20 interview questions. Cheat sheet for a candidate: what questions to ask a potential employer during an interview. What do you like and dislike about your current job?

An interview with a candidate usually includes a review of the documents submitted by him and subsequent dialogue aimed at finding out how well the applicant is suitable for the position for which he is applying. By asking questions, the employer tries to determine what personal and business qualities the candidate has, and how much his knowledge, skills and abilities meet the requirements for the position.

No less important is the final part of the interview, during which the employer, as a rule, gives the applicant the opportunity to ask questions that interest him. In this way, HR employees can find out some additional details about the candidate’s personality: his motivation, level of aspirations, ability to clearly formulate his thoughts, level of conflict, and so on.

When you reach this part of the interview, try to create a favorable impression of yourself with the interviewer and demonstrate interest in the company and future activities.

The employer will be more sympathetic to a candidate who is actively interested in the field in which he has to work and not just going to take the first available vacancy.

What questions should you ask your employer?

When, at the end of the main part of the interview, you are asked to ask questions that interest you, show interest in future cooperation. Find out more about your job responsibilities and skill requirements practical activities. It is important for you to accurately understand what official or production tasks management will set for you. This will allow you to avoid hassle and conflict situations when, after starting work, it suddenly turns out that your level of training does not correspond to the position.

Find out if the company has prospects for professional and career growth. Take an interest in the current position of the enterprise in the market. Does the company plan to expand its activities and open new representative offices? What guides management when nominating employees for promotion? You may need to undergo certification or gain a certain amount of experience for career advancement. Let the employer know that you are ready to connect your life with the company you like for a long time.

Ask a question about working conditions. This will allow you to better imagine what the internal routine and operating mode of the enterprise is. If this is important to you, check whether your position will require weekend work and out-of-town travel.

Very often the need to go on a long trip brings conflicts in the family and violates the usual rhythm of life.

Be careful when asking about salary. It is best to wait until the employer himself says so. If this point was not covered during the interview, ask what salary you can expect. Be prepared for the employer to ask you what your expectations are in this regard.

Prepare in advance by finding out what the salary range for the position is in your area. Typically this indicator has a lower and an upper limit. Try to set a level for yourself that is slightly higher than what you actually expect.

Refrain from asking questions at the very beginning of the interview, since during the conversation you will probably be able to clarify most of the points that interest you. As a rule, the company employee conducting the interview builds the conversation so that all the main questions related to the subject of the interview are covered in full.

Sources:

  • What questions should you ask an employer during an interview?

To successfully pass an interview, the applicant must be prepared for a variety of, even strange, questions from a potential employer. Answers to some of them can and should be prepared in advance, but when answering others, the candidate must show his skill in improvisation.

The most common interview questions concern the applicant’s education and professional skills, reasons for leaving a previous job, expected salary wages, benefits for the company when hiring a candidate, life plans and goals for the coming years.

Answers to these questions should not be formal; try to prepare succinct and concise answers to them, showing your strengths without unnecessary words.

Think about the answers to these questions in advance:
- What can you tell us about yourself?
- What attracted you to this vacancy?
- Why are you better than other candidates for this position?
- How do you see your life in a year?

Non-standard questions

Sometimes during interviews, recruiters ask strange, perhaps even funny questions. With their help, personnel selection specialists determine the candidate’s logical thinking ability, attentiveness and imagination.

How would you answer the question: how many door handles are there in the company office? Just use logic! Correct answer: twice as many as doors. Why don't polar bears eat penguins? Some live in the Arctic, others in Antarctica.

But there simply cannot be a single correct answer to some non-standard questions.

How to move a mountain?
- Imagine that you have shrunk a thousand times in size, and you have been sucked into a vacuum cleaner. How will you get out of it?
- Rate your inadequacy on a ten-point scale.

With the help of your answers, the HR manager wants to assess creativity and the ability to creatively approach solving problems, and sometimes this is how stress resistance is tested.

Projective questions

HR managers know that often applicants, wanting to get a job, come to an interview with the “correct” answers to typical questions already prepared in advance. Therefore, experienced recruiters ask the candidate not only to tell about himself, but also to explain the motivation of people in general or of some fictional character. These are called projective questions.

