6 Tips For Your Next Job Interview

Prepare for interview questions! Nothing gives a better first impression than being well-spoken and being self-assured during an interview. Below are the most common interview questions you'll be asked by employers:

1. Tell me about yourself. Many candidates choose to respond with an overview of their work and employment history. Whilst this is helpful – especially if a manager hasn’t read your CV in detail, it’s important you offer new information, such as what are your hobbies outside of work. Try to focus on a key aspect of their career, building a story around it with performance highlights. It’s important to ensure your answer is aligned with the job description and advertisement, to demonstrate how you can add value to the company and role at hand.
2. What attracted you to our company? This is your opportunity to demonstrate that you’ve done your research. Prior to the interview, read up on everything you can about the company from their own website, social media channels and other news articles and forums. Identify what stands out about the company’s mission and values, and how that resonates with your own desired career path and personal values.
3. Tell me about your strengths. Identify two of your best attributes and give concrete examples of those strengths, articulating how they led to the professional success you achieved. Be sure to close the loop and articulate how they are relevant to the job you’re interviewing for.
4. What are your weaknesses? This is your opportunity to demonstrate your own self-awareness and desire for personal development. Try to identify something that isn’t critical to the role, and frame your answer in the positive.
5. Where do you see yourself in five years? Your employer wants to see how driven and goal-oriented you are. In your answer, demonstrate your awareness of industry trends and the ability to be flexible.
6. Can you tell me about a time where you encountered a business challenge? This is your opportunity to use the CAR method: Context, Action, and Result. Choose an example that demonstrates where you have solved a business challenge using a skill that the employer is looking for. Provide the background, describe what action you took and the professional result you achieved.