How to Answer the 7 Most Common Interview Questions | Best Answer Examples!

Summary

In this engaging video, Madeline Mann, also known as the "fairy job mother," shares her knowledge on answering the seven most common interview questions. Mann provides proven answer formulas, free worksheets, and even an eBook to aid job seekers in landing their dream positions. She emphasizes the importance of being concise, positive, and confident in interviews, offering detailed approaches and retrospective mindset shifts for succeeding in interview situations. From handling the infamous 'tell me about yourself' question to addressing salary expectations, Mann equips viewers with the tools needed for successful interviews.

Highlights

• Mann provides an effective storytelling formula for answering 'Tell me about yourself.' 📝
• Interviewers want to hear about your professional journey, not your life's tale. 📜
• Answer 'Why did you leave your last job?' with succinct, positive phrasing. 👌
• Never describe strengths in clichés; use anecdotes that bring them to life. 📖
• Employers ask about weaknesses not to criticize but to manage effectively. Use this to your advantage! 🧠
• Discuss career trajectory over personal goals during 'Where do you see yourself in five years?' 💼
• When asked for salary expectations, nudge the question back and gather information before providing numbers. 🤔

Key Takeaways

• Being concise and professional is key when answering 'Tell me about yourself.' Avoid life stories! ✨
• Answer the dreaded 'Why did you leave your last job?' with brevity, positivity, and confidence. 💼
• Reveal your strengths with a storytelling approach to make them memorable and relatable. 🌟
• Identify and narrate your weaknesses truthfully while showcasing active improvement and results. 🔍
• Keep employer needs in mind when answering 'Why should we hire you?' Stay specific and context-rich. 🎯
• Long-term career goals matter more than personal aspirations in the 'Where do you see yourself in five years?' question. 🕰️
• Handle salary discussions smartly by avoiding immediate numbers and researching thoroughly. 💰

Overview

Madeline Mann, the insightful HR leader behind Self-Made Millennial, dives into the art of answering common interview questions with precision and flair. She shares practical formulas and success stories that have helped many job seekers secure their desired roles, supporting their journey from job searching to job shopping. Mann's enthusiasm and strategic approach make this a must-watch for anyone stepping into interview scenarios.

The video emphasizes avoiding common pitfalls such as lengthy introductions or negative disclosures while stressing the value of storytelling in effectively communicating strengths and addressing weaknesses. Mann reassures viewers that they should own their narrative and not shy away from highlighting their capabilities with confidence. Her tips are designed to turn challenging queries into opportunities to stand out.

A major point of Mann’s strategy includes meticulous preparation—researching salaries, roles, and even framing long-term career goals to align with company expectations. She encourages viewers to think beyond the interview, fostering a mindset that focuses on career growth and making an impression that lasts beyond first impressions. Her resources, such as downloadable ebooks and worksheets, highlight her commitment to equipping professionals to achieve their career aspirations.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction and Overview The Introduction and Overview chapter serves as a preparatory guide for job seekers, focusing on the top seven job interview questions and providing effective answer formulas. The author highlights past successes and shares numerous tips to aid interview preparation. An accompanying ebook, 'Job Interview Secrets,' is available for further guidance, containing questions, answers, examples, and formulas to be used for continuous job interview readiness.
• 00:30 - 01:00: About Madeline Mann The chapter introduces Madeline Mann, a human resources leader and job search strategist, known for her YouTube channel, Self-Made Millennial. Mann provides career tips and insights through her videos. Proceeds from written versions of her tips support the channel. Her presence in major media outlets like ABC, New York Times, and Bloomberg is highlighted, and viewers are encouraged to subscribe to gain more insights on improving their job search strategies.
• 01:00 - 01:30: Importance of Concise Answers This chapter discusses the importance of concise answers during a job search. It humorously advises to remain calm and composed despite the aggravating nature of job hunting. The chapter promises to deliver a key sentence to use when responding to questions about salary from interviewers.
• 01:30 - 04:00: Tell Me About Yourself The chapter titled 'Tell Me About Yourself' emphasizes the importance of the common interview question 'tell me about yourself.' It points out that interviewers often transition to an interview right after a quick review of your resume, and it's your task to quickly orient them about who you are. The chapter warns against spending too long on this question, as many candidates unintentionally talk for too long, potentially harming their interview outcome.
• 04:00 - 06:00: Why Did You Leave Your Last Job? The chapter titled 'Why Did You Leave Your Last Job?' provides guidance on how to properly respond to the interview question 'Tell me about yourself.' It emphasizes the importance of not sharing personal life stories in an interview setting. Instead, it suggests offering a concise professional summary. The chapter introduces a three-part formula designed to help job seekers craft an effective response. This formula is presented as a fundamental tool for interview preparation, advising readers to take note of this strategic approach for future job opportunities.
• 06:00 - 09:00: What is Your Greatest Strength? In this chapter titled 'What is Your Greatest Strength?', the discussion revolves around mastering the common interview question about personal strengths. A helpful worksheet is mentioned, which has aided thousands in preparing their answers. The chapter begins with advice on how to introduce yourself effectively as part of a formula to answer the question. A sample answer is also provided in the worksheet linked in the comments and description.
• 09:00 - 12:00: What Are Your Weaknesses? The chapter "What Are Your Weaknesses?" provides guidance on how to introduce yourself professionally in an interview setting. It suggests stating your current role or an overarching professional identity first. Following this, you should captivate the interviewers by presenting a highlight reel of two to four key points that distinguish you as an ideal candidate for the position. These points should, if possible, include quantifiable achievements and be presented in reverse chronological order to create a more impactful and tangible narrative.
• 12:00 - 15:00: Why Should We Hire You? The chapter focuses on effectively answering the interview question 'Why should we hire you?'. It emphasizes finishing the answer by clearly stating why the candidate is interested in the company and the role, highlighting the importance of expressing both qualification and passion. It suggests using one to two sentences to connect the dots between the candidate's career objectives and the company's goals. This approach helps the interviewer visualize the candidate in the role and understand why they are the best fit.
• 15:00 - 18:00: Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years? This chapter discusses the importance of expressing interest in a specific job rather than just any job during an interview. It highlights how companies ask about candidates' previous job experiences to assess their fit for the role. The chapter emphasizes understanding one's preferences based on past work situations as a key method used by companies to determine suitability for the position.
• 18:00 - 21:00: Salary Expectations Discussion The chapter focuses on guidelines for responding to questions about why you left your last job during interviews. It emphasizes keeping answers brief, positive, and avoiding negative comments about previous employers.
• 21:00 - 25:00: Conclusion and Personal Opinion The chapter titled 'Conclusion and Personal Opinion' discusses the importance of shaping your own narrative when it comes to employment. It advises that the focus should be on your future with the company rather than your past. The narrative you present to an employer should exude confidence and positivity, as this will help prevent your story from being perceived as a 'sob story.' Emphasis is placed on answering questions confidently and moving on, to prevent employers from dwelling on past issues.