What attracts people most to work?
- Why do conflicts happen in a team?
- Why do some people steal?

When people answer these questions, they subconsciously transfer their own experiences and judgments about life onto others. Thus, projective questions help the selection specialist assess the applicant’s motivation, conflict, attitude and ability to steal. It is impossible to prepare in advance for such questions, so when answering them, try to just be yourself.

Video on the topic

When applying for a job, you usually need to go through an interview. And it is quite clear that for many this is a rather difficult and exciting moment. After all, it depends on how successfully the interviews go whether you will be hired by this company or not. In order to advantageously show your strengths at the first meeting with the employer, it is worth paying attention to some points.

Competent resume

Regarding education, list all places of study, including courses. If you have worked in many places and even in several specialties, it is not necessary to indicate everything. Choose those positions that will show that you have the knowledge and skills necessary for the job you are applying for now. When highlighting your personal qualities at the end of your resume, don’t be modest. The main thing is to focus on those character traits that you think will be useful for your main job.

Blitz training

Do it with yourself before the interview. Better out loud. List all your positive sides and traits, convince yourself that no one is better suited for this job than you. This blitz training has two main goals. Firstly, it will help to collect all the information needed for the conversation. Secondly, overcome shyness and uncertainty before the meeting. And most importantly, get ready to win.

Speech preparation

When telling about yourself, build on the information that was presented in your resume. But go into more detail about the experience and qualities that are required. As the conversation progresses, try to better understand the employer’s needs and give him the information that will show you in a favorable light. It is appropriate here to show in more detail than in a resume your knowledge of areas related to your main profession. And even talk about hobbies, if they are somehow useful for future work. When asked about shortcomings, it’s better to laugh it off.

Optimistic attitude

Don’t go into an interview with a “now or never” mindset. This can make you feel extra nervous, assertive, and aggressive, which will alienate your employer. It is better to immediately prepare for the meeting with the desire to do everything necessary to win, but also with the readiness to accept its outcome, whatever it may be. In any case, trying is an experience from which you can learn for a future interview.

During an interview it is unacceptable:

  • Late. It's better to arrive ten minutes early.
  • Sloppiness in documents. A crumpled resume, a poorly folded portfolio.
  • Speak poorly of colleagues and management from previous jobs. If you had conflict situations at your previous job, do not talk about it under any circumstances.

It's no secret that all of us HR specialists have the best interview questions that will give us 100% correct information about the candidate. And such questions exist. But it must be taken into account that questions are just a tool, a filter that provides information only if the specialist understands what he wants to evaluate. And this is actually much more important. Naturally, interview questions are needed primarily to assess professional quality candidate. But that’s not all! These professional qualities may lie as a dead weight and in no way help a given employee, and therefore a specific department/company, move towards its goals. If the work does not demonstrate the necessary business and personal qualities, if the candidate’s energy, motivation, special attitude, his values, and his life position are not involved. So, depending on the level of the position, a specialist will be interested in the following set of competencies / personal and business qualities of candidates:

