Common Interview Questions and How to Answer them

Common Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

Interviews can be a daunting step in the process of trying to secure a job. Many interviewers will ask questions to evaluate your personality, values, skills and potential fit into their team. Preparing for potential questions linked to these can reduce anxiety and allow you to perform at your best in the interview. Whilst it is not possible to predict exact questions any given interviewer will ask, this article will list some common questions employers do ask and some advice how best to answer them.

1.     Could you tell me about yourself? To answer this question effectively it would be advised to talk about your background, experiences and skills, linked to the specific role you’re applying for. Introduce yourself with your name and a brief description of your background connected to the specific role you are applying for. This could include education and any previous roles that have given you experience. Highlight the key roles and skills that most closely link to the role. The role description and specification can help give you ideas for this, to find connections between your experience and what the recruitment team will be looking for. It is advisable to keeper your answer concise and aligned to the specific role to give the interviewer a clear understanding of your background.

 

2.     Can you walk me through your CV? This question directly links to the one above. Walking through your CV can help structure your answer to questions relating to your academic and professional background. It is important to highlight key skills that directly link to the job description you’re applying for. Make sure to not just read your CV out loud but prepare to go into the important parts of it in more detail to allow the interviewer(s) to gain a better understanding of your background.                                             

 

3.     What are your strengths and weaknesses? Some people find it hard to talk about their own strengths and/or weaknesses, but it is important to be honest when answering this question. Choose to talk about strengths that directly link to the role you applied for. For example, if the role involves public speaking or a lot of presentations talk about your confidence and experience in this area. It is always useful to have examples of where you have proven this skill too. Always mention any results that have occurred because of this strength you possess too.

 

Talking about one’s weakness can be challenging as you may fear it going against you in the interview. For example, a weakness could be time management and struggling to prioritise tasks. It is crucial to always keep this point positive and show how the weakness has taught you certain things. Demonstrate your awareness of this weakness and show how you have identified steps to actively work on this. Provide solutions you have found to help deal with weakness. This shows your willingness to learn and self-awareness which will be appreciated by the recruiter. 

 

4.     What do you know about our company? The interviewer will most likely ask about your knowledge of the company and the industry as a whole. To prepare for this research prior to the interview is necessary. You can normally find essential information on the company’s website. Also, reading any articles on the company and the industry will give you extra detail on the specific work they have done or are currently doing. Talk about how enthusiastic you are to potentially be part of the company and why you think you will be a good fit. Researching a company’s values is particularly advised as they may ask how you have demonstrated certain values that are important to them.

These are some examples of common interview questions you may receive. Other examples could be “Where have you shown a particular skill?” (e.g. leadership, teamwork, problem solving, etc) or “Tell me a time you faced a challenge at work and how you overcame this?”. It is not possible to predict the exact questions you will be asked but if you can prepare for potential questions and your answers to these you can be more confident going into the interview.

This blog has stated some of the common questions asked in interviews. We hope you found this useful and if you are considering a job in the financial services check out our jobs page or contact us for more information.