12 ANSWERING COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTIONS The following is a list of things to consider when preparing your responses. WHY ARE YOU INTERESTED IN OUR COMPANY? This is a good opportunity to show that you’ve done research on the organization; the employer is really asking, “Have you done your homework? Do you know this organization?." Focus on how you would be an asset to the organization; be prepared to discuss a few examples of how you see yourself fitting in at the organization. Do the organization’s mission, philosophy or goals make you excited? This is also another opportunity to connect your values to the company’s values. TELL ME SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF. This is the most common question and is often the first question that is asked. This is a good time to use key strengths statements from your elevator pitch. Make sure your response is relevant to the position, and set the tone of the interview with this question. WHAT KIND OF WORK DO YOU MOST ENJOY OR DISLIKE? Be careful not to mention disliking aspects of the position you want. Compare your former positions with the position you are interviewing for in a positive way; if this is a fast-paced job, you may want to say that the pace at your previous job was slower than you prefer. Never speak poorly about your former boss or company. WHY DID YOU LEAVE YOUR LAST JOB? IF YOU WERE LAID OFF: Refrain from speaking negatively about your previous employer. Saying you were laid off because of lack of work is common and generally not perceived as the worker’s fault. IF YOU WERE FIRED: Prepare an easily-said, direct response saying what happened and what you learned. Refrain from using emotional language because you may be seen as angry or bitter. Was there a change in expectations or a new boss? And did you learn anything from that experience that has or will help you grow and be a better employee? For example, say, “I had a new supervisor in my last position that had different expectations from the former supervisor. As a result of this I was terminated. What I learned from this experience is that organizations are constantly changing and I now know how to adjust to changing expectations.”
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