What Are The 7 Most Common Interview Questions And Answers?

While interviewers can come up with entirely new questions, you should at least be prepared for the ones that are most likely to be asked

In an interview, it is relatively easy to describe your past experience and skills. However, there can be questions that are not so easy to answer. Rather than being overconfident, it is better to prepare and practice for these tougher interview questions. Let’s take a look at how to answer these common, yet not so easy interview questions.

What are the 7 most common interview questions and answers?

1). Tell me about yourself?

If you have not prepared to answer this question, you may go in any direction. Some people end up talking about their personal life, which can create a bad impression on the interviewer. While the question may seem like an inquiry into your personal life, the interviewer is actually solely interested in your career path. This question also aims to understand how well you can express yourself. Communication is an important skill to have in an organization, since you will be interacting with various professionals and teams. Focus on explaining your current roles and responsibilities and highlight some of your recent career achievements.

2). What are your greatest strengths?

This can again be tricky, since you may end up describing strengths that are not relevant for the job you are applying for. Focus on describing strengths that can be linked to the roles and responsibilities of the job being offered. For example, you can talk about your problem solving skills and give some examples for that from your earlier job.

3). What is your biggest weakness?

With this question, the interviewer is trying to understand how self-aware you are. This in turn will reveal if you are ready for personal improvement. Believing that you are already perfect is likely to create a bad impression. You should also not speak highly negatively about your weakness. Instead, choose a weakness that is not the core requirement for the job. Also explain that you are taking steps to fix this weakness.

4). Why do you want to work here?

This question assesses how interested you really are for the job being offered. If you just dropped in for the interview without any preparation, you are unlikely to be chosen. For this question, you have to do some research on the company. You can mention the things you like about the company, which has prompted you to apply for this job. You can also link the answer to your career aspirations and skills.

5). Tell me about a time you faced a conflict or a challenge at work

This question tries to assess your behavioral approach to dealing with tough situations. There can be various challenging situations while working in an organization. You have to behave within limits, even when the situation could be extremely tough. With this question, the interviewer can get a basic idea about your future performance. They can analyze your emotional intelligence and problem solving approach. Answer this question with an example related to your work. Avoid mentioning interpersonal conflicts unless specifically asked.

6). Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

The reality is that very few candidates have a predefined plan of where they want to be in 5 years. However, the answer to this question should be clear and demonstrate your ambitions. You also have to be realistic and avoid saying things like you want to be a CEO or start your own company. Link your answer to potential opportunities that the company may offer you in the next 5 years.

7). Do you have any questions for me?

This question aims to check your interest or the lack of it in the job you have applied for. It is also a way to check your engagement levels and curiosity. You can ask more details of the job role being offered. You can talk a bit about the potential challenges you could face so that you can prepare for it in advance. Avoid questions related to salary, benefits, vacations, etc. You can ask these later to the HR.