It doesn't matter where you are in your career, interviews are still a huge cause of stress. And it's easy to understand why. For one, you have to be on your best behavior and you only get the one chance to make the right impression. It's a high stakes situation where one mistake can cost you the chance at the job you really want. Any number of things can go wrong, and many of them are out of your control. A huge traffic jam that makes you late or having your child get sick right before you walk out the door or even just spilling your coffee all over your shirt right before you arrive at the interview can be devastating.
So how can you keep yourself from buckling under all the stress? The best way I have found is to make sure that you can answer the most common interview questions in your sleep. They are the ones that are most likely to come at the beginning of the interview and being able to answer them, even under pressure, will help set the tone for your interview and keep your nerves under control. Of course, the interviewer is likely to ask you any number of question, many that you weren't expecting or haven't prepared for, but these frequently asked question will be mixed in and give you some landmarks to help steady yourself.
Here are 5 most common interview questions:
Tell me about yourself - This one is almost a given. It comes at the beginning of the interview and gives you an opportunity to make your initial pitch and get comfortable with the interviewer. Because this is almost always the first question, it's a good idea to have a standard answer. When you answer this question, be sure not to give the interviewer too much information, especially information that they aren't allowed to ask for.For example, don't mention your marital status, how old you are, your sexual orientation or how many children you have. Instead, mention relevant facts about your work history, your education and what you enjoy most about what you do. Keep in mind that your answer here will set the tone for the remainder of the interview.
What do you know about the company? - This is a question you should always have a prepared answer for. Do some research and find out who the company is, what they do and what makes them different from their competitors. Your answer should show that you are genuinely interested in the company and the job. Believe it or not, having a good answer for this question will score you huge points. So many people show up to interviews at companies they know nothing about. So, set yourself apart by having a thoughtful answer prepared. Besides, if you don't know who the company is and what they do, why do you want to work there?
Why did you leave your last job? - The key here is to always stay positive. Try not to talk about money and never, ever talk bad about a previous employer or co-worker. No matter why you left your last job, try to be as brief as possible. If you were fired from your last job, don't be tempted to lie about it. Give a quick explanation of why you were terminated, from the employer's point of view and mention what you learned from the experience. Be extremely careful here to not sound as though you are blaming anyone or that it wasn't your fault - even if you feel that you were wronged. You won't score points by saying so; in fact, the interviewer might get the impression that you have trouble taking responsibility.
What motivates you to do a good job? - This question seems to come up all the time, but I'm not sure what the point of it is. One thing I do know is that the answer to this question is never "money" - even when it is. You should have a few things in mind that you can say to the interviewer. Maybe you are motivated by recognition or you want to become better in your field. Whatever reason you give, make sure it's one that doesn't make you sound like someone who is mostly just interested in a paycheck.
What sort of salary are you looking for? - Of course, you want as much money as you can get and they want to pay you as little as they can get away with. That's the reality and that's what makes this a really tough question. From a negotiation standpoint, it's always bad to give a figure first. Before any interview, you should do some research to find out what the average salary is for the job. Then, you can either can give a salary range for someone with your experience or you could say that you are more interested in taking about the position right now. However, if you have a number in mind, you should go ahead and give it. You might be surprised at what you're offered.
Having answers for these questions prepared ahead of time will help you stay calm during your interview and give you the confidence to handle the unexpected question that you'll be asked as well. What other questions do you frequently get asked?
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