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General Interview Questions

Interviews

If you are looking for general interview questions you have come to the right place.

The following list of general interview questions applies to any interview regardless of what field you are working in.

It is strongly recommended that you prepare for these questions.

General Interview Questions and Answers

Can you tell me about yourself?

  • Talk about your past and previous work experience and, if possible, focus on related work experience.  This is not the time to tell the interviewer personal details about yourself.
  • Jobspeaker gives an excellent video on how to answer “Tell Me About Yourself”.

Can you tell us about your previous work experience?

  • If possible, try to relate your previous work experience to the position for which you are applying.
  • If this is your first job state you have been focusing on school and are now ready to prove yourself in the workforce.

Why should I hire you?

  • Have a second read of the job description and find the skills and experience required for the position.
  • Next, match the skills required for the job to your skill set.
  • Finally, reassure the interviewer you have the right skills.

How do you prioritize and manage your time effectively?

Company Information

What do you know about this company?

  • This question is testing you to see if you did your homework. Simply research the company you are applying for on the Internet and state what the company does and some of its accomplishments.

Previous Work Experience

Why did you leave your current/last job?

This question tries to find any issues you had with your previous employer. Don’t talk about any horror stories in your previous position and try to sound positive about your previous/current employer. State something like

  • I am looking for new challenges in the workplace. I feel that I have reached my potential with company XYZ and that further advancement will not be possible in the current environment.
  • Distance is always good to mention. If the job you are applying to is closer to your than your current/last job then that is always a positive. You can mention you want to achieve a work-life balance.

Strengths and Weaknesses

What is your greatest strength?

  • There are many skills that you can list but think about what the interviewer wants to hear.  
  • For example, if the position requires you to talk to customers, then your greatest strength should be your listening or communication skills.
  • If you are applying for a position where you are in a restaurant perhaps teamwork or your ability to work under pressure should be your greatest strength.
  • Remember it all depends on what position you are applying for so pick your greatest strength wisely.

What is your greatest weakness?

  • It would help if you did not deny you have a weakness or state strengths as a weakness. For example, do not say “I am a perfectionist” or “I work too hard and neglect my friends and family”. State a fault required for the role but not a dealbreaker if you don’t have it.
  • When you state your weakness, make sure you say what you are doing to overcome that weakness. For example, I have a fear of public speaking and enrolled in a public speaking class to overcome my fear.

Motivation

What motivates you?

Possible answers are:

Do Say

  • Meeting deadlines, targets, or goals
  • Mentoring and coaching others
  • Learning new things
  • Coming up with creative ideas to improve something, or make something new
  • Working well as part of a team
  • Finding a way to solve a problem, or overcome a challenge

Don’t Say

  • Money 
  • Employee Discounts

Salary

What salary are you looking for?

  • Preparation in answering this question requires you to review salary information.
  • I would flip the question and ask what is the range? You never want to ask for too much as you will never get the job if you do! You also might ask for too little.

Goals

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

  • Take the role you are applying for and state you want to be the manager or director for that role.
  • Why not take a look at the company website and find a job you can see yourself doing in five years? It will make you sound like you will stay with the company and they will not lose money training you.
  • If you don’t have a five-year career plan, then browse jobs on popular employment websites and find something you would love to do in five years.

Availability

When can you start?

  • If you are working I would recommend saying you need to give your current employer 2 weeks’ notice otherwise make it as early as possible.

Questions to ask at the end of the interview

Do you have any questions for us? 

  • What do you like best about working here?
  • How do you describe your ideal candidate for this position?
  • What about this position is the most important?
  • How do you measure my success, and what could I do to meet your expectations?
  • Which part of the position has the steepest learning curve? What can I do to get up to speed quickly?
  • What opportunities will I have to learn and grow?

See Also