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The 10 Most Common Interview Questions

You’ll Ever Face And How To Answer Them.

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© 2020, THE INTERVIEW ACADEMY

Hello, and thanks for downloading this eBook.
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Interviews are difficult, there’s no denying that. In fact for some people, they’re downright terrifying.

I’ve been in the recruitment industry for nearly 20 years, and I’ve seen people get paralysed at the prospect of sitting in front of someone that they
don’t know, desperately trying to say the right thing that could in turn mean that they get a truly life-changing opportunity.

In truth, success in any interview is entirely down to how much preparation you put in. I’m no mathematician, but it wouldn’t surprise me if success in
an interview is directly proportional to the number of hours you’ve spent researching for it.

From my experience, the biggest problem people have is not knowing how to go about their research.

And taking that even further forward, how to prepare answers for questions they’re going to get asked, and that’s because generally, people don’t
know what they’re going to get asked.

So the purpose of this book, and the Interview Academy in general, is to dispel any myths and to give you all the tools you need to ace every interview
you attend, to know the questions you’re going to get asked in advance, and have brilliant planned answers at your disposal so that you can position
yourself as the best person for the job.

Let’s get going.

James Ball
Co-Founder, The Interview Academy

James has been in the recruitment industry for nearly 20 years and owns four recruitment agencies in addition to the Interview Academy. In that time he has coached
thousands of companies on what questions to ask in an interview, and tens of thousands of job seekers on how to answer them.
Contents
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#1. Tell Me About Yourself

#2. Why Should We Hire You?

#3. What Is Your Biggest Weakness?

#4. What Is Your Biggest Strength?

#5. What Do You Know About Our Company?

#6. Why Do You Want To Work For This Company?

#7. Why Are You Leaving Your Current Workplace?

#8. What Salary Are You Looking For?

#9. Where Do You See Yourself In Five Years?

#10. Do You Have Any Questions For Us?

#1. Tell Me About Yourself.
#1. Tell Me About Yourself.
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When you get it, go through it a few times and highlight any
There aren’t many questions that you’re guaranteed
qualifications, skills and experiences that match your own.
to get asked in an interview.

Two or three accomplishments or skills should do the trick.

So it’s absolutely vital that you make sure that you get your
answer fully prepped in your head.
Then what you need to do is to mould those into a nice little
answer about yourself.
Now, whilst I can’t tell you exactly to say - because I’m not you, I
have no idea what your strengths and weaknesses are, and I’ve
Another great thing to talk about in this answer is what got you
got no idea what kind of job you’re looking for – there are right
first interested in your current career path – and what your
and wrong ways of answering this question.
plans are for the future – but only if you think that that would be
impressive to the company.
The first thing you should do when planning your answer is to
consider three main points:
So for example, did a particular experience at school or college
get you interested in the industry? Or maybe environmental
#1: What does your interviewer actually WANT to hear?
sustainability is something you’ve always wanted to fight for?

#2: What have YOU got that they want?

Whatever your personal circumstances, make sure that your
answer fits with their requirements.
#3: What proof have you got?

Don’t go off topic and start rambling about experiences you had
Because obviously there’s no point in just saying something they
years and years ago, what you like doing in your spare time and
want to hear without being able to give examples.
how your aim in life is to settle down and start a family.

