Connecting People to Enhance the Experience of Work
The Four Most Common Interview Questions
"Tell me about yourself"
Standing out in the job market is essential if you want to secure a great new role. By standing out, it allows you to set yourself apart from other candidates, showing your potential employer that you have the skills, experience, and drive to excel in the role. Employers conduct many interviews for a single job, and one of the best ways a candidate can separate themselves from their job seeking competitors is by answering the most common interview questions with a confidence that others may lack.
Sometimes the simplest of questions are the hardest to answer. We have seen too many good candidates lose a role in the first few minutes of an interview because they were not able to satisfactorily answer common questions such as "why are you interested in this role" or "why are you interested in joining our business".
Below are four of the most common interview questions to come up in an interview. Answer these well and you will stand out in the competitive job market.
Make sure you prepare these questions ahead of time with detailed responses relevant to your role. It’s a good idea to also review our guide to interview preparation which helps candidates prepare for an interview pre, during and post the process.
"Why are you interested in this role?"
Your answer needs to be related to a specific aspect of the role; it could be the opportunity to develop a new skill set, work with a new product or customer type. But it needs to align to and be relevant to the role.
Example: "I have a degree in Computer Science and over five years of experience as a software developer. I have developed and delivered several successful projects and I am passionate about using technology to solve problems. In my spare time I love building computers, I enjoy the problem-solving challenge these kinds of personal projects present."
"Why do you want to join our company?"
The interviewer wants to know if you have done your research and are genuinely interested in the company, in its mission, values, culture, and goals. It is not only important that you want the role, but employers want to know why you want to work for their company. Does the culture resonate with you? Are your values aligned in order to bring out the best of both parties? Do the objectives of the company motivate and inspire you? Your response needs to be personal and authentic.
Example: "I admire the company's commitment to sustainability. Over time I have realised how important it is to me that I work in a business which is actively addressing broader environmental issues through ESG. I want to know that the work I do every day (in my job) contributes to solving the ecological issues we are facing as a community."
"What are your greatest strengths?"
The interviewer wants to know what you excel at and how this can contribute to the company. They are also interested in assessing your confidence, self-awareness, humility and your ability to sell yourself (when required). It's always a good idea to have two to three examples.
Example: "I am incredibly driven, and outcome focused. I won't give up until I get a result. Examples of this include …… (refer to key projects) where you've been able to leverage this characteristic in order to deliver on a project, a sales outcome, a complex piece of research or tech build)."
"What are your greatest weaknesses?
When you are asked this question, the interviewer wants to assess your self-awareness, your capacity for self-reflection and what kind of plan you have in place for self-improvement. They are not trying to trick you up or find a reason not to hire you.
This question is not an opportunity to present a weakness as a hidden strength, for example "I am a workaholic" where your implicit message is hire me and I will work really hard and will work long hours. It is essential you are authentic and honest in your response.
While it might sound counter intuitive your strengths are also your weaknesses. Look at your strengths and weaknesses together and really dig in and see how they operate at both your best and your worst. For example, your high attention to detail is a strength, but on the flip side it might also mean you are a perfectionist and procrastinate or be late completing tasks. Your generosity is a strength but on the flip side it might mean you give too much time to others in your team and don't complete your own work or are forced to work long hours to catch up.
Example: "I mentioned in the last question that my greatest strength is my drive. It is also my Achilles heel. I have to be careful that I don't put unreasonable levels of expectation on people. In the past I was often unreasonable in my expectations and pushed people too hard, which was ultimately counterproductive. I have had to learn how to get the best performance out of my team while keeping my own expectations in check. I do this by..."
Profusion has over twenty years in specialist recruitment in financial services. Our team love coaching and connecting people to enhance the experience of work. Whether you are preparing for an interview or just looking to establish contact with a consultant, contact us today. We regularly work with individuals coaching them on interviews and sharing market benchmarks and insights. Often we just to connect in the instance you may need recruitment support down the road. You’ll find a relevant contact from one of our specialist teams under your area of expertise by going to the contact page.
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