To date, thousands of interview questions have been posed to candidates during job interviews. While some of these questions are outdated, some of them continue to be asked to the candidates. Here are 10 classic interview questions directed to candidates by human resources experts and tips for the correct answers to these questions.
Your experience and talent alone are not enough. In order to get your dream job, it is also important that you answer the questions asked by human resources experts in a correct, original and effective way. It is a great advantage for the candidates to prepare for the classic interview questions which are seen as a cliché but provide important information as they did in the past.
Here are 10 classic interview questions that keep you updated on your job interviews:
Can you tell me about yourself?
This question is the most classic interview question ever, but it is one of the most common questions that candidates make the most mistakes in answering. When you face this question in a job interview, don't focus on your own life story. The HR specialist is not interested in how many brothers you have or on which street you live. With this question, the HR specialist wants to know what you have learned from past work experiences, in which areas you have taken responsibility, in which areas you are good at, and what excites you about your job.
Why should we hire you?
It is one of the most frequently asked questions that gives the candidate the opportunity to make its own personal presentation. While answering this question, the sensitive point that the candidate should focus on is the fact that s/he should be original. Instead of highlighting your own experience and your success story, conduct a thorough search of the company and position and tell how well the position you are applying for and how the company overlaps.
What are your strengths?
This is one of the questions that give candidates the opportunity to explain themselves and their strengths. When answering this question, highlight your strengths, which are directly related to your job with examples. Answering this question by specifying irrelevant aspects that are not related to job is one of the biggest mistakes.
What are your weaknesses?
When answering this question, the candidates should be aware of their weaknesses and need to explain to HR experts the steps they have taken to improve these aspects. Therefore, when you are asked to indicate your weaknesses in the interview, instead of saying “I have no weaknesses”, tell them what you have done to overcome your weaknesses.
Why do you want to work with us?
When the HR expert poses this question, s/he actually wants to hear from the candidate how much s/he wants to be a part of the company. Therefore, stay away from sentences like “Because I need a job” or “Because I have to make money”. Before answering such questions, it is important that you learn about the company and what you love most about the company and why you want to work at that job.
Why did you quit your previous job?
This question is one of the questions that many job seekers have difficulty in answering. The point you should pay attention to is not to disparage your old business, your company and your managers, or to stay away from sentences like “I'm so bored of doing the same things”. Instead, link your separation to a positive cause. Express the areas in which you have developed yourself, the responsibilities you have taken in your previous job, and highlight what areas you want to focus on in the future. When specifying the areas you want to focus on, of course, respond by considering the position you are applying for.
What is your greatest achievement?
This question is similar to the question “What are your strengths?”. When answering such questions, it is important that you describe numerical elements rather than subjective ones. Numerical values such as a certain percent of increase in number of donors for an NGO will be a real figure. Stay away from exaggeration while explaining the contribution of your work to the company and pass on your success to the HR specialist regarding your position.
Can you tell us about a difficult situation you faced and how you solved it?
It is one of the most common behavioral interview questions, and you need to tell your skills and talents through a success story while answering this question. It is important that the story you tell will be short, clear and original.
Where do you see yourself after 5 years?
Although this question seems a cliché, it actually requires preparation for a satisfactory answer. When answering this question, you can talk about what you want to do about your career after five years and how you are happy about your job.
Do you have any questions?
When the HR expert asks a question like this, the majority of the candidates say “Thank you, I have no question”. However, it is important to keep in mind that this question actually makes HR expert think the candidate has done research about the company and interested in it. So don't say that you don't have a question, but don't ask easy, simple questions just to ask questions.