5 Interview Question You Should Be Able To Answer in Your Sleep

The most commonly asked interview questions

Let's face it, there is really no excuse for not being prepared for an interview. Finding a job in today's economy is difficult. After all of the networking, searching job boards and submitting resumes, with the end goal of getting a shot at the job of your dreams, blowing it all on game day is just a senseless waste.

Sometimes, however, all of the preparation can make even the best of us choke and let nerves get the upper hand. To prevent this, it really helps to practice your answers to some of the most commonly asked interview questions. You probably will want to actually write out some answers and memorize them so that you can deliver them even under the most extreme of situations.

Here are 5 Interview Questions that you should be able to answer in your sleep:

• Tell me about yourself - This one is probably one you can count on being asked at almost any interview. It's almost always the first one asked and that makes it crucial. If you have your answer memorized, getting through the first question successfully can calm your nerves and make the rest of the interview easier. The best way to answer this question is to summarize your career history. Your answer should take less than two minutes and it should show the hiring manager what you have to offer the company. This isn't the place to talk about your personal history, your hobbies or your life dreams (unless they involve the job your interviewing for).
  
• Why do you want to work for our company? - Before you even apply for a job, you should do some research on the company. Even still, before an interview, you'll want to do some more in-depth research. Your answer here should let the hiring manager see that you have done your homework and also tell them why you should work there. It's important to let them know why you are a good fit for the company. No matter what, saying "Because I need a job" is always going to be a bad idea.
• What's your biggest weakness? - Use this question as a chance to show that you are self-aware and can admit to your mistakes, flaws and shortcomings. You should select an area that you have had trouble with in them past. Of course, this should be a minor problem, not something that would make you look bad. You should mention the steps you have taken to improve in this area and show that you are flexbile and able to make changes. The main thing is to keep it short and don't go the route of trying to mention a strength and turn it into a flaw or try to say that you don't have any weaknesses. No one wants to hire someone who can't admit when they are wrong.
• Where do you want to be in five years? - Keep your answer realistic, no one is impressed when you say that you plan on having the interviewer's job. The best answer is to say that you are commited to always improving and learning and that you hope to continue to grow professionally.
• Why are you leaving your current job or Why did you leave your last job? - With this question, you should make sure to not complain or dish the dirt on your current or previous employer. Let the employer know that you are looking for a new opportunity and that you are looking to further your career, not just get away from a bad job.
  

These questions are just some of the more popular interview questions. While you can't prepare for any question an interviewer might throw at you, having a solid answer to some of these more common ones can keep your nerves at bay and help you present a professional image.

What other questions should you expect at any type of interview? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for ManufacturingWorkersBlog. Along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.