Interview Preparation
3 Most Common Interview Questions You Will Have To Face!
Post date: 2020-06-30 00:29:09 Index:
Question 1: Tell me about yourself.
Question 2: Why do you want to work for us?
Question 3: Why should we hire you?
Final Thought
You have selected a job interview. Congratulations!
But did you prepare yourself for the most basic questions you are going to face? In an interview, you will be going to face the most obvious question as well as the weirdest and wacky one. You cannot be prepared for the wired one. But let’s prepare yourself for the three most common questions you will face in every interview and learn how to and how not to frame such questions.
Question 1: Tell me about yourself.
What does the employer want to know?
This is the most common question you will face in any interview. This is an open question, and normally interviewers prefer to start an interview with this question. The fact is, when you are already in an interview room, your potential recruiter already has an idea about you by going through your CV and cover letter. Whatever you answer here, will help to determine the accuracy of that previous impression. And through your body language, voice tone, they can rate your confidence.
According to almost each of the HRs, if you are confident and calm at the time of the interview, most probably you are the best man to work with.
How to Frame your answer?
Most of the job seekers struggle with this question, especially if they are fresher. Always frame this answer according to the demand for skills and experience of the post. Start with career history and give them an overview of what you have learned and achieved throughout your experience. Focus on your strength and make your potential recruiter believe that you can take up the responsibility.
And always end this question in such a way, that if they want to know about anything, you will love to cover it. If you are nervous inside, don’t let that come into your face. Project your voice in atone to give a perfect impression that you are composed and confident.
What to avoid with this question?
According to most recruiter managers, most of the candidates don’t know when to stop with such a question. Don’t stretch it more than one or two minutes. There is no need to go to every detail at the very start of an interview. And don’t just place a generic answer to any of the interview questions. Remember, each post is unique, and the work responsibilities too. Make sure your points are in line with the position you have applied for.
Question 2: Why do you want to work for us?
What does the employer want to know?
With this question, recruiters generally want to clarify your motivations for applying for this job. They just want to check what matters for you the most. Job title? Salary? Brand? Or a location?
Whenever someone applied for a post, employers, in general, want to know whether you have a fair idea about theirs;
Industry/sector.
Key challenges.
Goals.
Culture and values.
Major competitors.
And the secondary motive of such questions is to screen out bogus candidates who just want to check their market value.
How to Frame your answer?
Focus on the company’s needs and goals, to answer this question successfully. Showcase yourself as a good fit for that company. Mention something specific about the job that interests you much. It can be the technology they incorporate in their business or the way they promote their business. You could also talk about management structure and company culture. Recruiters always want to know whether you are enthusiastic enough to work with them. And they are looking for genuine enthusiasm for the company and the specific role. So, whenever you are facing such a question make sure to frame your question in such a way, that it shows your enthusiasm too. Another approach to answering this question is to talk about the long-term prospects of a career with that company.
While answering this, you may face another twist here. Either they call you as overqualified or underqualified for this post. If they infer you as overqualified by going through your resume, or career history you may talk about the challenges you think you will find and wants to work on with this position. And if they infer you as underqualified, mention yourself as a fast learner, and your main motivation is to grow with them.
What to avoid with this question?
One of the biggest mistakes job seekers do with this question is, they say negative things about their past or current employer. Frame this question by focusing on your future, not by focusing on your past, present. This is not the time to talk about benefits and salary. And don’t sound desperate for any post.
Question 3: Why should we hire you?
What does the employer want to know?
The most important part of this question is ‘you’ over other job candidates. With this question, employers want to have a full idea about you and your capabilities. The main motive behind this question to understand what makes you more potential and valuable to this company or business.
How to Frame your answer?
You have to discuss your unique selling points to answer such a question. You can talk about your skills and expertise here. Some of the top unique selling points are;
You have some advance management training;
You have proper training with a specific application, tools, or service.
You are certified with a renowned qualification.
You always have to do some basic research about the industry you want to be part of. And this basic research will help you answer such a question. This is not about simply listing about your soft skills, but to highlight the specific skills required for that post. Talk about how you can be valuable for this company and help to face future challenges.
What to avoid with this question?
Just don’t say that “I don’t know.”
That will be a big no for you whatever your skills and qualification are. Although though it is the time to sell yourself, don’t sound arrogant. And do avoid clichés, like “I am very passionate about this job.” These are many overused terms used for these questions.
Final Thought:
As you are reading this guide, that means you have already realized the importance of preparing interview questions. And you are already ahead of some of your competitors. Just keep it in mind always come up with your answer. There is no place for stock replies.
Good luck!
