0: Hi, everybody, and welcome.

2: My name is Jen, and I'm a career coach

3: at Indeed with over 10 years of experience

5: working in career services.

7: Over the years, I've worked with hundreds of job seekers

10: to help them prepare for their next interviews

12: by showing them how to create compelling talking

14: points that they can apply to answering

16: a variety of different questions.

17: Today, I'm going to share a little bit of that advice

20: with you.

20: In this video, we'll discuss five common interview

23: questions.

24: For each, we'll discuss what employers are really

26: looking for in an answer, and break down

28: how to craft a really strong response.

30: You'll also get examples of answers along the way.

33: At the end of the video, we'll also

35: cover a tricky question that's very common

37: to pop up in an interview room.

39: It's a tough one, so be sure to stick around

41: to learn how you can answer it with confidence. How to answer "Why do you want to work here?"

44: Let's start with our first question.

46: Why do you want to work here?

47: Now, interviewers often ask this question

49: to determine whether or not you're

51: going to be a good fit for the role and the company.

53: Your answer will demonstrate whether or not

56: you did your homework.

57: If you can speak well to why you would

58: be a good match for the team, it shows

60: that you took the time to do your research

62: and that you really reviewed job description.

64: The best way to prepare for this question

66: is to learn about the products, services, mission,

69: and workplace culture of the company.

71: Try to mention the aspects of the company

73: that align with your values and how this role really

76: fits in with your career goals.

77: Here's a sample answer.

79: As I've thought about my next career move,

80: it's really important to me to work

82: for a company with strong values.

84: This company's mission to help recent graduates pay off

87: student loan debt really speaks to me.

90: I've been in that situation myself,

91: and I know how impactful this work can be.

95: Finding a company that has a positive work environment

98: and is mission-driven, is one of my main priorities,

101: and this company is at the top of my list.

103: Let's break down that answer piece by piece.

106: We started by saying that as we thought about our next move,

109: working for a company with strong values

111: is important to us.

112: This lets the interviewer know that we've

114: developed a criteria for the type of company we work for

117: and that their company was carefully selected.

120: Next, we made a personal connection

122: to their company mission, and let

124: them know that their company values align with our own.

127: As a bonus, we also let them know that they're currently

130: our top choice.

132: Now, if you'd like some more tips on what

134: company information is good to research to help you answer

136: this question, be sure to check out this career guide article. How to answer "What is your strength?"

140: Next question.

141: What are your greatest strengths?

143: While this question can seem really straightforward,

146: it can be surprisingly difficult for many people

148: to talk about their strengths in an interview.

151: It can be challenging to balance humility

153: with projecting confidence.

155: When an interviewer asks this question,

157: they're looking to hear about both the skills,

159: and the personal attributes that are

161: going to make you the best suited

162: to be successful at this role.

164: As you prepare, use the job description

166: as a guide to decide what skills you want to speak about.

170: As you craft your answer, consider using this formula--

173: strength plus context and story.

175: Here's an example answer if the role that you're

177: interviewing for is looking for somebody with strong leadership

180: skills.

181: I've always been a natural leader.

184: With over 10 years of experience in finance and sales,

187: I've been able to exceed my KPIs every quarter,

190: and I've been promoted twice over the last five years.

193: I look back at those successes, and I

195: know I wouldn't have been able to achieve them

197: if I hadn't built and led a team composed

200: of highly skilled and diverse individuals.

202: Over the years, I've been able to sharpen my leadership skills

205: by conducting 360 reviews and holding candid feedback

208: sessions for my team.

210: I know that working on my leadership skills

212: is something really important to me,

214: and it's really something that I'm looking forward

215: to in my next role.

216: Using this formula, we first highlighted the strength

219: that was relevant to the role--

220: our natural leadership skills.

222: We then provided context in a story

225: by talking about how our strength led to many successes

228: in our previous role.

230: And we also concluded by talking about how this strength is

233: something that we're looking to build upon

235: in the next role we take.

