Interview questions

An interview is a sales situation. You are selling yourself to the company and they should be selling themselves to you too. Below is a list of questions that you should prepare answers for, followed by some suggested questions that you might like to ask the interviewer.

Answering interview questions

Some standard interview questions are:

• Why do you want to work for us?
• Why do you want this job?
• What do you know about our company?
• Why did you choose your profession?
• What are your strengths/weaknesses?
• What do you like/dislike about your current job role?
• Why are you looking for a new position?
• What has been your greatest achievement to date?
• How would you describe yourself?
• How would your friends or colleagues describe you?
• What are your future aspirations?
• What can you offer to your new team/company?

Take your time before you answer. When responding to questions, focus on your achievements and stay positive. If you do not understand a question, ask them to explain it further. If you still do not know the answer, tell them you do not know and explain how you would find out the answer.
 

Asking questions at your interview

At the end of an interview, your interviewer will likely ask you if you have any questions. You can prepare questions in advance but you’ll have to be mindful of any information the interviewer has already provided during the interview. This is a good opportunity to demonstrate your interest in the company - you should aim for questions that indicate an interest in their line of work or products, rather than holiday entitlement, pensions or other specific staff benefits. Here are some questions you might want to ask:

• What are the company's future plans?
• What career development opportunities might I have?
• What possible training could I receive in this role?
• How would you describe the culture of this company?

The trick is to ensure that you leave with enough information to make an informed decision on whether or not you wish to proceed.