The best bit of advice I could give you is to get hold of the job
None of these are bad things, and whilst you might feel that
specification in advance of the interview. The recruiter should be
they’re relevant to the question. They’re not.
able to send you a copy in advance.
#1. Tell Me About Yourself.
The interviewer is asking you this question for a very specific
reason:
And that’s to find out how you suitable you are for the job,
not your entire life history.
Normally this question is one of the first you’ll have to face, so
ultimately it can potentially frame the rest of the interview.
Giving a really impressive answer which instantly identifies you as
a potentially suitable for the job puts you on a very strong footing.
All you really need to remember when answering this question is
this:
How will YOU benefit them?
So, let’s work through a real-life example:
As an example… if I were applying to a marketing role, I might say
something like:
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“I studied English and Philosophy at university and
took a marketing module in the first year which was
really fascinating.
This ignited my passion for digital and I spent
a lot of my spare time reading up on the latest
techniques and tools involved in the marketing
process. This helped me to get my first job as
Marketing Assistant straight out of university.
I’ve now been at the agency for 10 years, and have
led a variety of different campaigns, including one
which made a client £100,000 in a week.
I’m hoping to move on to an in-house role so I can
really get my teeth stuck into a business and see
the results of my hard work.”
This answer is detailed and relevant and flows well together. I’m
not just throwing facts at you.
Another bit of advice with this question is to keep it snappy. Don’t
waffle if your nerves will allow it. Your answer should last about
30 seconds.
And one last thing: Keep it natural.
You don’t want to sound like a robot, so whilst your answer should
be practised and rehearsed, make sure it doesn’t sound stilted.
#2. Why Should We Hire You?
#2. Why Should We Hire You?
This is question also gets asked a lot in interviews.
And if you think about it from an interviewer’s perspective, you
can understand why they do it.
It’s a question that instantly puts you on the spot, and it’s an
opportunity to express the skills you’ve got that others won’t
have.
Basically it’s your chance to shine and position yourself as being
the must-have employee.
The requires you to put across exactly how you can benefit the
company, and why you’re so much better than everyone else who
has applied for that role.
What the question is basically asking is this:
“why are you better than all the other people we are going
to interview?
What makes you different to them?”
And that’s the tricky bit.
You need to somehow stand out.
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Don’t make this classic mistake.
Believe me, a lot of candidates fall down at this point in an
interview.
They say something along the lines of “because I’m the best”.
But that means absolutely nothing. Especially if you haven’t got
any stats or facts to back it up.
So, think about what could give you the edge on other people.
• What makes you extra special?
• What one thing could you say that no other candidate is
likely to say?
When you’re preparing for this question, get a hold of the job
specification – ask the recruiter if you haven’t got it and they
should be able to get a copy to you.
The reason for this is that you need to know exactly what your
interviewer is looking for, so that you can build your answer
around their requirements.
Once you know that, align your own skills and experience with
them and start putting your answer together.
#2. Why Should We Hire You?
Your answer should show that you understand the business,
understand the role and that you’re more than capable of fulfilling
their needs and wants.
Your answer should also show why you can do that better than
everyone else.
So, when you’re preparing your answer, follow this
course of action:
1. Write down a list of your skills and qualifications, and any training
courses you’ve attended over the last few years, and all of your
relevant work experiences.
2. Make a note of any statistics that you can quote which will back up
your claims – so if you’ve the been the top salesperson for several
years, make sure you quote how much revenue you generated and
what percentage of your sales target this equates to – remember
that stats really impress people and add credibility to your claim
3. Now, have a look at that list. And at the same time look at the job
specification.
4. What matches? What stands out? And what do you think is unique
to you?
5. And if you can’t find one unique skill or experience then use a
combination of skills and experiences which are unique to you and
help you stand out
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So, let’s work through a real-life example:
Let’s say you’re applying for a senior sales role for a Digital
Marketing Agency, who want people with experience in the
industry and are comfortable dealing at board level.
Your answer could be something like:
“You should hire me because I’ve been a senior
salesperson for two digital marketing agencies over
the last 10 years, dealing with senior directors
and decision makers all the time, and in that time
I was the top salesperson for 7 of those 10 years,
averaging £2.2m in revenue which equates to 176% of
my sales target on average.”
An answer like that shows that you’ve got industry experience,
you’re used to dealing with senior contacts, and that you’re really
good at what you do.
I suppose one final key bit of advice when building your answer
is to treat the job specification or even the online job advert as a
wish-list or exam question.
Your job is to make sure you address their key requirements using
your own skills and experiences and positioning yourself as the
best person for the job.
#3. What Is Your Biggest Weakness?
#3. What Is Your Biggest Weakness?
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Ok, hands up – I personally I hate this interview
question.
But that’s not to say that it doesn’t get asked all of
the time, because it does.
Also, you’ve got to be careful not to be too truthful.
Let’s be honest, you don’t want to go off on a ramble about how
terrible you are at X, Y and Z. That’s also not what an interviewer
wants to hear.

Personally I had to answer it many times when I first started out You have to be tactical. You have to select weaknesses that make
on my career and in honesty I always struggled with it. you look human and not incompetent.

