The Five Interview Questions You Must Answer

Most job search authors have book sections with sample questions suggesting you should memorize the “correct” answers to pass muster. In reality, an interview is just an opportunity for a company to acquire the answers to five rather simple questions. If you don’t, or can’t, answer any one of these satisfactorily, you will not be hired or brought back for a future interview.

The 5 questions you must answer in any interview:

1. Why are you here?

2. What can you do for us?

3. Will you fit in? (Will you get along with our values and culture here?)

4. What makes you different from everyone else, will you go that extra mile?

5. How much will you cost us?

Before you begin any interview, here is how to deal with the above: Change these five questions into five statements:

1. Why are you here?
Tell them what you like or what impresses you about this company.

2. What can you do for us?
List the skills you have that are needed for the job and cite evidence from your past that supports these skills.

3. Will you fit in?
Demonstrate how much of a team player you are, your specific contributions to the company’s mission and cite several successful projects of which you’ve been a part. Describe your role in each project’s success.

4. What makes you different?
Highlight instances when you’ve gone the extra mile, put forth extraordinary effort, or successfully overcome unique challenges in your work history that have resulted in a positive outcome such as winning a major contract, completing a project ahead of schedule or making or exceeding a goal or quota that may have hung in the balance.

5. How much will you cost?
In today’s economy, many companies are bringing up the salary question early because they can’t afford experienced workers. Unfortunately, many will rule out stellar candidates because of money and you might be one of them. If this is the case, move on. You don’t want to get caught up in a discussion about salary here. If they bring it up, it’s only to allay any early anxieties in their mind about whether they can afford you. You only need to demonstrate a willingness to work with them within the confines of their compensation structure at this point. Check out sites like salary.com or payscale.com for a gauge on current salaries in your target market. Keep it general now. If they really want you, they’ll find a way to pay you what you’re worth at closing.

Don’t Just Answer Questions, Tell Your Stories

Here is where you’ll craft a few of your stories to illustrate some of these points, especially for questions 3 and 4. These are short personal narratives that you can tell, taking no more than 30 to 90 seconds each. You can start by developing your stories around areas like these:

1. Instances when you either made money or saved money for your current or previous company.

2. A crisis in your life or job and how you responded or recovered from it.

3. A time when you functioned as part of a team and contributed a unique contribution as a result.

4. A time in your career when you had to deal with stress, and the positive outcome.

5. A time in your job when you provided successful leadership or a sense of direction.

Also, think now of instances above when you provided a contribution or leadership role that was unique, untried, out of the ordinary, or otherwise, outside the box. Especially for questions 3 and 4 above, companies are looking for employees who are willing to go the extra mile, can bring a unique perspective to their teams, and can take on initiative without being asked.

Summary

Your objective in an interview is to stand out and be remembered positively from all of the other job applicants. By answering these five questions in your own unique style, you’ll separate yourself from the pack and win either a callback or a job offer.