OH Yeah! Finally, the time came, after sending a wonderful resume; you got your invitation to interview. Usually, People get scared because of the questions that will be asked in the interview. In this article, I am going to share some questions interviewers generally ask. No one can read other’s minds, so how do I know these questions? Yes, we can’t read others’ minds but we can understand their needs. Today we are going to see the 20 Questions you may face in an interview with answers.
Top 20 most common job interview questions and answers:
- Tell me about yourself.
- How did you hear about this job?
- Why do you want to work with us?
- Why should we hire you?
- What are your strengths?
- What do you consider as your weakness?
- Why do you apply to this position?
- What is your opinion about our company?
- How much salary do you expect?
- What do you expect in your new position?
- Do you need any clarification?
- Why did you leave the past company?
- Why there is Gap in your Work History?
- If you can become an animal, which animal will you choose?
- Do you have any health problems?
- Have you interviewed any other companies?
- Who is your motivation?
- What is your goal after you get hired?
- Will you work overtime?
- When can you start?
Common Questions
1. Tell me about yourself?
This is a common question that will be asked by every interviewer; mostly this will be the first question of an interview. The common mistake the job seekers will do for this question is telling their whole life story. It is not what they want; you should give a short overview about yourself. By asking this question the interviewer’s idea is to get a basic image of you. So, your answer should make them believe that you’re an ideal candidate for their job. It is better to start with your name, then your past work experience (if you’re fresher then tell about your qualifications), you can provide some informal information like hobbies, other talents, etc…Try to finish it short and crisp. Instead of bragging about yourself, you can tell them one-pitch information.
Sample Answer:
“Yeah, so I am Harold, from the central city of Miami, and belong to a nuclear family. I moved to this city two months ago and have 3 years of experience in Data analysis. I have graduated from MIT in Information Technology. I consider myself a confident and hardworking person. Other than work I have experience in working as a freelancer.”
2. How did you hear about this job?
This is where people mess up. You may think why would a person mess up this question? But most of them do. Normally we get to know about a job from our friends who work with the same company or any event and even sometimes from a random job portal. Many people hesitate to say this and make a lie. They feel the interviewer will judge them by this. It’s not real, you can tell the exact way how you get to know about the job. While telling this, add the reason why you are attracted by this job.
Sample Answers:
“I have been searching for a job like this; luckily get to know your company from my friend who works in the sales department”
“I saw your job while skimming through the newspaper, I was interested as this related to my life dream”
3. Why do you want to work with us?
Here comes the real challenge! The answer you give for this question will determine the probability of your hiring. This is the place where you should show your uniqueness and stand-out among others. There are various ways to answer it. You can make a research and speak about the company’s success and motive, you can tell them the future of the company and your contributions to it or some other thing that makes you interested in the company. It is important to ready the answer before going to the interview, if you can’t figure it out then it’s better to try somewhere else.
Sample Answer:
“I have been seeing the company’s growth from my college days. It has a good social motive and a promising future. I want to lend my hand in this victory journey, and there are many employer benefits available here. That is why I want to work here”
4. Why should we hire you?
If you face this question in your interview then you’re really lucky. This is the chance to sell yourself and your skill to the interview manager. But don’t oversell yourself. Here you should list all your merits the company will get if they hire you. You can mainly focus on these three things, prove yourself as the best fit, convince them that you will give good results by mentioning your past achievements, and try to tell something that others don’t provide.
Sample Answer:
“I got all the skills and experience needed for a web developer. My past works are now being the best in the market. I will fix the problem in your website comment section. My work will be cost-effective and user-friendly and also website traffic.”
5. What are your strengths?
HR will be very interested to know the answers to this question. What you need to do is select the best quality in you and explain it. Or you can describe any hard situation that you faced in your past work or life, and how you overcome that. The main thing you need to remember while answering this question is quality matters, not quantity. So, don’t list your strengths, select the best of them. Try to tell your life experience that will be better than generalization.
Sample Answer:
“I have natural leadership quality, I regard it as my great strength, and last year a dispute arose between my team members regarding stealing other’s clients. I settled it without affecting both parties by making them as team members”
6. What do you consider as your weakness?
Here comes the crucial question, even if you go well prepared, you will be tensed by this question. You can’t say “Nothing, I am a perfect man”. It will show that you have some difficulties and you’re hiding it. And you can’t say “I will get bored after If I worked for a long time” this will make you even worse. What the HR needs is to know something that you are not best. It is better to say your real weakness but say it convincingly. Even if it is a big demerit for you, say it as a small problem and promise you’re overcoming it.
Sample Answers:
“As I am not used to Stage speech, I am not good at speaking before strangers. I am overcoming this difficulty by involving in many contest and competition”
“I don’t have any big weakness, the only thing is I get more emotionally attached with the team members and I will start feeling for them. This is my strength and weakness.”