It’s only when I started working in recruitment that it finally Finally – and this is the worst thing you can do – don’t say some
clicked what the question really means. kind of cliché like “I’m a perfectionist” or “I work too hard” or
anything like that.
But before I tell you how you should answer, there’s something
you absolutely shouldn’t do, and that’s to lie. Honestly, answers like those say nothing and they just irritate
interviewers, and I should know because I’ve heard it thousands
Everyone has a weakness, so don’t make the schoolboy error of of times.
saying:
So that’s what you shouldn’t do:
“I don’t have any weaknesses.”
x No lies
All that’s going to happen if you say that is that the interviewer will x No awful confessions
think you’re really arrogant and it will be an instant black mark x No clichés.
against your name.
#3. What Is Your Biggest Weakness?
So now you know that, how should you build your
answer?
In my experience, the best answers obviously include a weakness,
but the best candidates will use that weakness to reveal some
positive attributes about themselves.
So, you need to structure your answer in the following way:
• Briefly state your weakness
• Then show one or two positive characteristics / strengths
about yourself that are helping you to overcome that
weakness.
Now, that might sound complicated but it’s really not.
So for example, you could say:
“I’m not great at time-management.
I’m definitely guilty of over-committing and trying
to do too much at once, and then I often struggle at
prioritising my workload, but I have been working on
it in the last few months.
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I found an online time-management course which I
personally subscribed to and it’s really starting to
work for me.
It’s just helped me look at it in a completely
different way, and it’s lead to me being far more
productive and focused.”
In this example, time-management is obviously the weakness
and the strengths are dedication, passion, initiative, and
proactivity.
You want to take some time to really show how you’ve improved
your situation and become more employable because of that.
The only thing to be careful of here is, using the example I’ve just
given you, if organisational skills are a must for the role, then
saying something like that might just shoot you in the foot.
So plan your answer carefully in conjunction with the vacancy’s
job specification or even the online job advert that you saw when
you applied for the role.
If you haven’t got either, just ask the recruiter to send them to you
in advance of your interview.
#4. What Is Your Biggest Strength?
#4. What Is Your Biggest Strength?
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4. Now, this task might not necessarily be straightforward – you’re

Now everybody expects to get asked what your
going to have to decipher what the company is really looking
biggest weakness is in an interview, but not many
for, and to do this, it’s a really good idea to build a list of what
expect to be asked what their biggest strength is.
you think are the most desired skills and strengths from the job
Take a moment and think about it. spec.

What are you best at doing? 5. From that, prioritise and rank each of the company’s desirable
skills and strengths, and match them to your own.
There might not be one shining thing that instantly comes to
mind, but follow this process and you should be safely on the way Once you’ve done all of these tasks, you should have your answer.
to creating a brilliant anwer.
Prove it.
The Process
When you’ve got your answer, you now have to prove it.
1. Initially write down everything that you can think of.
• What evidence have you got to back up your claims?
2. Now, grab hold of the job specification for the role you’re
• What experience, skills, training or results can you
applying for, and match your strengths with the company’s
demonstrate?
requirements.
Like with any other interview question you get asked, you need
3. Look over your list and try and work out if there’s one strength
to be able to prove yourself and why someone should pick you to
which aligns closest to the company’s biggest desire on the job
work for them over everybody else.
spec.
#4. What Is Your Biggest Strength?
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So, for example, if your biggest strength lies in people

