PART I: TOP 10 COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:

1. Tell me about yourself?

This is one of the first questions you are likely to be asked. Be prepared to talk about yourself, and why
you're an excellent fit for the job. Try to answer questions about yourself without giving out too much, or
too little, personal information. You can start by sharing some of your personal interests and experiences
that don't relate directly to work, such as a favorite hobby or a brief account of where you grew up, your
education, and what motivates you. You can even share some fun facts and showcase your personality
to make the interview a little more interesting.

If it feels daunting to generate this information from scratch, you can rely on a simple formula to
construct your answer. The ‘present-past-future’ formula is a way to share key background points while
ending on a high note. Begin with a brief overview of where you are now (which could include your
current job along with a reference to a personal hobby or passion), reference how you got to where you
are (here you could mention education, or an important experience such as a past job, internship or
volunteer experience) and then finish by touching on a goal for the future.

Bonus points if you’re able to identify how the position you’re applying for aligns with how you envision
your future.

Remember to be careful about what you include in your answer – avoid potentially contentious subjects
such as political or religious leanings, unless you are absolutely positive that your opinions would be
well-received by your interviewer. You should also avoid talking too much about family responsibilities or
hobbies that might make your interviewer wonder whether you could commit yourself 100% to the job.

No matter how you choose to respond, write out your answer in advance and then read it aloud to
ensure it sounds natural. Try to keep it short and sweet, as you don’t want to come across as the type of
person who endlessly drones on about themselves.

2. What are your greatest professional strengths?

When answering this question, interview coach Pamela Skillings recommends being accurate (share
your true strengths, not those you think the interviewer wants to hear); relevant (choose your strengths
that are most targeted to this particular position); and specific (for example, instead of “people skills,”
choose “persuasive communication” or “relationship building”). Then, follow up with an example of how
you've demonstrated these traits in a professional setting

Tips to answer this question:

+ Grab hold of the opportunity this question gives you. This question really lets you guide the interview
where you want it to go. This your chance to relate your most impressive success story, so take
advantage!

+ Highlight a strength that is crucial to the position. (As I mentioned earlier)

+ Find out from your company research and from the job description what strengths the company puts a
lot of stock into.
+ Don’t make claims that you can’t illustrate with a brief example or fact.

+ Don’t be overly modest but don’t claim to be Superman or Superwoman either.

+ Don’t name a strength that is irrelevant to the job at hand.

Here are top strengths for your job interview

3. What are your weaknesses?

"What are your weaknesses" is one of the most popular questions interviewers ask. It is also the most
dreaded question of all. Handle it by minimizing your weakness and emphasizing your strengths. Stay
away from personal qualities and concentrate on professional traits: "I am always working on improving
my communication skills to be a more effective presenter. I recently joined Toastmasters, which I find
very helpful."

Tips to answer this question:

+ Show that you are aware of your weakness and what you have done to overcome it.

+ Show that you are “self-aware” and that you have the ability to take steps to improve yourself.

+ Don’t you DARE answer with the cliche “I’m a perfectionist” answer or any other such answer that the
hiring manager can see right through.

+ Don’t highlight a weakness that is a core competency of the job. (Know the job description “inside and
out”.)

+ Don’t dodge this question.

4. Why did you leave (or why are you leaving) your job?

If an interviewer asks, "Why did you leave (or why are you leaving) your job?" and you're unemployed,
state your reason for leaving in a positive context: "I managed to survive two rounds of corporate
downsizing, but the third round was a 20% reduction in the workforce, which included me."

If you are employed, focus on what you want in your next job: "After two years, I made the decision to
look for a company that is team-focused, where I can add my experience."

Tips to answer this question:

+ If it was because you left voluntarily then reference a specific characteristic that the company you are
interviewing for has that you are attracted to. One that your previous employer didn’t have.

+ If you were let go, be honest and explain the situation and own it. Explain what you learned from the
experience, because the interviewer knows you’re human, you make mistakes, and just wants to see that
you were able to do something about it

+ Words like “downsizing” and “budget cuts” and “bad economy” are good defenses if they are true and
are the reasons for departure from the job.
+ Don’t bash your last company or boss or anything along those lines.

+ Don’t say, “It’s time for a career switch and I’d like to try my hand at the job you are offering” or “I’m
tired of doing the same old thing.” Give a pointed, Positive reason for why you want to head off in a new
direction.

+ Don’t lie if you were fired.

