Experts Reveal the 10 Most Common Interview Q & A's

Employers want to know if you are a perfect fit by finding out what motivates and drives you. That's why they ask you targeted questions during a job interview. Take a look at the 10 most common interview questions and answers for 2018.

1. Tell Us About Yourself

Interviewers want to gauge how articulate you are with this question. Summarize an answer in five brief points, including your name, current professional status, previous accomplishments, overall personality and why you're perfect for the job. Fit this answer into 30 seconds or less in a job interview, suggests Hans Van Nas.

2. Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years?

Dayvon Goddard says people in the job interview ask this question to find out how much thought you give to working for the company. Definitely answer yes, you see yourself with this company in five years, what values you share and what level you would like to reach.

3. What Are Your Biggest Strengths or Weaknesses?

Interviewers ask this to see if you know yourself well enough to give an appropriate answer. Carole Martin believes you should leverage this into three to five characteristics that provide top-level strengths, and then choose one weakness that you say you can improve upon without being too critical of yourself.

4. Why Did You Leave Your Previous Job?

People at a job interview want to know if you left your last job on good or bad terms, while also understanding how you perceive your most recent employer. Alison Doyle advises you practice the answer to this question until you sound positive and clear about your circumstances and outlook for the future.

5. Why Are You a Perfect Fit for Us?

Interviewers need to know how much research you did to understand the company. Liz Ryan notes you should tie your goals into the goals of the company by noting some aspect of the firm's core values, the position you're applying for or a project that suits your interests.

6. Behavioral Questions

Behavioral questions delve into how you would handle a particular situation, which reveals how you deal with real-world situations. Use the STAR method, according to Ron Fry, by compiling a list of your top strengths and then leveraging them into stories about your accomplishments.

7. A Surprise Question

Companies use surprise questions to make you think outside the box. Robin Ryan suggests you focus on your career accomplishments to push past any questions that surprise you.

8. What Would Your Colleagues Say About You?

Again, this question focuses on self-awareness. This aspect of the job interview aims to find out how you get along with others, and Peggy McKee says you should pick three to four positive traits to talk about.

9. Why Should We Hire You?

Pamela Skillings says to create a short sales pitch for yourself to answer this question. Interviewers want to know how well you know the company.

10. Do You Have Any Questions for Us?

Interviewers expect you to have questions. Joel Garfinkel says to ask about how the company measures success for your position and what concerns your interviewers have for not hiring you.

Take these 10 job interview questions and answers to heart. Practice your answers to see what you come up with and to see what happens.

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