To get to know you, to let you put yourself at ease and to prepare themselves, the interviewer will usually first pose some general questions about you as a person. There is no way for them to verify anything that you say. These questions are actually a big opportunity for you to sell yourself. Every answer that you give should portray yourself as positively as possible. Experienced interviewers would expect to hear nothing but positive answers. Anything less than that would, to them, seem amateurish and be inexperience showing. Too much honesty can even come across as an attempt to be hiding something. If you can't be positive about yourself, you can't expect others to be positive about you either.
- Tell me about yourself.
Answer this question in terms of the skills and experience required for the position. This question is all about you as an employee, not about your personal life or whether you're a dedicated sports fan. Answer it by describing your best attributes relevant to the job. Be specific and use examples to support your claim. The goal is not to summarise your CV or resume because the interviewer already has a copy of that in front of them. A good place to start with is your education and then progress on to describing your employment experiences. Keep your answer to one or two minutes and don't ramble. Don't seem at a loss for words or lack of ideas, instead have a prepared answer that you can confidently deliver.
- What is your major weakness?
This "weakness" question is popular with interviewers because they're interested in hearing how you tackle challenges. The most important thing to remember is that after you name your weakness, you MUST discuss what you have done to overcome it. Pick a weakness that is real but understandable or relatively harmless. Whatever weakness you choose to mention be sure that it is work-related. Never discuss a weakness that would rule you out of consideration by the employer. There are several techniques for dealing with this question. You must mention a weakness that will not significantly hinder you in the role being discussed. You can also mention a strength that compensates for the weakness. Another strategy sometimes suggested is to mention a "weakness" that may be viewed as a strength.
For example: "I've always dreaded talking in front of large groups, but I took a public speaking class last month to develop my skills in that area. I'm gaining the confidence to do this with much more ease."
Another example: "I have a tendency to say 'yes' to too many responsibilities. For example, when I was….(you fill in the blanks with a good example). This experience helped me learn to prioritise and also taught me the importance of saying 'no' tactfully when I do not have the time to do something."
A good example: "I tend to be a perfectionist. This can create stress for other people, but I'm aware of this and work at being more patient with other people."
Yet another example: "I sometimes work too hard which leads to unnecessary stress. I'm aware of this and have got into the habit of getting regular exercise to alleviate this by going running at least twice a week."
- What are your greatest strengths?
Keep this as job-related as possible by listing skills or knowledge that you know to be an asset of yours. This question really is an opportunity to go to town to sell yourself. It would be easy to overdo it. Instead of rambling on endlessly, be in a position to quickly and concisely mention no more than six characteristics.
- How would you describe yourself? How would others describe you?
Pick your best attributes and achievements from your career. Don't be afraid to only mention positive aspects.
- Do you consider yourself successful?
You should say you are. Pick some work-related achievements that are in line with the position that you are discussing. Anybody who answers 'no' to this question is only putting himself or herself at a disadvantage.
- What was your greatest career success? How did you achieve it?
You should pick an achievement that is related to their needs. As always keep your answers short. It is better to give three short examples than two long-winded ones. Your description of how you were able to achieve these successes should not be too detailed either.
- What has been your biggest career failure?
Try to pick a failure, which you were later able to correct, or something that is not really important.
Try and use an example of something that you will later able to turn to an advantage.
- How could you improve yourself?
Do not mention anything too negative about yourself because the interviewer is looking for a weakness in your armour. Don't provide them with ammunition that they will later use against you to exclude you from being offered this position.
- Did you feel that you progressed satisfactorily in your last job?
If you progressed faster than normal, then you should say so. If growth was not as good as expected then it is best to be careful how you phrase this. Say something along the lines of, "the company was just too small to provide the growth opportunities that I required."
- How do you handle criticism?
Your answer should be along the lines of: "I always think that it is important to get feedback on how I am performing. That way I can improve upon any areas which my manager/supervisor highlights. None of us are perfect and I for one am committed to continually improving myself."
- Can you act on your own initiative?
You should always say that you do when circumstances demand it. It would be acceptable to ask later how much responsibility you would have in the role at this stage of the interview.
- What management style gets the best results out of you?
Try and think about how you have reacted to different managers and which factors have motivated you. Do not say too much in reply to this question, because if your answer is contrary to the management style of the company they will not be keen to employ you. Say something along the lines of, "they clearly communicated what was expected of me, then provided the necessary environment in which to achieve this, and were on hand to provide support when I may have required it." Anybody who finds that unreasonable should not be a place you should want to work for.
- What do you dislike doing?
Show some maturity and say you know every job has its downsides. Say that you are prepared to do whatever it takes to get the job done well and on time and try to do disagreeable things first to get them out of the way rather than putting them off.
- What problems did you encounter in your last job? What annoyed you about your last job?
Stick to the problems that you were able to solve, for example, "I had problem X, which I later managed to resolve by doing Y". Show that you are a person who can solve problems rather than someone who lets things get on top of them.
- How would you describe your own personality?
Balanced is a good word to use, but remember the type of company you are interviewing at. Some companies may want someone who is aggressive and a go-getter. Others may be looking for a blushing wallflower.
- Are you a leader?
You should always say something to the affirmative. Cite specific examples using your current job as a starting point.
- What motivates you?
My suggestions are: career growth, opportunity to learn new skills, good co-workers, etc.
- How long have you been looking for a new job?
If you have been unemployed for a long time this may be a rather tricky question to answer. But be honest because this will serve you better than spouting a load of nonsense. These people always know the state of the industry. If you have been away on holiday or done some voluntary work you could mention this.
- Do you prefer to work in a small, medium or large company?
Remember where you are. If the company interviewing you is a small to medium sized company say that you enjoy a close atmosphere with a good team spirit. At a large company say that you enjoy the stability of working for a large and established company.
- What are you looking for in a new job?
Once again, make sure that your answer fits in with the company who is interviewing you. A suitable reply would be that you are looking for a new job where you can apply your existing skills and learn new ones.
- What is the toughest part of a job for you?
Be honest about this, but once again put a positive spin on it. Remember that nobody can do everything well.
Similar questions that you may want to prepare answers for are:
- How would you handle rejection?
- Who or what had the greatest influence on your life?
- How would you describe yourself?
- What are some of the greatest personal challenges you have faced during your lifetime?
- What are some of your personal goals, and have you achieved them?