You polished your resume, sent a top-notch cover letter and finally landed the interview for your dream job. Now comes the stressful part — preparing for the interview. Although you never know the exact questions your interviewer will ask, preparing for the hardest questions will ensure that you head into the interview with confidence.
Here are the top five questions you should prepare for:
1. What is your greatest weakness?
This is a question we all dread. However, it is a great opportunity for you to show your future employer how you overcome obstacles. Whatever your weakness may be, make sure to highlight what you did to overcome it.
2. Why do you want to work here?
This is your chance to show them how much you know about their company. Talk about specific project they recently did with a client and how it impressed you. Better yet, share about how you drew inspiration from a campaign they did and used it for a project you worked on at school. The employer will be impressed that you took the time to understand their strategies and reinterpret them for your own projects.
3. What are your goals?
This can be a tricky question. Do you talk about personal goals or work-related goals? The answer is both. Talk about an immediate goal you have—something in the near future such as getting a job at a company that allows growth opportunities. Then talk about a long-term goal such as working your way into a leadership role within that company. These answers will highlight short and long term goals as well as personal and professional goals.
4. What can you do for us that other candidates can’t?
This is by far the hardest question to answer. You don’t want to sound cocky, but you also don’t want to appear to lack confidence. Employers are looking for something that makes you unique. Think about skills and experiences you have that will directly help you solve a problem this employer may have. Then tell them how those skills will help you complete a task.
5. What salary are you seeking?
While this might not come up in every interview, it is important to think about in case it does. Do some research and see what the going rate is for the position. You don’t want to go high and have it disqualify you from the job, or set the bar too low and allow them to pay you less then the others with similar qualification. Be prepared to give them a number and have confidence you are worth that amount.
These barely scratch the surface of possible interview questions. My advice is to research the company and know as much about them as you can. Look up as many interview questions as you need to calm your nerves. Practice them with a friend or family member and remember to take a deep breath before going into the interview.
Austin is a senior public relations student graduating in fall 2014. Austin is interested in pursuing a career in investor relations and financial communication. You can reach him by email at austinz@uoregon.edu.
Photo credit: Samuel Mann