How To Answer 4 Common Interview Questions

Job Search

Feb 21

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Preparation is key when it comes to interviewing well. While there is no way to anticipate every single question the interviewer may ask, preparing for common interview questions is one way to boost your confidence and get you in the proper state of mind for interviewing!

Below is a snippet from The Ultimate Interview Prep Guide to help you prepare for four common interview questions. After each question, you'll find further instructions for tailoring your answer, as well as other questions to consider as you formulate your response.

Tell me about yourself.

This is not the time to ramble on and on about everything you’ve ever done/accomplished. Keep your answer to 90 seconds or less. Consider this your elevator pitch.

What are you currently doing?
What led you to this space?
What are you interested in doing next? Why?

Why do you want this position?

This is your invitation to explain why this position makes sense for you AND why you make sense for this position. This is not an opportunity to degrade your current or past employer(s).

What interests you about the company?
How does this position fit into your overall career plan?
What makes you a good candidate for the position?

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Make sure your response allows the interviewer to easily draw the parallel between the growth possibilities with the position and your ideal future state. Answers outside of the scope of the company implies that you may not see longevity with the company

What is your ultimate career goal?
What can you do in the next 5 years to get you closer to that?

What's your greatest strength?

Think through all of your strengths. Choose the strength most relevant to the position + with the easiest story to tell. Avoid cookie cutter answers like “responsible” “quick learner” “team player”.

Name the strength.
Provide one clear example of the strength in action.

If you enjoyed this breakdown, you'll love The Ultimate Interview Prep Course. In this course, I debunk common interview myths, share the top interview mistakes and how to avoid them, and provide you with practical steps to seal the deal. I also explain how to answer the top interview questions and share my own real-life responses that not only helped me secure two leadership-level positions, but also helped many of my clients form their own winning responses to the same questions.