Learn How to Answer Common Questions in an Interview
Do you have an interview coming up? Are you a fresher who has never been to an interview or someone who wants to change their career? Even if you are an experienced employee, answering the most common questions in an interview isn’t a piece of cake! However, it shouldn’t be a hassle either.
Stop wasting your time being anxious and start preparing how to give the best answers. In this guide, we will provide you with actionable advice on how to answer the most common interview questions. Not only this, but we will also provide some quality tips so that you can whisper goodbye to your pre-interview anxiety.
How do you answer questions related to yourself?
You can easily deduce what this section will be all about, from the heading. These questions are carefully crafted and asked by interviewers to understand your personality. Here’s a list of some questions that screams, “we want to know about the person we will hire”:
Tell us more about yourself (The traditional interview-opener question.)
What are your hobbies and interests? (Time to decide whether you’re a good fit for the company or not!)
How do you spend your spare time? (Focus on aligning your answer with the target company’s long-term plans.)
What are your strengths and weaknesses? (Focus on the strengths missed by the employer / communicate your weakness by tying it to some strength.)
What motivates you? (Be as authentic as you can!)
Where do you see yourself in “X” years? (Share your future aspiration but align them with target company’s goals)
Best way to answer the questions about yourself
The best way to answer the common questions in an interview regarding yourself is to be specific and authentic. However, you can take a storytelling approach to answer these questions but avoid being too descriptive. Moreover, these questions are mostly asked to figure out your communication skills and to assess your personality. You can carefully align your answers by reflecting your strengths and skills with the impact the interviewer is looking for. Tell them about yourself but don’t be too immersed in the “I and Me” narrative. Remember, no one is going to hire you for being you! Instead, keep your focus on communicating how you will impact their growth and overcome their challenges.
Don’t make these mistakes while introducing yourself
Most of the time, interviewees commit silly mistakes due to interview anxiety and end up ruining their chances. Here’s some mistakes you should avoid at all costs while answering common questions in an interview:
Don’t stuff your introduction with irrelevant details.
Don’t be vague about your qualifications, skills, and what you can offer.
Don’t be anxious and keep a steady tone of voice.
How do you answer questions related to the target company?
The type of questions we’re going to discuss in this section are mostly asked by interviewers to assess your commitment. You can answer these questions by using company research. Here’s a list of some questions regarding the company and role, you’re getting interviewed for:
Why do you want to work with us? (Communicate how company goals can help you achieve personal goals)
How did you hear about us? (Share what you like and why you got interested in the target company.)
What makes you the best option for us? (Sell your unique value proposition.)
What are your salary expectations? (Don’t give random figures. Always research the average salary according to your role/ the city or country you live in.)
What can we expect from you in the “X” amount of time? (Communicate your personal approach that aligns with their goals.)
What are the company values that resonated the most with you? (Be genuine and explain what went well with your personal goals.)
Answering interview questions related to the company
You can answer these common questions in an interview by analyzing the job description in detail. Moreover, the interviewer wants to observe your interest in their company by assessing how much you actually know about them.
To prepare yourself for such questions, you should carry out thorough company research. Visit their social handles, company page and analyze their work culture and ethics. Analyze the About section on the company’s website, read their mission and vision statements to deduce their long-term goals. Moreover, you can search and connect with their current employees on LinkedIn. Invite them on coffee chats to get more details about the target company.
The best part of connection building with a valuable current employee of the target company can help you with informational interview. Additionally, having knowledge and understanding of the company's goals will allow you to pitch your best skill set and experience. Lastly, conduct research on average salary estimations for your role within your country and city. You can also use your connection with the company employee to have a salary range in your mind.
How to answer behavioral questions?
Most interviewers ask behavioral questions to understand the strengths, weaknesses, problem-solving, and conflict resolution skills of an interviewee.
Questions to assess your work ethics and behavior
Here’s a list of some common questions in an interview that assess your capabilities and work ethics:
Describe a situation where you failed; what did you learn from the experience? (You are expected to show professional ethics and maturity from your answer.)
Share an experience when you disagree with a senior and why? (Answers should communicate conflict resolution behavior.)
What kind of work environment do you prefer? (This is used to assess interpersonal communication or teamwork skills.)
What’s the biggest decision you made in the “X” time? (Show that your thought process is data-driven.)
What is the STAR method for interview answers?
The STAR method is a proven interview technique used to answer common questions in an interview that assesses your behavior. This interview answering framework consists of four important components, namely:
Situation
Task
Action
Result
You can use this framework to answer questions that require answers based on your experience and problem-solving capabilities. In this method, an interviewee explains a situation they previously handled, according to the question. They describe the role they played in that situation, the tools or initiatives they took to resolve it. Lastly, they share the outcomes of the situation and its impact.
