Common Job Interview Questions

1. Why did you apply for this position and what interests you about this job?

When you are asked what interests you about the position you are interviewing for, the best way to
respond is to describe the qualifications listed in the job posting and connect them to your skills and
experience. That way, the employer will see that you know about the job you are interviewing for
and that you have the skills to do the job. Also, be sure to add your past experiences and how you
relate those activities to the new position.

2. What major challenges and problems did you face in your last job and how did you handle
them?

When this question arises, be sure to include specific examples of how you handled a particular
difficult situation and remember to include how you researched the problem and how you came to a
solution.

Reaching solutions for different problems could include reaching a solution through positive
discussions, brainstorming and listening to the opinions and suggestions of others.

3. What did you like or dislike about your previous job?

Do not be too negative when answering this question. The reason is that you do not want the
interviewer to think that you are a negative person and that you will speak negatively about the new
job when you are ready to move on, if you get this job. Rather, talk about yourself and what you are
looking for in a new role.

Your answer should also include positive attributes about your last company and the role but include
that you are looking for more room to grow or a new challenge which was not on offer in your
previous position. For example: One of the reasons I am leaving is that I felt I was not challenged
enough at the job.

4. Have you ever had difficulty working with a manager?

Be careful answering questions about previous managers. You do not want to come across as a
difficult employee and you want to cast any past experiences in the most positive light as possible. A
positive response will include how you might have had a rocky start with a manager but you took the
initiative to sit down and discuss it with them and from there on resolved any miscommunication
and could work well together.

5. Why are you leaving your job?

It is advisable to prepare answers to this typical question in advance. There are many reasons for
leaving a job and pursuing a new one so this answer will be specific to your situation.

Possible responses could include that you are looking for a new challenge, you would like to gain
experience in a different field or industry, you would like to use your qualification on a daily basis or
that you are looking for a career change and a new, exciting role. Furthermore, the reason could also
be due to the fact that jobs were being minimised at your previous company and unfortunately
yours was one to be cut.
6. What do you expect from a supervisor?

If you are interviewing for a position as a supervisor, this question is relevant in order for your
employer to see how you would like to be managed as an employee. This will give them an idea of
what type of supervisor you are likely to be.

To answer this question you can include that you appreciate supervisors that take the time to create
personal connections with subordinates. You could also say that you prefer a supervisor to treat all
employees equally and not show favouritism or a manager who is approachable and open-minded.

7. What is your greatest weakness?

Although this question can be seen as putting focus on your negative points, it is merely asked so
that the interviewer can assess which areas you need to work on and how you are changing your
weak areas to work in your favour.

This question can be answered in a positive way by mentioning certain skills that are not critical for
the position you are applying for. You can also mention skills or traits that might have been a
weakness in the past but mention how you learned from it and how you currently make it work
positively in your everyday job. For example: "I used to struggle with delegating work to others as I
would get frustrated when the task wasn’t done to my standards, however I overcame this by
trusting the abilities of my colleagues and over time, found it easier to delegate tasks."This turns a
potential negative point into a positive one and shows that you are willing to seek out your weak
points and take action with them.

8. How will your greatest strength help you perform in this position?

When you answer this question make sure to relate your strengths to both the job description and
your ability to perform at work.

Strengths that can contribute positively to a job include: multitasking, ability to not lose focus on the
job at hand, organisation skills, delegation skills, working with different cultures and personalities,
managerial skills, meeting deadlines, time management and being able to focus on tasks that some
may view as mundane.

9. How would you describe yourself?

When you respond to this question keep in mind the type of position you are interviewing for, the
company culture and the work environment. Your answer should help show the interviewer why
you're a match for the job and for the company.

This question can be met with traits such as; I am friendly and motivated, I am a perfectionist and
pay attention to detail. I am a creative thinker and like to motivate those around me to be creative, I
am open and like to help others wherever I can, I am efficient and result orientated or I enjoy solving
problems and brainstorming ideas to reach a common solution.

10. Describe your work style

During an interview when you’re asked about how you work it's important to impress the
interviewer with your competency and accuracy rather than just your speed.

A good response might include that you make use of a lists to prioritise tasks so that nothing slips
through the cracks or tasks get forgotten during the course of a busy day. Mention that you take a
few minutes at the beginning or end of the day to run through the most important tasks.
Your work style might also be driven by certain factors, for example you are efficient and focus on
your work for certain periods with no interruptions. You might also be the type of worker that uses
different traits to get a job done.

11. How do you handle stress and pressure?

This is a typical question in job interviews in order to get a sense of how you handle job stress.

If you find that you do not work well under pressure, it might be worthwhile mentioning that when
you find yourself in a stressful situation you remove yourself from the task for a few seconds and
take a moment to reassess. Also, mention that from past experience, once you have cleared your
mind, you are quickly able to get back to the task and work through it.

You could also mention that you are the type of person that is motivated by pressure and you find
yourself working more effectively when there is a deadline looming.

12. Are you a self-motivator?

There is no right or wrong answer to questions about what motivates you. The interviewer is trying
to understand the key to you being successful in the job he is interviewing for and wants to make
sure it is a good fit.

Consider, before the interview, what actually does motivate you and come up with some specific
examples to share during the interview. Your response will vary based on your background and
experiences but you will want to share your enthusiasm and what you liked best about your previous
job.

In addition, different people are motivated by different factors, including the challenge of finishing a
project on time or ahead of schedule, the desire to please or the satisfaction of positive client
feedback.

13. Do you prefer to work independently or with a team?

This question is asked so that your interviewer is able to asses if you are a team player or would
rather work on your own.

It is a good idea to mention that you work well in both situations as many jobs require group and
independent activities. However, it is also not necessarily a negative thing to prefer working on your
own. If you find that you are more productive and complete more tasks when working without the
distraction of others around you this is worth mentioning.