How to Answer the 7 Most Common Interview Questions | Best Answer Examples! Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 this is the one video you need to learn the top seven job interview questions and answers and I have created proven answer formulas that have gotten literally thousands of people jobs just check out all the success stories popping off this is a compilation of those tips to make this your One-Stop shop for interview preparation now this is a ton of information so I put together an ebook called job interview secrets with the questions answers examples formulas use it for the rest of
• 00:30 - 01:00 your career so if you like these tips in written form you can go over there and grab it the proceeds go towards finding this YouTube channel and continuing to provide free videos to the professionals who need them if you're new here this is self-made Millennial I'm Madeline Mann I'm a human resources leader and job search strategist you may have seen me on ABC New York Times Bloomberg and more subscribe to go from job seeking to job shopping alright all aboard the interview Railroad
• 01:00 - 01:30 please keep your legs and arms inside of the vehicle and do resist the urge to bang your head against the nearest surface as I do know that the job search is incredibly aggravating but your fairy job mother has got your back and stay to the end because you'll get the best sentence to use to respond to whenever you are asked about your salary let's go the reason why the interviewer is asking
• 01:30 - 02:00 you tell me about yourself is because they're context switching they are hopping into your interview after reviewing your resume possibly for 60 seconds at best and they need you to help Orient to who the heck you are so they can get their head on straight this means you cannot spend the entire interview answering tell me about yourself I have seen so many people unknowingly dig themselves into a hole because they spend 15 minutes telling
• 02:00 - 02:30 the interviewer their entire life story don't do this your interviewer does not want to hear personal details about your life save those for the annual Christmas card instead they are looking for a concise summary of who you are as a professional here's the three part formula on how to compose the best answer to tell me about yourself in the job interview you're going to want to take notes because this is a Formula that you will be using to prepare for
• 02:30 - 03:00 every interview for the rest of your life but don't worry I got your back I've already created a helpful free worksheet for you to go along with this video that as you saw earlier has helped thousands of people Master this question and so I have linked it in the comments and in the description so go get that worksheet to help work through this formula with me and you'll also get another sample answer on that worksheet let's get into it part one tell them who you are this
• 03:00 - 03:30 is one sentence to introduce yourself professionally typically you should let them know the title of your current role or an overarching statement of what kind of professional you are part two Captivate them with your highlight reel you'll share two to four points that focus on making you stand out for the role you are interviewing for you should try to use quantifiable achievements if you can make it tangible I also find that it helps to use reverse chronological order for these points
• 03:30 - 04:00 part three finish off your answer by telling the interviewer why the heck you're here say one to two sentences on why the company and the role you're interviewing for is the best next step for you companies aren't just looking for someone who is qualified they're also looking for someone who is passionate by connecting the dots as to why this is the best Next Step you help them to start seeing you in the role and
• 04:00 - 04:30 you will appear not just as someone who wants a job but someone who wants this job which is a make or break distinction in the job search so why do companies ask why did you leave your last job they asked this question because they're focused on extending offers to the people who they believe will be the best fit one of the methods they use to determine if you're a good fit is understanding which work situations you liked and you didn't like in the past there are three essential
• 04:30 - 05:00 rules of thumb to keep in mind when answering why did you leave your last job number one make your answer short I'm talking one to three sentences a grave mistake people make is giving too much description too much detail number two keep it positive I know this can be very challenging to do if your last role was oh so toxic know this if you speak poorly about a company your interviewer's first thought will be uh
• 05:00 - 05:30 are they going to talk about us this way if we hire them the last thing you want is to have an employer dwell on your past rather than focus on your future and how you are going to be there with them number three be confident we often forget that we write our own narratives you get to tell the story in the way you want to the employer will only see it as a sob story or a difficult situation if you make it out to be that way so answer quickly confidently and move on
• 05:30 - 06:00 why do interviewers ask you this question but it's simply they want to root for you many folks don't realize that this is the intention and therefore they make three crucial mistakes the first mistake is answering by listing descriptors and only descriptors naming cliche adjectives that you think your interviewer wants to hear he's not gonna set you apart the second mistake is
