regular activity or a favorite pastime, usually done for fun. Some people make money out of their hobbies! For instance, wildlife and wedding photography or contributing articles to the newspaper can be money spinning pastimes. But that does not necessitate every hobby to bring in monetary benefits. A hobby as simple as voluntary work can also look great on a fresher’s resume.
1. First, never say no
If you’re asked, “What are your hobbies?” in a job interview, the first and most important advice is to never respond by saying “I have no hobbies”. This shows a lack of initiative and interest, little passion, and doesn’t reveal anything about your personality or capacity for cultural fit, which is precisely what hiring managers and recruiters are trying to determine.
2. Make it relevant
Whatever activities you enjoy doing in your spare time, when asked “What are your hobbies?” in a job interview, frame your answer in the context of the job and organisation you’re applying to work at.
While it’s perfectly normal that your hobbies will be distinct and different from your work, shine a light on the parts of your hobbies that show off the key technical and soft skills employers are looking for.
3. Showcase your creativity
No matter what job you’re applying for, there’s a role for creativity at every organisation. While as an administrative assistant you might not be creating brilliant imagery on Photoshop every day, creativity is a much broader and more applicable skill. It can be used in all workplaces and industries to solve problems and find innovative solutions to challenges.
4. Be a good sport
Explain how regular sport or physical activity have enabled you to work well in group situations. There are few roles out there that don’t require candidates to be exemplary at this.
Exercising regularly also improves general health and stress management capacity, reducing the chance of employee illness and longer-term burnout, making you a more attractive candidate to prospective employers.
Prepare for this question in every job interview, and when asked “What are your hobbies?” answer honestly and always relate it to the role you’re applying for. Paint a full picture of yourself as qualified, ambitious, engaged and passionate candidate, and you’ll be one step closer to success.
7) Describe Yourself In One Word?
The hiring managers want to paint a picture of who you are, who you think you are, and how well you can elaborate on a simple one-word answer.
When it comes down to it, they are looking for specific answers in your initial short answer and a subsequent longer answer. And they are looking for honesty, humbleness, and accuracy as well.
Bad (SHOULDN’T use) Example One Word Answers To “Describe Yourself In One Word”
| Intelligent | Superior |
| Perfect | Obsessive |
| Humble | Lazy |
| Selfish | Absent |
| Defensive | Late |
Best (SHOULD use) Example One Word Answers To “Describe Yourself In One Word”
| Dedicated | Exciting |
| Analytical | Productive |
| Knowledgeable | Leader |
| Dynamic | Sociable |
| Creative | Imaginative |
A good reason for the word choice will be a small working story, integration of your personality and the reason why you value the word for the work environment.
8) What makes you angry?
It can be difficult to decipher what an interview question really means. What the interviewer is actually trying to learn might not be readily apparent. However, if you recognize what is really being asked, you can focus your answer and create a strong response.
One of the most difficult questions to answer is “What makes you angry At first, it may seem like there is no correct answer. In actuality, it is important for them to know if a part of the job will frustrate you enough to affect your performance. This question is often followed by asking if a specific conflict will make you especially angry.
Points to Emphasize
Because of the sensitive and complicated nature of this question, you need to choose your words carefully. Follow these tips to provide a strong response.
- Be honest. They are asking for a reason and you are not doing yourself any favors by just saying nothing angers you. They will assume you are just being polite or telling them what they want to hear.
- That being said, you should downplay what frustrates you. You should mention that they annoy you, but do not communicate that you cannot function in certain situations.
- It is wise to conclude by mentioning what you do to deal with your frustration and how you are able to do a good job despite getting angry.
- The best approach to this question is to remain calm, reasonable, and positive.
9) What does success mean to you?
Your interviewer might ask a question like, “How do you evaluate success?” or “How do you define success?” This is an open-ended question, without a right or wrong answer, and it provides a superb opportunity for you to demonstrate, through your answers and body language, the qualities that most employers are looking for—determination, motivation, drive, enthusiasm, and a shared collaborative vision.
The best approach to answering this question is to reference specific examples of your successes and explain the factors that contributed to your achievements. Then share how you applied what you learned from each experience to continue your professional development and generate positive results.
You could then share how you recognized each team member’s efforts and how you and your staff were able to implement the same technique with future deliverable.
10) Do you have any questions for me?
As an interview draws to a close, it’s likely that the interviewer will ask, “Do you have any questions for me?”
When you hear this query, you may groan inside, since it can feel like you’ve covered absolutely everything during the course of the interview. It’s always better to respond with a question than to politely demur. Otherwise, you could leave interviewers with the impression that you’re not engaged with the conversation, or that you’re not interested enough in the position to jump at the opportunity to learn more.
What Should You Ask?
Your questions should make it clear that you were engaged during the interview and have quickly gained a sense of the company’s goals and priorities. You can reflect back to earlier moments in the interview or build off of news within the company or its market.
Below are a few broad categories of questions that are appropriate to ask.
- Questions about the role
- Questions about the company or the interviewer
- Questions about you
What Not to Ask?
It may be an open-ended question, but that doesn’t mean any response goes. Stay away from questions on the following topics:
- Off-work activities
- The interviewer’s personal life or office gossip
- Things you could answer yourself
- Salary and benefits
- Very complicated or multi-part questions
Important :
Don’t ask too many questions; while you want to be prepared to ask one or two, take the hint and wind down your questions when interviewers begin to shuffle paper, glance at their watch, or wake up sleeping computers.
Don’t ask:
- What are some of the latest developments at your company?
- How much can I expect to earn during the first year?
- What do employees do for fun with colleagues after work?
- Do you have children? Is this a child-friendly employer?
- What are five strategic goals for the organization during the next five years?
Conclusion:
Preparation is the best way to succeed. Hope this list of some important interview questions and answers will help you to stand out in your job interview.
All the best
Team Letuscrack!
Did we miss a common interview question? Not sure how to answer behavioral interview questions? Leave a comment. We’ll be happy to reply!