How to answer interview questions

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Before you find yourself in the interview hot seat, prepare yourself for the flood of inevitable questions coming your way. By learning what employers are looking for when they ask common interview questions and preparing some answers for these, you will increase your chances of success dramatically.

This is your opportunity to show the company you have what it takes to do the job. The interviewer will want to suss out what you can bring to the position including your particular skills, knowledge and experiences. And the interviewer will also want to get some idea about your character to assess whether you are the right person for the job and whether you will fit into the corporate culture.

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Sample job interview questions

Tell me about yourself

What do you know about this company?

Why are you applying for this job? Why do you want this job?

Why should we give you this job?

What are your strengths?

What do you like about yourself?

How would you describe your current boss?

Describe a time when you were faced with a difficult situation and how you handled it

What did you most enjoy about your last job?

Describe a time when you had to deal with conflict

Describe a situation when you were under pressure

Can you describe a time when you have taken initiative? What was the result?

Would your current boss describe you as the type of person who goes that extra mile?

Why should we hire you?

Why did you choose this career path?

Describe a time when your workload was heavy and how you handled it

How do you handle criticism?

Why did you leave your last job?

What's your biggest weakness?

Where do you see yourself in five years?

If you were an animal, what would you be?

What are your pet hates?

Why do you want to work here?

What motivates you?

What accomplishments are you most proud of?

Tell me about a time you experienced failure and how you handled it.

Describe a situation where you had to show leadership.

Do you prefer to work alone or in a team?

Describe a situation where you had to deal with a difficult person.

What do you like to do outside work?

How would your friends or colleagues describe you?

How do you handle pressure?

Why haven't you used your last boss as a reference?

What do you dislike about your current job?

If someone was making a movie about your life, what genre would it be, who would play you and what would be the title?

If you could be any colour, what colour would you be?

If you were hosting a dinner party and could invite three people, dead or alive, who would you invite?

If you only had six months to live, what would you do with the time?

If you were a car, what type would you be?

Describe a situation where you demonstrated flexibility

Describe a situation where you demonstrated negotiation skills

Why are manhole covers round?

Do you see yourself as an ethical person?

Describe a time when you have worked as part of a successful team. What do you think contributed to your team’s overall success?

Tell us about a goal that you have set yourself and worked towards, of which you feel truly proud or satisfied. What did you learn about yourself?

Tell us about a time where you have demonstrated the company’s values to achieve a positive outcome

What salary do you expect in this position?

If you were a piece of fruit what would you be?

On a scale of one to ten, how in control of your own destiny do you believe you are?

What characteristics do you think make a successful manager?

How do you deal with problems?

What can you offer that no one else can?

Who is your role model?

If you were a brand, which would you be?

What do you see yourself doing in the first 30 days of this job?

What did you earn in your previous job?

Questions for you to ask at a job interview

At an interview, you may have the opportunity to ask questions to the interviewer. It's important to have some questions planned.

Even if the interviewer does not ask you if you have any questions, before the end of the interview, make the point that you would like to ask a couple of questions about the job or the company. This shows that you have thought seriously about the position and the company.