• 06:00 - 06:30 making it an elevator pitch don't refer to yourself and your strengths using that elevator pitch format which is where you try to summarize all of your top accomplishments with a pre-written dialogue this way of getting your point across will feel rehearsed and ignores the root of the question we want to actually answer the question they're asking the third mistake is being too dang humble I know touting your greatest strength can feel awkward and braggy but
• 06:30 - 07:00 trust me humblebee you'll want but to focus your answer on yourself here is the two-part formula part one name a strength that matches a key competency for the role take a look at the job description and pay special attention to the soft skills that you see part two tell a story that illustrates your strength yes I will admit we did do a bit of self-describing in part one but we will effectively convey your value
• 07:00 - 07:30 and help them to picture you in the role by giving them an example of the time that you exemplified that strength tell the story and this will dramatically increase the interviewer's ability to see you in this role and have great persuasive points to tell the rest of the hiring team about why you are a Prime Choice why do employers ask what are your weaknesses the cynical reason is that
• 07:30 - 08:00 employers want to cut to the Chase and get some reasons why they shouldn't hire you the more optimistic reason employers ask this is they want to understand how to best manage you how to set you up for success and put you in a role that placed your strengths and isn't reliant on your weaknesses do not try to dodge the question or say the most common answer which is that you are a perfectionist instead tell a story using
• 08:00 - 08:30 my three-part formula part one name something that you're legitimately not great at but don't choose just any weakness choose a weakness that you're already working on improving part two explain how you're working on it describe the steps you are taking to improve on your weakness part three articulate the results of the work you did to improve while doing this you need to make it perfectly clear that your weakness is not an issue for the
• 08:30 - 09:00 position and then like a reincarnated Jane Austen put all of this together in a story format so telling a story allows you to show that you are driven to improve yourself and it steers your answer towards a positive conclusion the best dancers are the ones that showcase your ability to take feedback well or also demonstrate your self-awareness and they prove that you take initiative to
• 09:00 - 09:30 level up yourself first things first you need to rethink the way you've been viewing this question why should we hire you what the interviewer is actually saying is give me some solid reasons to hire you so that I can go back and tell the rest of the hiring panel why you are the one that we can give that final Rose to guess what they want to root for you they don't want to interview a dozen more candidates they want you to be the one let's talk about how to not answer
• 09:30 - 10:00 this question do not describe yourself without giving any examples or context how many people have described themselves as detail-oriented or a self-starter that is a Kroger Brand answer AKA it is generic here is the three-step formula to answer why should I hire you step one review the role when asked this question resist the urge to immediately talk about yourself rather than dive into who you are take this
• 10:00 - 10:30 time to reiterate what you know about the role and the challenge challenges you'll be facing if hired this tells them that your business focused and you did your homework step two tell them about your relevant experience and skills don't be a generic Eric here tell them about specific skills you have that address the specific challenges in this role step three ask your interviewer after answering it following the first two steps flip that question and ask the
• 10:30 - 11:00 interviewer is this how you see me in this role seriously this approach is so powerful it keeps the interview flowing naturally like a conversation and it gives your interviewer the opportunity to either agree that you're the perfect fit and hear themselves say it out loud okay music to my ears or address where you're misaligned so that you can address any concerns right there immediately why do interviewers ask this ridiculous
• 11:00 - 11:30 question where do you see yourself in five years the interview is asking this question to understand your long-term goals and see if your goal is actually align with the company or if you're just using this position as a placeholder you don't need to convince them that you will be at this company for the rest of your life but you do need to make it clear that this position is the next logical step for your long-term career goals what not to do okay these mistakes will end your interview before it begins first do not talk about your personal
• 11:30 - 12:00 goals sure maybe your goal is to have a house a horse and a new head of hair in five years and sure this role will help you to achieve that personal goal but your personal goals will rarely be important information for the company to know when determining if they should give you a job second don't talk about working in a different industry again that just tells them that you are a short-term hire and probably are not worth the time and effort to train third don't say you want to own your own
