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Commonly asked interview questions and how to answer them

19th March 2020

While all interviews and interviewers are different, there are some common questions that are asked frequently. This is to find out more about the candidate and how they deal with certain situations. We’ve compiled a list of some of those questions and some guidance on how to answer them.

You can read more of our interview tips in our Advance Advice section.

Tell me about yourself

Some interviewers will start the conversation by giving a little insight into the business. They will then most likely ask you to tell them a little bit about yourself.

Give them a quick summary of who you are and what you have been doing. In addition, some insight on any experience you’ve had which is relevant to the job. It’s a great point in the interview to mention your top achievements and why you think you’d be perfect for the role.

The interviewer won’t want to hear your life story or your family history here. Make sure to talk about experience relevant to the position instead. 

Why are you looking to leave your current role?

With this common interview question, you should consider how you word your answer. Here, it is important not to talk negatively about your current employer. Focus on mentioning that you are looking for new challenges. You could even highlight aspects of the job you are interviewing for which aren’t available with your current employer.

Tell me about a tricky situation you have dealt with and how you solved it

When being asked this kind of question, the interviewers want to find out more about your negotiating skills or potential clashes with colleagues. The best way to approach this question is to explain the situation, how you resolved it and what the outcome was.

Try to steer clear of describing a situation where you caused conflict. This might give the impression that you are a trouble-maker and might not be a good fit for their team.

What are your weaknesses

Being asked this question can be quite daunting and we have recently dedicated a blog post to it which you can read here.

Talk about something you know isn’t your strongest point but which you are working on, for example, your presentation skills. This is something you can get training on and will be the kind of answer the interviewer is looking for.

The salary question

Don’t undersell yourself here and say to the interviewer that whatever they think will be great. 

A lot of job adverts will include a salary band and if this isn’t the case, you can take a look at similar roles and get a good idea of an appropriate salary from those. 

You can then justify what you are asking for by mentioning relevant knowledge and experience you will bring to the team.

Do you have any questions

Avoid asking about working hours and holidays here but instead, ask something about the business. Something you might have read about and you’d like to find out more. Maybe there is a new product or service they are launching which you can ask about. That also shows the interviewer that you have done your research on the company. 

Are you looking to take the next step in your career? 

Advance TRS is growing quickly and we are always looking for ambitious, driven people to join the team. If you are interested to find out more about our current opportunities, visit our website

Or, for a discrete conversation, contact Jess Wells our Talent Acquisition Manager.