Competencies / qualities / motivation Description (as reflected in responses to interview questions)
Focus on results Willingness to work through obstacles to achieve goals without losing enthusiasm. The ability to set priorities, not to be distracted from important goals, to organize your work with a focus on achieving them
Initiative, active position Willingness to offer options. Both answers to questions and suggestions on the matter. Willingness to provide examples from experience that demonstrate this competency
Building relationships (flexibility, non-conflict) The ability to build relationships, not to conflict, to seek compromise without harming oneself and the business
Self confidence The ability to calmly talk about yourself and your achievements with dignity, focusing on really important things
Logic, ability to analyze In speech, this manifests itself as the ability to answer the question posed, to speak to the point, pointing out important details and points, and not just the formal side. The presentation manifests itself in the structure of information presentation. The ability to give examples of planning complex tasks and events, the willingness to provide for little things and important details when answering questions at an interview
Locus of control, responsibility When explaining the reasons for past events, failures and dismissals, there is a sound assessment of one’s own responsibility for them in one’s life, a willingness to take responsibility for oneself, and not blame others
Ambition Availability of clear plans and willingness to work, examples confirming this, showing attitude towards achievements
Cleverness, resourcefulness Appropriate answers to questions where there is a risk of denigrating yourself or putting yourself in an unfavorable light. The ability to present one’s strengths in a favorable light, to show one’s best qualities, leveling out, but not denying, shortcomings
Presentation skills, ability to structure information, highlight the main thing, make accents, argue your point of view The ability to make an impression, speak clearly and to the point, give vivid and relevant examples, argue your point of view well when answering questions during an interview
Positive attitude, constructive attitude In any matter, be able to maintain a constructive assessment, avoid negativity, not denigrate past work, manager, etc.
Here is a list of one hundred questions that will help assess these competencies and qualities during an interview:
N Questions
tell us about yourself
How would you characterize your outlook on life?
Why did you choose this particular job (profession)? When and under what circumstances did this happen?
What attracts you to work with us in this position?
Why should we hire you for this job?
What are your strengths? How do these manifest themselves?
What are your weaknesses? How do these manifest themselves?
Why did you quit? What is the reason for your desire to change jobs?
Why are you unhappy with your current job (for those still working)
Do you have any other job offer?
How successful have you been in interviews elsewhere?
Does your personal life interfere with your work?
What are your plans in 5-10 years?
What changes would you make in your new job?
Who can recommend you?
What prevented you from being successful in your previous position?
Tell us about your last boss
What level of payment are you expecting?
What can you tell us about your professional connections?
How do you improve your skills? When was the last time?
What do you like to do in your free time from work?
When are you ready to move to a new location?
What was your typical day like at your last job?
What knowledge do you have enough and what knowledge is not enough for this job in your opinion?
Are you satisfied with your career? Explain your answer
What goals did you have at your last job?
Did you manage to achieve them? Explain
What prevented them from achieving them?
What helped
What would your boss say about you? How would he describe you?
What would your colleagues and subordinates say?
What key lessons have you learned from your past experiences and what goals have you set for your job search?
Are there competencies that need to be improved to improve your performance?
How exactly do you plan to do this?
How exactly do you plan to join the team? What do you think is important to do for this?
What makes you work hard and with particular persistence?
How long do you plan to work with us?
Tell us about your achievements
What are you most proud of and why?
How do you cope with heavy loads? Give an example from past experience
What do you know about our company
Do you have any interests or hobbies outside of work? Tell us about them
What is important to you when choosing a job?
What is more important: work or family?
How do you imagine an ideal boss, name the five most important qualities for you.
Do you consider yourself a conflict person?
If you have a ton of tasks, how would you prioritize? Give an example
What were you criticized for at your previous job?
Describe the company you would like to work for
How do you cope with difficult tasks at work? Give an example of a situation
Did you make mistakes in your previous job? Give an example of the largest of them
What are we risking if we hire you for this vacancy?
Five first steps on your first day at work
How far in advance do you plan your workload?
Why do staff steal at one enterprise and not at another, in your opinion?
What would you do if you won a million euros in the lottery?
What three books have helped you most in your work? What are they about? Key thoughts from there
Do you have children? Are you planning any more?
How do you feel about planned and unscheduled rework?
What bad habits do you have?
What tasks do you love and are able to solve the most?
Your main dream - what is it about?
Do you feel it is necessary to be frank with us when answering all questions?
Why should you fire your staff without a second thought?
What do you think best motivates staff to perform their best?
Do you go to church?
Who will you vote for in the elections?
Tell us about a problem that you were unable to solve
What irritates you the most? Explain
What is the most challenging part of your job and why?
Have you ever wanted a promotion? Did you manage to get it? If not, what stopped you?
What kind of people do you dislike? Explain
Who do you find difficult to work with? Explain
Have you ever cheated?
How would you feel if someone accused you of lying?
Have there been times when you missed project deadlines?
What do you like about your job?
Have you ever had to propose any new solutions to change something or increase efficiency?
Give an example of a time when you did more than was expected of you.
What are the three most common work problems/difficulties that you encounter most often?
What three decisions in life do you consider the most correct and why?
Do you think it is necessary to take risks? When?
Do you like to compete? What?
What does success mean to you?
What does failure mean to you?
How do you measure your effectiveness?
Have you ever had to ask your colleagues for help? Give an example
Describe a time when you had difficulty understanding how to solve a work problem.
Give an example of a situation where you were faced with an important dilemma and you solved it
What role do you usually take on in the group? Why?
Management emailed you instructions without important explanations. There is no opportunity to ask clarifying questions, deadlines are running out. Your actions?
Tell us about your planning experience
Tell us about your experience working with large sums
Tell us about your experience in persuasion and presentation
What professional experience would you like to gain additionally to perform the job? What are you missing?
What life experiences have had the greatest impact on you?
Describe an approximate solution to a work problem
Tell us about the most interesting task you have undertaken?
How do you make important decisions?
Have you ever changed your point of view? Give an example
What is one thing you most regret doing?

