Some interview questions are recycled endlessly, from one interview to the next. Being well-acquainted with and ready to answer the most common questions frees your mind to think harder about the unusual ones an interviewer may throw your way. Get out your pen and paper and start brainstorming answers to these commonly asked interview questions
- “Tell me about a time when…” The interviewer wants to hear about your abilities to think creatively and logically. He or she will usually ask you this based on a skill needed for the job, such as dealing with difficult customers or working well without supervision. Be sure to brainstorm responses for several variations of this question, and provide examples of your success for each one. You should also include examples of your accomplishments in your resume. Contact Symphony Placements for help building an effective resume.
- “What are your weaknesses?” This question is meant to be straightforward; the interviewer genuinely wants to know your weaknesses. Don’t answer with the all-too-familiar, “I’m a perfectionist” or something of the sort. It’s blatantly insincere.Instead, discuss an actual weakness you have, but put a positive twist on it – such as how you have learned to overcome the issue. For example, instead of saying you get bored with mundane tasks easily, you could describe how you tend to lose steam when a project is slow-going, so you prefer to intersperse it with other tasks throughout the day. This lets your interviewer know you have recognized the trait within yourself and will actively seek ways to resolve the problem.
- “What are your strengths?” The interviewers are checking to be sure your skills align with the company’s needs. In short, they’re trying to determine if you are the right fit in both skill and personality, and they want to know if you’ll perform well on the job. The way you answer this question is very important.
Often, job seekers will be too modest in their answer – this is not the time for modesty! Tell your interviewer some great traits you’ve discovered in yourself. If you’re an amazing sales person or you have a knack for finding and resolving problems, talk about it. You can also contact Symphony Placements for some help with identifying your hard and soft skill sets.
