Common Interview Questions
Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
Begin with a summary of your highest qualification and key achievements. Then, discuss your work experience and the skills you’ve gained. If your work history is limited, focus on your favourite academic areas and how they relate to the job.
Why do you want to work here?
Research the mission, history, and culture of your potential employer. Showing your ambitions align with the company’s goals will help you stand out as a strong candidate.
What are your strengths?
Pick 2 to 4 attributes the employer desires (such as teamwork, problem-solving, communication, etc.) and give examples using the STAR method.
What are your weaknesses?
Be honest about your weaknesses, but show how you are improving them. For example, if you struggle to stay organised, you could tell the interviewer how you keep a planner to ensure you complete all of your tasks.
How would you improve our product/service?
This question will highlight what you know of the company and what it does. Come up with one or two things that you think could be improved, but don’t be too critical and ensure they are relevant to the role you are applying for.
Can you describe when you had to cope with a difficult situation?
This question lets the interviewer see how calm and reliable you are under pressure. Describe a situation where you had to cope with an unexpected problem, tight deadline or problematic person, highlighting how you reorganised your time and prioritised tasks to solve the issue.
What has been your greatest achievement?
Think of a time when you received an award, organised an event, learnt something new or overcame a fear. Ideally, the achievement or the act leading to the achievement should show skills relevant to the job.
What are your goals?
Talk about your short- and long-term goals concerning the industry and your skills and experience. The interviewer is trying to gauge if you are likely to stay at the company long-term, even if you are not planning on making this job your career, make your goals align with the company and what they offer.
What are your salary expectations?
If a salary range was indicated in the job description, then the amount you can ask for will depend on your skills and experience; with more skills and knowledge, you can ask for a salary at the higher end. You can look up similar roles to gauge your earning potential if no wage was mentioned in the job description. You can also negotiate pay for perks, like flexible working hours and working from home.
Do you have any questions?
This is where you can ask the questions you prepared. You can ask anything from career development opportunities to questions about the company itself.
For more information on interview questions and how to answer them, visit Indeed – Interview Q&As, Indeed – Interviews, Prospects – Interview Q&As and Gov – Interview Q&As.
Interview Simulations
It’s good to practice interviewing before an interview; there are free online interview simulations like those offered by Codecademy and Barclays Life Skills that give you feedback on your interview.
For more information on the interview process, visit Prospects – Interviews and Gov – Interviews.
After the Interview
It’s good practice to make some notes about the questions asked in your interview and how well you answered them so that you are better prepared for future interviews.
If you are offered the role, congratulations! You may want confirmation of the role in writing, confirm a start date, notify the company if you have a notice period, ask about work patterns or arrangements, and let them know your salary expectations if they have not already been discussed before accepting the role.
If you are unsuccessful, it’s ok to feel disappointed; remember that it is normal to attend multiple interviews before landing a job. It can be helpful to reflect on your interview and ask the employer for any feedback on your application so that you can improve your performance next time.
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