Excelling in an interview shouldn’t have to be hard. With the right prep, you can knock the challenge out of the park by making a great lasting impression on your interviewer.
Many people, however, find themselves stumped while answering an interviewer. To understand what responses employers are looking for, let’s go over some of the most common interview questions, and discuss what approaches you should take while addressing them.
1. Tell us about yourself
Hiring managers will ask you to talk about yourself because they want to assess you beyond the resume in front of them.
However, note that this is not the time to narrate your entire life story. Remember, you’re in a professional setting so revealing personal issues is a huge red flag for the interviewer.
To ace this question, tailor your answer to what inspired you into choosing your career path, and how your experiences led you to apply for the role in question.
2. Why do you want to join our company?
Employers don’t want to hire someone who will just up and run if they get bored.
By asking why you want to work specifically with their company, managers want to see if you even tried to research on them, and are aligned with their goals. After all, you can only take ownership of a company’s vision when you are committed to it.
3. Why are you the best candidate for this role?
Making it to the interview means you have passed the preliminary screening for a role. At this point, employers want to know what sets you apart from everyone else who also did.
Answer this question successfully by highlighting the match between your unique skills and the role description.
Examples of previous experience in similar roles win you bonus points here. For instance, if you are applying as an assistant HR manager, you can talk about how you resolved team conflicts as an HR trainee at your former job.
4. What is one weakness you struggle with?
With this question, employers want to make sure that you are self-aware. They understand that employees out of touch with the reality of their performance will never internalize critique and improve.
Presenting a quality that is actually a strength, as a weakness can make you come off as narcissistic and boastful. Hence, make sure you don’t respond by saying your weakness is that you work too hard.
Being honest about a professional struggle, such as procrastinating on the job but willing to work on it, can leave a more genuine impression on the interviewer. Additionally, it shows that you are open to learning through your experiences.
5. Why do you want to leave your current job?
Companies want to create positive brand images. And with this question, employers want to see whether you can be an asset to their success, or a detriment.
When asked why you want to exit your job, if you start airing dirty laundry by venting about unstructured hours, interviewers will predict that you can badmouth their company too. To pass this tricky test, focus on future prospects, and how a new job can be the next step in your career growth.
Equipped with the right ways to answer common interview questions, there is no reason for you to worry about whether you will get the job or not. Do your research, draft your responses, and put your best foot forward to pursue your dream opportunities!
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APN consulting is a premier staffing recruitment agency with over 16 years of experience working in the field. To get in touch with our expert team of recruiters, you can contact us directly online or email us at contactus@apnconsultinginc.com. Be sure to also visit our job portal for the latest job openings.