5. What is your greatest professional achievement?

Nothing says “hire me” better than a track record of achieving amazing results in past jobs, so don't be
shy when answering this interview question! A great way to do so is by using the S-T-A-R method: Set up
the situation and the task that you were required to complete to provide the interviewer with
background context (e.g., “In my last job as a junior analyst, it was my role to manage the invoicing
process”), but spend the bulk of your time describing what you actually did (the action) and what you
achieved (the result). For example, “In one month, I streamlined the process, which saved my group 10
man-hours each month and reduced errors on invoices by 25%.”

Tips to answer this question:

+ Talk about an accomplishment that exhibits how you will be a perfect fit for the company and for the
position you’re interviewing for.

+ Try and show some genuine passion when you’re talking about your accomplishment.

+ Don’t fall into the trap of thinking your accomplishment is “too small”. The fact is, relating a small
accomplishment that is inline with “what the company values” can be more powerful than an unrelated
accomplishment. (Remember: “It’s not about you, It’s about them.”)

6. Where do you see yourself in five years?

If asked this question, be honest and specific about your future goals, but consider this: A hiring
manager wants to know a) if you've set realistic expectations for your career, b) if you have ambition
(a.k.a., this interview isn't the first time you're considering the question), and c) if the position aligns with
your goals and growth. Your best bet is to think realistically about where this position could take you and
answer along those lines. And if the position isn’t necessarily a one-way ticket to your aspirations? It’s
OK to say that you’re not quite sure what the future holds, but that you see this experience playing an
important role in helping you make that decision.

Tips to answer this question:

+ Demonstrate when you answer the question your level of commitment to the position they are
interviewing you for.

+ After you have demonstrated your commitment to the role you are interviewing for, outline a realistic
growth strategy that is directly tied to the role you’re in and the needs and values of the company.

+ Stress your interest in a long-term career at the company.

+ Don’t say you want to be CEO of the company in 5 years.

+ Don’t say “Actually I want to be in YOUR seat within the next 5 years.” to the hiring manager.

7. Why should we hire you?

Answer "Why should we hire you?" by summarizing your experiences: "With five years' experience
working in the financial industry and my proven record of saving the company money, I could make a big
difference in your company. I'm confident I would be a great addition to your team."

Tips to answer this question:

+ Show the hiring manager that you are uniquely suited to filling this position. Be the candidate that
solves their “problems“.

+ Show you know some significant details about the company and their general practices because you
have researched the firm and are prepared.

+ Tell a “success story” that highlights how you have the ‘qualities’ needed to fill their specific needs.

+ Don’t get discouraged if the hiring manager mentions that “they have lots of very well qualified
candidates…” before they lead into this question. (It’s a common “lead in”)

+ Don’t be too modest. This is your chance to shine. Make it count.

+ On the flip side don’t go too overboard and sound too arrogant.

+ Don’t be “wishy-washy” or too general with your answer.

+ Don’t answer with “why” you want the job. Answer with “why you are the perfect fit” for the job.

8. What do you know about the company?

Any candidate can read and regurgitate the company’s “About” page. So, when interviewers ask this,
they aren't necessarily trying to gauge whether you understand the mission—they want to know
whether you care about it. Start with one line that shows you understand the company's goals, using a
couple key words and phrases from the website, but then go on to make it personal. Say, “I’m personally
drawn to this mission because…” or “I really believe in this approach because…” and share a personal
example or two.
9. What are your salary requirements?

The #1 rule of answering this question is doing your research on what you should be paid by using sites
like Payscale and Glassdoor. You’ll likely come up with a range, and we recommend stating the highest
number in that range that applies, based on your experience, education, and skills. Then, make sure the
hiring manager knows that you're flexible. You're communicating that you know your skills are valuable,
but that you want the job and are willing to negotiate.

10. Have you got any questions?

At the end of the interview, it is likely that you will be given the chance to put your own questions to the
interviewer.

+ Keep them brief: there may be other interviewees waiting.

+ Ask about the work itself, training and career development: not about holidays, pensions, and season
ticket loans!

+ Prepare some questions in advance: it is OK to write these down and to refer to your notes to remind
yourself of what you wanted to ask.

It often happens that, during the interview, all the points that you had noted down to ask about will be
covered before you get to this stage. In this situation, you can respond as follows:

Interviewer: Well, that seems to have covered everything: is there anything you would like to ask me?

Interviewee: Thank you: I'd made a note to ask about your appraisal system and the study
arrangements for professional exams, but we went over those earlier and I really feel you've covered
everything that I need to know at this moment.

You can also use this opportunity to tell the interviewer anything about yourself that they have not
raised during the interview but which you feel is important to your application:

Don't feel you have to wait until this point to ask questions - if the chance to ask a question seems to
arise naturally in the course of the interview, take it! Remember that a traditional interview is a
conversation - with a purpose.