Introduction:
Why Preparation is Key
As in every important event in life, preparation is key to success. This is especially true for job interviews. |
Investing time in preparing your responses to interview questions is an investment in your future career. But preparation is not just about answering questions, it’s also about being calm and relaxed during the interview.
As the saying goes: “The one who fails to prepare should prepare to fail.”
So, when should you start preparing? The answer is as soon as you receive your interview appointment, if not earlier. Actually, when you decide to find a job is a good time to start. Fine tune your preparedness as you submit your resume to particular firms.
This article lists examples of 30+ commonly asked (including tough) interview questions and provides tips to answer these questions.
First Impressions Matter
There is a popular saying: “There is never a second chance to make a first impression.” This is especially true in job interviews.
From the moment you applied for the job or posted your resume, you started selling yourself. And this process continues throughout the entire interviewing process.
Being a top performer means being prepared to respond to tough interview questions.
So how would you do that?
Tip 1: Make a Detailed Preparation
Start by analyzing the job description. Employers define a set of required competencies for the position.
During the job interview, they will ask questions aimed at finding out the competency level in the areas they require rather than simply seeking confirmation of the information contained in the resume.
Tip 2: Compare Your Competencies with the Ones Required
Get a piece of paper and a pen.
Write down which level of competencies you believe you possess and how you would answer these questions. Once complete, you will have created a comprehensive profile of yourself.
This process is an excellent way for you to focus your mind on what skills you actually have.
Tip 3: Answering the Common Interview Questions
Several frequently asked and common interview questions require logical and material words like ‘hard working,’ ‘diligent,’ and ‘professional.’
You should avoid words like ‘genius’ or ‘one of a kind’. Humility is an essential aspect to keep in mind while answering difficult interview questions.
Tip 4: Answering the Difficult Interview Questions
Practice makes perfect.
Before the interview, carry out the necessary practice to answer tough interview questions, such as the competency-based questions.
You could ask any of your friends or your family to stand in as an interviewer, or you can even practice in front of the mirror.
Tip 5: Writing Down the Answers is Another Good Idea
Writing down the answers for the job interview questions gives us a chance to perfect and enhance our answers.
Make sure that you write down the answers to the questions that might be asked and enhance them and perfect them.
Tip 6: Do Not Glorify Yourself
It’s essential to avoid glorifying yourself in job interviews.
Always make sure that your replies and information speak about you in a team or about how others have been instrumental in making your assignment possible, unless, of course, you are applying for the post of CEO of the company.
Tip 7: Be Truthful and Do Not Brag
Honesty is the best policy in job interviews.
Most interviewers will run a background check, and even the slightest lies or padding of facts will result in your resume being seen in a bad light.
Therefore, it is suggested that you always be truthful about the answers pertaining to your past job, your educational and otherwise qualifications, etc.
Examples of 22 Commonly Asked Interview Questions
Here is a list of the 22 most frequently asked interview questions. Some of these questions can be quite difficult to answer if you are unprepared.
It’s important to have a solid response to each question to make a good impression on the interviewer.
The questions are:
- Tell me about yourself.
- What interests you about this job? Why do you want this position?
- What challenges do you seek?
- Why do you want to work here?
- What do you know about this company?
- Why did you leave your last job? Or why do you want to leave your current job?
- Why should we hire you?
- Why are you the best person for the job?
- Why were you fired?
- What are your salary expectations?
- Why did you choose this career?
- What are your career plans? Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?
- What are your strengths?
- What are your weaknesses?
- Are you a team player?
- How do you handle conflicts?
- How do you handle stress?
- What do you like/dislike about your current job?
- Describe your relationships with your coworkers.
- What motivates you?
- What are your greatest achievements?
- Can you describe yourself, vis-à-vis qualities required for this position?
Examples of 12 Competency-Based Questions
Competency-based interview questions are even more challenging than typical interview questions as they require job seekers to describe employment-related situations they have experienced in the past and how they handled them effectively.
Here are examples of some competency-based interview questions:
- Describe a situation in which you had to convince others.
- Give an example of a risk you had to take. What were the circumstances that caused you to take the risk?
- Give an example of a creative solution to an unexpected situation in which your leadership skills were needed.
- Provide an example of a situation where you had to create an agreement between parties who originally differed in opinion, approach, and objectives.
- Give an example of a situation in which you had to turn down a customer request, albeit for a good reason. How did you handle the case?
- Describe a demanding situation you faced in which you managed to remain calm and composed.
- Have you had a situation in which you had to make a difficult choice between your personal and professional life? What did you learn from that experience?
- How do you persuade others to accept/listen to your ideas? What is your approach?
- Give an example of a project or initiative you initiated.
- Give an example of a case in which you anticipated problems and were able to avoid them by taking a new direction.
- Give an example of a setup goal and the actions you took to reach that goal.
- Give an example of a time when there was a heavy workload and you had to set priorities in order to complete the duties in a timely fashion.