The interview is basically a conversation between you and the interviewer; if you have gone through some interviews or appear in one, don’t panic. Just calm and prepare yourself for a formal conversation where you will be asked a few questions and you can also ask them about a few things. These are the top 10 interview questions that almost every interview consists of!
Interviewing Channels:
Organization interviewing style/pattern may vary, such as;
- In-person interview
- Group interview (multiple candidates)
- Virtual interview (over skype, zoom meeting, and web chat, etc.)
- Panel interview (multiple interviewers)
But the questions more or less are the same; the best thing to follow in any of the patterns is to prepare well. Do your part of the game and be smart enough to handle the tricky questions.
So let’s have a look on those most asked questions
Top 10 Interview Questions You Must Ask?
Tell Me About Yourself
Most commonly asked question, and will remain (so you can’t overlook it) because there are many things in just one question “tell me about yourself.” it reflects:
- How you speak, you’re talking style, gesture posture while talking
So speak in a way that everybody listens to you, grab their attention, don’t talk too slowly that they barely understand you neither take a roller coaster that they can’t catch you
- How relevant and precise you are
Don’t start from the life journey, instead give a quick summary of your last five years, which must include education, working experience. Talk a little bit about what your current role is, the scope of it, and perhaps a big recent accomplishment.
- How you built your image by answering
Be real while talking, don’t adopt a fake accent to impress the interviewer, because maybe it’s your first experience but not his/her. You don’t have to go into a huge amount of detail, but if your goal in an interview is to stand out among the applicant pool and be memorable, then infusing this answer with some passion can help you do that.
What Are Your Strengths?
In general, your strengths should be skills that can be supported through experience. For example, if you list communication as a strength, you may want to recall a situation in which you used communication to reach a goal or resolve a problem.
The interviewer needs to know that;
- How do you explain your strength within the context?
Don’t take this question personally and answer it as professionally as possible, supporting your answer with real experience.
- How do you relate it?
It would be better to relate your strength to the position you are called for.
- How better do you know yourself?
The interviewer needs to know how clear you are about yourself and in which manner your strength can help in the particular role
What Is Your Weakness?
Your weaknesses can include a hard skill set out in the job description, provided that you emphasize your desire to acquire this skill through a course or program. Similarly, listing a soft skill you lack should be supported with a plan to learn or improve this skill.
The main thing to do before such a question is to do a self-analysis earlier. Don’t mumble or escape the problem; answer it with confidence and make it clear that you are self-aware and can work on yourself if needed.
Do You Have Any Past Experience?
Hiring managers, recruiters, and employers ask these questions to get a better understanding of how your background and work experience relate to the position they are looking to fill.
Comprehensively explain your past role and things you have learned; if you don’t have any simple answer it with workshops, or seminars, etc., you have attended and the outcome you have learned.
Why Do You Want This Job?
Weave your thoughts according to the situations that can portray the best about you in front of your HR interviewer.
For this question of top 10 interview questions, you need to prepare by proper research about the whole organization, its product and service, history, mission, vision, each and everything about them. Knowing the background will help you and they will be glad to hear from you. It shows your interest. Then answer it accordingly.
Why Should We Hire You?
This is your chance to wow them with your highlight reel. Your answer should summarize the top three or four best reasons to hire you. It’s better to have three or four strong reasons with memorable descriptions and/or examples than to rattle off a laundry list of twelve strengths without context.
You are being compared to other candidates so handle it carefully, don’t be overconfident. Response to this question by your qualification, skills that you have and move forward, don’t over exaggerate.
How Do You Handle A Difficult Situation?
This question also helps interviewers assess applicant’s levels of emotional intelligence. Does the applicant describe their behavior in the difficult situation as “responding” to the situation (pausing, thinking, asking questions, checking in with themselves and then moving forward) or as “reacting” to the situation (immediately talking, jumping into action, doing or saying something they later wished they hadn’t, etc.)? Do they say anything about the importance of listening? ETC.
Answer it according to your experience and what you have done in that particular situation. Don’t set high standards or show off your abilities that are not actually there. Neither bash any of your past colleagues.
What Are Your Salary Expectations?
The reason this question is in the pile of top 10 interview questions is because you can answer it relating to your capabilities, give them your point of view. And if everything sets in the right place, agreement or further negotiation can be made by both parties.
What Are Your Dreams?
This is an open-ended question which reflects your long-term goals. Your perspective of long-term goals, so you can be specific, and most importantly, it is not necessary that you have to be in line with the post you are applying for.
Do You Have Any Questions For Us?
The best response is to ask about their company that you didn’t find while researching and it’s important to you. Discuss the impact company is contributing to on a larger scale.
But don’t respond with a no, or I don’t have anything to ask. And mostly, the interviewee says this.
And most importantly, you do not at all need to remember these top 10 interview questions by heart rather just be yourself. You need to prepare by asking yourself these questions so that you can answer more clearly and precisely. Yes, it’s kinda nerve-wracking, but preparing it may relieve you a bit.
Let’s Hire You!
Interviewers decide within a minute whether to hire you or not, so be confident enough in the first place; don’t hesitate to answer any question.
Have a small snack before appearing in the interview; some people get nervous and skip food before presenting themselves—your metabolism increases in a situation like excitement, nervousness, and in some other cases too.
Best of luck! You own it.