Going to a job interview can be a nerve-wracking affair. Sitting before a smartly-dressed board, qualifying yourself and your talents to them. It’s not easy. But preparation is your key to job interview success.
If you’re worried about being caught out with a question you haven’t got an answer to, then fear not. We’ve listed the 3 most common job interview questions below, and their answers.
Tell me about yourself.
While this is more of a statement than a question, it can leave you tongue-tied and panicking if you’re not careful. This question isn’t about you, as it may first appear, it’s about your skills. Don’t waffle on about your friends, your hobbies, the boy who broke your heart in college. A perfect answer would go something like this: “I’m Sarah. I have 12 years experience in this field, which I’ve gained by working at the following companies…. I recently left my previous job to grow my career further, something I believe I can do in this position. Having learnt the following skills (inserts skills), by doing (insert what you did), I believe I’m a perfect fit for this role, and this role for me.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
This is a difficult question. Appear too ambitious, and it’ll seem like you’re using the job as a stepping stone. Appear unambitious and your interviewer may be tempted to look elsewhere. Ultimately, you want to show that your main focus is on the job at hand, but demonstrate to your employer that you wish to progress through the ranks of the company as time passes. Try this answer next time you’re asked this question: “I can’t say for certain where I’ll be in 5 years time, but I do have an idea. I’d like to do this job to the best of my ability for the time being, and learn new skills and gain more experience as I go which would make me an asset to this company.”
What are your weaknesses?
This is as close to a trick question as you’ll be asked. Say you have no weaknesses and you’re a liar. Talk too in depth about your weaknesses and you’re almost giving your interviewer a reason not to hire you. The secret to a good job interview is switching everything to a positive. What weakness do you have? Think of an honest one, then put a positive spin on it. An example of this would be: “Sometimes I have trouble delegating. I trust my standard of work so much, that I like to do everything myself. I’ve been working on this though, and I’ve found that by connecting with my team, I’m able to trust the quality of their work so much more thus reducing this weakness.”