What do interview questions really mean

You might want to talk about your communication skills and ease with public speaking just make sure you tell the truth.

Another good tip is to use clear, measurable achievements to back up you what you say — just make sure to have a relatable anecdote ready.

If you overshare here, you could potentially turn off an employer. So, what do you do? Explain how you became aware of it and are working on improving upon it. This shows that you are reflective, willing to learn, and striving to get better. Keep calm. Take a deep breath and a moment to think before every answer, and talk in a calm and measured way. There's no rush — slower speech is a sign of confidence and helps the interviewer follow your train of thought.

Break down the question. Long questions are easy to fumble, so break it down into smaller parts. If the question is really confusing, smile and ask the interviewer if they could repeat, clarify or reword it. Be ready to show off. Unexpected questions are a chance to show how you react under pressure. Don't be modest. If you have something really amazing to say, go for it. Likewise, if you don't know the answer, don't be afraid to say so.

You can always offer to find out and come back to them with a follow-up email. There's nothing more anticlimactic than ending a good back and forth with a shrug and a "not really", but that's what often happens when interviewers turn the tables. Have at least five questions to ask in an interview prepped and you'll come across as genuinely interested in the position and engaged in the process.

Just like how your CV can't capture your personality, the job description can't cover the day-to-day reality of the job. Now is the perfect time to clarify any points you're not sure about.

Pay attention during the interview so you're not asking questions that have already been answered. It's a good idea to bring a pen and paper with you to jot down questions as and when you think of them. That way you can concentrate on answering the interviewer without worrying you'll forget what you want to ask by the end. Remember: job interviews go two ways. It's not just about whether you're the right fit for the company, but if they're the right fit for you.

Asking a question or two about the organisational culture will give you an idea about whether it's a good place to work. You might want to ask:. During your interview preparation , you will have read a lot of information about your client and the wider industry as a whole — thanks Google. Show your knowledge by dropping in a question about current events, for example:.

While interviewers can sometimes get creative with their questions — like Google's famous brain teasers — there are a few restrictions on what they can ask. For example, you should never be asked about:. These questions are illegal because they could be used to discriminate against you. No company wants to leave itself open to legal action, so it's highly unlikely you'll be asked them.

However, if these illegal interview questions do come up during your chat, keep calm. Politely ask why you're being asked the question to find out if it has a direct bearing on the role. Search Search. Contact us for career advice. Favourites Home Plan your career Talk to a career expert Start to plan or change your career Get ideas for your career Make a career decision Act on your career plans. Job profiles. What's happening in the job market?

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Tools and activities Planning career development Career practice and development Articles. Sign in. Plan your career Plan your career. Job hunting. Study and training. Home Articles What 6 common interview questions actually mean. How to get a job ; 26 February by Careers New Zealand What 6 common interview questions actually mean We give you advice on how to answer the six most common questions in an interview, so you win that job. What's on this page? What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?

Make sure your answer is relevant to the position you are applying for. What you should be aiming for here is to present yourself as the ideal candidate for the job. For example, at Company X, I led a project for migrating all operations data to a new data warehousing system to cut down on costs.

I have just graduated with honors in Biochemistry. I know my way around a lab and have had multiple opportunities to put my knowledge into practice as a chemistry research assistant. I am passionate, hard-working, and extremely responsible. I am also looking forward to putting to practice all the things I learned during my time at university. Although at first glance this might seem like a straightforward question, you should grab any opportunity you can to show your interest in the company.

Show excitement and curiosity. If someone inside the company told you about the position or recommended that you apply, definitely make sure to mention that.

Tell the hiring managers what excites you about the job opportunity or what exactly caught your eye. I even own one of your latest phone models! He encouraged me to apply, saying that my experience managing a sales team at [Some Software Company] would be helpful for [Company X]. Through this question, the interviewers want to assess how passionate you are for the position.

What the interviewer is looking for here is to see how passionate you are about the job or the company. After all, job performance is directly linked to job satisfaction. Just be honest and show your passion for the job. Having done promotional jobs here and there, I never had an opportunity to do something more serious.

I do believe, though, that I have just the right skills to get started: copywriting, basic photoshop, and of course, lots of creativity.

So, I thought that an internship at [Company X] would be an awesome start to my career in marketing. Want to find more samples answers to this question? There are two answers you could go for here: what your actual strengths are, and what you think the hiring manager or HR representative wants to hear. We would most certainly suggest you go with the first answer. For this question, you would want to narrow your answer down to at most three strengths.

Pick 1 or 2 skills that would help you really excel at the job, and 1 or 2 personal more or less unrelated skills. Not sure which ones are your top strengths? After picking your strengths, back it up with a situation or story that shows how you have used it to benefit you on the job. After all, words are just that - words.

For most of those jobs, I ended up picking up all the needed skills within 1 or 2 weeks with basically no previous experience. No matter the crisis or stress, I can make the right decisions on-the-spot. As an event manager at Company X, we were organizing an IT conference for a client. At that point, things looked so bleak that we were considering canceling the event or postponing it.

Instead, I took the initiative in my hands and sorted through the problems one by one. Everyone has flaws, weaknesses, and things to improve on. If you can, just balance it with a positive side effect: treat it like two sides of the same coin. My biggest weakness has always been my communication skills. Looking for more samples answers about your strengths and weaknesses?

Check out our full guide! Well, yes and no. In fact, how did I end up here? Can you guys call me a cab real quick? However , the more you actually know about the company, the better your chances of getting hired. Now, how do you do that? Well, a rule of thumb here is to do some Googling before the interview and learn the following about the company:.

After doing some brief research on you guys, I ended up falling in love with your software and your mission. I got particularly interested by your recent investment in [Startup X], I found that interesting because of [Y Reason].

Now, the real question is, how do you sell yourself without trying to look arrogant, desperate, or needy? A good rule of thumb here is to stay away from the extremes. Well, as a start, I have all the skills and work experience required for the job. I have just the right skill-set to excel as an executive assistant. I led the organization of Event 1 and Event 2. Looking for more sample answers? This is always a tricky question. The final number you tell them should incorporate all 3 of the points we just mentioned.

Do you know for a fact that the company is doing well and compensates employees accordingly? Instead, with this question, you want to show your enthusiasm about the company. The answers you get from the interviewer could also be an indicator of whether you really want to work there or not. For the complete list of all the questions you can ask the interviewer , check out our article! Look at it from the point of view of the potential employer.

Would they hire someone if they answered this question with:. Instead, explain to the interviewer that this job at this company is the perfect fit for you. Mention what your short-term and long-term career goals are, and how this position ties to them.