One last thing...
management, explain a bit of the back story…
Keep in mind that your strength has to be relevant.
• Do you currently work with a small or big team?
You should have worked out exactly what your interviewer
• Are there a wide range of backgrounds, ages and
seniorities within that team? wants from the job specification, so make sure your strengths will
actually be something they’re looking for.
• What do you do that makes everyone enjoy or at least
respect working with you? There’s no point saying you’re a “brilliant administrator”, when
you’re applying to be a salesperson, and whilst I know that sounds
Then state some facts to go with that…
really obvious, you’d be surprised at how many people get this
• Maybe a number of employees asked for transfers to badly wrong.
your team in the last year, because people respect your
leadership?
To recap:
• Or perhaps you impressed your senior managers so much
1. Make a list of your strengths
when you were managing one team that they’ve now
added two more teams to your remit?
2. Marry them up to the job specs desired skills and strengths
• Has your company seen an upsurge in sales since you
took on the management position? 3. Pick your best strength which most closely aligns you to what
the company is looking for.
Stats and facts work a lot better than just saying something
random and hoping it sticks.
#5. What Do You Know About Our Company?
#5. What Do You Know About Our Company?
There is a very strong chance that you’ll get asked
this question in an interview, and honestly, if you
can’t answer this one, then your chances of getting
the job instantly reduce to 0%.
I’ve had people turn up to interviews I’m running who answer this
question with “nothing really”, and as an interviewer it just puts
you completely off the person.
And it puts you off them for three main reasons:
1. Firstly, they haven’t been bothered to do any company
research, so it makes them look lazy.
2. Secondly, it displays a complete lack of passion or get-up-and-
go.
3. Finally, it makes them look like they can’t be bothered about
the company’s job.
And that’s the key thing.
The employer wants to know that you’re passionate and
interested in THEIR opportunity.
And if you display that you’re not, they simply won’t recruit you.
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You absolutely MUST, at the very least, have one or two things to
say about the company.
These will ideally be points that you found out online, during your
interview research.
You really should also know:
• What the company actually does.
• The company mission statement, which you should be able to
find on their website.
• Any recent news stories that the company might have been
involved in – again, a quick Google search on the company
name followed by a click on the news button at the top of
Google will help you with that
• And finally, who their competitors are. Now you’ll definitely
have to do some research to work this bit out, but being able to
answer this is potentially really impressive
It may also help you answer another common question at the
same time, because recruiters will routinely ask “do you know
who our competitors are?” in an interview.
#5. What Do You Know About Our Company?
So the main point is, DO YOUR RESEARCH.
Research and planning is everything for an interview. Make sure
that you go over the following when you’re preparing for any
interview:
• Check out the company’s website
• Any social media channels they run
• Their Glassdoor page if they one
• Any review sites which contain reviews about their business /
products / service
• Any online news articles and other marketing materials you find
If you do this, you’ll be able to prepare your answer in advance.
Then you should use quotes and facts that you’ve found out
during that research and give reasons why they appeal to you or
why you found them interesting.
If it helps, take your notes into the interview with you – it won’t
annoy the interviewer if you do this, because nobody would
expect you to remember EVERYTHING.
In fact, walking in with a set or pre-prepared notes will show that
you are the kind of person who’s committed, passionate and
interested in the role and company.
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Having this kind of knowledge will really impress any
interviewer.
A Real-Life Example Answer
So for example, if you were applying for a job at a recruitment
agency for example, and you get asked, what do you know about
our company, you might say:
“You specialise in sales and marketing recruitment,
there are about 40 people in the business and you’ve
worked with some great brands like National Express
and T.M Lewin.
You typically recruit for higher-level roles and
offer a more quality-driven support than the average
agency which is why I find the role so compelling.”
Just remember to take it steady though.
A little praise is great and shows that you’re passionate about the
role, but you don’t want to look like you’re sucking up too much in
the hopes of getting a job.
So, to recap – do your research, and do it well, and the
answer to this question will be easy.
#6. Why Do You Want To Work For This Company?
#6. Why Do You Want To Work For This Company?
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This question is REALLY common and is a natural
follow on from the question “what do you know
about the company”.
A lot of people also confuse this with “why have you applied”
or “why should we hire you?”, but in truth this question is a lot
more specific than that. If your interviewer asks you this, they
want to know why you want to work for their company.
They’re going to want you to display a real understanding of their
actual company, their culture, their values and the industry in
general – and exactly why these things made you apply.
This question is specifically asked to see whether you’re
genuinely interested in the company – or if you’re just applying
for every job you’ve found on the internet.
To that extent, the question is designed to catch those kind of
people out, and that’s because companies want to hire people
who love their brand and their business.
Interviews Are Tricky For Interviewers Too...
What you need to remember is that an interview is just as difficult
for an interviewer as it is for an interviewee.
Basically they will have up to an hour to decide whether you’re a
good fit for their business.
And the cost of making a mistake is potentially very expensive,
and I should know, because over the years I’ve made several, very
big hiring mistakes.
The interview is the company’s only opportunity to work out –
and in a very small time-frame – whether the person sat opposite
them can truly make a difference.
That’s why a question like this is so important, and can be really
powerful for the interviewer.

