Interview Questions: Tips

You can never be too prepared for an interview and the questions you may get asked. Most of us have probably heard of somebody who has been asked a hard question or been asked one themselves during an interview and now are thinking, how do I prepare for that?

Employers and interviewers want to know some key information about you and if you will be able to do the job. They will ask questions about you, your work experience, your achievements, your challenges and why you want the job so it’s important to have an answer for these key questions before you go in to an interview.

Here are a few examples of questions you may get asked

Questions about you

These questions are important to the interviewer as your answers will tell them a lot about your personality, goals and work knowledge. They want to make sure you will fit in and get along with the rest of the team.

Examples of questions you may get asked about you:

• How would you describe yourself?
• What are your personal hobbies?
• Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Questions about your work and career knowledge

At this stage the interviewer wants to know more about your work experience and knowledge in the industry. They want to know if you can do the job and if you have the relevant skill set to fulfil the job requirements. Will they need to train you? Can you show an example of where you have adapted to something new?

Examples of questions you may get asked about your work and career knowledge:

• What did you learn in your current job?
• What challenges did you overcome?
• What parts did you find most difficult?
• Why are you leaving your current job?
• How do you think you will fit with our company?

Questions about why you want the job

This is for the company to see if you are interested in working for them and taking on the tasks, they will want to find out if you have researched the company and have a genuine interest for the industry.

Examples of questions you may get asked about why you want the job:

• When did you first become interested in the industry and why?
• Why do you want to work for the company?
• What is it about our company that you like?
• Are you applying for other jobs?

Preparing for the questions and top tips

There will be other questions related to the role and industry that you will need consider, research the job and company as much as you can and write down every question you think you will be asked.

Top tips:

• Write a list of every question you may get asked
• Answer the questions in a mirror, to a friend or a family member
• Take the time to think about your answers
• Show confidence in your answers

Remember you can never be too prepared for an interview, keep practicing.