This graduation season, another set of students are most likely transitioning to the next phase of their lives—job hunting. As newbies in the competitive arena of jobs, fresh grads are starting to worry about job interviews.
Being new in the game, it is completely normal to worry about what is not familiar; it could be worrying about getting a cold, strict interviewer or facing difficult interview questions that are hard to answer.
As newbies, it is hard to step into the unknown, but thankfully, experienced professionals are always there to provide tips online.
While the interview can be a bit unpredictable for some, it is best to take note of what questions other people commonly encounter so you can present your best self once the job interview comes:
1. “Can you tell me about yourself?”
As students, self-introduction usually entails your name, course, and maybe a few fun facts you’d like to share with the class — but introducing yourself in job interviews is far too different from that.
Take note that it’s not just your name and school you will be introducing, because you should be talking about who you are and your relationship to the job you are applying for.
It could be the internships where you’ve done work similar to the job, or past volunteer work that’s in line with what the company is looking for. This question is asked more often, especially for internship interviews or entry-level jobs, so be prepared to hear this at the start of your interviews.
2. “Why do you want to work for this company?”
Some companies, typically those bigger in size, might ask you why you want to work for them. Sometimes, the greater the company, the more competitive the job pool is.
While companies might want to hear different answers to this question, the best way is to not over compliment the company with vague words. Instead, prepare logical and career-wise points that will help you score the job opportunity. Of course, the best way is to research this question and prepare.
3. “Why should we hire you?”
This is the greatest question of all, because this is an opportunity for you, the applicant, to market yourself to the company. Contrary to popular opinion, this is not a chance to brag about yourself and your achievements, but a chance to express what you can offer to the company.
This question is a question of assets — what can the company get from you? What is their advantage when they hire you? Just think about these and who knows, you just might have the right answer on your interview.
4. “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”
Be prepared to hear this question, and also prepare yourself to avoid pitfalls in answering this question. It is best to know that expressing weaknesses does not mean you will not get the job. It would be worse to say you don’t have one, honestly.
As a matter of fact, this might just be a test of how you see the negatives. Be sure to promote your strengths related to the job and express trivial weaknesses — and when you do, you could say that you have been working to improve it.
At the end of the day, it is about turning the negatives into positives and having a good mindset. Make sure to note this question, remain positive, and ace the interview.
5. “What is a challenge you’ve faced before?”
At work, it is normal to encounter future challenges — sometimes even crisis. This question is very prominent, even in entry-level jobs, because the employer will want to know how the applicant tackles problems.
Fresh grads better take note of this because this is where employers get a sense of your motivation and attitude towards work, together with the dilemmas you might face. As fresh grads, this is likely to be asked, and it’s best to stay positive in answering these questions.
At the end of the day, acing job interviews isn’t always the case, especially for fresh graduates — it is best to know that it is totally okay. After all, there is a first time for everyone, and every journey is a learning process.
Remember to take note of these questions and do not fret when you make mistakes. After all, it is in mistakes that people learn best.
If you are a fresh graduate reading this, congratulations! You are now prepared to face the next phase of your life — a beautiful, blooming career that is ahead of you.