How To Ace These 4 Common Interview Questions

Interview Strategies: ACE These 4 Common Interview Questions

 

Hiring season is in full swing right now!

As experienced headhunters, we know a thing or two of how interviews are structured. We can’t stress this enough: knowing how the interview is organised (in terms of questions asked and how you answer) is KEY to making an impact. The best athletes don’t just show up, they constantly practice. Serena Williams isn’t the G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time) because she shows up unprepared. She spends hundreds of hours practicing backhands, volleys and serves before stepping on the court.

So what can you learn from this?

Practice makes perfect, even for the interview!

That’s what why we’re sharing some common interview questions for the hardworking jobseeker like yourself. Plus answering these 4 common interview questions using the S.T.A.R method allows you to take control and answer on your own terms.

Let’s start. 

 

Common Interview Questions

    1.     Why Should We Hire You?

• • Straight to the point. This question is about you as person and HOW you can fit inside the company. You want to COMBINE what you VALUE as a professional and your professional aspirations as well.  Are you a results driven person and a problem solver? Are you an excellent communicator? Do you make nifty content that people respond to?  Say that! “I’m a results-driven person who values x,y,z….” Make it clear that you communicate what YOU want to do and what YOU value in yourself. 

 

     2.     Tell me about a time where you showed leadership

• • Remember that S.T.A.R Method we mentioned earlier? We have an ENTIRE blog on what to say and how to answer with this nifty technique. Basically, think of a Situation, Task, Action and Result where you took the initiative. Briefly describe the situation. Who was involved? What was the context? Second, what was the task that you need to do? Situation and Task can blend together so don’t stress out if you can’t seperate the two. Third, describe what you did to accomplish that task. Don’t be afraid to go into detail! Finally, what happened as a RESULT? Did you accomplish your goal? Was there progress made? Summerize the results.
  • Also, remember to quantify your actions or results. Hiring managers love numbers and data!  If you managed to grow from 500 followers on IG to about 800 followers in a few months, that’s about 60% growth. Saying “We grew our page by about 60% over the last few months due to my efforts.” is G O L D in the interview.

     3.    Can you describe your leadership style?

• • Here’s where you dig into your work history. When you work at a job, you’re not JUST an employee. You’re a leader in your own right. Take for example working at a restaurant. If you were a cook, a waiter or if you bussed tables, you’re engaging with coworkers, clients and solving common problems together. If you did some tutoring or teaching in a previous job, you took the lead on how to teach someone a subject. Think about how you interacted with others.  How do you engage with others? 

     4.     What’s your greatest weakness?

• • It’s okay to a be a little more sincere with this question. We’re human, we can’t be perfect in everything. The interviewer knows that you’re presenting the best version of yourself in the interview. What the interviewer is looking for is whether you understand your own weaknesses. Explaining your weaknesses is OKAY!  We’re people at the end of the day. Do you take on too much work? Do you tend to stress out a lot? Do you have a hard time saying no? Make sure to explain that you have a solution that you’ve applied to yourself in this situations.

       Bonus Question: Do you have any questions for us?

• This is one of the most common interview questions you’ll receive. We recommend that you do have some questions prepared before hand. If you don’t know what to ask, use these questions below. Show the interviewer that you’re interested in the company by asking questions like:
  1. What does the team structure look like and how does the (title of role) fit within the organization?
  2. Will this individual be directly reporting to anyone, and if so, who?

We even have an entire blog dedicated to helping you ask the right questions to ask in the interview!

Check out Abby’s list of 7 Insightful Questions To Ask The Interviewer.

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Welp, that’s part 1 of our “Interview Prep Questions” series!

Just some final thoughts…We know the interview is stressful. You’re in the final lap of getting that big job and you don’t want to screw it up. So practice, practice, PRACTICE! If you stay ready, you ain’t got to get ready. These are just SOME of the questions you might be asked in interviews. We could easily write another 2-3 posts about interview prep questions. Stay tuned for part 2!

-The RNG Team

We have plenty of downloadable content (look below!) about interview prep, job seeking advice and more on our LinkedIn Page!