When you’re applying for a job and get through to the interview stage, there are various questions that are asked and the better prepared you are, the more successful your interview would be. This blog will not only give you the some of the common interview questions employers may ask you, but will explain exactly what the interviewer thinks, the exact answers they’re looking for and the common mistakes people may make during their interview which can decrease their chances of obtaining a job.

1)    Tell me about yourself

This is probably the most common question that are asked in interviews. Here, the interviewer is not interested in the answer, but is assessing your confidence, enthusiasm and passion that you answer with. This question here is definitely a chance to show off your communication skills. An unsuitable answer would be something like, “I like to go partying every weekend and have a lot of friends with whom I socialize with.” Suitable answers include talking about your past work experiences, maybe some personal interests and link that in to the role you’re trying to get.

2)    What are your strengths?

This is probably the second most common question an employer will ask you. Here, you need to demonstrate how positive you think of yourself. For example, you could state how one of your main strengths is the ability to pay attention to detail and how planning and execution is important to you. Show how you can demonstrate this. Use an example. Suggest that you liked to plan your weeks at college and because of your outgoing nature people say that you are approachable.

3)    What are your weaknesses?

This answers to this question doesn’t require you to be negative about yourself. Instead, employers are looking at whether you can identify your weaknesses and how you can cover them up. For example, you could say something along the lines of, “I feel that one of my weaknesses are the fact that I’m too detail orientated and this has made me realise that I sometimes lose out time because I want everything to be perfect and as a consequence can lead me to submit projects late.” Although you are demonstrating your weakness, you are also showing off your strength at the same time!

4)    Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?

Here, employers are looking to see how committed you are going to be to this company. Employers want to see you demonstrate a very clear path which suggests commitment. Whether it’s gaining experience to lead you onto the next step of your career, to progressing into a management position within the company, make sure it is relevant to role you are applying for!

5)    What do you know about our company?

The interviewer of course has knowledge on their company, however, interviewers here are looking to see whether you’re serious about the job. Usually, a majority of people get turned down because of their lack of knowledge about the company in which they’re applying for. Go and do as much research as you can and impress employers with the positive attributes you’ve learned about the company.

6)    How well do you handle change?

Companies are constantly employing new strategies in order to meet the needs of their businesses and employees come and go. Employers are looking to see whether you’d be able to adapt to change. Bringing in examples should from previous experiences should help as it’s simply not good enough just to say that you are able to cope with change.

7)    Do you work well under pressure?

Interviewers want to know if you’re somebody who panics very easily or is easily stressed out. With increasing business demands, companies expect us to take on more and more responsibility. Use your past experiences to demonstrate your ability of working under pressure.

8)    How do you handle important decisions?

This question is commonly asked for management positions. For instance, employers usually want to know how well you would be able to make a decision if you had to. This may be because other managers may be away which means that you will be placed in a position to manage people and deal with problems if they arise. Again, use your previous experiences to explain how you’d be able to make decisions and explain the consequences of that particular decision you made.

These are questions that you are likely to be asked during your interview, be prepared.