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How to Answer Common interview questions

Joanne Scott Author Banner

 

If you have followed the exercises in ‘How to WOW in an interview’, particularly the articles on 'Preparing Yourself for Interview' and 'Selling Your Strengths', you are now prepared to answer 60-70% of all common interview questions. Armed with this high statistic you are now fully prepared to give your best – your innate sales ability will carry you through the remaining 30-40%!

You can buy books giving you all of the answers to the main interview questions and I have met, and interviewed candidates, who have evidently worked through and memorized the content of these books and they come across as insincere. Their answers are just too rehearsed; too robotic. Experienced interviewers are looking beyond the actual words of the answers are also looking to see if there is parity between what is being said and the body language of the interviewee.

My advice, therefore, is to read these questions as a ‘dummy run’, a good opportunity to put your ‘How to WOW’ exercises into practice. Don’t learn answers verbatim but take confidence that in knowing your strengths and having the ability to back them up with achievements, examples and case studies that you will succeed at interview.
 

The Most Common Interview Questions

You will be asked these ones in a round-about way at every interview!

  • Tell me about yourself?
  • What do you know about our company?
  • What interests you about this job?
  • Why do you consider yourself ideal for this role?
  • Give me five reasons why you want to join our company?
  • What are your strengths?
  • Do you prefer working alone or in a team?
  • What are your development areas (weaknesses?)
  • What motivates you?
  • What are you going to achieve in the next 3 / 5 / 10 years?
  • What do you like about your current job?
  • What do you dislike about your current job?
  • Why are you looking to leave your current role?

In addition to this, you must be prepared for questions on current affairs, your hobbies and interests and your ambitions, goals and aspirations. Also, interviewers are now regularly probing deeper into your psyche, your friends, family, upbringing, why you’ve taken certain decisions in your life, what is your purpose, major driving factor, etc. The tasks in ‘How to WOW’ will go some way in helping you prepare for this.

The one area that you simply cannot prepare for are ‘showboat’ questions – ‘If you were an animal what would you be and why’, ‘If you were a colour what colour would you be and why?’ Answer politely with a wry smile on your face safe in the knowledge that here is an interviewer that is obviously deficient in some area and needs to give his own self-esteem a boost for being so ‘clever’!

The following common sales interview questions are the most common 'themes' that are examined at interview. Good luck with your interviews!

Why don't you also read our Top 75 Most Common Interview Questions so you can get even more ahead with your interview?

You may also be interested in: Answering the question: "Tell me about Yourself"

5 Questions that you should ask at interview

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