What do interviewers want?
I recently did some posts where I provided templates for answering some most common interview questions, for students sitting for placements.
But this post is about the expectations of interviewers.
After the templates, in case you are still not sure about how to frame the right answer according to your experiences, refer to this post.
1) Tell me a bit about yourself.
– Keep your answer brief and to the point.
– Interviewer wants to discover why do you make a good fit for the role and how would you work in their teams.
– Talk about past, personal experiences, and then some which are in relation to the role.
– Refer to the Job description.
2) What is the reason for leaving your previous role?
– Employer wants to find out whether or not you were fired or left for an unreasonable reason.
– Be honest and avoid saying anything that may reflect badly on you.
– Divert your subject to achievements, if the situation becomes uncomfortable.
3) What salary are you expecting?
– They don’t want you to quote something higher than your current role but also don’t want you to go lower than that because that shows low ambition.
– You can say ‘It’s negotiable’ in case you don’t have a good answer.
4) Why are you the best candidate for this position?
– Sell yourself.
– Don’t be shy and ensure that you mention everything that makes you stand out from the crowd.
5) What is your main weakness?
– Approach with caution as it’s a trick question.
– Never say ‘I have no weakness’ because that’s impossible.
– Tell them how you overcame your weakness and are working on it.
6) What goals do you have for the future?
– Talk about improving your existing skills and learning new ones.
– Explain how you plan to reach your goals (long-term).
– Also tell them the hopes you have from the role you are applying for.
7) What can you tell me about [company name]?
– Interviewers want to see if you have done your research or not.
– If you do not know anything about the company, that means you are not interested in working there.
– A good knowledge of the firm can be quite impressive.
Hope this helps all the students.