They will come. You know it. I know it. Interviewers know it.

Perhaps it's a way of testing your ability to handle pressure. Or perhaps it comes down to the fact that the interviewer has had a really bad day and you are the poor person to walk in the firing line. Either way, you will be asked some tough questions in an interview.

The last thing you want to do is clam up. And you don't want to stammer and look as though you aren't confident or you can't handle yourself in a difficult situation. You might face a tough situation in your day to day job and you want the interviewer to be clear that you can handle it.

So what's a job seeker to do? Here are a few tips to help you handle the intense spotlight of tough interview questions. Here we go ...

Where do you see yourself?

Otherwise known as the 'future' question, or the prickly pear - 'Where do you see yourself in 5 years' is a loaded question if ever there was one. It is designed to give the interviewers some insight into your personality, values, goals and work ethic.

Now that's a lot to give away in one question so it would be a good idea to get it right.

Don't be too specific about your career plans. If you start getting too specific then you might pigeon hole yourself as inflexible. Career progression is all about flexibility and the ability to adapt to a variety of situations. If you want to progress then you need to portray an aura of flexibility and the willingness to adapt, learn and grow.

The best tactic to deal with this question is to talk about your values.

What is important to you? Talk about what is important to you career wise and how you plan to achieve them. What steps will you take and how can you show that you've put a lot of thought into your personal development.

If you're an engineer you could talk about how you want to study a part time Masters course to become a Chartered Member of the Engineers Guild, for example. That makes you seem ambitious, mature, committed and able to handle different demands on your time.

You could also talk about challenges in the work place, and how you want to develop. I was very impressed when I interviewed a young graduate, with only a couple of years experience, who said that they were looking to getting into the industry to expand their CV, develop themselves further and learn about another aspect of the profession. Very mature, very genuine and very much an attribute that I look for when hiring people.

So, what salary are you after?

I will be completely honest and tell you that I always ask this question very early on in the interview. I do this for two reasons:

1. The type of salary you command is a measure of your ability, confidence and humility.

2. I want to know how willing you are to try and get more money out of the organisation.

This is a very important question, and here's how to handle it.

Reading some employment articles, some people argue that whoever answers this question first loses. That may be true in some cases but not always depending on what type of person you are.

If you take the example of a young research executive who can command about £24,000 in London, or about $40,000 in the US. If they're particularly good then perhaps a little more, but just for example purposes let's go with these salaries.

As the interviewer, I know exactly what a position is roughly worth. So I will know, thanks to a lot of experience, the position is worth £24,000. If you turn up and ask for a salary of £30,000 ($55,000 USD) then I'm going to wonder why - and why you think you can get away with a demand so much higher than the average.

£30,000 is not a research executive's salary and so that one answer could effectively rule you out of the job.

Going into the interview you need to think about your salary now. How much are you earning? Are you worth that much? If not, why not? It could be because you were doing your managers job for 6 months whilst they were off or perhaps you were filling in for 2 positions on top of your own workload. If that is the case then go for it. Don't be afraid to ask for more, but be careful how much you increase your demands. On a £24,000 salary average, I wouldn't recommend asking for more than £26,000. If you think you are worth £30,000 then go for a higher position. If you're not ready to apply for a higher position then you are not ready for a £30,000 salary.

When you do answer the question, answer with a range rather than a set figure. £25,000 to £26,000 would be better than simply saying £26,000. That way, the employer may come back with an offer of £25,000 initially going up to £26,000 after probation or include some benefits to give you what you want, for example. Work with the employer and you'll be far more attractive.

Why should we?

Why do you think we should hire you? This question isn't used as much these days but still crops up every now and then and well worth preparing for.

There's a fine line between boastful and confident. And you need to learn it.

When an interviewer asks you why they should hire you, you're going to have to speak confidently and honestly about your abilities. But you should avoid sounding overly boastful.

Aim for earnest and prepare by practicing. That's right: Stand in front of the mirror and acknowledge your abilities and accomplishments to your reflection. Tell yourself: I have a very strong work ethic. I have integrity. I have excellent industry contacts. I aggressively pursue my goals.

It's sometimes hard to praise yourself, but after a few sessions you'll sound sincere.

The key here is very much in the delivery. Just be honest. Not everyone is perfect but you do have some good qualities - so don't be afraid to bring them out.

If you were a friendly green giant?

If you could be a car? What kind would it be? What kind of tree would you be?

Silly questions can come out of the blue. Oddly enough, they are a common interview technique to get some psychological insight and to find out how you handle unexpected questions.

But when you don't expect them, these types of questions can bring interviews to a screeching stop.

First, don't panic. Pause and take a deep breath. Then remind yourself that there's no "right" answer to these questions. The job isn't hinging on whether you choose to be a spruce versus an oak.

Interviewers usually ask these questions to see how you react under pressure and how well you handle the unexpected. It's not so important what type of tree (or car, or animal) you choose as that you explain your choice in a way that makes you look favourable. And it needs to make sense.

Don't say that you'd like to be a big car because that way, you could put more beer in the back seat. That's just silly.

Be genuine but mature about what you'd like to be. Perhaps you'd like to be a BMW because you have a lot of respect for the precise engineering that the cars are renowned for. Or maybe you'd like to be a Fern because they adapt well in different lighting situations and at varying heights.

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As always, good luck with the job hunt and any upcoming interviews. You'll be great!