The key moment in the exciting process of employment is the interview. All applicants are concerned with the question: what will happen there? Particularly acute feelings arise regarding the questions: what will interest the interviewer, and what if he puts me at a dead end? What if during the interview process you need to clarify something, is it appropriate to ask about it directly?

On the other hand, the employer, in search of a good employee, also takes care to find out, through an interview, the actual experience of the applicant and his main personal qualities. He has a leading role in this dialogue. How to structure a conversation in order to conduct it most effectively with the help of the right questions?

What questions will be asked at the interview?

Of course, it is impossible to predict the course of the interview with 100% certainty. Different vacant positions require different approaches to candidates, and therefore different questions. In addition, the personal opinion of management also plays a significant role: for some, it is more important professional characteristics, for others they do not compensate for the inappropriate personality factor.

When conducting interviews, employers most often use one of two models that help quickly determine the sincerity of the applicant in his presentation of information:

  1. "Cone". The questions start with more general topics and then gradually become more specific and specific. An applicant with the stated experience will easily withstand such detail, and long pauses and unclear answers will show that the applicant has embellished his professionalism.
  2. "Spiral". At any point during the interview, the recruiter returns to topics already discussed and clarifies certain points. Sincerity can be judged by comparing the applicant's answers.

Rhino method

Sometimes creative recruiters build an interview according to the “rhino” principle, breaking through the emotional defenses of the interlocutor with unexpected and unusual questions. In this case, they are not interested in the adequacy and correctness of the answer, but in the interlocutor’s first reaction to a non-standard question, the ability to get out of a difficult situation, sometimes even a sense of humor.

Don’t be scared or raise your eyebrows when you hear a question like “What is your inadequacy?” or “What breed of dog is your personality like?” Try to answer without thinking for long: the main thing is to show that you accepted the proposed conditions.

"Stressful" questions

A separate interview method involves a special approach that unsettles a person. The purpose of this method is to test the applicant’s psychological stability, ability to withstand pressure, and behave correctly in difficult situations. Such interviews are not conducted by ordinary companies; they are often the ticket to your dream job.

During “stressful” interviews, applicants are asked to wait longer than usual, may be “accidentally” doused with water, given an uncomfortable chair, not greeted, and speak in a raised voice. The interlocutor is stunned by questions like: “Why did you leave your last job, were you incompetent?” “You have children, do you plan to take sick leave often?” “You don’t have children, so you don’t like taking responsibility?” “Not married, does that mean people don’t like you?”

Of course, manipulating self-esteem is an ethically ambiguous method, however, many believe that in business any means are good.

If this job is truly important to you, you need to remember that it is just a game and obey its rules. Don't "prepare" too much.

You should try to remain calm without changing your chosen line of behavior. Your answers should demonstrate your confidence and suitability for the position. To personal questions, even if they hurt you, it is better not to answer like: “This is no one’s business,” but to construct an answer in the style of “This will not interfere with my conscientious work.”

Everything will go as well as possible if you remember in time that the interviewer is not an ill-mannered boor, but a specialist in psychology who plays his role well.

What questions should you prepare for?

It is difficult to invent too many ways to effectively achieve the same goal. That is why during an interview they most often ask a series of questions that are more or less similar in content. The candidate has the opportunity to think about the most advantageous answer in advance.

