COMMONLY ASKEDJOB INTERVIEW

QUESTIONS

Q1 Tell me about yourself

“Tell me about yourself” is concurrently one of the most common interview prompts and one of the most poorly answered.

This question means “give me a broad overview of who you are, professionally speaking, before we dive into specifics.” You should prepare about a one-minute answer that summarizes where you’re at in your career and what you’re especially good at, with an emphasis on your most recent job.

Keep your personal life out of it. Your interviewer isn’t asking to hear about your family, hobbies or where you grew up.

Q1 Tell me about yourself

Here’s a template for handling this one:First sentence: Your educational backgroundSecond sentence: Your work historyThird sentence: Why you are making a career change and interviewing with them now.

Let’s put it into motion:I have a strong educational foundation with a bachelor’s of science in economics from the University of Delhi and an MBA from IMT Ghazaibad.My sales and marketing work experience spans multiple industries. I spent seven years with IBM, 10 years with McKesson, and the most recently five years with Verizon.I am interested in expanding my career into international marketing and I am very interested in the global marketing role we are discussing today.

After you make your three statements, stop talking, smile, and let the interviewer ask the next question.

Q1 Tell me about yourself

Here are the two most common fears people have with this recommendation:

“I’m afraid I’ll sound scripted.” First, you won’t. Second, that problem beats the opposite, which is sounding like you don’t know your own background.

“It doesn’t feel like enough.” Trust that the interviewer will ask you for more if they want more. Often, they are simply looking for your ability to distil a lot of information into a compact summary.

Q2

On the surface, this appears to be a simple question, yet it is easy to slip.

This isn’t the time to talk about conflicts with your manager or complaints about your co-workers.

I would also suggest not mentioning money at this stage as you may come across as totally mercenary.

Why are you looking for another job?

Job seekers are commonly advised to answer this by saying that they’re seeking new challenges, but that answer only rings true if you’re specific about what those new challenges are and how this job will provide them in a way your last job didn’t.

It’s also fine to cite things like a recent or planned move, financial instability at your organization or other reasons that are genuinely true.

However, if you are in the unfortunate position of having been downsized, stay positive and keep it brief. If you were fired, you should have a solid explanation. whatever your circumstances, do not talk about the drama and remember to stay positive.

Q2 Why are you looking for another job?

Q3

In other words, how does your past experience relate to the job the hiring manager is looking to fill?

When answering this question, you want to convince the hiring manager that you can hit the ground running and bring value to the team by providing specific examples that resulted in successful outcomes.

It’s also helpful to identify how your current and prospective employers differ. This will help you determine which skills to emphasize.

Tell me about your experience at your previous company

Q4

This is your opportunity to provide an example that shows you can do the job.

Think about the skills detailed in the job description and which of your accomplishments most directly relate.

The goal is to convey to the hiring manager not only your past successes but also what you are capable of accomplishing if offered the job.

What is your biggest professional accomplishment to date?

Sample Answer:

My greatest accomplishment was when I grew the IBM business on my agency’s behalf by 25% in one year.

Most clients were cutting back on producing events as a way to warm leads for their sales force.

With my creative team, I came up with a way to offer the same high-touch experience via webinars. Each webinar was accessible 24 hours a day and led by IBM thought leaders.

In the end, I reduced event production costs by 40% and with those savings, IBM invested in more webinars worldwide.

I won my agency’s award and was soon promoted.

Q4 What is your biggest professional accomplishment to date?

Q5

This question centres on how well you work with others and your ability to manage relationships with your peers, managers and direct reports.

Give examples of situations that illustrate how you work with people across various functions.

Answer truthfully, as the hiring manager will reach out to your references at a later point to ensure your perception of yourself is in line with theirs.

How would people you have worked with describe you?

Sample Answer:

My managers would describe me as someone who would rather tirelessly overcome obstacles on my own than continuously seek managerial guidance.

I make my managers’ lives easier in this way. For example, when I first started working at firm C, I was asked to figure out ways to cut costs. Instead of relying on my manager, who had other projects to oversee, I decided to better understand the transportation logistics behind the wood chips that my employer needed in each facility.

After seeing what worked best and what could be improved, I took this information to my manager, who was grateful for the initiative I took.

Q5 How would people you have worked with describe you?

Q6

Often dreaded by job candidates, the key to answering this question is to be honest yet strategic.

You also need to address the unspoken follow up, which is what you are doing to overcome your weakness.

Ultimately, you want to show the hiring manager that you are self-aware, thoughtful and proactive about your strengths and weaknesses.

What is your greatest weakness?

Sample Answer:

My greatest weakness is my low patience when a team member withholds important information to the detriment of his or her peers or the assignment’s success.

I have always tried to maximize knowledge-sharing by bringing team members together prior to launching any assignment to ensure everyone is on the same page. Yet, there have been times when people have withheld information even after these efforts.

In those instances, I have learned to speak privately with those team members to understand why information was withheld.

Q6 What is your greatest weakness?

Q7

In asking this question, the hiring manager is looking for you to succinctly convey what sets you apart from the other candidates and whether those qualities align with the job.

Think of your most impressive and unique strengths that closely relate to the job description and use those to pitch yourself.

The idea is to clearly illustrate your value proposition.

Why are you the best person for this position?

Sample Answer:

My analytical skills sets me apart from other candidates.

For example, I imagine all of your candidates can create robust Excel-based financial models. However, I can also see and articulate the business story behind the numbers to influence decision-making.

During a major food-chain deal, I conducted the due diligence necessary to come up with the right multiple that my superiors should consider based not only on raw data but also on what was the best way to position the assets we were selling.

My strategy resulted in a more profitable deal

Q7 Why are you the best person for this position?

Q8

Your answer here should focus on what about the substance of the role most interests you.

You should not talk about benefits, salary, the short commute or anything else unrelated to the day-to-day work you’d be doing, or you’ll signal that you’re not particularly enthusiastic about the work itself.

Interviewers want to hire people who have carefully considered whether this is a job they’d be glad to work at every day, and that means focusing on the work itself, not what the job can do for you.

What interests you about this job?

Q9

Interviewers will probe into times in your past when you had to exercise the skills required for the job. For instance: Tell me about when you had to take initiative / had to deal with a difficult customer / had to solve a problem for a client … and so forth.

Spend some time brainstorming about what skills you’re likely to need in the job and what challenges you’re likely to face. Then think about what examples from your past work you can use as “evidence” that you can meet those needs.

When you construct your answer, discuss the challenge you faced, how you responded and the outcome you achieved

Tell me about a time when …

Q10

Interviewers typically ask this question to evaluate if your interest in the organization is genuine and the amount of work you have put in to pursue something you really want.

You need to demonstrate that you have researched the employer and tie your knowledge of them into the skills and interests that led you to apply.

You have to show cultural fitment and how the organization represents an opportunity to help you achieve your professional aspirations while also giving you a platform to significantly contribute

Why do you want to work for us?