Now for most companies, that might be a bit too ambitious, but
what it basically boils down to is that they believe that people
who love their brand and business are more likely to be the
passionate and dedicated – and ultimately will be the people who
are most likely to push the business forward.
#6. Why Do You Want To Work For This Company?
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How To Answer This Question Right, just a couple of warnings that you need to heed:

So a really good answer could be something like:
“After doing some research, I feel like your company
culture is dynamic, progressive and in a constant
state of growth which would offer me a chance to
flourish. I have applied because I really want to
grow within a vibrant team and culture and I think
your company would be the perfect match.”
Or even:
1. Firstly, don’t go absolutely wild if you get asked this interview
question.
You don’t want to go on and on about how much you love a
company and how you only want to work there and how you’ll
do anything to get the job.
If you do, the chances are that you will end up sounding
desperate.

“I use [Company Products] all of the time, and I

2. And secondly, please, please, please make sure that you get
have done for years. I’d be absolutely thrilled
to join your team, so I can help to develop the your facts completely straight, and don’t quote made-up stuff.
technology in line with the brand.”
You’ll be speak to someone that works for the business, so it’s
You want to properly highlight how connected you are to the going to be incredibly embarrassing if you ramble on about
company’s mission statement and products or services, whilst something that is completely wrong.
showing that you’ve made the effort to do some research.

There’s nothing worse than someone showing up to interview

without any idea about what the company does, or its values and
where it’s positioned in the market.

So as with most things interview-related, make sure you do

your research.
#7. Why Are You Leaving Your Current Workplace?
#7. Why Are You Leaving Your Current Workplace?
Now this is an interview question which you’re almost
certainly going to get asked, and there are lots of very
wrong things you can say, so pay careful attention.
There are two main reasons why interviewers love this question
and why you’ll get asked it.
1. It gives them an opportunity to work out how serious you
are about taking their role. If also potentially gives them an
insight into your commitment levels and how likely you are to
stay in their position, should they offer you the job.
That’s because no company on the planet wants to recruit you
for a new role, only for you to leave 6 months later. That would
cost the hiring company tens of thousands, and they’d have to
start all over again.
2. Another reason why it gets asked is because it gives the
interviewer an opportunity to eliminate any timewasters.
These days, it’s incredibly common for someone to “look for a
job”, and get to the point of being offered the job only for them
to use it as leverage to ask for more money with their current
employer. If that’s you, and you know who you are, then part of
the interviewer’s job is to work out who you are, which is why
you’re going to get asked this question.
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So, how should go about answering it and what are
the worst things you can say?
Firstly, don’t ever think about badmouthing your current
company.
Showing negativity can come across very badly and the
interviewer might think you can’t work well with others.
Everyone’s worked with a bad boss at some point – mentioning it
in an interview though isn’t a good idea.
You also shouldn’t be illusive. Simply saying “because I want
a new job” just comes across like you’re not bothered at all, or
worse still, guarded and not being honest.
Now a really common answer to this question is “my current role
lacks opportunity to progress”.
Now, whilst it’s fine to say this, especially if it’s true,
a. It doesn’t really say much,
b. Everyone else will say it and
c. If you want to set yourself apart from everyone else, then
you’re going to have to come up with something a little more
interesting.
#7. Why Are You Leaving Your Current Workplace?
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Plus, you want to be careful that your answer doesn’t come across
So to recap:
like you’ve been stagnating for the past couple of years, and you
haven’t done anything about it. • No badmouthing

So, an example of a more passionate, rounded • Don’t be illusive

answer would be something like…

• ...and think of an answer where you can weave some positive
traits in.
“I’m a really creative person and I want to join a
team who share my creativity.

I’ve learnt so much working with my current company

but I feel like my ideas for pushing the business
forward have outgrown theirs, and in truth I have
got more to offer a more innovative company.

I want to wake up in the morning, excited to go to

work.”

Basically, most recruiters will know that salary, opportunities and

personal issues are the main driving forces for anyone looking for
a new job.

But even saying that, they’d still much rather hire someone who
ALSO actually wanted to join THEM.

And not just any old company.

