Interview blues are a real thing and I am sure each one of us has faced it if not more, then at least once in our life. We come across such situations where answering simple questions about ourselves seems difficult. There is no magical way through which we can skip this part or for that matter know exactly which questions will be put forth before us. But can we make this process any easier? Yes, surely we can. Many Institutions today offer soft skills training ranging from resume building, interview skills, mock interviews, and presentation skills which molds one into an interview-ready candidate under their course curriculum.
We can always prepare ourselves accordingly for one such situation which we are about to face. And hence, today we will be discussing the top 10 most asked interview questions and answers. I will be helping you guide through a few interview questions and answers which will help you understand the recruiter’s point of view on the interview questions and what answers are expected of you.
Are you ready to shine the way through your interview and secure the role you want to seek? Without any further ado let’s get started with our interview questions and answers.
1. Tell Me About Yourself:
“Tell me about yourself”, this question seems like a very simple one but indeed is tricky, through which many candidates fail to present themselves in a way that might interest the recruiter to hire them. Recruiters very often want to hear your story in this question which is not only restricted to your professional background but also speaks about who you are as a person.
You can start answering this question by giving an overview of your professional journey and later add a few interests of your own. Always try to keep your answer precise and cut to the point, without adding information that does not suit well for the position you are trying to apply.
2. Can You Walk Me Through Your Resume?
This question is another great opener like “Tell me about yourself” for the interviewer to evaluate your profile as a suitable candidate or not. But in this question more than talking about your interests or personality traits, you can explain about your qualifications and previous job profiles you have worked on.
The recruiter would like to understand how well have you stood as an employee under different job roles.
You can start presenting your journey as a working professional in chronological order, starting from your internships to how you paved your way into working under your last mentioned job profile. You can highlight accomplishments and Through this, the recruiter will get a clear understanding of how your professional growth has helped you make the most suitable candidate for the role.
3. What Intrigued You to Work in This Position?
Through this interview question, you can show the recruiter how passionate you are to work in the given position. You can share about your past experiences and how those experiences made you opt for this role. It is easier for the recruiter to evaluate your passion for the position when you explain the example of your professional journey. You can share how prior projects or working under one of your profound Managers has helped you to be more intrigued for this position.
Try to maintain a chronological order while explaining your answer as it reflects the deep sense of passion you’ve had since all these years to work for the position you have applied for.
4. What Is Your Vision of Your Future?
This question is mainly asked to align your visions with the vision of the team you are about to work with or if applied for a bigger job role, the vision should somewhere align with that of the organization. Each time a company hires a new employee, they invest a good amount of money and time. Hence, it is the responsibility of the recruiter to understand your career goals or to reckon with your vision of your future, to forecast the possibility of a long, trustworthy bond with the institution.
So, when you are about to answer this question, try to align it with the company’s interests and goals. For example, you can discuss about the interests and vision which is more likely to fit into the role you are applying for. Or you can highlight skills and responsibilities which go hand-in-hand with that of the company.
5. What Are Your Strengths?
The best way to speak about your strengths is by aligning them with your job profile. You can highlight your strengths by aligning them with a past accomplishment you encountered within your previous job profile. These interview questions help you to emphasize the soft skills or technical skills one possesses. It is always a better option to associate your strengths in a way that shows how your skills will be nothing but a support to your team, further benefiting the organization.
Also Read: How to Pass an Exam Without Studying
6. What Are Your Weakness?
While it is difficult for one to point out their own weaknesses, one can always show how being aware of the same has helped them shape into a better individual. Here, your recruiter is trying to evaluate your honesty and self-awareness on the same. It is always better to be direct with your answer.
Candidates often put out their “I’m perfect” persona in front of the recruiter to stand out as the possible prospect for the job role.
It is recommended to be confident even when you are talking about your weakness. After you mention your weakness, try to point out effective measures you are working on to overcome your weakness.
7. Can You Explain the Gap in Your Resume?
No matter what you did during your gap year, whether it was an emergency gap due to family, children, or you took some time off to travel, try to be honest about it. You can add skills or qualities you honed in the course of your gap year. It is beneficial to be honest about your time during a gap as it shows integrity and confidence in you as an individual.
Always be prepared to answer about the gap year in your resume, irrespective of its cause. In fact, try to be thorough with the same and try to be direct about the same. Your lack of confidence might affect the integrity you have presented yourself with.
8. What Is Something You Feel, I Should Know Which Is Not Listed in Your Resume?
If you are asked this question, there might be a slight chance that the recruiter has found you interesting and is keen to know more about you as an individual. It is not necessary for one to talk about their professional growth. Here you can talk about things outside your resume, which reflects who you are as a person.
You can talk about any event, which has helped you shape or has changed your perspective about a particular thing. A story or any memory which reflects a positive trait of yourself can be highlighted while answering such interview questions.
9. What Is Your Salary Expectation?
Before you apply for a job, try to research various salary packages various organizations have to offer through different mediums such as Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and Fiverr. One should always be aware of the standard salary range of the job one is applying for. It is always recommended to discuss a salary range with the recruiter instead of prompting a definite number.
From the recruiter’s point of view, it is important for them to understand whether you fit into the salary range they have to offer or whether your expectations are higher. It is suggested to always have room for negotiation and to never ask the question before the recruiter.
10. Do You Have Any Questions?
When you are just about to be done with your interview, the recruiter might end up asking you this open-ended question. As important as it is for the recruiter to know about you, in the same way, it is important for you to know better about the organization you are planning to work with. If there are any genuine questions or concerns you have missed out on during your interview, now is the time you can ask them. If not then you can conclude the answer by highlighting your key skills.
Although, it is suggested to ask a few questions with respect to your job profile or the organization. You can even gain insights into the experience of the recruiter and also ask about their journey as an employee of the organization.
Conclusion
No matter what position you apply for, it is extremely important to be prepared and to know that a bad interview is not the end of the world. In order to have a meticulous experience as an interviewee, one should be confident, prominent, humble, and should have soft-skills training.