7. Why do you apply for this position?
People used to say the answer like this, “It is a high paying job, and I am in the need of money”. This is the place where you need to show how passionate you’re to the job. You can tell the incident where you get the motivation to join this job. If it is your dream job then you can talk about your dreams and goals. If a person is passionate about a job then the result will also be productive. You can show your results and achievements to convince the Manager. Eyes of a candidate will show how he is passionate about the job while he is explaining the work. So, it’s better to apply for your dream job.
Sample Answer:
“My father is a retired professor; I have inherited teaching skills from my father. Teaching is my dream from my childhood. My goal is to work as a professor at an International University. So, I need this position at your University”
8. What is your opinion about our company?
The interviewer wants to check whether you’re aware of the company’s culture and working style. It is better to research before attending an interview. Even though you have the skill they need, if you don’t adapt to their corporate culture and working style, you have a low chance of getting a job. So At least you should be aware of the following things about the company or organizations: What goods or services they provide? What is their motive? How is their effect on the public or product market? Recent news about the company and what is their cultural behavior etc…
Sample Answer:
“I have good respect for your company; it made a great revolution in the State’s Drone Market. I am inspired by your recent scheme “Young Ideas” which helps many college students to make their Drone designs. And based on the survey in 2018 the Drone limited is dominating the 70% Drone manufacturing industry.”
9. How much salary do you expect?
Here many people will quote a low salary to get hired. I have experienced this situation in my life. I quoted a low salary and I got hired, but after joining the company I came to know my colleagues get a higher salary than me. And quoting a low salary will degrade your skill, and you may not get hired. So check these while quoting a salary, Average payout for your skill workers, how the company pays, what is your past salary. It is better to ask the range than asking a particular salary.
Sample Answers:
“I am okay with 80,000 salary package”
“Any amount between 70,000 to 90,000 is good”
10. What do you expect in your new position?
“What else just a good salary, that’s enough”. It is the worst answer one can give. Try to avoid giving these types of answers, this shows that you will jump to another company if you paid high. Tell about your short and long-term future goals in the company. You can also mention other benefits you expect from the company. The main idea is to give the HR Manager about your requirements.
Sample Answer:
“I have planned to apply for my higher degree, so I expect permission and freedom from the company. And looking forward to a co-operative team”
11. Do you need any clarification?
This will be the last question the interviewer will ask you. “No, nothing I have” this answer will look like “Okay I had enough please leave me”. Imagine they hire you and ask to join the next day, what will you do on the first day? And the interviewer will think that if you are interested in work you should have asked details about the work process. So it is better to ask some questions (1 or 2).
Sample Questions:
“How an average day will look like in the company?”, “Is there any training program for the employees?”, “Do I need to develop any skill to work in this company?”, “What are the future opportunities available for me in this company?”, “Do you provide canteen benefits for the employees?”, “will you provide vehicles for transportation?”Etc…
Past work Related Questions
12. Why did you leave the past company?
The interviewer wants to ensure that you don’t jump between the companies, so it is necessary to give a reasonable answer to this question. Answering this question is not hard in an ordinary situation; you can just say the real reason. But there are three situations where you will find it difficult to answer.
Due to the low salary?
If you have left the last company due to low payment or overwork pressure, you can’t say this reason to the interviewer this will give a bad impression about you. You can try answer as follow in this above situation.
Sample Answer:
“I felt that my past company doesn’t match with my skill level, so I decided to leave and now I am trying to enter the companies where I can show my full potential, get the matching rewards”If you are expelled by the previous company?
This is a hard situation for you, and you can’t lie because the certificates and your work history will show the past to the interviewer. You need to face this situation with confidence if the mistake is not on your side. If the mistake is on your side you can genuinely ask, accept, and promise that it will never happen. But never say negative words or complaints about your past company. This will make the interviewer think that you will talk the same if you got expelled from this new company and you may lose your chance.
Sample Answer:
“Small disputes arise between me and the chief, I had my idea for advertising but the chief requested another thing to do, I did my best as the chief said but unfortunately the results didn’t meet our target. The chief accused me of the result… Though there is no mistake on my side, I was expelled from the company.”If the reason is personal:
There are some cases where people leave a company due to personal problems like misbehavior of the chief, illegal activities, fraudulent, break-up in relationship with a person working in the same company, etc… In these situations, you can get a proper excuse from the interviewer for not sharing the reason.
Sample Answer:
“Small disputes arise between me and the chief, I had my idea for advertising but the chief requested another thing to do, I did my best as the chief said but unfortunately the results didn’t meet our target. The chief accused me of the result… Though there is no mistake on my side, I was expelled from the company.”
13. Why is there a gap in your work history?
There is nothing to panic, regarding this question. The interviewer is not going to reject you for the Gap in your resume unless you provide an honest reason. If your reason is convincing then it will not affect your chance. There are various reasons for the gap if you’re a woman you should have given birth to a child. There may also be some other reason for the gap like studying a higher degree, Medical illness, etc… Whatever the reason is, you need to give an honest reply, but you don’t need to share all the details that you feel uncomfortable with. Know, how to explain employment gap in resume.
