1. Tell us about yourself.
This is a loaded question, and the reasoning behind it may vary from company to company. Rather than get hung up on this question, use it as a chance to let your personality shine through. Most companies are going to care more about what you can do for them than about you, so make sure that you are achieving this when you approach this one.
2. What did you dislike about your previous job?
If you were completely happy in your previous job, you wouldn’t have left it. So why did you leave it? Was there not enough room for growth? Was it a toxic work atmosphere? Did you not make enough money? It’s important to be honest with this question, although you don’t want to reveal too much about any financial or personal problems that you might be up against. However, this is a time for a hiring manager to decide if the same problems are going to occur at the new job or not.
3. What’s your greatest strength?
You can brag here. Employers want confidence, and they want to know that you know what your strengths are. Just make sure that the strength you list will help in your prospective position.
4. What’s your biggest weakness?
Just like how employers want you to know what you’re good at, they also want you to know what you struggle with. Knowing your weaknesses upfront allows them to make sure that there are pathways in place to avoid those becoming a problem in the future.
5. Why do you want to work here?
A good answer to this question will reveal that you have something worthwhile to contribute to the company, and that you also have something to gain from them. A happy, long term employee will give a lot to a company, but they will also benefit from remaining at the company, too.
6. Give an example of when you were successful in a difficult situation.
The point of this question is to show not only how you perform under stress, but how you define both difficult situations and stress. When you answer this question, give your answer while also keeping in mind your prospective job. You don’t need to connect the dots for your interviewer, but the magnitude of the success and the obstacles you were up against should relate to the position you are applying for.
7. Give an example of a time you had a disagreement with a supervisor.
This is a key question, and it shows how you handle interpersonal conflict. Because we are all human, we don’t always have the same point of view on things. In a work place, this can be disastrous, especially if it causes undue tension with a supervisor. How you handle yourself in these instances shows maturity and your likelihood of success in a future position if the same thing happens.
8. What are you passionate about?
This is a seemingly unassuming question, but your answer reveals a ton about you. It shows that you have a personal life, and it shows how you connect your personal life to your professional life. These two things do not have to be seamless, but if you can show that the things you do at work have value to you as a human, then you are far more likely to enjoy your work and be successful to the company.
9. What are your career goals?
No one wants to hire you if you are not planning on creating a long term career within the company. Turnover is not easy for companies, and while some jobs have higher turnover rates than others, high rates of turnover are not good for anyone. If your career goals are not compatible with the company, your likelihood of getting hired goes down considerably.
10. Do you have any questions for us?
Of course you have your own questions. Many of them should wait until after you’ve been given a job offer, though. For example, rather than ask how long you need to be employed before you qualify for benefits, ask a question that shows you’ve put thought into what the position entails. Something like, “what makes an employee successful here?” is far more helpful than, “what can you do to take care of me?”
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