What Are Interviewers Actually Looking For? 3 Key Areas

Sometimes interviewers are not the best at asking for information they want about you. These two articles from Forbes and CNBC helpfully decipher what interviewers are getting at:

1. “What is your greatest weakness?” They don’t expect you to divulge something truly horrible, but they are looking for some humility, self-reflection, and ability to learn. So come up with an example of how you needed to learn something new and and came up to speed. For example, you were tasked with supporting product X or initiative Y, areas you weren’t an expert in, so you studied ABC and were able to achieve DEF ($ # % metrics).
2. Are you actually interested in the job? They may not exactly ask you this, but they want to hear you are interested and would take the job! Now is not the time to cross your arms and interrogate the interviewer with harsh questions. Instead, show you researched the company, job, and team. Say you are interested, and explain why.
3. Do you have people skills? Managers want to hire people who are easy to manage. Show you are a team player by expressing appreciation to the interviewer. Start and end the session by sincerely thanking the person for their time. (Reiterate your interest too!)