  1. What can you tell us about yourself?
  2. "Incorrect answer. A lengthy summary of the biography or, conversely, a short listing of the standard facts “born-studied-married.”
    "Correct answer. In the 2-3 minutes allotted for an answer, it is really impossible to tell about yourself in detail. The interviewer waits for the selection of facts the interlocutor will make: they are the ones who will say what is most significant for the applicant. It is better to focus on those points that indicate your benefit for working in this position.

  3. Why should we hire you for this position?
  4. "Incorrect answer. Formal listings of your experience and achievements.
    "Correct answer. Drop false shyness and show yourself at your best. the best side, selecting convincing arguments.

  5. Why do you want to work with us?
  6. "Incorrect answer. Standard phrases about career prospects, a reputable company, and interesting work.
    "Correct answer. The opportunity to effectively apply your qualifications, a strong team of professionals where you can hone your experience and bring the greatest benefit.

  7. What are your weaknesses?
  8. "Incorrect answer. Sprinkling ashes on your head, listing real shortcomings.
    "Correct answer. Make disadvantages a continuation of advantages, for example, “I’m not very good at relaxing.”

  9. What are your strengths?
  10. "Incorrect answer. Frank boasting or well-worn cliches like “executive, responsible, obligatory.”
    "Correct answer. Emphasizing specific properties that are significant for the position being sought. It is advisable to highlight with specific examples the achievements made thanks to these qualities.

  11. Where do you see yourself in a few years?
  12. "Incorrect answer. An attempt to avoid answering, since the applicant has no plans for the near future yet.
    "Correct answer. This question is how the interviewer judges your ambition. It is best to present a plan for your professional and personal growth.

  13. What salary are you expecting?
  14. "Incorrect answer. A vague answer indicating false modesty or ignorance of one’s worth.
    "Correct answer. It is better to name a price that is slightly (no more than 15-20%) higher than the one that suits you or that offered for similar positions. In this case, you can agree to a smaller amount if the company has benefits, social packages, bonuses, insurance and other positive financial aspects, which the employer will not hesitate to inform you about.

Questions from an employee to an employer

The interview is in full swing, you have answered many tricky questions of interest to a potential employer, you have talked about many important points. The moment has come when the interviewer, having exhausted his interest, turns to you with a phrase that many take as a parting phrase: “Do you have any questions?”

Even if such a remark was not made, some things should definitely be clarified.

An applicant who does not ask questions will alert the recruiter: it means that the person is not too attentive, he is not too interested new job, or he is frivolous. The applicant’s questions complete the opinion formed about him.

What should you definitely ask, according to the managers conducting the interviews themselves? What questions will show the sincere interest and seriousness of the applicant’s intentions and will add “pluses” to his candidacy?

  1. ABOUT functional responsibilities . Even if the position involves obvious responsibilities, it is worth clarifying how they are understood in this particular organization. The degree of specificity of the questions will show that the applicant is truly a competent specialist.
  2. Clarifying questions about the company. If a person reacted responsibly to a future interview, he collected information about the future company in advance. Questions related to information the candidate already has will show that he has seriously prepared for the interview, and that he is really interested in the company.
  3. About growth opportunities. The employer will consider it quite natural if he hears a question about the possible prospects of a future employee in the company.
  4. About accepted corporate standards. If a person is seriously going to work at a company, the uniform of clothing, internal rules, etc. will be important for him.
  5. Financial questions. If the topic of wages was not raised during the previous conversation, then it is necessary to raise this issue, clarifying at least what the payment consists of and what factors influence it. A person who is not interested in his future remuneration may give reason to think that he does not value himself, and is getting a job just “for show.”

Good luck with your interview!

During an interview, it is important to behave correctly, dress correctly, and answer the employer’s questions correctly. You can find out how to behave correctly during an interview. Below are examples of frequently asked employer questions and recommended answers.

Questions during the interview can be asked not only by the employer, but also by the candidate. You can find out what to ask an employer at an interview from.

Frequently asked interview questions and answers to them

How to answer the question - Tell us about yourself?

