Whatever your prior situation, when you enter the interview room, you need to learn how to build your conversation will from nothing. Thus, for the ultimate proper business preparation, we have thought out 30 surprisingly common interview questions to caress your nerves.
What do you think when you hear the phrase ‘interview questions’? For the interviewer, it can be thrilling to look for a new employee or fill a company role, but they might feel more anxious than the candidates. Meanwhile, those being questioned often experience a mix of confidence, fear, and longing, often showing signs of stress like dark circles under their eyes.
You’ll find below 30 surprisingly common interview questions which, when studied and practiced alone and with friends, will ensure you feel a calm breeze as you enter the interview room.
We’ve categorized them into past, present and future; if you’re up to scratch with these questions, there’s no room left for error.
Past
How would your previous boss describe you? Can we contact them?
Why did you leave your last company?
What have you done professionally that you succeeded at, but isn’t an experience you’d want to repeat?
Which of your references do you appreciate most and why?
How would your previous co-workers describe your personality?
How do you make decisions? (Create a scenario that often occurs in a relevant workplace)
What single project or task would you consider your most significant career accomplishment to date? Walk me through the plan, how you managed it, how you measured its success, and what the biggest mistakes you made were.
What’s surprised you about the interview process so far?
Present
What interests you about this job?
What challenges are you looking for?
What makes you angry?
Who is the smartest person you know personally? Why?
Is it better to be perfect and late, or good and on time?
How do you handle stress and pressure?
Are you a self-motivator? How?
Would you rather be liked or respected?
What are your hobbies?
Pitch [name of your company] to me as if I were buying your product/service.
Is there any question I haven’t asked you that I should?
Do you have any questions?
We know you’re a great candidate, but why should we hire you?
Future
What is your ideal company culture?
Where do you see yourself 5, 10, 20 years from now?
What strength do you need to develop most to succeed more?
What can you contribute to this company that’s unique?
What will make you love coming to work here everyday?
How many hours can you work per day?
Where would you like our company to be in years to come?
Remember, what’s important is not direct one word answers, nor is it a long drawn out life story. What’s important is a balance that is relevant and which displays an array of lessons learned and vision acquired.
Take this time to observe skills and attitude. In the example of a restaurant setting, conversation alone won’t be enough. To know if someone practices what they preach in these 30 common interview questions, you’ll need to test their customer relationship and how they use a POS to boost sales, among other abilities.
Notice how much the positive points are bloated or unpronounced, and how well dealt with are the negatives. To build a well drawn out interview with anyone, you have to know the pressure and control the atmosphere. That means allowing for a variety of short and long answer interview questions and answers, personal and general.
You’ll want to probe them enough to check if they fit in with the style of legacy you’re trying to create, but not enough that they won’t feel themselves comfortable.
We hope you gained something from this list of the top 30 surprisingly common interview questions that will give you the ultimate preparation needed to make your next interview one that adds to yours and your company’s value.
From your experience, which interview question which you have answered best? …Let the comment discussion begin!