6 most common job-interview questions and how to answer them

Every job interview arouses quite an anxiety. The best way to overcome it is with a positive attitude for the upcoming meeting. To gain confidence and be calm at the time of the meeting, make a study on how typically this kind of conversation goes. In the article, we summarize 6 of the most common asked interview questions and provide guidelines for appropriate answers. The focus is usually on the work experience, but some of them are aimed at revealing your intentions for the company and how committed you are to being part of its team and values.

1. "Tell us about yourself and your experience"

Our advice is to respond by presenting your professional path and especially those personal qualities that help at work. Of course, the interviewers are already familiar with the CV and the key positions in your career. But during the meeting, they will give you the opportunity to present your experience through your personal assessment. Provide short information and fill in the missing moments from the CV, if any.

Don’t be circumstantial - talk about previous assignments, related to the responsibilities of the position you are currently applying for. What do we mean? Point out your strengths and explain how they will help you in your new role. Mention your successful work decisions and indicate measurable results - for example, what is the increased share of sales under your supervision, with what percentage increased the productivity after optimization which you proposed, etc.

2. „What is the reason for looking for a new job?“

Be as honest as possible. It’s best to clarify the exact reasons why you left your previous employer, whether the decision was your or theirs. Remember that the people leading the interview are professionals in the recruitment process, and the managers in the meeting know quite well the human behavior - they can easily detect dishonest answers. In case the decision to leave was yours, you certainly had your arguments. Just share them. If the initiator was the employer - most often the motives are related to corporate policy or other objective reasons. 

Recruitment specialists are responsible for the correct assessment of whether the candidate will successfully fit into the corporate environment and the responsibilities of the position. That’s why at Bulmint Recruitment, we pay attention to all the details during our meetings for a particular position in order to ensure that you’ll feel well accepted in the future team or to recognize the need to continue looking for a suitable one.

3. „What do you know about our company and what are your impressions?“

In order to answer, you’ll have to make research before the meeting. It is good to read the available information on the site or social media and to look for materials in the press related to the company.

The tendency that many organizations now follow, is to be transparent in their activity. To speak openly about their initiatives and awards and to present their specialists. These all are achievements for the company and it is perfectly normal to be shared publicly. Review the information related to the department you are applying for. How many people are on the team? Are there any familiar names? What are their job positions? Are there successful career stories of employees.

4. „What are your salary expectations?“ 

The most concerning question. Think about it in advance, before the interview, from different aspects. First - what is the salary needed to meet your basic needs? Second - how do you evaluate yourself and your work? Maybe you are an expert with valuable knowledge and experience. Or you are at the beginning of your career path and you don’t have much experience, but you have the motivation to develop. Be objective about yourself and your capabilities.

If you can't give an exact figure, propose a salary range. Consider the conditions under which you would like to review this remuneration. Find out about the social benefits that the company can offer - additional health insurance, vouchers for food and work clothes, sports cards, or corporate discounts. And last but not least, you can give references with your last salary, as long as it satisfies you.

5. „How do you see your development in the company?“ 

With this question, your future employer aims to understand how you see yourself in long term and whether you are willing to be loyal to the company. Of course, even if your intentions match the company's expectations, there may always be circumstances in the start of the work process that can change your initial intentions.

However, you accepted the meeting with the expectation of promising cooperation. Just state your motivation. Remember that you are an investment - not only in financial resources, but also in time, training, etc. You have to show serious interest if you want to be approved for the job and you need to give positive signals.

6. „Do you have any questions?”

These can be questions about the position, the job, the team, the responsibilities and obligations, the opportunities for development and everything that could be an important moment in deciding to start a new job.

Your active position is a strong signal to your future employer or interviewer. It's an indicator that you have a serious interest and are already mentally placing yourself in the work environment.

This way you show that you are looking for information on whether the offered conditions meet your expectations and desires for development. Clarifying the details of the position leaves a positive impression.

In conclusion, we can say that the topics of the meeting not only concern your past experience but rather draw your work future. The interview questions in this publication are inspired by our professional practice. If you are interested in more career advice, check out the other articles on our blog or contact us at: recruitment@bulmint.com or tel: 0311 39 047