The interview begins with the question: “Tell me about yourself.”

Such a question makes unprepared candidates get lost and think, since it is quite broad in its understanding. The recruiter does not want to listen to a story about how well the candidate did at school, what the name of his cat or dog was, how much his shoes cost, etc. The answer must imply a short history in five to six sentences that this vacancy for which the candidate is applying is necessary for his personal development. It is also important to say that, working in this organization, he will be able to bring great benefits to it, since he has a lot of professional skills.

How to answer the question about disadvantages and advantages at an interview?

Based on the above, the recruiter will ask the following question: “What positive and negative qualities would you note in yourself?”

The answer to the question about the disadvantages and advantages should begin with a list of positive qualities.

  • punctuality;
  • fast learner;
  • computer skills;
  • communication skills;
  • absence of bad habits.

These qualities are present in every resume and are not of particular interest to the company.

Here it's important to tell specifically about professional skills, for example:

  • I can easily find contact with a new client;
  • I have experience in concluding important contracts;
  • I distribute my working time rationally.

You can list what was written in the company’s vacancy in the “Candidate Requirements” section.

Flaws:

After this, you should move on to listing the negative qualities, but be sure to make the reservation that you are working on yourself.

Examples:

  • “I can sometimes forget to complete one of my manager’s tasks, but recently I have been keeping a diary, which eliminates my forgetfulness”;
  • “I am a rather harsh person and do not tolerate criticism, but when conflict situation“First of all, I try to identify the cause and eliminate it, avoiding unpleasant statements addressed to my opponent.”

How to answer about your hobbies in an interview?

The answer should be short: you need to tell that you have time to read professional literature and play active sports (skiing, football, tennis).

How to answer the question: Why did you leave your previous job?

This will be followed by the most important section of the interview: questions about previous jobs and experience gained.

Tell us about your previous places of work and your responsibilities.

In response to this question It is recommended to indicate no more than 3 previous jobs. The story about each place of work should be 5-7 sentences. You need to briefly list your responsibilities, which should coincide with those specified in the company’s vacancy.

The inevitable question is: “Why did you leave your previous jobs?”

You should not speak negatively about the companies where you worked, since recruiters from different organizations often communicate with each other, which can also cause negative feedback.

The answer The following phrases can answer this question:

  • “I was not satisfied with the level of wages”;
  • “The work was too far from home, I spent a lot of time on the road”;
  • “It seemed to me that I had fulfilled my mission in this company; now I am looking for a place of work where I could prove myself as a true professional.”

The next interview question is: “What is important to you when choosing a new job?”

The answer should be inversely proportional to the previous one, i.e. you need to indicate that the salary level in this particular company is quite satisfactory, or the place of work is conveniently located in relation to home, or there is an opportunity for good professional and career growth.

The recruiter will definitely ask how long the candidate has been looking for a job.

In no case should you indicate that the search has been going on for several months, because this raises doubts for the recruiter about the candidate’s competence.

The answer should be as follows: “Choosing a new job is an important and responsible decision, so I carefully studied all the proposed vacancies and currently have a couple of final offers in stock. The job search itself took me no more than 2 weeks.”

How to answer the question - Why do you want to work for us?

“Why should we choose you?” - this question is an occasion to once again emphasize your professional merits.

You can list your positive qualities, but present them in 1-2 sentences: “My skills and experience, combined with my interest in your company, are what I was looking for. I’m ready to work for results for the company and improve.”

Where do you see yourself in 5 (10) years?

Finally, they usually ask about where the candidate sees himself in 5 years.

There is no need to talk about the plans to buy a new apartment, a car, a wedding and children - this information indicates that the candidate is not ready to work to help the company develop, since he is only interested in the material component of his future work. The answer could be: “In 5 years, I see myself as a mature specialist, perhaps the head of a department, who has made significant progress in his professional activities.”

At the end of the interview, the next question will be asked: “How quickly can you start doing the job if we choose you?”

Needless to say, there is an opportunity to accept the invitation right now. It is important to make it clear that there is room for competition among companies for you. Answer: “Given the circumstances, I am ready to begin work within 7-10 days after accepting the invitation.” During this period of time, you can not only resolve issues at your previous place of work, but also, if the answer is positive from another employer, formulate a polite refusal for the rest.

