Top 10 Most Common Interview Questions and Advice

Whether you are going in for an entry level position or you are an Executive, be prepared for the 10 interview questions most commonly asked. Here is advice on how to best answer to impress the interviewer.

1. How would you describe yourself? Do not tell personal stories, focus on what will interest the interviewer. Begin with your recent employment, listing out your characteristics and qualifications for the position. Have a story ready illustrating your best professional accomplishments. Memorizing a 60 second story will get you remembered and show why you are the best candidate.
2. How long were you at your former (or current) place of employment? Three to five years in generally viewed as appropriate for excellent performers. If your history has positions that were moved, downsized, acquired, or closed; you may be viewed as a job-hopper. Networking is key to expose you to hiring authorities that will work with you to get past your tenure concerns because they know you.
3. What would you say is your greatest weakness? Never answer that you don’t have any. Confident and impressive candidates will have already done the self-reflection for admitting their weaknesses and accepting constructive criticism. Being confident about your weakness doesn’t less your strengths. Be sure to describe how you work to improve.
4. Tell me a time when you and your superior did not get along? Everyone disagrees from time to time and saying that you haven’t will only make the interviewer question your integrity. It may also signal the candidate hasn’t been in enough workplace situations to develop the skills to deal with confrontation. Have a short answer ready ending with how resolution was reached.
5. Describe a situation where you failed to meet a deadline. Provide a short story of where your decision making process was flawed and how you recovered from your mistake, giving a positive conclusion about what you learned.
6. What do you consider to be your top strengths? Describe these strengths and skills with specific evidence as to how they are relevant to the position and how they can be used.
7. How would you describe your career success? Without sounding arrogant, speak forthright about what others have told you, as well as your own knowledge about your talents and skills.
8. How do you handle your downtime? The higher the position is, the more essential the candidate’s qualities are to the interviewer to evaluate their leadership style. Don’t speak into religious or political activities that can conflict with the company or interviewer.
9. Why did you leave your last job? More focus is spent by companies on people’s personality and temperament in the workplace, especially at high levels. Be honest, but don’t spend time talking about things that conflict with positive achievements.
10. What makes you want to work here and in this industry? Be ready with a short story as to what first interested you in your work. Speak passionately of your work throughout the entire interview.