Do you ever feel like preparing for an interview is overwhelming? It doesn’t have to be if you are prepared.

Take a look at these top 5 interview questions and the best ways to answer them!

1-Tell me about yourself When employers ask this question they are not looking for you to actually tell them about your personal life like your favorite shows or how awesome your children are. They are expecting you will give them a brief overview of who you are, professionally speaking. Tell them where you are right now career-wise and then move into the past. Tell them a little bit about the experiences you’ve had and the skills you gained at the previous position. Then finish strong with that excites you about the position you have applied for!

2- Why do you want this job? Companies like people who are passionate. So, before you head to the interview think about what YOU could do to make their company even greater than what it is. What do you provide? Talk about the role and why you want to do it. Ask yourself, what drives or truly excites you? Also do some research about the company and know exactly what they do. The more you can find out from their website the better!

3- What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses? For the strengths, you want to go for quality, not quantity here. Less is more! You should give a short list of 3 strengths, and back each one up with examples that illustrate the strength. Avoid generic answers!

For the weakness, it’s important to share an actual weakness you’ve been working on improving. If you’re not good at public speaking, but you’ve been taking a course to help improve share that. Make sure to have a weakness picked out in advance as not having one will be unrealistic. NO one is perfect!

4- Where do you see yourself in 5 years? This is their way of asking how committed you are to the role you are applying for. Make sure to avoid saying that you don’t know. If the answer doesn’t come to you at first, take a few seconds to think about how you have progressed over the last five years and where you want to be. Make sure to be specific! Keep your answer general, and really stress your interest in a long-term career at that company by demonstrating your enthusiasm for the job, and most importantly, don’t lie!

5- Do you have any questions for me? ALWAYS, always, always have questions to ask! Around 3-5 are great or even a few more so write them down in advance. By asking questions at the end of the interview you show that you are engaged and want to learn more. It will also allow the interviewer to share their knowledge. This is the perfect time to find out anything you’d like to know about the company’s culture, your day to day work responsibilities, and anything else you’re curious about. Avoid questions about salary however and save that for the follow-up interview or check with the recruiter. Here are [50 great questions to ask employers] (https://www.themuse.com/advice/51-interview-questions-you-should-be-asking) you should check out!

For more interview tips on what to wear, what to bring, and other advice check out [THIS POST] (https://www.jobcase.com/conversations/29869635-4d8f-502f-b912-2211f8b674d8)!

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Do you have an interview question OR advice not mentioned here?

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