Tell me about yourself

Keep your answer to one or two minutes; don’t ramble and don’t go back to childhood experiences; just give a brief outline of where you are from, and where you want to be going.

What do you know about our company?

Show that you have done your research, know what their products are, how big the company is, roughly what their annual revenue is etc.

Why do you want to work for us?

Don’t talk about what you want; talk about their needs, what you can do for them.

What could you do for us?

Relate past experiences that represent success in solving previous employer problems.

Why should we give you the job?

Because of the knowledge, experience, abilities, and skills you possess. Be positive and confident in your reply.

What do you look for in a job?

• An opportunity to use my skills and be recognised and the opportunity to develop further skills.
• Vague answers such as, “I enjoy working with people, I relish challenges in my work”

Why are you leaving your current job?

No longer provides a suitable challenge, time to move on.

What Salary are you looking for?

Give a range of what you understand you are worth in the marketplace.

What was the last book you read? Film you saw?

• Talk about books or films to represent balance in your life.
• Stick to something fairly mainstream or classic

How would you describe your own personality?

Fair, honest, reliable, friendly, outgoing etc.

What are your strong points?

Present at least three and relate them to the interviewing company and job opening.

What are your weak points?

• Don’t say you don’t have any, but try not to cite personal characteristics as weaknesses.
• Try to transform your response and the question into strength. “I’m the kind of person who likes challenges and gets involved. Some people may see that as butting in, ‘ but I see it as a strength because I like to make sure the job gets done correctly.”