One reason an interview might worry you is that you don’t know what will come up and so you feel unable to prepare for it.

It’s true that you cannot know for certain which questions the employer will ask. However, some questions are “old favourites” which occur again and again. You should at least prepare good answers for these.

Open (non-specific) questions

• Tell me about yourself
  Your past, in the form of your CV, is already on the employer's desk. So, here, stick with the present. Describe briefly your work, family and interests.
• What are your strengths?
  Here they want personality traits rather than skills. Examples might include: patience, imagination, flexibility.
• What are your weaknesses?
  Turn your weaknesses into areas for development. “I’d like a bit more experience or training in….” Another strategy is to mention a “weakness” which can be seen as a strength: “If I get absorbed in a task I don’t like to have to move on to something else before I’ve seen it through.”
• What achievement or accomplishment are you most proud of?
  Have a ready answer which is relevant to the job in hand: “I created a database of our international clientele and the company still uses it every day.”
• Why do you want this job?
  Say how your skills and goals fit the company's needs and goals. You can mention tasks and duties you would enjoy. (A good phrase is “a challenge”) Don’t mention pay, hours or holidays.
• Why are you the best person for this job?
  Mention your key skills and transferable skills and say how they would be useful in the job. Make sure that you can give at least one good example for each of the skills and qualities the employer wants. (See article 'What are your key skills?')

Particular questions

• Why did you leave your past job(s)?
  Always try to give positive reasons for leaving past jobs. So, don't say you left your past jobs because you were unhappy there. Instead, say you left to move on to something better. Don't be negative about previous employers. 
• Do you prefer to work alone or in a team?
  By all means, state a preference. Put it in a positive light: “I like to get on with my work in my own way. I enjoy the challenge of using my own initiative.” Or, alternatively, “I believe that many heads are better than one.” However, make clear that you are able and willing to work in either environment.
• Can you take instructions?
  This is about management. You want to show that you can take instructions and also constructive criticism without getting upset.
• What do you know about our company?
  Make sure that you do your homework before the interview. You want to show that you are interested enough to research the company well. Use any network contacts to find out about the company (see article on Networking)
• Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
  This tests your ambition as well as your company loyalty. If there is a promoted post within the firm (not the interviewer’s own post!) then you could mention that. If the job has no promotion prospects at all then it might be all right to mention a related, more high-flown job with a different firm.
• What are your long-term goals?
  See response to above question.
• Do you have any questions?
  This is usually the final question and your last chance to make an impression. You could ask positive questions about training, meeting who you would report to, potential development areas in the job and likely growth areas in the company.

Scary questions

Most interviewers stick to fair questions, relevant to the job. However a few interviewers, particularly those in competitive industries, might put in a “trick” question, or even a personal question, to see if you can cope with the unexpected. The main thing is to keep your cool. Examples might be:

• If you found it impossible to meet a target or a deadline, what would you do?
  You should take this kind of problem to the line manager at an early stage, while it is still possible to reallocate the workload.
• Can you work under pressure? 
  Don't give a simple yes to this. Take the chance to sell your planning and time management skills.
• If a customer is cheeky or aggressive to you, what do you do?
  Keep a sense of proportion. Deal with criticism, even if unfair, on the spot, while remaining polite yourself. Bad language or harassment is a different matter. You should complain to your manager.
• If you caught a workmate stealing from the company what would you do?
  You might think the expected answer is “Report it to the manager”. However, this question again tests your sense of proportion as well as your personal morality and divided loyalties. Give real-life examples. Loading computer hardware into the boot of your car is a different matter from taking home a company pen or pencil.
• Tell me something you’ve done which you’re ashamed of.
  Best to have in mind some minor misdeed from childhood or youth. An option could be the “white lie” told for a good reason.
• Describe a problem you had to deal with and how you handled it. Focus on your own actions, and don’t blame or say anything bad about your workmates.