The 5 Most Popular Interview Questions

Congratulations!! You’ve applied for the job, passed the initial screening and got yourself an interview with your potential future employer. time to prepare!!

As with many situations, Brits turn to Google for help, with almost 50,000 searches each month for interview questions. But which questions are people searching for in particular? And how should you answer them?

We've done all the hard work for you and summarised the top five most Googled questions and added in some priceless tips!

1. What is your biggest weakness? - 1600 searches

When it comes to tricky questions, this one is top of the list. There are a whopping 1,600 searches every month for weakness interview question and 720 for what is your weakness interview.

The challenge here is identifying a weakness without actually making yourself look "weak" as a candidate.

Our advice is to choose a trait that you can turn into a positive, and be sure to mention ways you can overcome it.

Some examples:

"As a perfectionist, I sometimes take extra time before submitting work, but I'm committed to meeting deadlines."

"I'm a team player, which means I sometimes obsess over trying to please everyone. Above all else, I'll put the interests of the company first."

2. Tell me about yourself – 1,300 searches

Following closely behind is "tell me about yourself". While it's not strictly a question, it's used to open most interviews in some form or another. The problem? It’s so broad! But is that really a problem?

By asking you to tell them about yourself, employers are giving you the chance to introduce yourself, focusing on whatever you see fit. Don’t fall into the trap of recapping your entire CV to the employer. They've already seen that, they want to know more.

"Choose an area that puts you above other candidates"

Talk about a hobby you are passionate about (sorry, binge-watching Netflix doesn’t count), examples of key moments in your previous position, additional qualifications and why you studied those certain subjects.

Always remember to keep thinking about the passion you have for the job and why you have applied.

3. Questions to ask the employer - 480 searches

There's also a lot of interest in questions which you should ask the employer. In short, these questions are a great way to show that you’re keen on the role and well-prepared.

It goes without saying that you shouldn’t ask about pay rises, promotions, office drinks and early Friday finishes. But that doesn’t actually put them off the table. Instead, you can ask about career progression and the workplace culture.

"Show your interest by asking about the company's direction, the biggest challenges they're facing and their competitors.

You can also enquire about the requirements of the role, such as the day to day responsibilities and what they expect from a successful candidate in the first few months.

4. What motivates you? - 390 searches

Like a lot of interview topics, the motivation question isn't necessarily about the answer. It's about how you back it up.

"Needless to say, you shouldn't just list money, cars and holidays in the Bahamas as your motivation – however true that may be. Things like hitting targets, meeting deadlines and succeeding as a team are more ideal."

Most importantly, be sure to choose something you can back up with your previous work: “I’m driven by the success of my team. The high point of my last role was seeing my team awarded for achieving the most sales nationally."

5. What are your strengths? - 210 searches

We've covered weaknesses. Now onto strengths. Over 200 people a month head to Google with this query; not because they don’t know their strengths. Instead, it's because they don't want to come across as smug or boastful.

"With this question, the most important thing is to stay relevant to the role, be honest and back up what you say. As a designer, we suggest to list your ability to match a client’s brief, citing a company that was after something very particular and how you successfully delivered it."

Good luck for your next interview! We hope our ten most common questions leave you fully prepared and raring to go. Need some more help finding the perfect job? Give us a call on 0207 3360 034. Our team is always on hand to help.