Ace Your Interview By Knowing How to Answer the 10 Most Popular Questions
Preparing for a job interview can be a nerve-wracking experience, especially when you have invested a lot of time and effort into securing the position. You may have passed several rounds of testing and have finally reached the big day for the interview. As you prepare, it’s important to understand what to expect during an interview and be ready for any question that comes your way.
In this article, we will discuss the top ten most common interview questions and provide answers to help you feel confident and prepared for your interview. While there are no guarantees for any specific interview questions you may be asked, having a general understanding of the most frequently asked ones can help you approach your interview with more ease and confidence. So, let’s dive into the most popular interview questions and how to answer them effectively.
10 Most Popular Interview Questions And Answers
1. Tell Me About Yourself
Use this question to make yourself comfortable. Tell the interviewers a brief story of your life, academic details, family background, and hobbies.
The reason behind the question:
Interviewers are curious about your life and want to know what you did until you applied at their firm. They love listening to exciting stories. So, make sure your account makes an excellent first impression.
Example:
“My name is XYZ. I was born and brought up in a town in _____. I did my schooling in the same town. My first experience living outside my hometown was when I moved to ______ for university. During my stay there, I got acquainted with people with similar interests. I eventually learned video editing and made a few short movies. After graduating from university, I moved to ______ to work for a production company. While there, I upskilled myself and learned motion graphics and 3D animation. During my free time, I love to play tennis.
2. Why Do You Want To Work For Us?
Make sure you give an honest answer. Let your interviewers know what attracted you to their company, and tell them how you found them. Furthermore, tell them how your interests match the company’s goals.
The reason behind this question:
Interviewers want to know the motive behind your application. They want to see if you’re only doing it only for the money or if you’re genuinely interested.
How to answer this question?
Give them your most honest answer. If it’s only for the money, the job is not for you. Make sure you do your research and understand what the job entails. Apply for the job only if it matches your interests. Your interests and aspirations should align with the company’s motives and goals.
Most importantly, research the company, its products, services, culture, and mission. Be specific about why you want to get this job.
Example: “I have always wanted to work in the marketing industry. My degree in business administration and my passion for marketing makes me a perfect fit.”
3. What Makes You A Good Fit?
This is your best chance to tell your interviewers why they should hire you. Tell them how your qualifications and experience can add value to the company. Also, mention your work style and how you deal with stressful situations.
The reason behind this question:
Interviewers would want to know how you can add value to the company. Apart from this, this question can also assess your confidence levels.
How to answer this question?
Your answers should be a confident and focused sales pitch. Explain what you can offer and let them know in detail your skills. Anecdotes of your past experience are always a plus.
Example: “I have close to 6 years experience in graphic design. Apart from that, I constantly update my knowledge by taking up online courses. My experience working for the leading brands of the country makes me a good fit.”
4. What Is Your Preferred Work Atmosphere?
Your preferred work atmosphere should always align with the company’s work environment. If it isn’t, the job is not for you. This is an excellent time to tell them what you’re expecting and understand more about the work culture in the company.
The reason behind the question:
Just like how you’d want your expectations to match the company’s work culture, the interviewers, too, would be keen to know if you can jell with the company culture.
How to answer this question?
Make sure you do thorough research about the company culture before the interview. Understand what it has in common with your desires. If your preferred work atmosphere aligns with the company culture, mention it to the interviewer.
Example: “I look forward to a friendly work environment, where I can learn on the way.”
5. Why Are You Leaving Your Current Job?
It can be a tricky question to answer if you haven’t prepared for it. It would be best if you threaded your way between giving enough and too little information.
The reason behind the question:
The interviewer wants to know the reason behind your shift in the workplace. Your answer will tell a lot about how much you can cope under stressful conditions.
How to answer this question?
Make sure to answer this question with utmost honesty. However, try to keep your answers positive. If you’re quitting your previous job because of stressful work conditions, giving out too much information can send the wrong impression to your interviewers.
Example: “While my previous firm had good perks and payscale, it lacked considerable autonomy at the workplace. I believe in a good balance between autonomy and collaboration.
6. What Is Your Greatest Strength?
If you’ve not prepared for this question, this question can become your greatest weakness. Remember that this is yet another chance for you to do a confident sales pitch. Let them know how you can contribute and where your skills are.
The reason behind the question:
Employers ask this question to determine how qualified you are. Apart from that, the question also determines if you can point the finger at your strengths.
How to answer this question?
Like all other questions, remain honest. It is best to figure out your strengths before your interview rather than when it’s happening. This way, you’ll be able to answer the question without much thought. Answering it confidently can leave a positive impression on the interviewer.
Example: “Listening and understanding others’ points of view is my greatest strength. This helps with working better with others and helps maintain a cordial atmosphere at work.”
7. What Is Your Greatest Weakness?
Yet another typical question for an interview. This question could be your biggest strength if you can play your cards right. It’s an opportunity to demonstrate your self-awareness and an inclination to improve.
The reason behind the question:
The question intends to check your self-awareness and ability to turn into a strength. Skipping this question may expose your greatest weakness- the lack of self-awareness. So, make sure you have an answer prepared.
How to answer this question?
Although the question directs to a weakness, ensure you are keen to work on the fault. Here’s a pro tip: Identify a weakness that isn’t critical to your role. The idea is to frame your answer positively.
Example: “While I’m a good listener, I tend to be introverted. To defeat this weakness, I’ve started taking a conscious effort to talk to everyone.”
8. Do You Prefer Working Independently Or Working With A Team?
Most jobs require a certain level of collaboration and teamwork. However, it may also involve a certain level of independence and autonomy.
The reason behind the question:
Interviewers would also like to see if you can be a team player.
How to answer this question?
The best answer is that you’d love a blend of teamwork and independence. This would show that you can make autonomous decisions and be a team player.
Example: “I look forward to a balance between autonomy and collaboration. As a team player, I’d love to work in a collaborative environment, while having the autonomy to make decisions.”
9. What Did You Do In Your Past Year?
This question may especially arise when your resume has a gap year. However, considering the pandemic and the consequent lockdowns, this question may still occur.
The reason behind this question:
The question intends to check your willingness to upskill yourself and learn on the go. It also tries to understand the reason behind your gap, if there is any.
How to answer this question?
If the question is due to a gap year, let the interviewer know why. Tell them what you did and how you used the time to learn new things about your industry. If it was a sabbatical year to reconnect with family and friends, let them know how it helped you from a professional perspective.
However, if you don’t have any gap year, mention your experiences in the past year. If you’ve taken any courses, it is time to bring them up.
Example: “I took a sabbatical in the past year to go back to school. I did a course in marketing that can equip me with the necessary skills for this job.”
10. Do You Have Any Questions For Me?
It is a perfect opportunity to clear your doubts about the company and determine if the role is for you. With the right questions, you can make a more informed decision.
It is best if you come up with a list of prepared questions. You can check them off if they get answered during the interview.
The reason behind the question:
It gives the interviewer a chance to gauge your level of interest in the position and the company. If you ask thoughtful and relevant questions about the role, the company culture, or the future of the organization. It shows that you’ve done your research and are interested in the position.
Asking questions after an interview shows that you’re excited to get the role.
All The Best!
Interviews can be scary. But if you go prepared with the correct answers, you can ace it. The best part about interviews? It gives you a perfect opportunity to demonstrate your value and skills to your employer. With the proper preparation, you can conquer the uncertainty, lack of experience, and fear of rejection. All the best for your next job interview!
