Typical interview questions

Introduction
In the dictionary, interviews are defined simply as meetings for asking questions. Knowing that doesn’t help much, but knowing how to deal with the questions will give any candidate a head start on those people that haven’t done their research.

There are some questions that pop up again and again in interviews. There are also times when interviewers will deliberately ask less typical questions to make us think quickly, or just to see how we react.

In this article, we’ll be looking at some of the more typical interview questions you’re likely to face. And, we’ll be giving tips on how to approach the less obvious ones that seem to come out of nowhere.

Common interview questions
Some of the questions you’re asked in an interview depend on the kind of job involved. However, there are some standard questions that are likely to be asked in a variety of interviews. Here are some of the more common examples:

Why do you want to do this job?
What do you know about our company/organisation?
What do you think you can offer our company/organisation?
Can you tell me about a problem you’ve had at work and how you dealt with it?
What are your strengths?
What are your weaknesses? What are you doing to improve these areas?
What are your hobbies and interests?
Can you work under pressure? Can you give details of a time when you had to work under pressure?
There isn’t one correct way to answer any of these questions. Try to link any skills you have to ones you think the interviewer will feel is relevant to the post. As much as possible, make your answers relevant to the type of work you feel you’ll be expected to do.

With any question you’re asked, don’t feel rushed into an answer. Give yourself time to think. There’s nothing wrong with pausing for a while before answering.

One question that many of us find difficult to answer, or that causes the most anxiety when it’s asked, is the one about weaknesses. This question can seem confusing as nobody wants to list the things they’re bad at, just in case it puts off the employer. However, there are ways to approach this question that can turn the negatives into positives.

One way to answer the question is to focus on a weakness that could be viewed as strength. For example, you could say you get frustrated when others aren’t working as hard as you. You are aware of this ‘failing’ and are trying to overcome it. You’ve answered the question, given a weakness but also said something positive about yourself.

The key to answering the question is to be honest. There’s no point saying you don’t have any weaknesses as the interview will more than likely just think you aren’t telling the truth or that you aren’t very self-aware. As long as you turn the weakness into a positive by saying that you are aware of it and are addressing it, there’s no reason to be concerned about the question.

Non-standard interview questions
It would be great if we knew beforehand exactly what questions to expect in an interview. However, while we can’t predict the future, we can make educated guesses as to the type of questions we are likely to face.

It’s important to review typical interview questions, but don’t focus too heavily on them and then be shocked by questions you weren’t prepared for. Most interviews follow a standard format, but there will be times when the person interviewing you decides to ask a seemingly irrelevant question. For example, you might have to deal with things like these:

*tell me a story

what was the last film you saw or book you read?
rate yourself on a scale of 1-10
what are your pet hates?
Some of these types of question or request are simply ways of asking a standard question in a non-standard way. For example, it can be relatively common to be asked what type of person you think you are, at an interview. However, the question, “if you were an animal which one would you be?”, might stump you. In reality, it’s the same question, just slightly disguised.

The interviewer(s) might ask you a tricky question to get you thinking quickly, or simply to see how you react to a different way of being interviewed. There’s no real guide to how to approach this type of situation; be honest and try to explain yourself as if it were a standard interview question. However, if your pet hate is working, it might be better, just this once, to use an alternative!

Questions based on your application form or CV
As well as the type of questions mentioned above, you will also be asked things about information you’ve already provided on your application form or CV. The main tip here is to have a copy of the form or CV with you, and be well versed in what you’ve written. The interviewer(s) may ask you to expand on answers you’ve given, so be prepared to back up any claims you might have made.

Illegal interview questions
Interviewers are not allowed to ask certain questions. This includes asking about things like your age, religion, marital status, and any intentions you have to have children in the future.

While it is wrong for any interviewer to ask this type of question, it can happen, so you need to be prepared for the situation. If you were feeling confident, you could ask why you’re being asked such a question. It can be difficult to be direct with an interviewer as you don’t want to risk causing any offence. On the other hand, maybe, you wouldn’t want to work for someone who didn’t respect your privacy or human rights.

As most illegal questions are simply ways of checking whether any part of your private life will impinge on your working time, you could simply answer pre-empting any fears you feel the interviewer has. For example, if you were asked about your age, you could say something like:

‘I am in my 40s and have 20 years’ experience doing this kind of work.’

In an extreme case, you could simply not answer any questions that you feel are inappropriate. The interviewer could see this as rudeness and think negatively about your application. However, they may respect your forthrightness and look more positively upon you as a candidate.

Questions to ask the interviewer
Usually, at the end of an interview, you’ll be asked if you have any questions. Some people find this part of the process a little awkward, so it’s a good idea to have one or two questions already prepared.

Questions relating to the future of the company or organisation that you want to join are often a good idea. You could also ask what will happen after the interview, if this information hasn’t already been covered.

Although it’s a good idea to have a few questions ready to ask, you have to be careful not to rely on them. The interviewer may have already covered the information you were going to ask about. If you ask about a subject that’s already been covered, it will look like you haven’t been paying attention. During the interview, try to think up questions related to the things you’ve talked about.

There’s often no need to worry about this stage of the interview, as once you’re in there and the interview is under way, ideas for questions might come to you naturally.

Final thought
Most situations that interviews throw up can be dealt with as long as you’re well prepared and try to stay relaxed. Don’t be afraid of saying that you don’t fully understand a question or pausing a while before answering. Interviews are not only about thinking quickly, but are also about showing you can contemplate a situation and come up with your own ideas.

Remember, with any type of question the interviewer asks, all they’re trying to do is find out about the following things:

Are you capable of doing the job?
Will you be easy to manage?
Are you motivated to do the job?
Will you get on with the people you have to work with?
Keep these questions in mind. Understanding why you’re being asked something should help you, in some way, to come up with the kind of answers the interviewers are looking for.
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