Anyone who has looked for a job has faced various types of interviews. Most likely, the employer will communicate with you personally, asking different types of questions. It is better to prepare for the interview in advance and think through the answers to the expected questions so as not to get into a delicate situation.

For you, an interview is a chance to show your best side, an opportunity to convince the employer that his company needs you. An experienced recruiter, in turn, will try by all means to extract the information that you are trying to hide. Let's try to figure out what questions are asked during an interview and consider possible options answers to them.

Please tell us about yourself, or Successful self-presentation

Tell us about yourself. At first glance, this is a question without a trick, but it can confuse even the most eloquent person. Questions of this kind during a job interview lead to a dead end because the applicant most often does not know what exactly the employer wants to hear from him. Intuition suggests that you should not start retelling your biography, indulge in long stories about hobbies and interests, or tirelessly praise yourself. What is the correct answer then?

There is no need to tell everything that is written in the resume - the employer can read it himself. The answer should be short and concise. Indicate your character strengths, education, and experience in this field. Even if you mention some facts from your resume, you have the opportunity to place emphasis in those places that are most relevant to you at the moment. “In such and such a year, I got a job at this company...” or “Having taken part in a long-term competition for projects of young engineers, I received an offer to do an internship at large company, where they taught me a lot” - do you feel the difference? Give some real life examples. No need to worry, you have a great chance to show your resilience and resourcefulness, take advantage of this and stand out from dozens of other applicants.

Your virtues, or How not to over-praise yourself

They want to hear an objective assessment of yourself from you. Knowing what questions are asked at an interview, think about yourself in advance: what are your strengths? You shouldn’t be modest and say that others know better. The employer will not run to ask your friends about what qualities you possess. First of all, emphasize those points that will be useful in this area: you can be a confident PC user, be able to work with various office equipment, own foreign languages. Tell them that you can quickly concentrate on your goals and remain cool in stressful situations. It is important for the employer to know whether your self-esteem is low, whether you are able to adequately assess the strengths of your character that you can use every day at work, and whether they are actually suitable for the proposed position. All positive qualities must be relevant to this vacancy, because the talent of a speaker is unlikely to help in software development.

Question about the future: “Where do you see yourself in a few years?”

If these types of questions are asked during an interview, the applicant will have to think carefully and soberly assess the situation. Perhaps the employer wants to evaluate your ability to plan, your ambition and focus on long-term cooperation. Nowadays, many companies invest time and money in the development and training of their employees, so they are interested in ensuring that a person is ready to work for as long as possible.

At the same time, it is somewhat erroneous to think that what is important to the director of a company is your desire to constantly improve, work to the maximum and strive to improve your level of qualifications. If the company does not have the opportunity to promote employees, and the applicant says that he will strive with all his might to take the position of manager, then, most likely, the position will be given to a more modest applicant who is ready to work as an ordinary employee in the next few years.

Most employers expect that new employee will start talking about a promotion in at least 1.5-2 years. Keep this in mind and make it clear right away that you are willing to learn, gain experience, and adapt to circumstances as necessary.

If you plan to open in 4-5 years own business- don't tell your employer about this. He will not give you the desired position, knowing that you, having gained experience, will leave the company and be able to apply the acquired knowledge in your own business.

Why did you quit your previous job?

This question is most interesting to employers; they want to know what aspects did not suit you at your previous place of work, and what you expect from your new one. Under no circumstances speak badly about the previous team and management; firstly, it is ugly, and secondly, it gives rise to some thoughts.

In addition to negative comments about the former management, it is worth avoiding a long and detailed answer about the reason for the dismissal. It’s better to talk about your achievements, that there were no opportunities for promotion (if this company can provide career). You can refer to the inconvenient location of the office, monotonous work, or the fact that there was an inconvenient work schedule. If at your previous job there were any conflicts involving your participation, this should also be kept silent. Try to be as honest as possible and focus the employer’s attention on high professionalism and other positive aspects of your labor activity.

