Here's how you can ace interview questions with ease.

Make sure that you find out as much as you can about the role + the company and be prepared to answer the following 8 most common questions that come up in recruiter screens: 1. Can you tell me about yourself? 2. Why are you interested in this role/company? 3. What are your strengths and weaknesses? 4. Can you walk me through your resume? 5. Why are you looking to leave your current job? 6. What are your salary expectations? 7. How do you handle conflict or challenging situations at work? 8. What are your career goals and where do you see yourself in five years?

There are only five different interview questions, but they come in many forms. Here they are, with their rationale. Show you know yourself, through your answers. - Who are you? (Tell us about yourself" - People hire people they want to work with day to day, they want to know this person: you!) - Can you do the job? ("Tell us of a time when you..." Give success stories that prove you can do the work successfully.) - Do you WANT to do the job? ("What is it about this work that excites you, motivates you?" They want to know what drives you even through tough times.) - Is there anything wrong with you? ("Why were you laid off?", "Why did you leave each job?") - How much will you cost us? (These are questions about salary, work parameters, etc)

To ace interview questions with ease, preparation is key. Research the company and role thoroughly to understand their needs. Practice common interview questions and develop clear, concise responses. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers and highlight your achievements. Be ready to discuss your resume in detail, emphasizing relevant skills and experiences. Show enthusiasm and ask insightful questions about the role and company. Finally, practice active listening during the interview to respond thoughtfully and build a strong connection with the interviewer.

Cannot stress enough on the importance of practice and prep. While you cannot estimate questions, you can definitely preempt some answers and control the narrative. By prepping answers that highlight particular skills you would like to showcase, you can very subtly drive the interviewer towards your preferred scenarios. Prepping will make sure you don’t need to think of half baked answers and will let you answer comprehensively and with ease.

Many interviews include behavioral questions that ask you to describe specific situations from your past work experience.Use the STAR method ( Situation,Task,Action,Result) to structure your answers. This method helps you to provide clear examples of how you have handled challenges and achieved success in previous role.

Identify the QBQs - learn the QUESTIONS BEHIND the QUESTIONS. Answer the questions from the interviewers POV. Recruiters ask questions for a reason- to either screen you OUT or screen you IN. Interviews are sales opportunities. Know the recruiter's needs and SELL yourself. The recruiter really doesn't know you and will frequently turn the interview over to you when they ask, "Tell me about yourself". SELL, SELL, SELL. When they ask, "Why should we hire you?", SELL, SELL, SELL. The recruiter wants a reason that separates you from the rest. You might respond, "I can't speak for other applicants - however, my previous supervisor and co-workers would say I'm SELL, SELL, SELL. Wouldn't you agree these skills are important to your company?

Talk about the HOW you did something, not just the WHAT. Here’s the difference WHAT- I met with my colleague who disagreed with me. I explained my point of view. In the end I managed to persuade them. HOW- I met with my colleague who disagreed with me. I started by thanking them for feedback and asked them to take me through their objections in detail. Once I understood his perspective I realised that a couple of their points were valid, which I acknowledged. In the other points I presented my counter argument along with data and feedback from other colleagues. He said he appreciated my concession on the other points and was willing to align with me on the others. HOW makes it easy for me to imagine HOW you’d act in my role.