14. What do you know about this company?

This question is asked to assess how much company research you have conducted prior to the
interview.

Prepare in advance and research the organisation thoroughly so that you can provide relevant and
current information about your prospective employer.

Use research tools such as LinkedIn and the company’s website to view its mission and vision
statements, history, other branches and locations. Also, have a look at the company’s Facebook and
Twitter pages to see what they are promoting and sharing and to get an idea of what is new within
the company. It is also a good idea to Google search any news on the company that might be of
importance for the interview.
It is always better to research too much than too little.

15. Why are you the best person for the job?

This is a typical interview question asked to get your opinion or to validate the interviewer's opinion
on why you would be the best candidate for the position.

The best way to respond is to give concrete examples of why your skills and accomplishments make
you the best candidate for the job and how your experience and strengths complement the position.
Take a few moments to compare the job description with your abilities and mention what you have
accomplished in your other positions. Be positive and reiterate your interest in the company and the
position.

Tell me about yourself

A typical but tricky opening question. It is important to draw the interest of the interviewer from the
very first moment, so keep it short and to the point (less than five minutes). Elaborate on your
qualifications, career history and skills but avoid going into too much detail. If you lack any
(significant) prior work experience you can always focus more on your studies and correlate them
with the specific entry position.

What have your achievements been to date?

Focus on position-related and (fairly) recent achievements, and illustrate their impact on the
company. e.g. "I managed to decrease the stock levels and thus, reduced warehousing costs by
30%."

Are you happy with your career-to-date?

A straightforward answer justifying your up-to-date choices should be enough. Do not forget to
mention the word "happy" and elaborate on your future career goals and personal achievements.

What is the most difficult situation you faced and how did you tackle it?

The interviewer is trying to identify what you perceive as "difficult" and apparently, you must
emphasise your problem solving capabilities. Describe a difficult situation and make sure your
answer clearly states: problem definition, possible solutions, justification of your choice and of
course, the outcome. A "what-I-learned-from-that-experience" speech would be ideal for ending...

What are your strengths?

Surprisingly, most candidates believe that this is one of the most difficult questions. Just mention
core terms such as:

• "easy learner"

• "result oriented"

• "socialising skills"

• "team player"

• "proactive"

• "hard worker"
All of them, followed by concrete examples.

What are your greatest weaknesses?

Be ready to mention (some of) your weak points. Admitting lack of experience is always an option
but stressing your weaknesses along with actions you are undertaking to improve them is much
better.

Why did you apply for this particular job?

This is the point that you need to convince the interviewer that this role complements your personal
characteristics and career prospects. A thorough preparation before the interview should reveal
which attributes of the role / company interest you the most.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Your answer should include both short and long term goals. Describe the position that you would
eventually like to work in and give a brief overview of how you plan on going there. Keywords such
as "ambition" and "determination" should be mentioned but not repeatedly.

What can you offer to this organisation?

Every employer is looking for an employee to add value, so pay extra attention and of course, time.
Usually, job descriptions include the required characteristics, so isolate all keywords and practice
your answer beforehand.

What level of salary are you seeking?

The interviewer assumes that you are aware of the labour conditions as well as the salary for similar
positions. Try not to specify your desired wage level even if there is a salary indication in the job
description. In general, employers accept the fact that many candidates are not willing to discuss it
during the initial stages.

Other common questions during interviews in the Netherlands

• Why did you choose this industry?

• What is more important to you: the salary level or the type of your job?

• Why would you characterise yourself as a leader? (examples needed)

• What kind of pressures have you encountered at work?

• Do you work effectively under pressure?

• What kind of people do you like working with?

• What kind of people do you find it difficult to work with?

• Has your work been criticised in the past? Give an example.

• Describe me a situation where you felt anger at work. What was your reaction?

• Give me examples of dealing with conflicts at work.

• Tell me about the last time you disagreed with your manager.

• Describe me the ideal manager.

• Do you prefer working alone or in a group?

• At the moment you are occupied in a very different organisation. How do you think you will
fit in?

• What are you looking for in an international company?

• How do you measure your performance?

• Are you a self-starter? (provide examples)

• Tell me about changes in the workplace that caused you difficulty. Why?

• How do you feel about working extra hours and / or weekends?

• Tell me about targets that you failed to achieve.

• What have you learned from your mistakes?

Questions & Answers if you have a job (in the Netherlands)

Be prepared to answer the following questions if you are already working in the Netherlands:

What do you like about your present job?

Emphasise your role and describe how appealing your present job is but do not overdo it; you are
about to leave.

What do you dislike about your present job?

Do not formulate false conclusions. Talk about a general characteristic in your current company
(location, industry etc.) to keep the discussion on a general level.

Why do you want to leave your current role?

The answer is simple: you need to make a turn in your career. Avoid negative references (e.g. your
current employer) and focus on your future career steps.

Ask the following questions

Here are some questions for you to ask:

About the role

• Why has the position become available?

• What are the main objectives and responsibilities of the position?

• Which are you measurement criteria for employee performance?

• How does your company invest in the development of its employees?

• How many colleagues will I cooperate with?

• What does the remuneration package include?

About the company

• How do you (as a company) build good relationships within teams?

• Are there any plans for expansion?

About the industry

• It would be wise to ask the interviewer about the latest industry changes such as mergers
and acquisitions.

Hints & Tips

• Call them in advance.

• Arrive 10 minutes earlier.

• Bring copies of your CV, cover letter, diplomas & references.

• Introduce yourself.

• Shake hands.

• Maintain eye contact.

• Exchange business cards.

• Ask questions at the end of the interview.

• Enjoy the interview!