Don’t make these mistakes while using the STAR method
Even though using the STAR method to answer behavioral questions is an effective strategy, there might be a few drawbacks. Here’s some mistakes to avoid while answering behavioral questions:
Lack of Clarity: The biggest error of interviewees made while answering behavioral questions is the lack of clarity about interviewer’s expectations. Most of the interviewees ignore company research before appearing for an interview. Hence, they provide vague or dull answers to common questions in an interview.
Inefficient storytelling approach: The purpose of an interviewer while asking behavioral questions is to understand where your strength lies. By answering these common questions in an interview, the interviewee is supposed to share their skills and achievements. If you lack storytelling skills to share your experience and the outcomes, then you might fail to create an impact.
Lack of time management: You get a limited time to answer these common questions in an interview. The STAR method is an effective strategy to construct an answer quickly, but it can backfire as well. We know that behavioral questions demand the back story of any experience. However, the best way to answer it is being as concise as possible. The main objective of the interviewer is to find out your problem-solving skills through the outcomes and impact of your experiences.
Focus on individual experience: The main goal of the hiring manager is to access your individual capabilities over being a team player. The best way to answer these common questions in an interview is to keep the “I” tone. Be specific about how you overcome the challenges, resolve the issue, and reach the result.
How to answer situational questions keenly during an interview?
The purpose of the interviewer behind asking these common questions in an interview is to analyze future actions of the interviewee. Here’s a list of some common questions in an interview that are used to assess the interviewee’s mindset:
Tell us about something you learned recently (Share an answer that reflects growth mindset)
How did you handle feedback during your previous job? (Assess your mindset and work ethics)
Why did you leave your previous job? (Avoid negative statements and claims regarding previous employer/company)
How did you manage deadlines at your previous job? (Determine time-management skills)
Suppose you’re working on a project that requires skills you don’t have. Would you like to learn those skills? (Show willingness and work commitment)
Use answers that reflects positivity and commitment
When you’re supposed to answer these tricky yet common questions in an interview, stay alert. It is important to understand the interviewer’s intent behind the common interview questions before answering them. The purpose of asking such common questions in an interview is to assess your ability to solve problems. Your answers should be aligned with the interviewer’s expectations and the company’s needs.
5 tips to successfully answer the common questions in an interview
Here’s a list of some quality tips to answer the common questions in an interview:
Be Clear and Specific with your answers: Always choose clarity over vagueness. Instead of giving dull and unspecific answers, let your interviewer know that you are unaware of something. Most of the hiring managers value candidates who choose to stay authentic rather than being overconfident. Answer the common questions in an interview with facts and original details about work history, experiences, and achievements.
Avoid being too narrative: You only need storytelling skills while answering behavioral interview questions. Don’t be too descriptive while answering every question. Understand the question and share the most relevant details while answering it.
Focus on them instead of yourself: The purpose behind an interview is to assess whether you’re the best choice for a company. You should be intentional while answering the common questions in an interview and demonstrate why you’re the best fit.
Be authentic: It’s important to be fair and truthful while answering the questions in an interview. Avoid making stuff, results, or achievements, since it could backfire, and you might lose the opportunity.
Ask questions: Be intentional when you answer common questions in an interview and try to ask questions as well. Pick up the important points regarding company culture, work expectations, employee treatment, and ask those after giving your answers.
Always get prepared before going to an interview
Landing an interview isn’t a big task but making it successful is! We understand the interview anxiety you go through before appearing for one. Use the suggestions and tips so that you’re fully prepared to answer the common questions in an interview.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What are the biggest red flags to notice during job interviews?
The most common red flags observed by most of the job interviewees are:
Disengaged job interviewers
Lack of clarity when it comes to the target role and responsibilities
Unrealistic expectations for the target role
Avoiding interviewees question related to company culture and work ethics
Expecting the interviewee to be a perfectionist
Q. What should I avoid saying in my intro?
The most common question you get during an interview is to introduce yourself. This is probably the first question and your chance to make a lasting impression. You can use this to deliver your elevator pitch without being over-confident or adding things you aren’t familiar with. Most of the hiring managers consider this as a red flag behavior and often kill the chances of getting hired.
Q. What impresses interviewers the most?
According to many interviewers, the most impressive candidates during an interview are the ones who ask the right questions. When it comes to asking questions, job interview candidates should conduct company research before going to the interview. Being familiar with the company culture and analyzing the job description help candidates with big time in pitching their best services. They can ask questions related to the company's long-term growth goals or the challenges they need to overcome.
