Interviews can be quite a handful, especially if you have not prepared well. To help in your interview preparation, here is a list of questions to always expect and their answers.
Questions to always expect in an interview and their answers
1. What Is Your Greatest Strength?
As explained by several HR Professionals, strengths can be personal or technical. Personal in the sense that they differ from person to person and can include friendliness and flexibility. On the other hand, technical strengths are those gained from working and can include writing skills and operations of a switchboard.
Ideal Answer:
“My job as a receptionist requires me to see clients from morning to evening ensuring equal attention to all no matter the time of the day or my mood. Through this responsibility, patience is my greatest strength as it ensure the clients leave feeling happy.”
2. What Is Your Greatest Weakness?
Many candidates confirm that they have a problem answering this question. In such a question it is advisable to identify your weakness and show the human resource manager how you are overcoming your weaknesses.
Sample Answer:
“My greatest weakness is my inability to prioritize tasks at work. I have always had a problem finishing all my work before I leave for home. To minimize this I have come up with a policy to write down my tasks for the day in order of importance and finish them one by one as opposed to all of them at once. I have also learnt to postpone email response till later in the day.”
3. Why do you want to leave or have left your current job?
Reasons such as growth, development and seeking a new challenge are some of the lies many candidates tell human resource managers.
“Come up with a better answer and tie it to the job description. Be it a responsibility or utilizing of a skill,” advices Perminus Wainaina, Lead Recruitment Manager at Corporate Staffing Services
Sample Answer
“Currently I have interacted with customers via emails and phone calls. However a face to face interaction with customers is what this new opportunity offers. This is ideal for me since I can now get feedback and offer better service.”
Questions to always expect in any job interview
4. Tell me about yourself is a question to always expect in interviews
“It sets the tone of the interview. Perform well, and you have the interviewer impressed. Get it wrong and it’s downhill all the way and very fast,” says Mr. Wainaina
The right answer includes the following: an introduction of yourself and a few personal details, your educational background, your work experience and why you are interested in the position.
Sample answer
“My name is John Mueni and I am 25 years old. I hold a bachelor of Commerce (Accounting option) and currently pursuing a CPA Section 3. My previous experience as an Accounts Assistant at ABC Company has equipped me with bank reconciliation skills and experience with Quickbooks which will come in handy for this vacancy. I am interested in this position because it requires someone with knowledge in Business tax and bookkeeping which was also part of my responsibilities”
5. Why are you the best person for this position? Why should we hire you?
This is a question meant to sell yourself. Think about your most impressive skills that relate to the job you are interviewing for and use that to communicate what sets you apart from other candidates.
Sample Answer:
“My vast experience in sales and marketing set me apart from other candidates. As a sales Manager I was tasked with improving sales and achieving set targets for the month. During one of the lowest months in the company I come up with a sales strategy on the best ways to sell our products and it resulted in a 20% increase in sales during a low month.”
6. What will you be doing in 5 years time?
“I want to be a manager by then.” This is a vague answer that does not impress a human resource manager. Let your goals be specific, measurable, attainable and realistic while showing your commitment to the job.
Sample:
“I plan on taking up more responsibilities outside my Communications Assistant job and move towards becoming a successful Brand Manager in this company. I also plan to undertake a professional Marketing course from the Marketing Society of Kenya to increase my skills set.”
Don’t let the thought of attending interviews scare you. With these samples you are good to go.
