10 Most Common Interview Questions

Interviews can be tough and you can never guarantee what questions will be asked. Preparation is key - researching and practicing your answers will help you to prepare for anything that could crop up and will also give you more confidence on the day.

We've collated some of the most common questions asked in interviews and offered some advice to ensure that you never get caught out or are stuck for an answer.
 

The most common interview questions
 

1. What are your strengths?
   This is a really common question and allows you to go into detail about your strengths both personally and professionaly. Be specific, and if you have statistics to back them up, that's even better!
    
2. What are your weaknesses?
   This can be a tricky one as nobody wants to shout about their flaws, but it's an opportunity to demonstrate your self-awareness and willingness to develop. Try to identify weaknesses that are not insurmountable and what you're doing to overcome them.
    
3. Where do you see yourself in five / ten years?
   Share your ambitions but make sure they are achievable and relevant to your industry and job role. For management roles, you may talk about being a department head in ten years.
    
4. What gets you up in the morning?
   Whatever you do, don't mention money! Instead, try to be sincere with this question and think about what you enjoy about the industry on a good day and expand on that. Of course no-one enjoys every minute of every day, but displaying your enthusiasm is vital.
    
5. Would you be willing to work 40+ hours?
   You need to be honest with this one and inform them about your availability. It's also an opportunity to demonstrate your conscientious attitude and ability to work to deadlines.
    
6. What do you like most and least about working in this industry?
   This is not an opportunity to rant! Interviewers are looking for a balance of both positive and negatives as this will provide them with more information about your experience in the industry. Be honest and authentic.
    
7. Tell me a time when you disagreed with your manager?
   This needs to be a constructed answer to acknowledge the situation and what you did to resolve it. This answer needs to highlight your self-awareness, problem-solving and communication skills.
    
8. Tell me how you handled a difficult situation?
   Using the STAR method for this answer is really beneficial. Talk about the Situation, the Task, the Action you took and the Result. Keep it concise and informative.
    
9. Tell me about an accomplishment that you are most proud of?
   It's beneficial to talk about an achievement that is relevant to your role so you can showcase your personality and skills. 
    
10. How would you fire someone?
    You can go broad with this one and mention a few different techniques. It's also advisble to suggest the steps that you would have taken to avoid firing the person at all.

If the company you are interviewing for undertakes second interviews, then you may benefit from reading our blog post on the pros and cons of a second interview. You may have to expand further on these above questions for a second interview, so it's definitely worth fully preparing for.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it does include the interview questions that we at Four come across the most. As we've said before, preparation is key. If you are asked a question that you didn't prepare for, don't panic, refer to any notes you may have made and answer honestly.

How Four Recruitment can help

At Four Recruitment, we specialise in supporting clients and candidates with recruitment and offer expert advice and support for both interviewers and interviewees. We'll provide support during the interview process and ensure that our candidates are well prepared and can walk into an interview feeling confident and excited.

If you are currently looking for work and think that you would benefit from some profesissional guidance, get in touch with our team today to find out how we can help you to find the right role and ace the interview.