23 Mar 5 common job interview questions (and answers)
A company looking for a new person to join will look for the best profile to fill a certain position. Your CV and motivation letter are definitely important, and if you already pass this first screening, you will move on to the interview.
The interview obviously helps the recruiter to understand your actual professional experience, your skills, your successes, your failures, and your ambition. So as you may already have read on our blog, there are some tips to keep in mind when you go. To help you further, we list here five of the questions they are likely to ask you and also how best to answer them.
- Why are you applying for this position?
This is probably the most classic question of a job interview. It helps the Recruiter to evaluate your knowledge of the employer and of course your interest in the position. Do not describe the position you are applying for, but rather why you are interested in it and this particular employer.
Of course, this means that you need to prepare ahead of time: analyze the website, especially the About Us and the services offered pages, its social media accounts, and press articles about it to get an idea of who you are dealing with. - Why did you leave your previous job? Or why do you want to leave your job?
Don’t lie: if you didn’t/don’t get along with your employer, just say it, especially if he didn’t/doesn’t offer you enough opportunities to grow. Just keep in mind to remain neutral and be professional. It’s not because you are trying to change your career that you have to speak negatively about the past.
If, on the other hand, it is a city and lifestyle change reason that attracts you, likewise be sincere. Perhaps you have grown bored with city life and aspire to work in a smaller city, and that company happens to be in the right place.
Or the company you are interested in is bigger and offers challenges that can make you grow further: this is a reason that will certainly interest the recruiter and make it clear that your motivation is solid. - Tell me about yourself
Don’t start from the beginning of your career: get to the point. Just detail the previous experiences that led you to apply for this job offer, and why your profile may correspond to the position.
Your body language, your enthusiasm and your ability to synthesize and structure your answer will all be elements that he/she will look at. When you’re done, ask the Recruiter if there’s anything they‘d like you to elaborate on. - What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Watch out as this might be a tricky question. The Recruiter wants to know what risks they are taking in hiring you. So, honestly show that you have enough insight into yourself to discern your qualities, flaws and areas for improvement. Don’t make a list: instead, describe one or two shortcomings and the steps you have taken to correct them.
Your qualities can be hard skills, soft skills or significant experience in the field. Make sure you can explain your strengths with concrete examples, to be credible. - Why do you have a gap in your resume?
Don’t lie, and don’t be embarrassed either. Who hasn’t experienced a period of unemployment? Your interviewer only wants to know how you spent that time, so show that you have been proactive and what that period brought you (new skills? Volunteering? Resilience?).
Don’t try to justify or defend yourself, otherwise, the recruiter will think you have something to hide.
We hope you find these first 5 winning interview questions and answers helpful. In the coming weeks, we will outline more.
In the meantime, contact us if you need advice on changing jobs or working on your presentation for your next career change!