Job Interview Questions and Answers: Know What to Expect and What to Say

Develop Excellent Answers Be enthusiastic and confident when responding to questions. Don’t rush your answers, but don’t ramble on. Avoid words: “Right?”, “you know?”, “um”.

Practice! Write your answers to the questions you anticipate. Edit your answers to make them more concise. Practice your polished answers out loud. Practice with someone.

“Tell me about yourself” Focus on both your personal and professional values. Be honest – talk about your best traits as it relates to the position. Highlight experiences and accomplishments you are most proud of. Tailor your response to the specific job.

Example: I am very confident in my abilities to do my job well. I have a passion for this line of work and that’s why I chose this profession. Being a confident and positive individual has helped me excel in all my duties. I am in pursuit of excellence in everything I do.

What do you feel has been your greatest work-related accomplishment? Choose one example from your past that was important to you and helped the company you worked for. Give specific details about what you did, how you did it, and what the results were. Pick something that relates to the job you’re applying

What is your greatest strength? Highlight your best skills. Focus on your top three or four. Examples: leadership skills, teambuilding skills, and organizational skills. Determine which strength would fit best with the position.

How do you handle stressful situations? Give some examples of stressful situations you’ve dealt with. Time management, problem-solving, making a to-do list, exercise, etc. It’s true to say, you work better under pressure.

What is the toughest problem you’ve had to face, and how did you overcome it? Make this about a problem that faced the company and not just you. Give specific examples of the skills and techniques you used to resolve this problem.

Why do you want this position? A research about the company will help you stand out among other candidates. Explain how you’ve always wanted the opportunity to work with that company. Explain how your skills and qualifications compliment the mission and vision of the company. (use specific examples).

Unexpected Questions Interview questions and answers can only be predicted and prepared for to a certain extent. There are endless variations and no way to know every question in advance. Just know there will unexpected questions. Turn it into opportunities to shine even more brightly.

Questions You Should Ask What do you enjoy most about working here? When do you expect to make your final decision? Are you still interviewing candidates? How large is the current pool of candidates? How would you describe the ideal candidate for the job? Is there anything I’ve mentioned that makes you think I’m not the right candidate for the job? Is there anything I can do to make myself a stronger candidate?

Do You Know Yourself? No one knows you better than you. Memorize a list of your best features, your best selling point. Be confident, enthusiastic, and remember to smile often.

What is your greatest weakness? State a true weakness, but emphasize what you’ve done to overcome it. Be sure the “weakness” is not a key element of the position. Example: “I’ve had trouble delegating duties because I felt I could do things better myself. In contrast, I ended up doing more than I can handle. I’ve learned effective delegation technique since then.”