#8. What Salary Are You Looking For?
#8. What Salary Are You Looking For?
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But getting this number right in the interview could make

Now, this is a question that gets asked in EVERY
the difference between you getting the job or not, and at an
interview.
appropriate salary.
Firstly, it’s really important to understand that the vast majority of
companies will want to pay you the least it can get away with. How To Establish What Figure To Ask For.
Now, market forces, your skill level and how in-demand will
A really important thing to remember is that when you apply for
determine what that figure is, but inevitably it may be lower than
a job these days, you’ll have almost certainly done so online, and
the number you’re thinking of.
there should be a salary or salary range on the advert.
When you get asked this question, it’s really important to not just
That’s the figure you need to be working to.
blurt out a figure you have in your mind. Salary negotiation is an
integral part of any recruitment process.
So the first thing you need to do is make a note of that number
Rushing into your answer could mean that either you go too high and remember it before you go into the interview.
and don’t get the job, or you go too low and get it, but at a lower
If the salary wasn’t on the job advert, then go online and do a little
salary than you deserve.
research.
Normally, in my experience at least, you won’t enter into a
negotiation during an interview. Go on indeed.com and see what people in similar roles, in the
same area are being paid. Or speak to your recruiter and ask
Typically the following will happen in an interview: directly what the package is for the role.

• Your interviewer will ask you the question

Now, there is some scope to ask for slightly more money than was
• You’ll tell them the number
advertised, but if you do, don’t ask for too much as you’ll annoy
• They’ll write it down, and refer to it when they make you a job
the interviewer, and secondly you’ll need a really good reason as
offer
to why you deserve the extra cash.
• And it’s at that stage that the negotiation starts.
#8. What Salary Are You Looking For?
This will be particularly difficult if you haven’t sold yourself
well enough during the interview.
If you ask for a number that’s outside of the advertised range, the
next obvious question you’ll get asked is “why have you applied
for this job if you know it’s not paying you what you want?”
I’ve had people sitting in front of me asking me for £10,000 more
than I’d advertised, and they crumbled when I asked them this
question in reply.
I’ve heard answers like “because I’m really good at what I do”
– and to be honest, that’s not good enough, and just annoyed the
hell out of me.
So, when you’re thinking of the salary you’re going to ask for, bear
all of that in mind.
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You will get asked what you’re currently earning.
Good interviewers will also ask you what you’re currently earning.
Most people will leave a job in the expectation that they’re going
to earn more in a new role – and every interviewer knows that.
But if the jump you’re after is too big, that will also raise
questions, so be ready for any follow-on questions about a lack of
experience, or the jump being too big.
Typically what happens in those scenarios if you get offered the
job is that you get offered the job at a higher salary than you’re
currently earning, but lower than you asked for, or worse still
lower than the salary advertised.
But as I said earlier, it’s at the job offer stage typically where the
negotiation starts, and not in the interview.
#8. What Salary Are You Looking For?
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An answer like this is a little softer.

So, with all of that in mind, a really good way to
answer this question is like this:
You’re still setting your expectations but you’re putting the ball
back in their court.
“I am currently earning £20,000, but after 2 years’
experience and a proven track-record of A, B and
C, I’m ready to take on more responsibility and
This is a tactic to use only if you’re a confident person and the
I’m therefore looking for £23,000. Having done some interview is going well – don’t say it if you’re the nervous type or
research online, I think this is a fair salary for you’re facing a difficult interviewer.
someone at my level.”

And definitely do not come across as confrontational!

This answer is balanced.
Keep everything light-hearted and friendly.
You don’t want to be unrealistic and greedy, but you also don’t
want to undersell yourself.

REMEMBER: Employers will want to pay you the least possible
amount that they can get away with.
If you want to be a little bit cheeky, you could throw the question
back at them and say something along the lines of:
One Final Note...
...It’s probably wise not to apply for jobs that you wouldn’t accept
because the advertised salary is much lower than you’d accept, in
the hope that you can push it up in a negotiation.

