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Top 20 Interview Questions and How to

Answer
Published on August 21, 2017

Thomas A. Anderson, P.E. Follow

Senior Mechanical Engineer | Mentor | ESRG Group Manager | NSA Pit… 154 17 46
21 articles

Got an interview coming up? Follow these questions and practice your
answers to win your next opportunity.

1.      Tell me about yourself

Give the employer an overview of who you are professionally. You should
prepare about a one-minute answer that summarizes your career, what you
are good at, and your most recent job. Keep personal life out of it.

 2.      What are your weaknesses?

This one of the most popular questions. Handle it by minimizing your

weaknesses and emphasizing your strengths. No personal qualities, only
professional traits: I am working on improving my public speaking and I
recently joined Toastmasters. State the issue, and then say how you are
turning it into a strength.

 3.      Why should I hire you?

Summarize your experiences and demonstrate how they can help the
employer. The more you know about the company the easier it is to connect
the two. “I have a record of successful projects which would make a big Messaging
Search difference in your company. I'm confident I would be a great addition
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project team."

 4.      What do you know about our company?

Interviewers want to see if you have a sense of how the company works.
What makes the company different from its competition? How does it make
money? What is it known for? If you do not seem like you have not done this
basic research, your interviewer will wonder how interested you really are.

 5.      Why do you want to work here?

The interviewer is listening for an answer that indicates you have given this
some thought and are not just sending out resumes. This is your chance to
prove why they should hire you. State your skills, be confident, and tell the
employer why they want you. Match your skills to the job description.

 6.      Why would you excel at this job?

This is your chance to make a case for why you would shine in the job. If you
do not know the answer, it is unlikely your interviewer will hire you. You
should have a strong answer that states your skills and record of
accomplishment. Both should relate to the needs of the employer.

 7.      What interests you about the job?

How does the role interest you? Only talk about the day-to-day work you
would be doing, not the benefits, salary, or short commute. Interviewers want
to hire people who like their work. You need to convince the employer that
you will enjoy the job.

 8.      What are you goals?

It is best to talk about short-term and intermediate goals rather than locking
yourself into the distant future. For example, "My immediate goal is to get a
rewarding job in a growth-oriented company. My long-term goal will depend
on where the company goes. I hope to eventually grow into a position of
responsibility."

 9.      Why are you leaving your last job?

If you are unemployed, state your reason for leaving in a positive way: "I
managed to survive two rounds of downsizing, but the third round included
me."
Search If you are employed, focus on what you want in your next job: "After
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years, I decided to look for a company that is team-focused."

Do not discuss conflicts, complain, or badmouth employers. Say you are

seeking new challenges. It is ok to discuss things like a recent or planned
move or financial issues at your organization.

 10.  What would you do in your first 90 days in this position?

Reveal how you set goals and solve problems. The employer wants to know
whether you are ambitious without being unrealistic. You should also
acknowledge that you would need to take time to get to know procedures, the
team, customers, or vendors.

 11.  Tell me about a time when …

Good interviewers will ask about times you had to exercise the skills required
for the job. These may be situations when you had to take initiative, deal with
a difficult customer or solve a problem for a client. Prepare for these
questions so you are not struggling to think of real examples. Brainstorm two
stories that you can use to answer these questions. The story should discuss
the problem you faced, the response, and the outcome you achieved.

 12.  What is most important to you in a new position?

Interviewers want to understand your career goals and whether this job will
fulfill them. After all, if you are looking for a job with customer contact, and
this job is mostly solo work, it might not be the right fit for you. It is in your
best interest to be candid and specific when you answer this so you land in a
job that aligns with your goals.

 13.  When were you most satisfied in your job?

The interviewer wants to know what motivates you. Give an answer when
you were excited, the interviewer will get an idea of your preferences. "I was
very satisfied in my last job because I worked directly with the customers and
their problems"

 14.  What can you do for us that other candidates cannot?

This is an assessment of your experiences, skills and traits. Summarize

concisely: "I have a combination of strong technical skills, and the ability to
work well with others. This allows me to use my knowledge with others in
your team.”
Search  15.  Describe A Difficult Work Situation And What You Did To Overcome
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This is similar to question 11. The interviewer wants to hear how you
overcame the situation an how you solved it. This is a problem-solving
question that tests your critical thinking skills. Have two stories ready to
convince the employer that you have worked through a difficult situation
successfully. Try to avoid co-worker related problems unless you had to fire
someone.

 16.  What are three positive things your last boss would say about you?

It is time to pull out your old performance reviews and brag about yourself
through someone else's words: "My boss has told me that I am the best
designer he has ever had. He knows he can rely on me, and he likes my sense
of humor."

 17.  What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment?

This may be part of an answer to the interview questions – tell me about

yourself. If you do not include this part in your answer, the interviewer may
ask about your greatest achievements. Do you have your Engineering license?
Any unique difficulties you overcame.

 18.  Where Do You See Yourself In 5 Years?

For employers, it is vital to ensure the hiring of employees who have the
potential for further personal growth. They are looking for those who
understand their career goals and objectives. They want to observe whether
the candidate is highly motivated toward the position. Does he/she seriously
consider his job search and career objectives? Does he/she want to get a foot
in the door or is he/she going to bring benefit to the company? They want
their employees to be interested on the future of the company and remain
loyal to it.

 19.  What salary are you seeking?

There are two ways to answer. Be honest and state your salary or give a
range. Either can work to your advantage, but it is best to start your
relationship with honesty. Once you have your offer, you know they want
you. That is when you can negotiate. If you are completely unsure of the
salary just ask “what do you typically pay for a person in my situation?”

 20.  What questions do you have for me?

 Search At the end of every job interview, you will likely be asked if you2 have any Try Premium
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questions. At this stage, ask open-ended questions about office culture and
those that clarify the role. Ask about next steps in the hiring process and the
employer's timeline for getting back to you. Avoid questions about benefits
and pay.

Let me know your thoughts below!!!

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Dr. Deo Dutta Sharma 5mo

Consultant I & S, Author, Publisher, Editor

Comprehensive mode of talking in an interview.

Like Reply

Sankara Subramanian 5mo

Deputy Manager at Hertz Rent A Car, Muscat

Excellent. I think broadly you have covered most of the points that being asked in
interview. Definitely useful for job seekers.
Like Reply 1 Like

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Thomas A. Anderson, P.E.

Senior Mechanical Engineer | Mentor | ESRG Group Manager | NSA Pittsburgh Chapter | Blogger

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