Job Interview Questions and Answers

A look at some of the more common interview questions and helpful suggestions on how to prepare your answers.

Tell me about yourself. Many respond with "I grew up in California and I have three sisters..." This is trivial, irrelevant, and it is not what the employer is asking for. He is looking for attributes and characteristics: “I’m bold and driven, a strong communicator, ambitious and well-rounded...”

Why do you want to work here? Point out specific characteristics of the organization and demonstrate that you know what's important to you. "According to my research so far, this company stands out in the areas of fiscal stability, competitiveness in the market, as well as ethical policies in employee relations…”. Do not reply with irrelevant banter like “it’s really close to where I live…” or “I hear you guys are good to your employees…”

If you were choosing a candidate for this job, what kind of person would you chose? Never, ever, ever, say, "I would choose me", but definitely use the opportunity to advance yourself: “I would choose a highly diversified professional with an open-minded attitude, a clear objective, and the qualifications and confidence to support it.”

What are your weaknesses? Give an answer that won't be relevant to the job and won't disable you in any way. For instance, if your job will require little to no computer use, state a weakness that is computer-related. Once you state a mundane weakness, give an example of what measures you are taking to overcome it.

What do you expect in this position that you were not getting in the job you had before? Avoid stating anything relating to salary, or anything negative about your past employers. Stick with sincere, goal oriented answers like, “the opportunity for long-term growth…” or “the potential to make significant contributions…”

Where do you see yourself in five years? There are many correct answers here. If you have a five year career plan, by all means share it. be careful not to state something that can't be achieved with this company. If you don't have a five-year plan, there is nothing wrong with that. Quite frankly, I believe that having a five-year plan is dangerous and limiting. You can't possibly foresee what will happen, and you may be setting yourself up for disappointment. I prefer to keep an open mind. You might say something like "I hope to have steadily advanced in my field of choice, while enjoying a balanced personal and professional life."

Why did you leave your last position? If you left voluntarily, avoid making any negative statements about your previous employer. Instead, focus on aligning your goals with those of the company. If you were fired, read how to explain being fired.

For more job interview questions and answers, see the career articlessection. Remember that there are several different ;types of interviews and each requires a slightly different preparation. The most feared and by far most stressful is the situational interview , where you are often required to give detailed accounts of actual situations you have been in.

The other extreme, and possibly even more difficult to succeed at, is theinformal job interview , because you have to work twice as hard to get relevant points across to this employer who has usually not prepared any interview questions to ask you.

• Setting realistic expectations
• Planning and preparing your job search
• The almighty resume
• The cover letter
• The job interview
• The compensation package