10 classic interview questions

Interviews can be a daunting experience - whether conducted in person or remotely - but with the right preparation you can make your life a lot easier. Take a look at the top 10 classic interview questions below to get prepared.

 

1. Tell me about yourself

The interviewer doesn’t want to know if you’re a cat person. Talk briefly about your achievements to date.

 

2. Why do you want to work for us?

A little research and you’ll be able to talk compellingly about the business and how you can impact on it.

 

3. Give an example of where you've been able to use your leadership skills

Even if you’re not in a management role, you must cite an example where you took the reins.

 

4. What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Talk about strengths that satisfy the selection criteria and allude to weaknesses irrelevant to the role. Give examples of how you manage your weakness and turn into a strength

 

5. Where do you see yourself in five years?

Research the company structure to pitch your aspirations more realistically than ‘I want to be on the board by then.’

 

6. What is your greatest achievement?

Use the selection criteria to identify which of your achievements called for skills the interviewer is interested in.

 

7. Why should we hire you?

Describe the skills and experience you’ve gained that qualify you to fulfil the duties listed on the job description.

 

8. Are you a team player?

You need to provide examples to back up your emphatic ‘yes’.

 

9. What are your salary expectations?

Check out similar roles to find out the current market, site these as a guide. Explain that salary is important, however the role, company and environment are equally important and that you hope to achieve a fair salary.

 

10. Do you have any questions for us?

Use this opportunity to build rapport, referring back to a key point in the interview and developing it.

 

For further information about preparing in the right way for your next interview, download our FREE Interview guide here.