The forgotten 'secret city'
When a potential future employer asks you this question, use the present-past-future formula. This is where you share some about a current role and the achievements you've had, then you provide a relevant career history, and finally remember to connect it to the current job you're applying to.
This question will allow you to show you did some research on the company. Cite specific aspects of the company such as their DEI efforts, rapid growth, or even their commitment to being a positive change agent.
Have several reasons ready as to why this company or employer should hire you specifically. It can be experiences you've had previously, strengths you possess, or ideas for improvement you might have for the future.
Try to align the job's responsibilities with your experience and even your passions. You can keep this response relatively high level such as a love for project management and team building that aligns with the company's mission.
This question prompts you to narrate your career in an achievement-focused way. Start chronologically and work your way to the present day. You don't need to list every job or each achievement but pick out the ones most relevant to the role you're interviewing for.
Before the interview, you should assess your top strengths and weaknesses as it's likely you'll be asked about both. Be prepared to share two to three top strengths and why they'd be especially relevant to the role you're interviewing for.
Here you can mention the source from which you first heard about the role. If you had someone refer you, be sure to mention their name and connection to the company. Additionally, share your excitement about the role and what you learned from the referring source.
This can be a vague question and leave some job applicants lost in deciding which achievement they can speak to. Come prepared with a success story that you know like the back of your hand. Highlight an achievement and quantify it if possible.
Start by explaining the situation at a high level without showing annoyance or negative feelings if they existed. Then share your part in finding and delivering a resolution and explain what the impact of the resolution was.
Choose a minor weakness such as public speaking and then follow up with how you've tackled improving. For example, "Public speaking was a challenge I used to have, however, I've been improving by presenting at the company's monthly meetings."
Here you want to focus on how your particular skill set meets the company's needs. For example, if the company is currently focusing on retention efforts, be sure to highlight the experience you have and the direct impact of your actions regarding retention in previous roles.
The goal here is to show you're professional and an active problem solver, even when you disagree with something. Share the decision that you disagreed with and a summary of why and how you reacted positively, including an alternative solution and if it was adopted.
Share a time when your leadership led to tangible results. Ensure you highlight how your role specifically helped a project or goal get achieved.
It's important here to be completely honest and transparent, as well as take responsibility, while showing growth. Explain the situation, the mistake, how you addressed it, and the positive outcome that occurred from it all.
You always want to be positive with these types of questions. Focus on your goals rather than anything negative. For example, "I’m seeking a role with more opportunities to lead a team, which aligns perfectly with this role."
This is similar to "Tell me about a time you made a mistake," but you want to frame your failure as a learning experience.
This is arguably one of the toughest questions if applicable. Be honest but always focus on growth. In about one sentence explain at a high level why you were let go and what you've done since to improve those skills.
With this question, highlight transferable skills and your passion for the new industry, company, or role.
If you had one or multiple gaps in your employment, that's okay. Focus on what you accomplished during the breaks to make yourself a perfect candidate now for this role.
This is an opportunity to highlight what you're seeking in the new role. For example, "I've missed being more hands-on with clients and so I'm very excited about this role."
When asked about a current salary, it's advised that you deflect and focus on expectations. For example, your response might be, "I’d like to focus on the role’s responsibilities and ensure our expectations align on compensation."
Align your goal with the particular job offerings. An example would be, "I'm looking for opportunities to grow professionally while in a collaborative environment in which I can drive impactful projects."
This question gives you a chance to highlight your adaptability and self-driven demeanor mixed with a team player attitude.
This is an excellent opportunity to give specific examples, such as how you prioritize tasks and stay focused on the outcome in order to manage deadlines in an effective manner.
When describing how bosses and coworkers see you, share positive traits and give specific examples if possible.
Here you'll want to describe an environment that matches the company culture where you're interviewing.
If you have a job interview coming up and aren't sure exactly how to prepare, you're in luck. In this gallery, we'll explore thirty popular interview questions and give you advice on how to answer each one. From "Why do you want this job?" to "What are your weaknesses?" and beyond, this guide will help you knock these questions out of the park. Get prepared for your dream job and the interview that accompanies it.
Curious how to answer these top questions? Click through now to find out.
This question should never be asked, but if it is, try to redirect the conversation. You can say something like, "I'm focused on my career right now, can you tell me more about the professional development here?"
Highlight hobbies that reflect your personality or values.
Emphasize flexibility and support. Highlight the you tailor your leadership or management approach to meet individual needs.
Explain the tools and strategies you use, and if possible, mention specific tools that the company uses to show you're already familiar.
Sources: (The Muse) (Harvard Business Review)
See also: A career coach's guide to nailing your next job interview
The 30 top interview questions (and how to answer them)
Nail your next big interview with ease!
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If you have a job interview coming up and aren't sure exactly how to prepare, you're in luck. In this gallery, we'll explore thirty popular interview questions and give you advice on how to answer each one. From "Why do you want this job?" to "What are your weaknesses?" and beyond, this guide will help you knock these questions out of the park. Get prepared for your dream job and the interview that accompanies it.
Curious how to answer these top questions? Click through now to find out.