Interview, as many of us might know is vastly different from written tests or exams. Some of the really intelligent folks in a university fail to impress companies because of their lack of skill to convince. This is a list of the most common questions asked during an interview
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Tell me about yourself.
By posing this question, the interviewer expects you to describe yourself in terms of your character, skills and knowledge. They most certainly do not want to know if you are good at singing or drawing. It would be wise to start off with what you are currently working on, and then mention what you were doing previously and what you wish to work on in the future. Mentioning negatives must be avoided. A nice structure never fails to impress and too much of data might spoil their interest.
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Why do you want this job?
It might be obvious that you need a job to earn money. But basically when posed in an interview, it means “Why this job?” .The job profile would have certain tasks that are under your areas of expertise (or under your areas of interest). Mention them. This is the time to bring out the big guns. Talk about how enthusiastic you are to start working with the team. Tell them the reason why you think their company is the best. Tell them what a perfect match it would be, if they hired you.
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Why should we hire you?
This is the part where you prove yourself. You made it clear how you would be benefitted out of the company. Now it’s time to prove your worth to the interviewer. Now you talk about how you are good at the particular job and what makes “you” a better man for the job when compared to others. Convince them how well you bond with the team and how influential you could be.
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What is your greatest weakness?
The main purpose of this question is to get an estimate of your honesty and how much of self-analysis you have done. Saying that you do not have a weakness would not give you the job. Because, come on? Nobody is perfect! It’s best to keep the answer simple and small. Strike a balance between your negatives and how your words make you sound genuine and honest. And it is really important to let them know how you are taking an effort to improve yourself.
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Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
This question unearths your views on your future plans on the relations between you and the company. A hiring manager wants to test if you’ve set realistic expectations for your career, if you have ambition and 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. Nobody wants to hire an unstable person who has been jumping jobs.
It helps if you have an answer for these questions built up in your mind before you actually attend the interview. Hope this was useful.
Thanks for reading. J