Interview Questions You're Guaranteed to Hear
Welcome back to the second blog of our March Series: Career Advice with ApplicantOne. Today, if you missed Katelyn’s video yesterday, we’re talking all about those popular interview questions - questions you’re basically guaranteed to hear during any and all stages of the interview process. Check out our list of questions and let us know if you’ve heard these before or if we missed any!
What drew you to this position? - One of the first questions many recruiters or hiring managers ask is why this position? What brought you here? How did you hear about us, what do you know about us, etc. You should expect this and you should be prepared to tell them why you want to work here, what about the position is interesting to you, etc. Here, you just be honest...but prepared. Be specific, tell them what you drew you in, how you heard, etc. And, even if at first, you just applied to apply to something...Come up with a real reason or interest other than “it looked interesting so I applied!” If the job is heavy on writing/creating content and you love writing and you’re a writer now...there’s your answer. If you have 12 years of Salesforce experience and you find that this company uses that as their CRM...use that! Find something that resonated with you and use it to your advantage here.
Tell me about a time where you experienced success - This is another wildly popular question from recruiters and hiring managers. It’s also a double edged sword...You have to answer this one carefully (just like the next two) and really give an honest answer. Don’t go for the cliché answer...Speak from your heart. If you grew your social channels as a marketer by 1,000% - That's success! Share that. Be smart. Have numbers to back up your claims. Be detail oriented. Have this answer or story prepared in your brain so that way you can deliver that message in a clear, concise, and honest way.
What is your biggest strength? Weakness? - This is another one that you want to answer wisely and with tact. What is something that can easily help you, can hurt you all the same. So, it’s important that you’re honest, not blowing smoke or using some cheesy comment like, “my biggest weakness is caring too much” - No. Be genuine in your responses. Don’t self-sabotage...that’s for sure, but be smart, too. The strengths question is honestly the only time you could and should really brag on yourself. It’s the weakness question that can be a loaded topic. Muse says, the purpose of this question is to “gauge your self-awareness and honesty.” So be extremely aware of the intent behind questions like this.
Describe your ideal boss to me - This is another great question or statement, rather where you can really tell your future employer what you want, who you want, what you’re looking for, etc. This is where you start to search and find the right fit. If the person you’re speaking to ends up being the polar opposite of what you’re looking for - then you know this isn’t the place for you. However, if you’re open and honest and upfront with whom you want and what you’re looking for… You may find that perfect match right then and there. If you haven’t caught on by now, it’s all about being open and honest with those in which you’re speaking.
Tell me about your work experience - This is another great opportunity to flaunt what you’ve got a bit. Have stats ready. Be prepared to tell them all of the awesome things you’ve done or plan to do or attempted. Get organized with these thoughts. Lay them out on the table. Have a plan. Move in the right direction(s). This is a huge point to bring your resume to life. Sometimes our resumes don’t give the best, most clear picture or understanding and you have to vouch for yourself. That instance and that opportunity to speak to a hiring manager or recruiter or anyone else looking at you, for that matter, is the time to vouch for yourself past that resume. Make it happen!
What other common interview questions have you been faced with time after time? Or, when you faced questions such as these in your interview/hiring process...how did you handle them?