236: Preparing to answer this question

237: is going to be a valuable use of your time before the interview.

241: While you may not be specifically asked

243: to provide a strength, preparing to answer this common question

247: is going to help you articulate what your skills are,

250: and how you're looking to grow in your career.

252: This leads us to the common counterpart to this question. How to answer "What is your weakness?

255: What is your greatest weakness?

257: It can feel awkward to talk about weaknesses

259: in an environment where you're supposed to be highlighting

261: your accomplishments.

263: However, being able to speak about weaknesses can show

266: a certain level of self-awareness,

267: and a desire for self-improvement--

270: Two traits that are very attractive to many employers.

273: Here's another formula to help you craft a strong answer.

276: Weakness plus context and improvement measures.

279: Here's an example answer.

280: Early on in my career, I had a lot of curiosity and energy

285: that led me to say yes to taking on projects

288: without understanding what my bandwidth was.

291: At one point, I had taken on so many projects

293: that I found myself working nights and weekends

295: to get the work done.

296: It became really stressful, and the stress actually

299: started to impact the quality of my work.

301: Eventually, I became aware of how saying yes to every project

305: was actually counterproductive.

307: So I started to implement some workload management tools that

309: allowed me to set better expectations for myself,

312: and for my teammates.

313: In our answer, we started by stating what our weakness was--

317: saying yes to additional projects

319: without setting good expectations.

321: We then describe how this impacted our work.

324: We ended by demonstrating the awareness

326: that saying yes to every project without setting expectations

329: was actually counterproductive.

331: So we implemented some workload management tools

334: that allowed us to set better expectations for ourselves,

337: and for our teammates.

338: As a best practice, always end your answer

340: by discussing what measures you've taken for improvement.

343: That way, you're ending on a positive note.

345: For more examples of strengths, weaknesses,

347: and how to address them in an interview,

349: be sure to check out this career guide article right here.

351: Before I move on to the next question,

354: let me know if this information is

355: helpful by liking and subscribing for more advice. How to answer "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

359: Moving on, where do you see yourself in five years?

362: Understanding how you imagine your career evolving

365: can help employers understand how this role and their company

368: fits within your personal development goals.

370: This question is also used to gauge

372: expectations of your career, and your ability to plan ahead.

377: This question can come in a number of forms, including

379: what are your future goals, and where do you

381: see yourself in 10 years.

383: The best way to handle this question

384: is to think about what your current career trajectory is,

387: and how this role in this company

389: fits in to help you achieve your ultimate goals.

392: To enhance your answer, provide general ideas

394: about the skills you want to develop and things

396: you want to accomplish.

398: Let's look at this example for a UX designer.

400: In the next five years, I'd really

402: like to become an industry expert in my field

404: with the ability to train and mentor

407: students and entry-level designers alike.

409: I'd really like to gain specialized experience in user

412: experience so that I can become a well-rounded contributor who

416: works with teams like design and marketing

418: on large-scale projects that make a difference in both

421: the large-scale community and for this company.

424: As I was researching this company,

425: it looks like this role offers the opportunity

428: to gain these skills with the potential for long-term growth.

431: In our answer, we started by identifying

433: our goal of becoming an industry expert and specific skills we'd

437: like to gain--

438: to train and mentor students and entry level designers.

441: We also strengthen our answer by signaling

444: that we could see a future for ourselves here

446: indicating that we're looking for a company

448: to stay with long term.

449: Now, this next question might seem How to answer "Why should we hire you?"

451: a little intimidating at first.

453: But interviewers generally bring it up

455: to give you one final opportunity to explain

457: why you are the best candidate.

459: Why should we hire you?

460: Your answer to this question should

462: address what unique skills and experience you offer,

465: and why you would be a good culture fit.

468: Consider following these steps when crafting a response.

470: 1-- study the job posting to find commonalities between what

474: the employer is looking for, and what skills

477: and experience that you can offer.

