How to Answer 5 Common Interview Questions About Yourself and Crush Your Competition

On any job interview, you’re going to be asked some common interview questions about yourself. How you answer these seemingly innocent, but potential job killers, is very important. In this article, you’ll get the edge on other applicants, by learning the best answers to these questions. Let’s take a look at five of the most common interview questions about yourself and how to answer each one.

Tell me about yourself.

This is a tricky question for a lot of people. You don’t want to sound egotistical, but you have to sell yourself. It’s best to prepare a short statement in advance covering you’re accomplishments and future goals. Then, memorize and rehearse your statement out loud either in front of a mirror or video camera. It’s also a good idea to practice on a friend or spouse and get their feedback.

Why did you leave or want to leave your most current job?

The secret to this common interview question is to stay positive and be honest. No matter how much you’re tempted, don’t say anything negative about previous employers. If you were let go from your last job, don’t lie. When they do a reference check they’re likely to find out. It’s better they hear it from you up front. When they ask what happened, tell your story in the best possible way for yourself as you can, and no matter what, stay positive about your previous employer.

What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?

Telling them your strengths is pretty straight forward, just keep them in line with what the job you’re applying for requires. Most people get tripped up on their weaknesses. What you want do is be honest about your weaknesses, but put a positive spin on them.

Example: “Spending too much time polishing my presentations has always been a weakness, that’s why I set definite deadlines and stick to them.”

How would your coworkers describe you?

This common interview question is best handled with examples. They can be exact quotes or paraphrased. Having a couple ready like “Miranda, who I worked with at ABC inc. always said I was the most organized person she’d ever seen.” Statements like that are just as good as if Miranda were there and made them herself.

Give me an example of how you handled …

Questions like these are designed to give the interviewer a glimpse of what you’re like on the job. So make sure you have a couple already planned out. It’s best to give examples that are similar to the duties of the job you’re applying for. Also, you want your examples to show how you handled difficult situations and delivered for your employer.

When you go out for job interviews, you’re going to run into these common interview questions. The secret is to be prepared. Remember to stay positive, be honest and prepare examples in advance, and these common interview questions won’t be able to keep you from the job you want.

By: Tom Gaddis

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