• 12:00 - 12:30 business or freelance full-time one day this will make most interviewers assume that you're less invested in the job and you're more interested in your own projects so you don't want them to think that you got one foot out the door at all times lastly do not tell your interviewer that you want their job or you want a higher position this might feel like a super cool confident move in the moment but it actually comes off as a bit impatient like maybe you are overqualified for this role and you're
• 12:30 - 13:00 more concerned about titles rather than the work itself how to craft the perfect answer now let's be real the world moves fast and most of us don't know where we'll be in five years from now so there's no need to get hyper specific in your answer instead I suggest that you change the way you think about the question in your head next time you're asked where do you see yourself in five years I want you to pretend they asked how will this will help grow your career in a direction you're proud of this
• 13:00 - 13:30 mindset shift will help you avoid unnecessary information like personal goals or specific milestones and instead focus on how you would like to grow with this new question in mind here are five things that you can mention in your answer you don't need to mention them all but mix and match depending on your situation your interest in deeply learning the industry your focus on making a name for yourself at the
• 13:30 - 14:00 company as the go-to person with X skill a drive to learn or improve specific skills that are emphasized in the job description your desire to Mentor others you see yourself taking on bigger projects this is a great way to say that you're focused on new challenges and Improvement rather than telling them you want a promotion all of these five things illustrate how you see yourself reaching your own career goals while also growing within the company and adding value as you go
• 14:00 - 14:30 when you're asked about salary expectations during the first interview you'll want to avoid giving a number why because you don't want to say something too high during your first interview the interviewer doesn't fully understand your value yet and of course when a company views you as too expensive from the start they may drop you for a more affordable candidate on the other hand if you say a number that is too low you're undercutting your potential earnings how do you respond to the
• 14:30 - 15:00 question what are your salary expectations say I'm open I'm looking for the best overall fit and package and isn't this the truth there's so much more to a job than the salary a good offer is more than a base salary It's a combination of everything tangible and intangible that matters to you unfortunately some of these interviewers are going to be like an elevator they won't budge until you give them a number they may say got it sounds like you're flexible but what range of compensation
• 15:00 - 15:30 are you looking for at this point you'll want to dust off the old badminton racket and hit him the birdie do you have a range that you're targeting so I can let you know if I'm comfortable with it if you're lucky they'll tell you right then and there easy peasy what range they're looking at other times they will insist that you give them a number okay this is when doing your research ahead of time pays off literally before you get to the interview you need to pull out the old MacIntosh and research how much the
• 15:30 - 16:00 company pays for the job you're interviewing for if there is not enough data there research comparable companies these are companies that are in the same industry located in the same city and are of similar sizes you can find comparable companies and other salary data on Glassdoor LinkedIn and salary.com to name a few when determining what salary range you will ask for I suggest you aim higher than the range you find such as make the number somewhere between the 50th and
• 16:00 - 16:30 80th percentile the bottom of your range and the top of of your range should be aligned with the top of the range you found during your salary research employers usually give you the lowest number that you say in your range so you need to make sure that your lowest number is one that you would be excited to accept let's say you're asked what is your expected salary on a job application you haven't even landed the dang interview and they're already asking about salary yes it can matter
• 16:30 - 17:00 what you put here and yes it can disqualify you immediately sometimes you'll be asked to write in a number other times you'll select a range from a drop down list ideally you'll leave the question blank or write that you're flexible but this isn't always an option this is yet another situation where your salary research is so important there is a risk though of going too high many hiring teams are instructed to eliminate
• 17:00 - 17:30 candidates who are outside of the budget additionally you do not want to go too low and undersell yourself I feel like a beekeeper because this is just such a sticky situation I hate to say it but the best solution is to not apply online and not fill out an application whenever possible which out of these questions is your least favorite to be asked let me know in the comments I personally can't stand tell me about yourself I once had
• 17:30 - 18:00 four back-to-back interviews with the company and every dang interviewer started with that question just share notes folks or better yet I wrote up a nice Nifty resume that will give you all the answers and if you are looking for that job interview Secrets ebook for the top interview questions and answers I've linked that below be sure to like this video And subscribe to this channel you've got this wi-fi high five