At Distinct Recruitment, we work with candidates and employers to fill roles - and also importantly, ensure candidates are matched with cultures where they can continue their professional development. We’re going to go through the most common interview questions and how to prepare for job interview questions by breaking down why the interviewer is asking the question and how you can best approach it. This insider info will give you the confidence to walk into any interview ready to show them what motivates and makes you perfect for the role.
For more insight into how to prepare for your job interview please take a look at our comprehensive Interview Tips Guide. You can find Part 1 and Part 2 here.
- How do you deal with pressure/time management?
- Do you work better in a team or individually?
- What are your goals for the future?
- Are you applying for other jobs?
- Why are you leaving your current job?
- Bonus question: What are your salary expectations?
What they are asking:
This question is an invitation to show your personality and how you can positively impact the team. The interviewer is looking for a story or details that pertain to your skillset and motivations. Use this question to expand on bullet points or positive attributes in your CV.
How to answer:
Knowing how to prepare for a job interview isn’t an exact science. Instead, it’s important to remain flexible and keep aspects of your skillset or experience in mind that can be drawn upon to answer the question. This one is the perfect example of this practice.
This question is all about providing a summary of your skills and motivations. For example, if you’d describe yourself as motivated, then explain an instance where you went above and beyond to get the job done. You can also mention any training or education such as coursework or certifications that helped you achieve your goals.
By weaving these details into a concise story you can convey personal and professional traits that explain who you are and what you can bring to a potential employer. Make sure you don’t get bogged down in personal details - try to remember that every answer needs to relate to the role at hand.
What they are asking:
This question can be phrased in several ways but it essentially boils down to “how do you manage your time or prioritise work”? The employer is looking for insight into what you do when the pressure builds. Do you take the initiative or open up communication with a senior member of staff? Are you calm under pressure? How do you deal with stressful situations?
This job interview question is crucial for the interviewer to understand “why I should hire you” and forms part of a large proportion of job interviews.
How to answer:
Be honest about your abilities, but play to your strengths. If you’re used to working with a team in stressful situations then talk about how you open up communication channels and make sure everyone is on the same page. If you prefer to sort issues as quickly as possible or work better alone then talk about your initiative and problem-solving. Wherever your strengths lie, that’s where you want to focus your answer.
What they are asking:
This is a more role-specific question and will be determined by your industry, job spec, and company culture. This question is guaranteed to pop up and is definitely worth preparing for in your job interview. Interviewers will use this question to gauge your ability to work in a team, while also probing to see how you are with taking initiative.
How to answer:
For almost all roles there will be an element of teamwork or collaboration required. When answering this question try to focus on how your skills work to support team goals as well as your ability to take on tasks and complete them individually when necessary. Discuss instances where you have worked with a team and achieved stellar results.
For a more nuanced answer, you can also discuss the benefits and challenges of both independent work and teamwork and how you ensure you manage to get the best out of both worlds.
What they are asking:
This question allows employers to gauge your commitment and see if you’re considering the move as a long-term career or a stepping stone to something else. This question can also be phrased more subtly with questions around whether you are planning to relocate (if working remotely or far from home), or if you have any plans to take on more exams, qualifications, or accreditations.
How to answer:
This is another important job interview question to prepare for as it can often catch people off-guard. Knowing your plans for the next 5-10 years can be a lot to try to think of on the spot, so planning for this question is advised to avoid awkward silences or missteps.
The best way to answer this question is to talk about how your personal goals match the company. By doing so, you can show a commitment to work with and towards their unified goals, without promising the earth. We would recommend against talking about the role as a stepping stone. This can make it seem as if you view the role as trivial and the company’s needs as less important than your own.
Be a team player - show how you and the company can grow together, and leave it at that.
What they are asking:
The interview process can be a costly endeavour for companies (especially when done in-house). As a result, employers will often ask if you have applied for other jobs so they can gauge if they are your top choice or if there is competition for your signature.
How to answer:
So how do you prepare for this job interview question? Be honest. If you are applying for other positions then say so. You don’t need to go into great detail. If you’ve received an offer, let them know so that they can speed up the process if they want to offer you their role. You don’t need to volunteer where you’ve applied or what positions you’ve applied for. A simple yes or no (with information on what stage of the interview process you’re in) is all that’s required.
What they are asking:
Interviewers ask this question to get a sense of what you want in a new role or workplace. They may also use it to see how what your relationship is with your current employer and how you convey information.
How to answer:
Always be positive. Even if you are leaving because of negative events or circumstances try to focus on your desire for development and career goals. This is not a time to complain about internal incidents or clients. Doing so will reflect badly upon you and makes the interviewer think, “What might this candidate say about us in the future?”
What they are asking:
This question opens the floor to you and shows the interviewer how engaged you are and how much research you have done. While serving as a time to answer your questions, it is also a great opportunity to try to understand your motivations and commitment to the role.
How to answer:
This is where you can show off all your research! Ask questions about clients (regarding case studies or blogs you’ve read), discuss the type of systems they work with, and other practices, processes, or requirements. If you have any specific questions about the role that haven’t been answered by the job spec or interviewer, now is the time to ask.
We also recommend against asking about salary at this point. This is best discussed when brought up by the interviewer or during the formal job offer.
“This question is important. It’s best to understand why they’re asking this. Let’s go through a few scenarios.”
If you say you’re looking for £20k as a minimum, but really you wouldn’t accept less than £24k, you may get an offer for £20k.
If the client was planning on offering £25k and you say £20k, you will probably get an offer for £20k, and this could leave £5k on the table.
If you would happily accept £25k, but see this question as a chance to get a higher salary - and so you say £28k, the client may discount you as a viable candidate if the budget was £25k. They may then make an offer to someone else.
They may also be asking this question to refer back to the salary on your cover sheet. This is to make sure it matches up and there hasn’t been a mistake anywhere.
Michelle’s advice: I would be honest and answer with the salary on the cover sheet.
If relevant, you could also use this as a chance to mention what salaries you have been on in the past, and how you’re more interested in the opportunity within the role (or study support/progression) than the salary - this will show that you’ve considered the role and are thinking long-term.
We’re here to help you find the right fit, whether you need support on how to prepare for an interview with no previous experience, or are a senior executive looking for a new challenge. Contact our recruiters in Nottingham or Milton Keynes today to kickstart your job search. Our recruiters work with you to understand your drives and motivations, in order to find roles that match your ambitions.
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