Have you just landed your first job interview ? Congratulations! To put all the chances on your side and succeed brilliantly, it is now time to look at the tricky questions of the job interview .
Preparing well for your professional interview is essential to avoid feeling stuck and to show confidence on the big day. Don't panic, we'll give you the 5 questions most frequently asked by recruiters and how to approach them!
In this guide you will discover:
- How a job interview takes place
- How to prepare for a successful interview
- The best answers to recruiters' questions
How to prepare well for a job interview?
You've spent time writing the perfect resume and cover letter and you've finally landed a job interview! After the excitement, panic sets in.
How does a job interview take place? How to prepare for your interview? But above all, how to succeed in your job interview and prepare well for the questions of your future employer?
Our best advice for a successful job interview is to anticipate the recruiter's questions so as not to be caught off guard. There is nothing worse than answering "I don't know" and not being able to elaborate! The dialogue of a job interview should take place like a conversation, between equals. To make this possible, you just need to be well prepared.
Grab a notebook and pen and get ready to take notes. Research the company you're applying to and write down your questions and those that are likely to be asked. Writing down the questions and answers of a typical interview that you might encounter will allow you to adapt them to your profile and memorize them. The advantage? You can reread them just before your interview to get back into the swing of things!
The 10 classic questions of a job interview
It is impossible to predict in advance what questions your future employer will ask, but you can work on the most frequently asked questions in interviews. This exercise will allow you to analyze and deepen your candidate profile, develop your self-confidence and prepare your own questions to ask in interviews .
Don't hesitate to simulate your future interview with friends or in front of your mirror. Practice answering questions naturally and adopting the right posture.
1. What can you tell me about yourself?
It is one of the most frequently asked questions in interviews and it confuses many candidates. How do you know what exactly the recruiter wants? Should you talk about your professional skills, your knowledge, your educational background or your hobbies?
In fact, this interview question aims to assess your personality through the way you structure your career path. Are you talkative, reserved, stressed or do you show confidence? Don't be afraid of this essential question because it can allow you to guide the dialogue and highlight your strengths. Briefly explain who you are, your career path and what motivated you to apply for this position.
2. What is your interest in this position and our company?
This interview question is meant to make sure that you really want the job and that you are not just asking for a short-term approach. Did you apply randomly because you couldn't find a better fit, or do you really want to work for this company?
To show your motivation in a job interview , it is essential to have a good knowledge of the company you are applying to. Find out the name of your employer, the date the company was founded, its competitors, the values it promotes and its news.
This will allow you to prepare questions to ask in an interview , to make the connection with your skills and your background, but also to demonstrate your interest.
3. Name three of your qualities and three faults?
You don't know how to answer the job interview question : "Give me 3 qualities and 3 faults that characterize you"? Well known in professional interviews, it is often the subject of overrated answers from candidates. In one of our guides, we give you a list of human qualities and faults to give in an interview to answer successfully.
The hardest part? Bring up flaws that won’t scare your recruiter away. Rather than disguising flaws as qualities by choosing standard answers like “I’m too much of a perfectionist,” talk instead about “areas for improvement” like technical deficiencies that you would like to improve on.
4. What are your salary expectations?
Often seen as a trick question, this interview question is often asked at the end of the interview and is dreaded by most candidates. You don't know how to negotiate your salary during an interview ? Are you afraid of underestimating yourself or, on the contrary, asking for a little too much and putting off your recruiter?
This type of question should be thought out in advance to properly prepare for an interview . Essential to your development and your expectations, it allows your recruiter to know how you position yourself on the market and if you are able to talk about a delicate subject without taboo!
In one of our guides, we explain how to determine the right salary range for you and how to approach this typical interview question with confidence.
Start by assessing the competition, the added value you can bring to the company, your experience, the benefits offered in your position (meal vouchers, teleworking, company car, etc.) and honestly indicate the fixed salary you want.
5. Do you have any questions?
This interview question is systematically asked by the recruiter to conclude the interview. Answering negatively risks giving the impression that you are not interested in the company and the position! It is therefore imperative to prepare a list of questions to ask, in a natural way or on a notepad that you have taken with you.
But what questions should you ask during an interview? The best strategy is to ask your recruiter specific questions about the company and the position to be filled.
Some examples of questions to ask during an interview:
- What are the company's plans?
- Do you plan to expand internationally?
- Is my position likely to evolve?
- Who will be my manager and what is their background?
- What is the general atmosphere of the company?
- What are the criteria chosen to judge the trial period?
Another question to ask during an interview to demonstrate your interest: “What are the reasons that made you want to join the company?” It allows for an interested and natural dialogue, but also highlights your recruiter.