Sample Answer:
“I have gone abroad to finish my higher education. As I didn’t receive the certificate of the course I haven’t added it in my resume”
Behavior or Personal based Questions
14. If you can become an animal, which animal will you choose?
This question is not related to your past or future work; this is to test your reaction speed. There are various ways to ask this question which marvel superhero you would like to become? What will you do if you become the CEO of this company? What if you are the American president? Etc… There are no right or wrong answers to these questions. Everything you need to do is say the answer that suits your character and reason for your answer. This is the place where you can show your creativity. You can catch the employer’s heart by saying funny answers or adding humor sense to your reasons.
Sample Answer:
“Oh, that is a nice question. I would choose any animal which is immune to Covid-19. I don’t want to die. If I am, then I will be the richest animal in the world, lol”
15. Do you have any health problems?
This question is mostly asked by the aged people, to know their Health condition and treat them in an emergency. Sometimes it is asked to others to know whether they have any addiction, or physiological problems like Dual personality, Bipolar disorder, Stress, and depression. If you don’t have any problem then no problem, but if you do it is good to mention it to them. It is not about getting a job, health is important. To avoid misunderstanding you can get a health certificate from the Doctor and provide it during the interview. By this, the interviewer will get to know the intensity of your disease and make a proper decision.
Sample Answer:
“I don’t have any major health problems, just the disease that is common in this age. I have been doing regular health check-ups and it’s results qualify me for the work. I have attached my Health certificate with the resume you can check it”
16. Have you interviewed any other companies?
Companies tend to ask this question, the main reason they ask this question is to know your capabilities and your sincerity in the job. They also like to know who they are competing with. Sometimes they will ask you to share the experience in that interview process. You can say the other company’s name because it is normal for a candidate to apply for more than 2 countries. You can also share the online opinion of the interview process. Whatever you say in the end you should say the reason why you prefer their company that others.
Sample Answer:
“I have attended the interview with two other companies (if they ask then mention the name), their interview process is a bit nervous but I feel comfortable with your interview process. And that is the main reason I want to get a job here”
17. Who is your motivation?
One person Ideal can speak more about him. When you face this question with your true heart don’t try the silly tricks like “My ideal is your company CEO”. The person you mention is not important. The reason why they regard them as Idol is important. You can name an actor, singer, leader, or player. There is no rule the person you mention should be a celebrity. You can also mention a neighbor, friend, and relatives, etc…
Sample Answer:
“My Great Motivation and Idol in my life is my father, he may not be a celebrity but his noble qualities are a worthy celebration. He never afraid of chasing his dream and never tried shortcuts in his life”
18. What is your Goal after you get hired?
Here you can share Goals that you planned to achieve within the next 90 days. People usually make this mistake, they will talk about their personal life goals like buying a car, House, or getting married. But the interviewer doesn’t ask about it, he asks about the goal that you will achieve in the work. Don’t set the high goals that are not achievable. It will show your inexperience to the manager. Set an attainable goal and discuss it with him.
Sample Answer:
“My goal after joining your company is to make my first deal within the first 60 days. Usually, it will not take me this much time but as I will be new to your company I need to blend in with the team members and the environment. So this my Goal”
19. Will you work overtime?
This is the question usually asked to check your sincerity but don’t fall into the trap of the interviewer. If your job type normally involves overtime work or 24/7 working hours then you can show your sincerity. But other types ask for more information and payment for overtime. Many employers get free overtime workers with these interview questions.
Sample Answer:
“If the demand for the work is high then I will work Overtime. Can you please give an estimation of days per week that I need to work overtime?”
20. When can you start?
If the interviewer is impressed by you then he will ask this question. The answer you give here should be actionable. If you are unemployed and can start the work immediately after they hire, then you can say ‘I am ready to start now”. But if you have any other difficulties in starting working then you should mention it and get a reasonable time. Sometimes you may need to get a certificate from the past employer or relocate your residency. At this time you can mention the reason and ask for time. The main thing here is that you should be available on the date you say.
Sample Answer:
“As my home is far from the workplace, I need a week to shift the things to my new place. Then I will be available for the work”
General Tips while attending an interview:
Nowadays, getting a job is a difficult thing. Even an experienced one will fail the interviews. Everyone will be nervous while attending an interview, it is inevitable. You will not be nervous like that when you meet your in-laws. The main thing you need to do in an interview is to hide all your feelings and answer with confidence. Try to blend into the situation within the first 5 minutes. Prepare a good self-introduction that will help you to manage nervousness. And then you will be used to it. Read the ultimate job interview preparation checklist for more details.
I hope the above-said interview questions and answers will help you. All the best! Crack it, you can do it.
