5 answers to know before every job interview

I'm by no means an expert, but I have been on my fair share of job interviews. As I'm still job hunting I know I'm nowhere near done with these. Generally speaking I think the interview is the least painful part of applying for jobs. Writing a cover letter and customizing your resume are so boring to me because you're basically following a formula. The interview is where you get to let the true you shine, not just what you put down on a piece of paper or really an email because literally everything is done online now. With each interview I do I get more and more comfortable and that's 100% because each interview is practice for the next. Practice makes everything easier, that's just a fact of life. I've practiced the dreaded "tell me about yourself" question more times than I have fingers and toes to count on, because it's an obvious given. But I also always make sure to have answers prepared for these 5 questions. I try and think of full answers and practice saying them, and then I keep a little cheat sheet with bullet points jotted down. If it's a phone or skype interview I keep this infront of me along with my resume and a list or questions, and for in person interviews I'll review them in the parking lot before walking in the building. I have been asked these five questions in one form or another in every single interview I've ever had, including the one when I was 18 and applying to be a summer camp counselor.

1. What are your long term career goals and how does this position fit into that?
2. What made you apply for this job?
3. What aspect of this job would be the most challenging and the easiest?
4. What would be your goals for the first 30 days in this job?
5. Why should you be hired over everyone else?


Plus I think it's always good to know a little bit about what's going on in the news; maybe it's just because I have a journalism degree but I've been asked a few times what current news story I was most closely following. I've also been asked frequently about what book I'm reading. Here's a hint, if you aren't currently reading something, or you're reading an embarrassing trashy beach read, say you're rereading an old classic favorite from high school.


What are your interview tips? Any questions you wish you'd prepared an answer for beforehand?