With her vast experience as a former recruiter, Jaime Petkanics has spent thousands of hours conducting interviews and asking these top 10 influencing interview questions. These inquiries can offer plenty of information to assess if the applicant is an appropriate fit for the vacancy. Therefore, here are her recommendations on how to answer them confidently:

1. “Tell me about yourself,” “Walk me through your background,” or “Walk me through your resume”

How to answer: Crafting a compelling response to this query should be brief (five minutes or less) and detail the most pertinent points from your professional background, education, and additional skills/hobbies. The best answers are chronological stories wherein each part of the narrative naturally follows on from the one that came before it. An example might be:

I studied communications in college because I was really interested in the media and based on loving my coursework, I pursued an internship at NBC. During that internship I did X, Y, and Z… and so on…

Additional resources: more on how to answer this question here

2. “Why are you suitable for this job?

How to answer: As the interviewer, I’m asking how your prior experience can equip you to excel in this role. Carefully analyze the job description, item by item, and come up with a pertinent instance of each task from your past experiences. Additionally, reflect on what skills you have developed that will help you deliver outstanding performance in this position. You can frame the answer like this:

“I noticed on the job description that X is one of the main responsibilities in this job. In my last role as a Y, Z was one of my main responsibilities and definitely have prepared me to do X.”

Don’t fret if you don’t have the exact experience your interviewer is looking for. In most cases, interviewers appreciate it when candidates can demonstrate an ability and willingness to expand their knowledge base and take on new tasks or roles in a different position.

Additional resources: More on how to answer this question here.

3. “Why do you want to work at this company” or “What do you know about this company?”

How to answer: Being asked this question enables the interviewer to gauge how passionate you are about working at their company, as well as allows them to connect with your reasons for wanting to work there. To ensure that you’re prepared and able to answer confidently, do some research ahead of time on elements such as leadership, mission statement, business strategy, culture, etc., then decide which aspects speak most strongly to you – so when the time comes you can explain why those values appeal meaningfully.

Additional resources: More on how to answer this question here.

Not sure what to expect in an upcoming interview? Reach out to Jaime Petkanics for personalized feedback and guidance!

Click here for the rest of Jaime’s tips on how to answer these common interview questions.

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