Question about desired salary

Frequently asked interview questions relate to desired salary. You can familiarize yourself with the salaries of similar positions in advance and compare them with your capabilities. You can announce an amount higher than the statistical average, but before that, characterize yourself in a favorable light. To successfully pass an interview, it is better to practice questions and answers at home.

Don't set a minimum limit below which you are not willing to go. By voicing this figure, you risk, if you are approved for the position, receiving exactly this salary. You determine the minimum for yourself so that you can reject inappropriate offers in the future. If you are expected to give a specific answer, you could say something like this: “I think $400 is a good salary, but I would like to discuss this separately after you are ready to offer me the position.” Having heard such an answer, the employer may ask: “Why?” To which it would be reasonable to answer that your qualifications and experience are worth it. Show that you know your worth, although if you are willing to lower the bar for an interesting job, add that you are willing to consider the employer's offers.

It is important to present your shortcomings correctly

There are some tricky interview questions that can intimidate applicants. When asked about your weaknesses, success in the interview is not guaranteed by either an honest answer or an outright lie. One of the most common mistakes is the inability to present your shortcomings in a favorable light. There are no perfect people. If you answer that you have no shortcomings, the employer will perceive this as an inability to adequately assess your strengths, you will look overly self-confident.

You have a chance to successfully pass an interview if you know how to turn negative traits of your character into advantages. You can say: “I’m very meticulous, many friends don’t like it, but I can’t leave the job halfway.” You can talk about those shortcomings that will not be needed in future work, for example, when translating texts, pronunciation is not so important; when web programming, communication skills do not play a big role. Interview questions for an accountant may differ significantly from questions for a programmer, just like the answers to them.

How would your friends describe you?

There is no need to answer that you are always ready to listen to your interlocutor and give good advice - undoubtedly, this is a good quality, but it is unlikely that the company’s management will want to accept a “vest” into their team. Indicate the qualities that will be needed in future work. Tell them that your friends know you as a stubborn, purposeful person and don’t remember a single case where you quit halfway through something you started.

What can you say about your professional achievements?

Do you think you have nothing to brag about in this regard? Remember what new and useful things you learned in your previous jobs. Maybe you mastered a new computer program or gave management an original idea that resulted in a significant increase in sales? Think carefully and prepare at least 5 examples.

Have you interviewed elsewhere?

Knowing what questions are asked during an interview gives you the opportunity to think about your answer in advance. If you are simultaneously considering job offers from other employers, you should not hide it. But it’s better to remain silent about unsuccessful interviews. Specify what attracts you most to a position in this particular company; you can also add what points attracted you to other companies.

Should you ask an employer questions during an interview?

During an interview, not only does the employer ask questions, he is also obliged to listen to the applicant. You should not rush to voice what interests you until the employer himself asks if you have any questions for him. Experts recommend making a rough list of questions in advance. Let there be few of them so that it does not look like an interrogation. At the first meeting, you are unlikely to learn everything that interests you, but this is normal, you can learn everything else in the process. So, what questions do job seekers ask during interviews?

  1. Find out about the length of the probationary period.
  2. Find out if you will be provided with a social package if you are approved for the position.
  3. Is there any bonus program and penalty system?
  4. You need to know about the working conditions and what exactly your responsibilities are.

Of course, you will be able to get some of the answers during the interview itself - in this case, just correct them.

Conclusion: how to answer questions

Don't worry, if you have an interview, you can prepare questions and answers in advance, but there is one more important point: the way you speak is no less important than the content of the answer itself. Make sure you speak correctly, speak confidently and clearly, and let your answers take no more than two minutes. During interviews, even such a small thing as intonation is important. Forget about arrogance, monotony, and indifference in your voice. A friendly attitude is what you need.

You have every chance to pass successful interview. You know how to answer questions, you can cope with anxiety. Another fact for relief: most interviews are conducted by your immediate superiors - ordinary managers. Sometimes they bombard you with tricky questions, but don’t know how to analyze them later. If you notice something like this, you can splurge. Answer calmly, with dignity, and do not be afraid to ask counter questions. Remember: not only the employer chooses you, but you choose him too.