An interview experience is a chance for you to show off your skills and personality, but it’s also an opportunity for the employer to learn more about you. Don’t be surprised if HR asks questions that seem invasive or probing — these can help them get an insight into who you really are and how well-prepared you are for the job. They want to make sure they’re hiring someone who will fit in with their business culture and be a good fit for the role they’re trying to fill. Here are 10 common job interview questions:

Why do you want to work here?

This is probably one of the most common interview questions out there, but it’s also one of the ones that can trip people up. Why? Because they don’t know what they’re supposed to say and they’re too nervous to ask. You’ll have a way easier time answering this question if you have an idea of what your ideal job would be and what kind of company would fit that description. The interviewer wants to know if you have a clear idea of what it takes to succeed in their industry or field, so don’t just say anything — be specific!

Tell me about yourself.

The first question in most interviews is “Tell me about yourself.” In this case, it’s best to start with your education, then move on to talk about your work experience. Next, talk about what you’re passionate about and why you want to work for this company or in this industry — and keep the answer brief!

What do you know about this company?

Before you can answer these questions, you need to know something about the company. This means researching them and gathering information from every possible source. Begin by looking at the company website, news articles about them (if they have any), and products that they sell. Then explore their culture, values and mission statement to get a better idea of what makes this particular organization unique. Make sure you don’t neglect other aspects of your research such as company leadership and vision; this is important because it will help give context for many interview questions that may be asked during an interview with them (and also make sure your answers aren’t generic).

What can you offer us that someone else cannot?

Here is a list of things you can offer that others cannot:

• A specific skill or knowledge set. If you have a particular skill set that would be useful at the company, mention it. For example, if you’re interviewing for an office job and have experience in sales, let the interviewers know about your success selling for another company.
• Examples of past successes in your field or career path. If possible, come up with examples that illustrate what makes you unique as an employee. You should also include examples of times when other people praised or appreciated your skills or work ethic — this shows the interviewer that others see value in what they could hire from them (and perhaps even offers insight into how much they could earn).
• Personal qualities like kindness or thoughtfulness toward coworkers/customers/clients (if relevant). This may seem like common sense but many companies want employees who care about each other and work well together as a team; they can ask questions like “How do people work with one another? Tell me about one time when someone helped solve a problem without being asked to do so” during interviews experience because this says something about how effectively groups function at their organization.”

What is your greatest strength?

Great! Now that you’re confident, be specific.

“I am a very goal-oriented person,” may sound good, but it’s vague and doesn’t really tell the interviewer anything. “I work hard to meet my goals,” is better, but still not great because it could mean that you’re working too hard instead of being efficient and effective in your work. Instead, think about what makes you successful in different situations (for example: I’m excellent at prioritizing tasks based on deadlines) and come up with an example of how this has helped you succeed (for example: I was able to finish all my assignments on time for every class last semester). It’s important to be honest here; even if something comes across as negative when it’s said out loud (like being late), just explain why it happened and how it won’t happen again. Also keep in mind that interviewers like hearing examples so they can get an idea of how well they would work with someone who possesses these traits!

As far as answering this question goes, there are two main things to keep in mind: preparation and confidence! If someone asked me “What is one of your greatest strengths?” right now without warning me beforehand about it being asked during the interview process then probably wouldn’t know what answer should give them because I haven’t thought much about what makes me special :)

What is your greatest weakness?

Here’s another common job interview question: “What is your greatest weakness?” You may be tempted to say something like, “I work too hard.” Not a bad answer, but an obvious one. In fact, any weakness you mention should be something that won’t come up in the course of the job and shouldn’t be so glaringly obvious that it would make you look bad if you were hired (i.e., if everyone else on your team loved baseball but hated football, then saying that you’re terrible at sports isn’t going to help). Instead of dwelling on your flaws or trying to downplay them (and risk getting caught), use this opportunity to emphasize how much effort goes into overcoming them:

• “I’m super competitive — it definitely helps me get things done.”
• “My perfectionism sometimes gets in the way when I’m working with other people who aren’t as detail oriented as I am.”
• “I don’t always see eye-to-eye with my coworkers on small things like office temperature and music preferences.”

What are your goals for the future? Where do you see yourself in five/10 years?

Your interviewer will likely ask you this question during the interview experience, and it can be a bit of a tricky one. The key is to be specific without being unrealistic or too ambitious. For example, if your goal is to become a CEO someday, that’s great — but it might be too much information for your interviewer on day one. Instead, focus on what you’ve accomplished so far and how that makes you a valuable candidate for their company today.

Here’s an example of a good answer: “I hope to use my experience here at Company X as a springboard into another position within the company or even in another industry entirely.”

Here’s an example of bad answer: “I’m aiming for president someday.”

Why should we hire you?

There is no one right way to answer this question, but there are some things you can do to make sure your answer is effective.

• Be honest: You need to be honest about why you want the job, how you think your skills will benefit the company, and what goals you plan on achieving for the company if hired.
• Be prepared: The best way to prepare for an interview (or any situation where someone asks a difficult question) is by practicing beforehand. If possible, practice answering similar questions with friends or family members who will be able to give feedback about how well-prepared and confident you were in your answers.
• Be specific: Employers want details in their answers because they are looking for specifics that indicate experience or interest in their company — specifics like projects worked on at previous jobs; personal interests outside of work; professional organizations memberships; volunteer work completed within industry or community groups; etcetera).

How do you handle stress and pressure?

• Be honest. If you can’t handle stress, it’s better to admit that now. There’s no shame in being averse to pressure; there are other jobs out there that may be a better fit for you.
• Be prepared. You should be able to give an answer even if your interviewer doesn’t ask this question directly; make sure to prepare one so that the pressure won’t catch you off guard and make you stumble through your response.
• Be specific. It’s easy to get tripped up on this question if you’re not careful, and specificity is key here: don’t just refer vaguely back towards an old job experience or project when talking about how well-equipped you are for handling stressful situations — be specific about what those experiences were, what happened during those times, and how they helped prepare you for dealing with stress in general going forward!
• Stay confident but concise — don’t ramble on about anything beyond what needs saying without bringing up any extra information (which could lead potential employers wondering why). Keep focus on the present tense rather than anything else too distant from now; it’ll keep both sides focused on how well equipped each person seems right now instead of dwelling on past mistakes which might not matter anymore anyway!

Are you a team player? Are you willing to work overtime and on weekends if necessary? Do you prefer working alone or in a group and why?

When asked about your willingness to work overtime or on weekends, you should always say that if the work needs to get done at all costs, then yes. However, if there are other options available to get the job done efficiently and on time without sacrificing quality, then you should mention those as well.

In addition to explaining your preference for working alone or in a group, be sure to provide an example of when you’ve worked alone and one when you’ve worked with others. This shows that you’re experienced in both areas and gives them an idea of how well-rounded your skills are.

Also be prepared with examples of situations where you have worked overtime or over weekends due to extreme circumstances (e.g., hurricane).

You need to be prepared to answer all of these questions, so take some time to think about them.

• Practice answering the questions before the interview.
• Practice answering the questions in front of a mirror.
• Practice answering the questions with a friend or family member.
• Get your pet’s opinion on what you should wear!

In order to make sure you’re ready for anything, we recommend that you have an answer prepared for each and every one of these common job interview questions.

Conclusion

We hope we’ve helped you become a little more familiar with these questions. Remember that the most important thing is to practice your answers so that they sound natural and confident when you speak them out loud. Keep in mind how each question ties back into what they want from you as a potential employee interview experience, and make sure your answer shows how well qualified you are for the job!