Job seekers don't have much time for rejoicing when their resumes land them interviews. It is quite the opposite, they need to prepare for the upcoming interviews, which takes a lot of time and efforts if we are talking about serious preparation. One of the basic things one has to do is to think through the possible questions and develop answers in advance. However, it is very difficult to do if you don't know what kind of questions you will be asked by hiring authorities. That is why we decided to list some of the most common interview questions that are asked across different industries and companies. Please note that these are basic questions that are going to be asked by most HRs. It will unlikely that you will be able to get the full list of interview questions for any job opening.
Questions to Prepare Answers For
Why do you want this job? Employers want to know why you want to work for their company in the position you are applying for. And you should understand that answering something like "because it should be interesting" or "because your company is really cool" won't put you ahead of other candidates. When thinking through the answer keep in mind that interviewers are eager to hire people who are interested in the job itself. So explaining why this job seems to be interesting for you would be your best shot.
What would you do in your first 30-90 days in this position? Moving further with your interest in the job, interviewers often want to know whether your interest matches your qualifications. Do you know what you should be doing in the role or the interest is all that you've got? Also, this question is often used to check how good you are at planning: would you set realistic plans/goals or will you try to show yourself as an ambitious candidate without being realistic at all? When answering this type of questions you should be very specific. Vague answers will be a turnoff.
What do you know about our company? If you have talked over the specifics of the job it is likely you will also talk about the company. Employers are interested whether you know anything about them. Failure to give a good answer to this question will generate valid doubts that you really want this job. What is the company all about? Any recent company news? What position does it take on the market? This kind of things will help you come up with a decent answer to this question.
Why did you leave your last job? You may have kinds of answers to this question: new challenges, planned move, financial matters, etc. These are all fine if you take a minute or two to explain the details. However, we advise you not to mention your conflicts with former management or co-workers.
Do you have have any questions? You do. Well, you should. In order to reiterate your interest in the position, it is better than you have some questions in store. But don't hurry to ask about your salary or benefits - these are good for the time you actually have a job offer. It is recommended that you ask about the next steps of the hiring process or something about the company's philosophy...