479: 2-- research the company's mission and goals.

482: Use this information to share how your values align,

485: and how you can help them accomplish their goals.

488: 3-- Tie your background to the job

490: posting by explaining how your skills, experience,

493: and attributes make you the best fit for their company

496: in the position.

497: 4-- quantify your accomplishments

499: with numerical results whenever possible.

502: 5-- go above and beyond by calling out

504: any relevant qualities or experience

507: that you have that sets you apart from other candidates.

509: Here's how a social worker can answer this question.

512: You should hire me because of my proven ability

514: to maintain strong interpersonal relationships

517: with several clients.

518: I'm passionate about providing care

520: to those in need in my community.

522: And that motivates me, and makes me excited to do my best work.

526: I understand that you need a candidate who

528: can be consistently available to be there

530: for the events in a client's life.

532: I have a 100% attendance rate for weekly case proceedings,

536: and meetings with my clients.

538: In addition, I can bring leadership experience

540: to your team having trained over 20 new hires

543: to become familiar with day-to-day operations

546: and become comfortable in their roles.

548: And now, for the bonus question that I mentioned

550: at the beginning of this video.

551: Can you recall a time where you experienced conflict

554: with a co-worker? How to answer "Tell me about a past conflict in the workplace."

555: Workplaces are often filled with many stakeholders

558: with differing opinions.

559: So hiring managers often want to know how you approach

562: conflict in the workplace.

564: Your response should provide insight into your personality,

567: and indicate how likely you are to fit well within a team.

570: Past experience often shows how you could

573: react in a similar situation.

575: So be sure to provide an example that you're proud of,

577: or explain the key lessons that you took from the experience.

581: It's important to emphasize the resolution that

583: took place rather than just dwelling How to use the STAR Method to answer behavioral interview questions

585: on the conflict itself.

587: I recommend using the STAR format

589: whenever you have to answer a question about conflict.

592: STAR stands for--

593: Situation.

594: Briefly explain the issue that you

596: were dealing with in a positive and constructive way.

599: Task.

599: Describe your role in this situation.

601: Action.

602: Discuss what you did to resolve or address the situation.

605: Result. Emphasize what you learned

608: and how your actions had a positive outcome.

611: Here's an example.

612: I was working as a project manager on an IT project

615: when one technician was consistently late finishing

617: their tasks.

618: When I approached him about it, he initially

620: reacted defensively.

622: I kept calm, and I acknowledged that the deadlines

624: were challenging.

626: And I asked how I could assist him to help

628: improve his performance.

630: He then calmed down.

631: And he relayed that he was working on another project that

634: involved tasks that were outside of his job description.

636: So I set a meeting with the other project manager,

639: and we were able to come to a resolution that

641: made the technician's workload much more manageable.

644: For the remainder of the project,

645: the technician delivered great work.

647: So there you have it. Recap of top interview questions and answers

649: As a recap, here are some of the best practices that you should

652: keep in mind as you're crafting answers

654: to these common interview questions.

655: Show off the company research that you conducted.

658: And align your personal values with the values

660: of a company when they ask, why do you want to work here.

663: Use the formula.

664: Strength plus context and story when highlighting strengths

668: that are relevant to the role.

670: When referring to a weakness, end your response

672: with what improvement measures you've taken

674: to end on a positive note.

676: Use why should we hire you as another opportunity

679: to explain why you're the best candidate for the role.

682: And finally, when discussing conflict in the workplace,

685: emphasize the resolution that took place not the conflict.

689: So there you have it.

690: I hope that you find these tips and formulas to be helpful

693: as you prepare for your next interview.

695: I think that you'll find that by developing

697: the skill of creating compelling talking points,

700: you're going to be able to apply it as you practice

702: other additional questions.

704: If you found this information to be helpful,

706: be sure to let us know by liking and subscribing.

709: And hit the notification bell to stay updated.

711: Thank you for watching.

712: I'll see you next time.