Typical Interview Questions?

Question

You might find this funny, but I have no idea what to answer if the guy interviewing me asked "So, why do you want this job" or " What made you decide to go for this job " ....
I wont freak or anything, but I might stutter.

Any heads-up answers regarding types of questions that could be asked in any interview (regardless of the career) & the 2nd question I just wrote down.

Very thankful in advance.

Answer 1

good question... I would simply reply, "I am looking for a career that not only allows me an opportunity to grow and learn, but also offers opportunities for advancement". Its a BS answer, but it tells them three things that they want to hear, you are looking for long term employment (grow and learn/advancement), that you are a hard worker (advancement), and that you are moldable (learn and grow). all of your answers should be geared towards selling yourself to them. if you want to be really clever, follow up your answer with a question like "what kind of advancement opportunities are there with your company?" Now, you have answered their question, and asked a smart one of your own, not allowing them to ask you more questions that you will have to BS along the same lines.

Answer 2

Q - "So, why do you want this job."

A - "To improve my skills in "XXXXX" and further my growth in the industry."

~Also being frank sometimes is good dependant on the interviewer.

A - "I am qualified and intent on getting this job to become gainfully employed."

Other questions often asked on interviews:

Q - "What do you consider you greatest weakness? & what do you consider your greatest strength?"

A- It is good to develop a weakness that people can relate too (time management and orginization are good ones). Tell them you understand and have identified it as one of your weaknesses, but are working to improve yourself.

A - Strengths should could include: Attention to detail, strong work ethic, punctuality, etc. Think of what an employer is looking for in an employee ~ Hard working, shows up on time, does not make too many mistakes if any, solves problems, good social skills.

Q - "Why did you leave you last job/get fired/or whatever".

They wont word it like that, but often an interviewer wonders why you are at thier desk asking for a job. ALWAYS TELL THE TRUTH. We will often find out if you are not telling the truth.
Just make it sound like your transition was smooth and for good reason (unless it was not). If it was not try to avoid the issue unless you have to provide an answer.

Q - "How do you expect to contribute to "XXXX" Corp."

A - You want to sell you self with this quesiton. Make it seem like there is nobody better for the position. You have to be confident here.
(Bring up the previously mentioned strengths.)


You can e-mail me if you want to discuss more.
I have had a lot of exp. with hiring and more often than not pick the good ones!

Answer 3

Go to Monster.com - They have the 100 top questions and they also tell you what the interviewer is trying to find out by asking such a question. Read through them and try to think of some answers before you do the real interview. This will be a way to "study", so you are not caught off guard.

Answer 4

Before I go to an interview I think of answers to questions they could ask so I don't sound silly and studder. I've never applied for a career/actual-job, so all of this might just be stupid.

"So, why do you want this job?"
I can't tell you what to say to that. You have to actually think about why you want the job you're applying for. What would you like about it? There must be some reason you're applying for that job or you wouldn't be applying there. My last interview was for a restauraunt, and I said something like "The people that work here seem friendly, it really seems like a great work enviroment. I also really like the food!" It seems silly, but thats honestly why I applied there. People seem nice, and they have good food. Just be honest.

Another question they might ask is "What can you bring to the 'team'" or "Why should we hire you?"
Again, I can't answer that for you. You have to think about what's good about you. How good is your work ethic? Be honest! Don't tell him you're punctual if you're late for everything. Then, once you're hired and you're late all the time they're just going to be like, "Okay, so he lied.."

Interview questions are hard, but you just have to be confident and honest. Before I go to an interview I think of things they could ask me and I have to give myself a little pep talk "I'm really good at .... They should hire me because .... I want to work there because.... "

There's no right answer, they really just want to get to know you. I look at interviews as just things to make sure you're not crazy. I've never gone to an interview and not gotten the job (though I've never applied for a career-type-job before, so if you are just disreguard all of that I guess). Just be yourself and honest, that's the whole point!

Good luck!

Answer 5

Do some research on the company before the interview, then rattle off a few of the company's best accomplishments, products etc. and tell them thaty you would love to be a part of the future of a company that has accomplished or produced such things in the past. I believe the question is designed to give those who have actually looked into the workings of the company to show that off.

Answer 6

if you get caught off-guard with a question in an interview, think to yourself "what would the interviewer want to hear?" or "based on what I know about this job, what reply would make me stand out for this position?"

for the specific questions you asked, something generic like "this position sounds like a good match for my background and I think it will allow me to develop my skills in X,Y and Z. I also think that because of my experience doing A, B and C, I can bring a lot to this position." list specific things to the position you are interviewing for. make yourself stand out and prove that you are qualified.

Answer 7

where do you see yourself in 5 years?

what is your greatest strength/weakness?

if i called your last employer, what would s/he have to say about you (both good and bad)?

how many days did you miss work last year?

how do you handle constructive criticism?

tell me about a conflict you had and how you resolved it?

what do you do in your spare time? (they want to know if you will fit into the office)

what special skills/training do you bring to the table?

what computer programs do you know? how proficient are you in them?

do you have any questions? (if you have any, it is really ok to ask them now)

if you are a student or live near the high school or college you graduated from, the career services center might have a person that can run you through mock interviews and help you prepare.

Answer 8

Most interviews, regardless of the career, begin with this statement:
Tell me about yourself.
And, most interviews end this way:
Do you have any questions?


So be prepared to answer these 2 questions. Good luck. :)

Answer 9

You can say something like "I feel that I can grow professionally through this position. I am extremely interested in learning a lot through being ______."

If you look on careerbuilder.com, there's a bunch of helpful tips on interviewing.

I find that the more I'm prepared, the better I do in interviews.

A lot of the time employers are looking for the candidate who shows an eagerness to learn, not necessarily who already has the knowledge.

Good luck!

Answer 10

"I am interested in this job because after the learning about your company, I feel I can be an asset and add even more value to the position. Career wise, it a move I'd like to make and I hope I am given an opportunity to show skills and also grow within your company"

Or....

"I want this job so I can make money for drug habit"

Answer 11

My answer to why I wanted a job has always been "because I like a challenge" and I have always gotten every job I interviewed for - don't know if that was why or not, but it sure didn't hurt.