Common interview questions
A job interview is designed so an organisation can gather further information about your skills and experiences in relation to a particular role. It is also when they will begin to assess if your values and work preferences align with the team or organisational culture.
The questions may be based on your past performance (behavioural questions), hypothetical problem solving scenarios, case studies, demonstrated interest in the job, knowledge of the organisation and industry, or professional ethics and values.
In preparing for interview questions you should:
- Review the job ad or position description and ensure you can provide concise, interesting examples to demonstrate the skills that are listed as requirements.
- Study the company website, newspapers and industry journals so you can respond to questions about what is currently going on in the organisation and/or industry and link this to your interests, skills and values.
- Re-read your application. Prepare to address questions about anything you have included. Know your strengths and weaknesses and what sets you apart from others.
If you follow these steps, you should be prepared for almost anything they throw at you! Here are some commonly-asked questions and suggestions on how to respond:
- Tell me about yourself
- Why did you decide to apply for a position in this field?
- What do you want to be doing in your career two / five years from now?
- What do you think will be the single most important issue impacting on the … industry in the next five years?
- Why should we hire you? What makes you a good applicant for this position?
- What did you enjoy most about your last job?
- What is your major weakness?
- Tell me about a successful team project that you have been involved in. What made it a success?
- What do you like about yourself?
top of page1. Tell me about yourself
This question, often asked at the opening of an interview, is your opportunity to sell yourself. You have been given the chance to present any information you wish - but use your time wisely, and keep it focused and professional.
Your response to this question should be about a minute or so - or about 200 words. You should prepare a response to this question before each interview - tailoring it to the particular role or organisation.
2. Why did you decide to apply for a position in this field?
The interviewer is trying to ascertain:
- your reasons for pursuing a career in this area
- what attracts you to the job
- what you identify as your skills and interests
- what your career needs are.
Your response will be analysed to see if your interests match the needs of the organisation, and if your short and long-term career goals and expectations will be met.
Research is paramount in being able to convey your knowledge and genuine interest to a potential employer. Uninformed applicants who have not gathered the relevant information will find it difficult to provide the interviewer with adequate answers.
3. What do you want to be doing in your career two / five years from now?
This question is seeking information on:
- the clarity or your career plans and interests
- your commitment to the role/organisation/industry
- your understanding of roles and opportunities in the industry
Most organisations invest a substantial amount of time, effort and money into recruiting and training employees, so evidence of a medium to long-term commitment to the organisation is sought. It is also important for applicants to have an understanding of how they generally intend their career to develop.
You don't need an exact response, but avoid saying that you don't know or that you are looking to travel overseas in 12 months! Similarly, don't fall into the trap of demonstrating an expectation to move unrealistically quickly "up the ladder". This won't necessarily score bonus points for ambition - you may instead be perceived to be arrogant or ill-informed about the amount of growth and development required to advance your career.
4. What do you think is the single most important issue impacting on the … industry at the present time?
These types of questions are designed to test your knowledge of the field as well as your ability to think logically to solve a problem.
Take your time when formulating your answer to ensure that you have thought through all the relevant points and options. To structure your response you might consider the following as prompts:
- What is the issue?
- How will it impact on the industry/organisation?
- How would you go about addressing this issue?
- How would you approach the problem of…?
- What things would you take into consideration?
With most of these questions, there will be no absolute right or wrong answer. The interviewer is more interested in your approach and thought processes when working through the hypothetical problem than your ultimate conclusions.
5. Why should we hire you? What makes you a good applicant for this position?
These direct questions will test your knowledge of the job requirements and the attributes expected of the person in the role. This is a good chance to summarise. Don't be arrogant - instead demonstrate a thoughtful response. You need to:
- Highlight your main achievements and provide specific examples that demonstrate the skills and qualities you have acquired which are necessary for the work
- Be concise and clear
- Try to think about how you stand out from your competition and the unique experiences that you've had that illustrate why you're a good applicant.
6. What did you enjoy most about your last job?
The recruiter is interested to know what you have enjoyed from your previous experiences.
They are also interested in whether you can identify your workplace preferences, and in how you work with and without supervision, as part of a team or within a high-pressure environment.
Interests correlate to work performance, so your response should align with a key component of the job for which you are applying. For example, if the job requires liaising with clients, it would be a good idea to highlight your enjoyment of assisting customers in your part-time job in retail.
7. What is your major weakness?
This question is asked less frequently than in the past, but you should still have a response prepared. The recruiter is seeking an indication of the area in which the person feels they are in need of development. If the individual admits a significant weakness in an area where the employer requires strength, they will have little chance of success.
Don’t openly admit in a single negative statement that you have any major weakness.
Explain that you are very keen to further develop your skills in a particular area - whatever you feel is appropriate (and not a key skill for the role!). You might indicate that you have already begun to engage in the required training to enhance your skills. In this way the statement is a positive one, which acknowledges that you:
- recognise your own strengths and weaknesses; and
- are prepared and keen to work on those areas in need of development.
Someone who answers this question with "I don't have any weaknesses" or "I don't know" indicates a lack of self-awareness and knowledge about their own limitations. Also avoid clichéd responses such as "I am a perfectionist..."
8. Tell me about a successful team project that you have been involved in. What made it a success?
This is an example of a "behavioural" interview question. It is asking you to talk about your past behaviour as it is a good indication of what your future behaviour will be. You will generally find that a lot of the interview questions will be based on this format.
The employer is looking for evidence of your contribution to a team effort. They will be interested to see if you can demonstrate the attributes required for being a good team member or team leader. Desirable qualities include empathic communication, a shared purpose and desire to succeed, and the ability to contribute towards obtaining the best possible results from a team pursuit.
Your interpersonal skills and approach to problem solving will generally be a part of team functioning and of interest to the employer. Your response should emphasise what you did to assist the group.
Don't forget to use the following structure to respond to behavioural questions:
SITUATION - what was the context?
TASK - what did you need to do?
ACTION - what were the steps you took?
RESULT - what happened?
Go to our behavioural interviews page for more detail
9. What do you like about yourself?
This question is becoming more commonly used in interviews. The interviewer is looking to understand one or more of the following:
- Your personal and professional values
- Your ability to self-reflect
- Your team/cultural fit
You should obviously respond to this question honestly - but think of how your response aligns to the attributes required for the role. If you were applying for a role in healthcare, perhaps you might highlight that you like that you have a friendly nature and are able to put people at ease.
Useful links
Websites with examples of commonly asked interview questions with some offering the option to practise responding.
| Example | Website |
|---|---|
| Careerone | http://mycareer.com.au/advice-research/interview-common-questions.html |
| Seek | www.seek.com.au/career-resources/ |
| Monster - Virtual Interviews | http://resources.monster.com/tools/ |
| Quintessential Careers | www.quintcareers.com/interview_question_database/interview_questions.html |
| Quintessential Question / Response database | www.quintcareers.com/interview_question_database/interview_questions_database.html |
Resources
- Wise Up For Work publication (see Page 41)
- Resources in the blue Preparing for Work section of the Careers Resource Centre