Learn to answer the 5 most common interview questions

Employers and interviewees were surveyed by the job posting site Indeed and found these were the most common interview questions:

• Tell me about yourself.

• What are your greatest strengths?

• What are your weaknesses?

• Why do you want this job?

• Where would you like to be in your career five years from now?

Strategy

• Think of this as a mini elevator pitch or highlight real.

• Practice a 30 and 60-second version.

It can be based on your values, accomplishments, or a timeline.

Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

Sample Answer

I am Yumi Reed, a political science graduate, a former member of the student government at Greendale Community College. I just completed a public policy internship at City Hall. I am an environmentalist and advocate for many causes and my passion in these areas will make a great fundraiser for B Corp.

Strategy

• Create a list of your skills.

• List hard skills such as knowing how to use certain software or language.

• List soft skills like a strong work ethic and interpersonal/people skills

• Still not sure? Try asking your friends!

Photo by Kylie Haulk on Unsplash

Sample Answer

I consider my leadership skills to be one of my greatest strengths. In my previous job as a manager, I was able to successfully train my team so that they were comfortable in their new roles. As a result, we were able to increase sales by 5% at the end of the first month.

Strategy

• Be truthful, but don’t say anything that will impact how you work in the job position.

• Show how you are working to overcome your weakness.

Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

Sample Answer

Organization is something I struggle with. While it never impacted my work, over time, I realized how organization can help me have a more efficient workspace. I’m constantly working on it by continuously challenging myself to organize and label my workstation .

Strategy

Here are 4 easy steps to help you prepare:

1. Study the job posting

2. Research the company

3. Tie your background to the job posting

4. Quantify your accomplishments

Photo by Marten Bjork on Unsplash

Sample Answer

You should hire me because I have worked on 8 similar projects in my previous role. I'm familiar with the tools your company uses, including Slack, Jira, and Clickup. I have also increased sales consistently over the last 3 quarters.

Strategy

Think About the Big Picture

What do you want your life to look like in 5 years, realistically? What's important to you?

Here are some different categories to think about:

• Career

• Education

• Family

• Health

• Travel

There may be other categories that are more relevant to you.

Sample Answers

5-year goal: Use my master's degree in psychology to bring new insights to the field of market research.

1-year goal: Find part-time work that will help me gain experience in the field.

6-month goal:  Apply for a master's program in research psychology.

Photo by Kaleidico on Unsplash

Strategy

• Don't throw past employers under the bus!

• Focus on what the new role offers.

• Highlight what you did to contribute in your past/current role and say what you're looking to gain in the new role.

Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

Sample Answer

I was promoted to team manager after 8 months and in the past year, my team surpassed the company's sales targets by 20%. I'm ready for a new challenge and this position would give me the opportunity to manage a larger team and sell products I'm passionate about.

You can see more advice, strategies, and sample answers in the Bytes below:

Rumie has a large collection of Career Resources including:

• Interview Answers

• Job Hunting Resources

• Career Descriptions and Salaries

We can help you find the job you want!