Best Answers To Top 10 Interview Questions…
Interviews are a very serious matter, your whole future career may be hanging n the balance so don’t just spend all your time preparing for your job interview by shining your shoes and rewriting your resume or C.
You really must make sure that you put some time aside to prepare and learn your best interview answers for these top 10 interview questions and the next 10 after that, which I will add next so check back here…
The key to interview success is to be prepared for the top 10 interview questions that YOU WILL be asked.
Top 10 Interview Questions
1. Tell me about yourself:
This is by far the most common job interview question and is often the first thing that is actually asked of you. You need to have a short yet concise answer, so that you do not rabble on and aggravate the interviewer.However, do not over rehearse, as this will become evident when you start talking.
Remember that the aim of this question is to find out your skills and suitability for the position; the hiring manager wants to know who you are in a professional sense.
They care about your attitude, career aspirations and previous achievements.
Answer by starting with your earliest job, or when you left university and move forwards through your career to the present day. You can’t afford to get this wrong, it must be one of your best interview answers, as the whole interview may then turn out to be a waste of time if you haven’t prepared for it.
Your answer to the top 10 interview questions must touch on items relevant to this discussion in this interview, but don’t dwell too long or go off at a tangent. Always give the interviewer credit for having read your CV or resume (even if they haven’t ) and make references such as “…you probably noticed I referred to…” as you are talking. See Tell Me About Yourself.
2. Why did you leave your last job?
Try to put a positive spin on why you left your last job. This question is designed to do two things..
.a) find out if you’re willing to bad mouth previous managers and colleagues or
b) whether you are inclined to job hop every few months.
Essentially, the hiring manager wants to see a positive and substantial reason why you left your last position, or at least why you are looking for a new job. One of the best interview answers would be to say that you are keen to develop new skills and meet new challenges. See my version of an exit statement that works.
3. What experience do you have in this field?
Speak about specifics that relate to the position you are applying for. If you do not have specific experience, get as close as you can.
4. Tell me about your weaknesses?
This question is used to find out how honest and level headed your are. The employer wants to get a realistic picture of you and whether you will honestly fit in with this job. The key here is to only mention weaknesses that will not severely affect the job you’re applying for, or better still, use one or two weaknesses that you can turn into a positive.
One of the best interview answers to the top 10 interview questions would be:”I am often conscientious in my approach which means that although I might take a little longer to do key tasks, I can always guarantee that the task will be done to the highest possible level of professionalism and attention to detail.”
5. How would your friends and family describe you as a person?
This is one of the interview questions designed to get social proof from others that you are the person that you say you are.The employer wants to get an idea of what everyday people in your life would say about you.
Of course, you can actually say whatever good things you can think of, such as “They would say I am a hard, stubborn worker with a good sense of humour”.
To make this answer more effective, you might want to use a quote from a family member or even an existing or previous work colleague.Finally with this question, remember not to make the answer sound too “professional”. The point is, friends and family are not going to typically say “Yes, they are very organized and always meet deadlines”.
This sounds false, the more likely quote from a family member would be “He works hard and plays hard. He’s always been ambitious and competitive, even from a young age…”
6. What do you know about this organization?
Company research is really easy thanks to the internet. Make sure you do your research before going into the job interview. The best interview answers to the top 10 interview questions will mean that you will want to know how long the company has been established, their turnover, number of staff and as much relevant info pertaining to the job as possible.
7. What have you done to improve yourself in the last year?
Been on any courses? Read any books? Worked on any special projects that have developed your skill set in your work?
Any of these examples are adequate, but if you are truly struggling, make sure you turn your lack of self improvement in the past year into a positive…”Although I have been working consistently on some major tasks, I feel now more than even that I would like to learn and develop my skills, abilities and experience even more. Therefore, I am planning to undertake several courses and have just started to do “x” in my spare time”.
Remember, personal developments count just as highly as professional ones. Therefore, examples of how you have developed more confidence, made more personal time to be more flexible, improved your fitness, are all good examples of the best interview answers to the top 10 interview questions that show you possess self motivation and intuition. Your The best interview answers should include ‘soft’ skills as well as hard skills.
8. Are you applying for other jobs?
There’s nothing wrong with mentioning that you’ve applied for other jobs. In fact, employers actually expect this to be the case. The secret is not to boast that you’ve been on 15 interviews this week already.This might make you look as if you’re simply casting your net out a little too wide and just “hoping for some fish to get caught up”. Try to bring the focus quickly back to this particular job and why specifically you decided to apply.
9. Why do you want to work for this organization?
How does working for this company fit in with your career goals? Are you applying because the job is more suited to your skills or is it that there is more potential for learning and promotion?
Ultimately, avoid answers such as “Because it’s closer to home” or that you “Wanted to work in a more open plan, fun environment”. The reason must relate to your career and your own personal development. The employer does not want to get the impression that you’re there for the money or the “social networking opportunities.”
10. What kind of supervision brings out the best in you?
Your best interview answers to the top 10 interview questions depend a lot on both yours and their style; I’d usually suggest that you mention knowledgeable, supportive supervisors who give you room to do your job but are available when you need help. Avoid saying you dislike or don’t welcome any particular style of supervision, because that can lead in a direction you may not wish to go.
You might say that you work well with most styles of supervision. If you have found out anything about the way this firm works, mention something positive about when you last worked under that style of management.
This means that you now face even tougher competition for your dream job and more brutal hiring managers who cannot afford to hire anyone less than a perfect match for the job which makes learning the best interview answers to the top 10 interview questions as a minimum, absolutely crucial to your success.
If you don’t like the idea of talking aout yourself in interviews read this page for some help with overcoming interview nerves.
How To Get More Sample Interview Answers
1. Download your own copy of my Interviewing Tips & Tricks PLUS expert CV writing information for just £15.00 and you’ll get all my sample interview answers plus lots of other interview tips all in one place.
