Being invited to a first stage interview is great accomplishment, it means your CV highlighted that you have the relevant skills and experience for the role. And now it is time to show off in person why you are the best candidate for the job.

Pin Point Recruitment reveal the most commonly asked questions at the initial interview stage and how you should best prepare for them.

How to prepare

Much like a telephone interview, you should research and prepare answers you could give to questions the recruiter may ask. A well thought out answer could be the thing that will get you to the next part of the interview process.

What are the most basic interview questions you could be asked?

How did you hear about this position?

Be honest why you applied for the position. Was it the company? Did you hunt for opening the company had? If you found it amongst other jobs what made you choose this specific role?

Why do you want to leave your current job?

Try and focus on positive reasons on why you want to leave your current role. Do you want new challenges?

Why should we hire you for this role?

For this question, try to avoid the basic answers you could give which the interviewer would have heard multiple times from other candidates and aim to give an answer which offers something that other candidates can’t.

What can you offer us that someone else will not be able to?

This can be a difficult question to answer but beforehand, you should prepare a few answers you could give to this question. Try to avoid going for something basic like passion or enthusiasm. Instead, think of skills from previous roles which you could bring to the new role.

How do you handle working under pressure?

Try to answer this question by giving examples of times you were under pressure and how you managed to deal with it in order to get the job done efficiently. As well as this, you will be asked competency questions such as how you deal with certain situations.

What are your salary requirements?

When answering this question, try to suggest a fair salary and benefits package. Research what the typical going rate is for similar roles for people with the same level of experience. Do not state what you already earn.

Are there any questions you want to ask me?

This question will be asked in the interview so prepare a few beforehand. For example, what is the company culture like? What is the dress code? What does it take to carry out this role effectively?

Other questions

There are other questions you could be asked in the interview which are listed below. You should also make notes based on these topics.

• Background & Experience – Usually, you will discuss your CV and work background.
• Strengths and Weaknesses – Avoid clichés and try to answer each question as best as you can. Try and think of examples before the interview.
• Career Development –  e.g. Where do you see yourself in the future?
• Behavioural Question – The way in which you answer the set of behavioural questions can determine whether you are a good fit for the role and for the company.
• Company related questions – It is important to research the company you are apply for and its main competitors beforehand.
• Hobbies and Interests – This can give the recruiter a more well-rounded idea of the person applying for the role.
• Leadership questions – If you are applying for a managerial position, these types of questions will be asked to see how you will deal with certain situations.

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