Top 15 Job Interview Questions With Their Right Answers

Let’s face it; no one likes the interview process. Well, certainly not the people being interviewed anyway. If there was another way around the interview process, most of us would gladly take it. For an interview, you have to be on your best behavior, you’ve only got one chance to get it right, and it’s like taking your driving test all over again. Remember, being interviewed is a skill, and if you do the preparation you should ace it every time. Don’t forget; Be Bold, Be Relaxed, yet don’t be Over-confident! Here are some 15 interview questions and how to go about answering them:1. So, tell me about yourself. OR May I meet you? I’d be very surprised if you haven’t been asked this one at every interview. It’s probably the most asked question because it sets the stage for the interview and it gets you talking. Be careful not to give the interviewer your life story here. You don’t need to explain everything from birth to present day. Relevant facts about education, your career and your current life situation are fine.2. Why are you looking for job (or why did you leave your last job)? This should be a straightforward question to answer, but it can trip you up. Presumably you are looking for a new job (or any job); tell them it is because you want to advance your career and get a position that allows you to grow as a person, as an employee and to add value to the company. It’s not a good idea to mention money here, it can make you sound mercenary. And if you are in the unfortunate situation of having been downsized, stay positive and be as brief as possible about it. If you were fired, you’ll need a good explanation. But once again, stay positive.3. Tell me what you know about this company. Do your homework before you go to any interview. Whether it’s being the VP of marketing or the mailroom clerk, you should know about the company or business you’re going to work for. Has this company been in the news lately? Who are the people in the company you should know about? Do the background work, it will make you stand out as someone who comes prepared, and is genuinely interested in the company and the job.4. Why do you want to work in this Company? This should be directly related to the last question. Any research you’ve done on the company should have led you to the conclusion that you’d want to work there. After all, you’re at the interview, right? Put some thought into this answer before you have your interview, mention your career goals and highlight forward-thinking goals and career plans.5. What relevant experience do you have? Hopefully if you’re applying for this position you have bags of related experience, and if that’s the case you should mention it all from different where you got the experience. But if you’re switching careers or trying something a little different, your experience may initially not look like it’s matching up. That’s when you need a little honest creativity to match the experiences required with the ones you have. People’s skills are people skills after all, you just need to show how your experience and skills can apply to the position you are applying for, and so on.6. How are you when you’re working under pressure? Once again, there are a few ways to answer this but they should all be positive. You may work well under pressure, you may thrive under pressure, and you may actually PREFER working under pressure. If you say you crumble like a pack of cards, this is not going to help you get your foot in the door. Tell them, you always ensure that you carefully attend to every task, and that you always give them the very best they require.7. What motivates you to do a good job? The answer to this one is not money, even if it is. You should be motivated by life’s noble pursuits. You want your employer to always be proud of you for a job well done. You want to become better at your job. You want to help others or be a leader in your field. That is what motivates you.8. What’s your greatest strength? This is your chance to shine. You’re being asked to explain why you are a great employee, so don’t hold back, stay positive. You could be someone who thrives under pressure, a great motivator, an amazing problem solver or someone with extraordinary attention to details. If your greatest strength, however, is to drink anyone under the table or beat your opponent in a game of FIFA11, keep it to yourself. The interviewer is looking for work-related strengths. Shine-on! Shine! Shine!9. What’s your biggest weakness? If you’re completely honest, you may be kicking yourself in the butt. If you say you don’t have one, you’re obviously lying. This is a horrible question and one that politicians have become masters at answering. They say things like “I’m perhaps too committed to my work and don’t spend enough time with my family.” Oh, there’s a fireable offense. I’ve even heard “I think I’m too good at my job, it can often make people jealous.” Please, let’s keep our feet on the ground. If you’re asked this question, give a small, work-related flaw that you’re working hard to improve. Example: “I’ve been told I occasionally focus on details and miss the bigger picture, so I’ve been spending time laying out the complete project every day to see my overall progress.”10. Let’s talk about salary. What are you looking for? Run for cover! This is one tricky game to play in an interview. Even if you know the salary range for the job, if you answer first you’re already showing all your cards. You want as much as possible, the employer wants you for as little as you’re willing to take. Before you apply, take a look at salary.com for a good idea of what someone with your specific experience should be paid. You may want to say, “well, that’s something I’ve thought long and hard about and I think someone with my experience should get between X & Y.” Or, you could be sly and say, “right now, I’m more interested in talking more about what the position can offer my career.” That could at least buy you a little time to scope out the situation. But if you do have a specific figure in mind and you are confident that you can get it, I’d say go for it.11. Are you good at working in a team? Unless you have the I.Q. of a houseplant, you’ll always answer YES to this one. It’s the only answer. How can anyone function inside an organization if they are a loner? You have colleagues and seniors, you must synegize efforts and skills to get excellent jobs done.12. Would you rather to work for money or for job satisfaction? It’s not a very fair question is it? We’d all love to get paid a Trump-like salary doing a job we love but that’s rare indeed. It’s fine to say money is important, but remember that NOTHING is more important to you than the job. Otherwise, you’re just someone looking for a bigger paycheck.13. Would you prefer to be Liked or be Feared? The genuine answer should be “Neither. I’d rather be respected.” You don’t want to be feared because fear is no way to motivate a team. You may get the job done but at what cost? Similarly, if you’re everyone’s best friend you’ll find it difficult to make tough decisions or hit deadlines. But when you’re respected, you don’t have to be a complete hate or a lame duck to get the job done.14. So, explain why I should hire you. As I’m sure you know, “because I’m great” or “I really need a job” are not good answers here. This is a time to give the employer a laundry list of your greatest talents that just so happen to match the job description again. Its a blank Cheque for you to fill. It’s also good to avoid taking potshots at other potential candidates here. Focus on yourself and your talents, not other people’s flaws.15. Finally, do you have any questions to ask me? I’ll finish the way I started, with one of the most common questions asked in interviews. This directly relates to the research you’ve done on the company and also gives you a chance to show how eager and prepared you are. You’ll probably want to ask about benefits if they haven’t been covered already. A good generic one is “how soon could I start, if I were offered the job of course.” You may also ask, “If I’m given to opportunity to serve here, what is the first thing you’ll want me to work on?” Specifically, in the role you’re applying for and how that affects the rest of the company. Always have One or Two questions ready, not asking any question at all is a rotten way to finish your interview. When you ask a question, it shows you are a thinking person. Kingdom News wishes you Good Success as you get the exact work that makes you fulfilled in Jesus name!