Are you preparing for your interview? Getting a slight hint on what questions you could be asked will lower your stress level. There are no standard set of questions you will be asked. The requirement for each job is different, so are the questions. However there are some generic questions you might come across. You must have experienced this if you have faced interviews before. Knowing that these questions could be asked it may be a good idea to be prepared.

Being prepared does not mean that you have to mug up all the answers. It’s just that you will have a better idea on the areas you need to focus on. This will help you respond to questions thoughtfully and smoothly with confidence. Following are the 10 common job interview questions you should be aware of before your next interview.

1. Tell me about yourself.

This question is an opening question for setting the tone for the interview. This question is asked to make you feel comfortable and relaxed. This question allows you to draw a path on how you want to take the interview further. Since the interviewer will start judging you since the beginning itself, try to present yourself strongly.

Here you should briefly introduce yourself, highlighting all the information you have mentioned in your resume. Talk about your past roles and never forget to link it with the job you have applied for. Do not stress on irrelevant personal information and try to summarize your resume.

2. What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Recruiters are concerned about your strengths and weaknesses so that they can match and analyse your traits, competencies with the job characteristics.

While talking about your strengths, stress more on your expertise and justify it with your previous job related achievements. Similarly, talk about those abilities you think you should improve.

3. Why did you choose this field?

Very often recruiters are concerned about the reason behind your career choice. They would like to hear your justification on your respective career choice. Your interest towards the job can be reflected here.

Be very honest while answering this question. Try to show your passion towards the field you are in. You can always link up your qualification and interest here. Do not hesitate to explain your short stories relating to past job that can justify your reason behind selecting the field you are in.

4. Are you a team player?

Depending on the nature of job, recruiters try to access your ability to adjust in a team. They want someone who is flexible and can easily adapt in any situation.

While answering this, candidates should try to present examples of working in a team fulfilling certain tasks from their past professional experience, their associated clubs, associations. You can also talk about instances from your last job where you had done something with your team which had a positive outcome and was appreciated by others.

5. How well do you know our company?

Interviewers always try to access your interest towards the job during the interview. They expect you to be clear about the basics of the company.

Candidates should always do a quick research about the company prior to the interview. It is always good to go through their website and have a clear picture about their market presence. Being prepared on this part will actually help you stand out as a possible candidate for the position.

6. How well do you work under pressure?

Since today’s job market is full of challenges and competition, recruiters will always look for a person who can deliver under any situation. They are concerned about how you would handle stress and whether stress would hamper your deliverables at work.

A appropriate way to respond to this question maybe to explain how you use to handle such situations during your last job. Talk about the difficult situations and how you overcame them.

7. Why should we hire you?

This is where the interviewer expects you to put forward a clear point and convince them why you are the best possible candidate. They want you to explain how effectively and efficiently you can perform the associated tasks of the position.

You should be very careful while answering this question. You should focus more on your expertise that can be beneficial for the company. You should also highlight your achievements during the last job and what you could bring to the table.

8. Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now?

Usually the interviewer wants to indirectly ask you about your commitment to stay in the company. They are interested in your future plans and try to match it with the position requirement they are looking for.

Always highlight your career objective in line with the company’s vision and give the recruiter a clear reason to consider you a final candidate for the position. Talk about your career aspirations and expectations. Never forget to link the company goals with your individual growth path.

9. What are your salary expectations?

This question is a tricky part of your  interview. One should always have a research about the compensation package for the applied job in the market. For this you should have a clear understanding of what the job position requires. Always be prepared about the salary range that you expect. It would be beneficial to you to show a bit of flexibility on your expectations.

10. Do you have any questions?

Almost all the interviews end up with this opportunity to put forward your queries. Be prepared on what you need to ask. Do not ask too many questions. Questions should be relating to the job role, joining dates, follow up process and so on. Asking questions will make the interviewer feel that you genuinely have an interest in the position.

Being aware of all the above questions with thoughtful answers will definitely help you ace your next interview. This preparation will help you boost up your confidence level and eliminate any fear facing an interview.