General Interview Questions
If you are looking for general interview questions you have come to the right place.
The following list of general interview questions applies to any interview regardless of what field you are working in.
It is strongly recommended that you prepare for these questions.
General Interview Questions and Answers
Tell me about yourself?
- Talk about your past and previous work experience and if possible try to focus on related work experience. This is not the time to tell the interviewer personal details about yourself.
- Jobspeaker gives an excellent video on how to answer “Tell Me About Yourself”.
ell us about your previous work experience?
- If possible, relate your previous work experience to the position you are applying for.
- If this is your first job state you have been focusing on school and are now ready to prove yourself in the workforce.
What do you know about this company?
- This question is testing you to see if you did your homework. Simply research the company you are applying for on the Internet and state what the company does and some of their accomplishments.
Why did you or want to leave your current/last job?
This question basically tries to find any issues you had with your previous employer. Don’t talk about any horror stories in your previous position and try and sound positive about your previous/current employer. State something like
- I am looking for new challenges in the workplace. I feel that I have reached my potential with company XYZ and that further advancement will not be possible in the current environment.
- Distance is always good to mention. If the job you are applying to is closer to your than your current/last job then that is always a positive. You can mention you want to achieve work-life balance.
What is your greatest strength?
- There are many skills that you can list but think about what the interviewer wants to hear.
- For example, if the position requires you will be talking to customers, then your greatest strength should be your listening or communication skills.
- If you are applying for a position where you are in a restaurant perhaps teamwork or your ability to work under pressure should be your greatest strength.
- Remember it all depends on what position you are applying for so pick your greatest strength wisely.
What is your greatest weakness?
- You should not deny you have a weakness or state strengths as a weakness (I am a perfectionist, or I work too hard and neglect my friends and family). State a weakness that is required for the role but not a dealbreaker if you don’t have it.
- When you state your weakness make sure you say what you are doing to overcome that weakness. For example, I have a fear of public speaking and I have enrolled in a public speaking class to overcome my fear.
What motivates you?
TARGETJobs provides excellent answers to this question
Do Say!
- Meeting deadlines, targets or goals
- Mentoring and coaching others
- Learning new things
- Coming up with creative ideas to improve something, or make something new
- Analyzing complex data in order to draw clear and simple conclusions
- Working well as part of a team
- Leading a team to success
- Completing a difficult project, and seeing it through to the end
- Spotting flaws and errors so as to make sure the end result of a project is as good as possible
- Finding a way to solve a problem, or overcome a challenge
Don’t Say!
- Money
- Employee Discounts
Do you have any questions for us?
- What do you like best about working here?
- How would you describe your ideal candidate for this position?
- What about this position is the most important?
- How would you measure my success and what could I do to succeed in your expectations?
- Which part of the position has the steepest learning curve? What can I do in order to get up to speed quickly?
- What opportunities will I have to learn and grow?
What salary are you looking for?
- You should always review salary information so you are prepared to answer this question.
- I would flip the question and ask what is the range? You never want to ask for too much as you will never get the job if you do! You also might ask for too little.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
- Take the role you are applying for and state you want to be the manager or director for that role — this answer makes you sound ambitious and goal oriented.
- Why not take a look at the company website and find a job you can see yourself doing in five years. It will make you sound like you are going to stay with the company and they will not lose money training you.
- If you don’t have a five-year career plan, then browse jobs on popular employment websites and find something you would love to do in five years.
Why should I hire you?
- Have a second read of the job description and find the skills and experience required for the position.
- Next match the skills required for the job to your own skillset.
- Finally, reassure the interviewer you have the right skills.
When can you start?
- If you are working I would recommend saying you need to give your current employer 2 weeks notice otherwise make it as early as possible.
See Also
- Knock ’em Dead Job Interview (affiliate)
- The Interview Checklist
- General Interview Q&A
- The Behavioral Interview
- Interview Tips
- Search for Jobs
Related Courses
Microsoft Power BI Training Course
Computerized Accounting Course
Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) Office 365
