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Tell me about yourself.
Most interviewers use this question to gather information and to asses your communications ability. Don't make a speech. Keep your answer clear and concise. You should give recent personal and professional experiences that relate to the position your interviewing for. If the interviewer wants more, let them ask. What are your greatest strengths?
You have a great opportunity to describe your strongest assets with this question. Mention your strengths and give examples. If your strength is abstract and you do not have a clear example, don't mention it.
Some good strengths: self-motivated; team-oriented; will work long hours to get the job done. What are your greatest weaknesses?
This is a very intimidating question. But remember, no one is perfect. What you must do is take your weakness and view it in a positive light. If you are a fanatic on details, then say you are meticulous and will not let a project go unless its perfect. What salary do you have in mind?
If you are interviewing through a recruiter, you can defer answering this question by saying you would like salary discussions to go through the recruiting firm. But most interviewers will ask this question to see if they can afford you. They do not want to go through the whole interviewing process only to find out you want more money then they can pay. Also, if they are looking at a broad range of candidates, they might want to see what is available for a certain dollar range. If you cannot avoid answering this questions, state a range that you would be comfortable with.
If you are asked what you are currently earning, be honest. This information can be verified. What do you like least about your current job?
Try to mention a responsibility that is far removed from the position you are interviewing for. Perhaps the position has no growth potential. If there is one aspect of the job you really don't like and do not want to do again, then make sure you discuss this in a positive manner. Be clear that you perform the task and do a good job, but find it tedious, uninteresting, unfulfilling, etc. What do you like best about your current job?
This answer will help the interviewer assess how well you will fit into their environment. Be very specific with your answers. Liking the atmosphere is not a good answer. Liking the team-oriented way projects were handled is. What kind of work are you looking for?
Hopefully, you will know enough about the position to use these responsibilities in your answer. Again, be as specific as possible. If you are looking for a position where you will have management responsibilities, say it. You don't want to land in a position where you will be unhappy. Why did you leave your last job?
BE HONEST. This information can be verified officially or unofficially. If you were fired, say so. Not every position works out. Try to be as positive as possible. If there was a personality problem, tell the interviewer what it was.
If the job was sold as one thing and was, in actually, something else, tell them. Just remember to be very specific. Can you explain why you've been out of work for so long?
If there is a personal reason, be as direct as possible without going into any details. If you were laid-off, down-sized, etc., you can respond by saying that you have been freelancing until you found the right opportunity. Don't say that you were freelancing if you have not been. Again, this can be verified. Looking for a job is a full-time job, so don't be intimidated. What can you do for us?
"Ask not what the company can do for you, ask what you can do for the company." What the interviewer wants to know is your readiness for the job and your ability to handle it. Describe how your experience and achievements make you the right person for the job. Again, be specific as you describe your skills and accomplishments. What accomplishment gave you the greatest satisfaction?
This is a great opportunity to sell that special skill needed for this job. For example, if writing annual reports is an important part of the position, your response might be "When I completed the annual report on budget and on deadline using in-house resources instead of outside consultants. My team pulled together and did a smashing job." What was your worst mistake?
Again, remember that everyone makes mistakes, so be specific in what you learned from the experience and what you would do differently.
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