Top Interview Questions and Answers

Are you getting interviews but they are not turning into offers?

At Transition Solutions, we have been helping companies and individuals with workforce changes for 30 years.

We coach our clients that the objective of interviews is to move to the next step in the process and ultimately get an offer. It is wonderful to have multiple job interviews, but if none of them are turning into offers, you may want to review your answers to the interviewer’s questions. As part of your interview prep, you should research the company, the individual you will be speaking to and plan your answers ahead of time. Take time to practice your responses aloud. You want your response to be concise, confident, and create an impression.

Knowing what the interviewer is looking for with the most common questions will help as you prepare and practice. Below we’ve listed the 10 common interview questions and suggestions for how best to answer.

1. Tell me about yourself. Still a popular question that kicks off most interviews. You want to be prepared to summarize your work experience and education including one of your strengths and what you are looking for as it pertains to the role you are interviewing for. First impressions happen fast, so you want to nail this question!
2. What are your strengths and weaknesses? A dreaded question by some, but again still popular with interviewers. Start with a strength that matches the interviewer’s needs. Give an example of how you have used this strength and identify how this benefited the company. Then briefly state a professional skill you have been working on improving. It isn’t necessary to give an example, but you might want to provide specifics on what you are doing to improve this weakness.
3. Why did you leave (are you looking to leave) your job? State why you are unemployed or looking to leave in a positive context. Never put down your current or previous employer. We recommend you start with a positive statement about your past role, then why you are leaving and finally where you are headed connected to the role you are interviewing for.
4. What are your goals? Start with an immediate goal, and if you can, mention how this job fits with that goal. Think about your longer-term goals over the next 3 to 5 years, since some employers may ask that as well.
5. How would your last boss and colleague describe you? Review your performance evaluations and talk to colleagues to prepare for this answer. Focus on the positive and share specific examples when possible.
6. What has been your most significant achievement? Choose an achievement that shows how you positively affected your last company. Choose examples that are relevant to the role you are interviewing for when possible. Be prepared to speak to specific qualitative and quantitative results.
7. Why do you want to work here? From your research identify why you want to work at the company and what you offer. Companies like to hire employees that want to work for them!
8. Why should we hire you? Prior to the interview, plan for this question by summarizing your accomplishments and relate what makes you unique. During the interview, modify the answer to meet the company’s needs. Companies tend to hire only the best candidates, so you want to convince them that you are the top candidate.
9. What are your salary expectations? At the first interview say that you would like to focus on the job and finding out if there is a fit. If the employer continues to insist, ask about the salary range and have thought through your bottom-line salary requirements. Leverage tools like Glassdoor to understand a competitive range for similar roles in your geography.
10. List the aspects that could be transferable to the position you are applying for and minimizing the aspects that you did not like.

Preparation is the key to doing well in interviews. As Arthur Ashe once stated, “One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.”

Some final hints that you have done well during the interview are:

• Immediate referral to another interview.
• Tips on how to interact at the next interview.
• Tour of the facility.
• Request for more of your time that day.
• Request for references.
• Body language indicators (nodding of head, leaning forward).

At Transition Solutions, we have been helping companies and individuals with workforce changes for thirty years. Our strong reputation for consistently delivering exceptional service at value sets us apart. If you would like more information on our services please check out our website at https://www.transitionsolutions.com/ or you can contact us directly at 888-424-0003 or email us at info@transitionsolutions.com.