Many job interview questions are similar regardless of the job.
There are hundreds of possible job interview questions because employers are trying to gather a range of information: your skills and competency, your level of responsibility and need for supervision, your performance level, your interest in your own career, your compatibility with the corporate culture and the likelihood you'll stay with the company. However, certain questions appear again and again on major employment websites' top questions lists. Your job is to send key messages about your skills and strengths as you answer them.
Tell Me About Yourself
This question is on the top of many interview lists, according to the CareerBuilder website. And there's no wonder why, as it can help reveal a lot about you. Prepare for this question by creating a few "messages" about yourself that you'd like to impart, such as "I am responsible," "I am a self-starter," and "I am a consensus builder." Craft your message around your work and educational history and include some of your accomplishments.
Tell Me About Your Strengths and Weaknesses
When listing your strengths, be matter-of-fact and don't brag. See if you can wed your strengths to items on the job qualifications list, such as ability to get things done quickly, handle pressure or work as a team player. When discussing your weaknesses, be candid and move on. Don't feel like you have to give a litany of your failures, but if you've had a blunder that resulted in losing a job, don't hide it. Just explain what you learned from your mistakes.
Why Did You Want To Leave Your Last Job?
Put as positive a spin on this as possible. You could bring up wanting an opportunity to grow and learn new things, being drawn by this company's culture, hoping for better advancement opportunities and the like. If you hated your old boss and that might come out if the prospective employer calls him, explain that the two of you saw things differently and it seemed like it might be best for both of you and the company to take your skills elsewhere.
Why Do You Want This Job?
Keep the reasons for wanting this job as close to noble as you can. If you can cite the company's social responsibility program or its corporate culture, that's good. If you can talk about how this job gives you an opportunity to exercise skills or knowledge you haven't been able to use before, that's positive. Avoid mentioning pay, benefits or fewer hours as reasons.
Tell Me About a Situation ...
A prospective employer may ask about a situation in which there was a conflict with another employee, a manager, a client or a supplier. He may ask about a situation in which you were called on to solve a problem or resolve a crisis. Or, he may ask about a situation in which you had to make a hard choice. Prepare half a dozen stories to respond to all the situations that might come up.
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