How to Answer Common Interview Questions?

Walk me through your resume. Why do you want to join this company? What benefits will you bring to our team and company? How do you manage differences with your teammates? Do you have any relevant experience for the role you are applying? etc. etc. These are some of the most popular interview questions. Now, as a job seeker or a student, you must know that such interview questions have two objectives; to test your knowledge and skills, and your confidence. On this page, we will provide you with some simple tips to answer common interview questions.

What are Interview Questions?

Interview questions are designed to evoke responses from the interviewee under pressure and attain knowledge about the interviewee. To do so, the interviewer will ask a set of questions either technical or aptitude-based questions concerning the post you are applying for. This is done to judge the knowledge, skills, and abilities also referred to as KSAs of the applicant. No matter how many interviews you come across in the journey to build your career, it’s always better to prepare yourself and present the best of yourself to the interview desk because every interview will give you a surprise element. 

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This blog will provide information about common interview questions and sample answers. It also contains information about what the interviewer is looking for when interviewing. Some tips to crack the interview are also included in this blog. 

Importance of Common Interview Questions

Interviews will help the interviewer analyze the capabilities of the interviewee. It would help the organization recruit the deserving candidate for a particular vacancy. Every interview is different from the others because every candidate possesses unique life experiences, knowledge, and skills. Thus, it is important to conduct the best of your version in the interview process. 

After designing a perfect cover letter and resume, the next step is getting a call for preliminary screening from the hiring manager of the organization. The hiring manager would ask common interview questions related to educational qualifications, work experience, etc. 

As it is rightly said ‘first impression is the last impression‘, So, you need to be confident during the very first conversation i.e. in a preliminary interview. 

Must Read: How to ace your self-introduction in an interview?

5 Common Interview Questions with Sample Answers

Before applying to any organization, you need to prepare yourself for the upcoming common interview questions and to do so you need to draft a proper introduction about yourself, research the company, think through your responses before answering the questions, practice, and seek feedback. 

Following are 5 common interview questions with sample answers:

1. Walk me through your resume.

This is one of the first questions asked in an interview. This question can also be asked in different ways like ‘Tell me about yourself?’, ‘give me a brief about yourself?’, etc. Remember to include WAP i.e. (work, academic and personal). In this question, you need not just introduce yourself but you also need to pitch yourself, so that the interviewer gets impressed with your presentation. 

Possible Answer: 

‘Of course, my name is Richa, and I’m 24 years old. I’ve been a business development associate at Company X  for the past 1 and a half years. I have a graduate degree of BBA from University XY and I possess good communication skills which help in bringing leads for the organization to generate revenue for the company.

My internship at Company Y truly drew me into the profession. My speaking skills and knowledge in the field of business have helped me in bringing a good number of leads to the organization. For example, at my previous organization, I was the star performer as I generated the highest profit for the last three months.

Moving forward, I wish to broaden my experience across sectors. I’m really interested in Ed-tech, which is why I’m interested in your organization.’

2. Why do you want to work with our organization?

To answer this question, you need to be well-versed in the growth opportunities and new processes of the organization. Out of the many applicants you need to stand out and to do so it’s important to give a crisp and professional answer to this question.

Possible answer:

‘The reason I wish to work for your organization is because I see myself growing professionally in your organization. I came to know about the expansion of the US team through the business magazines. And as you have noticed in my CV that with every organization I was associated with I was generally involved in the sales and marketing sector. This opportunity will eventually prove beneficial for me if I join the organization as a business development associate.’

3. Why do you want this position?

Many people compete for a single post. You need to make sure that you give the best but unique answers to the common interview questions which help you stand out from the crowd. You need to give proper reasoning to this question. 

Possible answer:

‘Social media is a fascinating world to me especially when it comes to generating content for the target audience. Researching and acquiring information from different sources and formulating the content in a creative way is one of my specializations. So, I feel my skills are best suited for the role of social media manager in your company.’

Must Read: How to Answer Why Do You Want this Job?

4. What are your greatest achievements?

This is another version of the question, ‘Why should we hire you?’ but this question is more specific to your professional achievements throughout your career. A great way to crack this question is to implement the STAR method (situation, task, action, result). 

Possible answer:

‘Over the course of two years, I moved from being an intern to handling all of Business X’s marketing. As an intern, I was really given no instructions other than “Hey, go learn social media branding and get it going.” The creators didn’t anticipate much from me and weren’t bothered because they were completely focused on making the product function.

‘Instead of simply lamenting a lack of direction, I began researching digital marketing – pretty much anything I could get my hands on. For example, I learned how to perform content marketing through Camila Coelho’s blog and began putting things into practice.’

‘My first achievement was getting a piece of content to become viral, which generated huge traffic. Following that, the founding team placed a lot more faith in me. I began exploring additional approaches after gaining a lot more confidence in my talents. I was subsequently promoted to Head of Marketing over the next two years.’

5. What motivates you to do the job?

The motivation factor to do a job varies from person to person. Here the interviewer wants to know the source of the energy that you would bring to the company while at work. Some people are motivated by intrinsic factors like recognition, professional development, praise, etc while some are motivated by extrinsic factors that include appraisals, salary, rewards, etc. 

Possible answer:

‘What drives me to do well is a success. What keeps me motivated is the confidence that my diligence and commitment will help me reach greater professional success. Integrating the company’s mission and values with my own, I believe, is one approach to do this.’

Must Read: How to write a letter of motivation?

Tips for Answering Common Interview Questions

Finally, for appearing in an interview,  you should keep in mind a few below mentioned important aspects:

• Don’t memorize the answers. 
• Be on time and always remember, ‘your first impression is the most important.’
• Dress appropriately and be professional. 
• Research the background and services the company offers.
• Stay positive and practice interviewing. 

What Do Experts Have to Say?

According to industry leaders and experts, interview questions are the sole method to analyze the applicants. The hiring manager would ask a couple of questions about your personal, professional, and educational background. HR may also ask for a rough estimate of the salary that you would be expecting from the company. While we must also keep in mind that there is tough competition in the market as the supply of educated professionals is high compared to the demand. So, it is crucial to present the best possible version of yourself in an interview.

Must read: Top 5+ Self Introduction Tips for Freshers in Interview

Knowing how to conduct yourself in an interview and the common interview questions, this blog will help you to present yourself with confidence in front of the interviewer. In order to convey your enthusiasm in the job interview you must go prepared by practicing and gathering all the relevant information about the company and job roles and responsibilities. 

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