“Based on the research I’ve done, I have found that You’ll probably just end up wasting your time and theirs.
someone with similar experience to myself, going
into a similar role would earn between £22,000
- £26,000, but I understand that all roles and
companies are different so can I ask how much you
would typically pay somebody with my experience?”
#9. Where Do You See Yourself In Five Years?
#9. Where Do You See Yourself In Five Years?
I’ve never been entirely sure why interviewers ask
this question. It doesn’t really tell anybody very
much, yet it gets asked A LOT.
So, the key things to remember with this question that you
need to get across are the following:
a. You’re going to remain loyal to the company for the foreseeable
future.
b. You have some ambition.
c. You don’t have ridiculous expectations.
d. And obviously, that you’re not gunning for your new
managers job. If you tell your interviewer that in 5 years you
expect to have their job, guess what – you’ll come across as
confrontational and frankly, unattractive, and it won’t do you
any favours.
Your potential new manager wants to know that in 5 years, you
will have made a brilliant impact on the business and they’ll
think that hiring you was the best decision they ever made.
Now whilst it’s a question I don’t like, given the likelihood of
getting asked it, you need to prepare a good answer for it.
Just saying, “um… here” really isn’t going to cut it.
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A better answer would be something along the lines of:
“I’m looking to join a vibrant growing business
where there are clear opportunities for my personal
growth, and I think my skills would eventually suit
a people-management role.
I’m at the point in my career where I’d like to find
a company to settle down and continue to grow within
for the long term and I really think this could be
the one.
So, in five years, frankly, I can happily see myself
here.”
Don’t get cocky and tell your interviewer that you’d like their job in
the future and don’t admit that you just want a job where you can
just turn up, get your job done and leave bang on the dot.
Emphasise that you want to grow with the business and that
your aspirations are exactly the same as theirs.
Make sure your answer focuses on growth and development.
#9. Where Do You See Yourself In Five Years?
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If you’re really not sure what they want from you, then you could
turn the question round on them and say something like:

“Is there a path people would typically follow at

your company?”

This question at least shows that you are genuinely interested in

getting the role and are seriously thinking about your future at the
company.

But, if you’re the nervous type I wouldn’t recommend asking it, as

asking it in the right way takes some confidence, and you have to
make sure you don’t come across argumentative or disruptive.
#10. Do You Have Any Questions For Us?
#10. Do You Have Any Questions For Us?
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Any interviewer worth their salt will ask this question It shows dedication, proactivity and commitment, so I’d
at the end of an interview. advise that you do that.

It is incredibly important that you have a good answer to this In how you specifically answer the question, you
question lined up. could ask probing questions such as:

Because if you don’t, you will look like you’re not really
“Could you give me an example of the kinds of
bothered, and that is the last impression you want to give. projects I’ll be working on”

And don’t just ask the first thing that comes to your head.
or an opportunities question such as
It’s an opportunity for you to seal the deal, to confirm that you
really know your stuff and to demonstrate your passion for the “what training opportunities are available to staff.”

role and the business.

Both of these show that you’re seriously interested in the role
Preparation, Preparation, Preparation. and that you’re considering your future career working for their
business.
The best candidates will have a pre-prepared list of questions
which they’ve generated from their company research. The same goes for questions about the business culture. If you
ask something like:
Some of the best people I’ve interviewed actually produce a list of
questions and start working through the ones that haven’t been “are you quite a close-knit team?”
answered.
or
On the receiving end of something like that, well frankly it’s
impressive because it shows that you’ve taken the time to learn “what’s the company culture like?”
something about my business.
#10. Do You Have Any Questions For Us?
...then it shows that you’re at least trying to imagine yourself as
part of that team.
But probably the best question you could ask is:
“do you have any concerns about my ability to do the
role?”
It’s a classic closing question, and I know that it sounds scary
because you’re potentially opening yourself up to criticism, but
demonstrating that you’re ready to meet any objections head on
and explain why you’d still be a great fit for the role, and assuming
you answer their objections well, then you could seal the deal.
This is honestly the perfect opportunity to make sure that your
interviewer leaves the interview KNOWING that you’re the only
person who should be in that role.
But I have to say, if you’re going to ask this question, then
you need to be ultra-prepared.
You’re going to look like an idiot it you ask it and then you’re
dumbstruck when they actually reply.
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How To Properly Prepare For This Question:
• Before the interview, take a look over the job spec and see
if you can spot any skills or qualifications that you might be
lacking (and if you haven’t got the job spec, ask the recruiter in
advance to send it to you).
• These are the potential objections that may crop up – and
these are the things you need to be ready to address.
• Crack this and you could crack the entire interview.
In truth, you should be asking questions throughout the entire
interview.
Ultimately, the interview is your opportunity to work out
whether the role is right for you or not.
An interview is a two-way street and your interviewer will be
expecting some questions.
So, just remember to make sure that you don’t leave all of
your questions to the very end of the interview and end up
interrogating your interviewer – and scaring them off.
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