Interviews are hard. They are your first, and sometimes last, impressions you get to showcase to the hiring manager. So doing well during your interview is an absolute must if you want to have any chance of getting that dream job. Especially in the large, well-known brands, job competition is fierce, so you’ll need to do everything you can in every step of the application process to make sure you stand out.
And the best way to prepare for your interview is to practice, practice, practice. Here are a few ways people spend their time practicing for their interviews. Mind you, these are people who eventually work in big companies like Apple, Google, Facebook, Goldman Sachs, Accenture, and Boston Consulting Group. So there must be a method to the madness, no?
- Make a list of likely questions you’ll be asked (a few have been provided below) and contemplate each one very carefully.
- Write down or at least rehearse your answers to each question.
- Work with a colleague, friend, or family member to help you practice. Have someone be the interviewer and pretend they are interviewing you for a very competitive job. Get feedback from as many people as possible. Having a career coach will be a tremendous asset to guide you through your answers.
- If there are case questions involved, practice a few examples every so often to keep your mind sharp and logic clear.
Many of the people who land their dream jobs usually do some combination of two or more (sometimes all) of these ways over an extended period of time, months even. It may seem difficult, even pointless, at times. But getting your dream job, especially one that is so fiercely competitive, will mean you’ll need to put in a lot of effort before you achieve success.
10 Most Common Interview Questions
Below are the 10 most common questions that you might be asked during a typical interview. Start here, and once you feel you formulated succinct but informative responses, step up your game and research questions that are typically asked of your specific job type or industry.
- Tell me about yourself?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- Describe a time that was challenging to you and how did you overcome it?
- How do you deal with pressure or stressful situations?
- How do you deal with conflict from your co-workers? From your boss?
- Why do you want to work for this company?
- What makes you unique from the rest of the applicants?
- What would you do on your first day at work?
- What did you in your last (or current) position?
- Do you have any questions for us?
Last tip: For any interview, whether casual or professional, make sure you research the company beforehand. The worst thing is to go into an interview with all the physical materials prepared (resume, paper, pen, etc.) but not knowing a single thing about the company you applied to. Researching beforehand will not only help you alleviate some stress before your interview, but it will also help you create some questions to ask when the interviewer asks YOU for any questions.
