Job Interview Questions that You Can Expect

So, you are probably one of the tens of candidates selected for a job interview for a particular job position. To increase your chances of succeeding, you need to prepare yourself ahead of time. Here are ten job interview questions you can expect to be asked as well as the answers to the questions. 

1. Tell me about yourself.

This is easily the first question you can expect to be asked. To answer this question, avoid delving into your details. The required answer is more professional than personal. If you are a recent graduate, begin by telling your interviewer that you just graduated, then go on to explain why you chose your current field of study or career path. 

However, if you have some years of career experience, you should state it. If you have more than seven (7) years of experience, you may choose to summarize your first seven years in a line of sentences, then go ahead to concisely state your career journey from that point. 

Remember to highlight your achievements, accomplishments, and strengths, while making sure to tailor them to the role you’re being interviewed for. You may conclude by stating your current situation. This means that you should explain why you believe the job role you’re applying for in their firm is of benefit to you, and what you intend to do from there

While ‘telling your interviewer about yourself, please keep it work-related. Even if you want to introduce some personal experiences, they must be relevant to the job role you are applying for. Give a compelling career story, but make it short (less than two minutes) and professional. 

From start to finish, here’s a sample for a recent graduate:

“I’m Jane Doe and I recently bagged a degree in Agriculture. I chose to study Agriculture because, from childhood, I’ve always had a green thumb. My parents are farmers, so I was surrounded by activities that would stimulate my interest in agriculture.

As I grew older, I moved from merely being interested in becoming passionate about the field, hence, my decision to study Agriculture and pursue a career therein. I am equipped with a basic practical knowledge that will be relevant in this field and I’m presently in need of a career platform where I can put my acquired knowledge and skills to good use, while also developing myself professionally by undertaking new, challenging, and stimulating tasks.

For this reason, I consider this position in your firm a great opportunity to develop myself further in these skills, as I believe your firm can give me room to challenge myself and build my career successfully.”

2. What do you know about our company?

It is expected that you must have done your research before coming to the interview. Find out about the mission, vision, goals, products, staff, history, background, etc. of the company. Also, ask your interviewer informed questions about the company. This will show that you are indeed interested in becoming a part of the company. 

3. Why do you want to work for us?

In answering this question, present your skills, experiences, and knowledge as a solution to their needs. Don’t talk about what you want, but talk about what they need. Explain the relevant contributions you can make by being part of their company. 

You are more likely to get the job if you replace “I want to work for your company because I need funds” (or anything along those lines) with “I want to work for your company because I have the required skillset which I believe will be useful to the progress and success of your company”.

4. What should we hire you, instead of someone else?

You will need to highlight your specific strengths and relevant problem-solving abilities that you may have demonstrated in the past while working for another employer, or while you were in a work-related situation.

If you are a recent graduate, talk about your academic achievement, your personal development while you were in school, volunteering, and your leadership experience as an undergraduate. 

5. Explain the role of an (insert position you are being interviewed for)

It is expected that you know the roles and responsibilities of the job position you are being interviewed for. Be concise and direct in your approach. 

6. How long would you like to stay with us?

This is a tricky question, especially since you are likely to find more mouthwatering job offers during your stay in Canada. However, you should tell your interviewer that you are interested in staying long-term and that you intend to build your career here. 

7. How long would it take you to contribute meaningfully to our company?

You will need a brief period to adjust and acclimatize to the company environment, and your interviewer knows this. You should reply to this question by stating that after your brief period of adjustment, you will begin contributing meaningfully to the company.

State that your brief period of adjustment is necessary for you to observe the company’s culture, areas in which you can be innovative, etc. 

8. How would you describe yourself or your personality?

Explain your personality in simple, but effective adjectives, while also making sure to present yourself as balanced. 

9. Describe your strengths and weaknesses.

Explain your strong points, but be careful not to overdo it, so you don’t come across as being arrogant. In describing your weaknesses, also make sure to link them to your strengths, and explain that you are working on your weaknesses.

For example, “I am a goal-oriented person, sometimes, I miss a deadline, however, this is because I want my work/project to be excellent. Although, I am working on the aspect of missing deadlines so that I can be more efficient.”

10. How do you resolve conflict in a work environment?

Answer by explaining that you would address the issues privately.

Because we love you, here’s a bonus question: “Is there any question you would like to ask us?”. To this you should reply by asking any of the following:

• What is the career progression like?
• How is the company’s culture?
• What are the opportunities for advancement?
• What skills and attributes do you consider valuable in your employees?
• What aims and objectives are linked with this role?
• How does the company expect these goals to be met?
• What obstacles may I expect to face in achieving the aims and objectives set for this position?

Note that you should not ask questions about your salary, rather ask questions that show you are ready to add value to the company. Usually, the interviewer will ask you questions like “how much do you expect to be paid?” You should already have researched the salary structure in the company as well as the salary range for that job position. Then, you can use that information to present a salary range you expect to be paid to your interviewer. 

Conclusion

Conclusively, it is important to state that apart from an impressive resume, how well you perform in an interview determines the degree to which you will be considered for the job position you applied for. We hope this article helps you prepare effectively for your job interview. Goodluck.