Job interviews may differ according to industry but there are several frequently asked questions that are more or less standard in the current job market; all you need to do is to familiarize yourself with each of the following steps. I will list these steps in no particular order meaning you can hear any of these questions at any moment during the interview process.

Question number one is "Why do you want to work here?" I will give you a refreshing answer from my very own past experience with what works and what doesn't work. Although it is important to do research to learn about the company you want to work for, it is equally important for you to carefully look into what exactly is that you want the company to offer you. If you are looking for a position that will offer you a stable working environment, you must also find out if the company offers areas for growth and if it is a happy working environment. There are many people out there who hate their jobs therefore do not spend too much time only into researching about the company with the thought of impressing your interviewer with your knowledge about the company. You want to also find out if most people who work 'there' are satisfied and happy with their jobs.

Another typical interview question they may ask is "what kind of experience do you have for this job?" The answer to this question will vary based on what type of a position you are applying for but in general you should always bring up transferable skills especially if you are changing from one industry to a different one. For example if you worked doing clerical, administrative, secretarial or worked as a receptionist and are now looking for a position in sales, public relations or a management position, then it would be a good idea to mention any additional skills you may have such as quick learner, attention to detail, people skills and leadership skills etc.

This one is a tricky question. " Describe a difficult problem you've had to deal with and tell me what solutions you came up with." If you worked in retail for example, you may say there all kinds of different problems all day long such as customer returns, losing sales on items you are out of stock of but the biggest problem is when there are no customers. The solution: re-arrange windows, bring in new merchandise, put up a "sale" sign and call customers on the phone to come in and put signs up for promotion etc.

"How long would you stay with the company?" You might say that you like the challenges offered by a company that offers areas for growth and as long as you are growing professionally there is no reason for you to make a move.

"What would you like to be doing five years from now?" Most of you probably heard this question before. You can say you'd like to work for a company that offers opportunity for growth because in some of those areas is where you may be able to make contributions toward the company's goals.

"What are your biggest accomplishments?" No matter what is your line of work whether business management, store management, data entry job, entrepreneurial, marketing professional, career counselor, hey, you say you are happy of your accomplishments to date but your biggest accomplishments are yet to come.

"Can you work under pressure?" working under pressure is really challenging but you rather apply your time management and planning skills to reduce tension within your area of responsibility. As far as what to say when asked any other type of work related questions: just tell the truth and nothing but the truth. If your prospective employer wants to contact your past employer tell them, yes. When you always tell the truth, you will have nothing, absolutely nothing to hide.

The trickiest question of them all: Why should I hire you? A prospective employer may tell you that they've already found the perfect candidate for the job so why should he or she hire you. Your homework here consists of deciphering the content of the employer's job opening ad. If the requirement calls for problem solving skills and work well without supervision, it means the employer is looking for someone who can "perform other tasks as required" with little supervision. If the requirement calls for a team player, the employer is looking for someone with great communication and people skills where you may be offered a chance to learn new skills working under a management team within a rapidly growing company. Keep in mind that "Perform other tasks as required" with or without supervision, in either case, actually means you must be prepared to work hard and to put in long hours. The secret to giving a winning answer to this question lies in the employment ads. An additional hint: read the job requirements very carefully and try to decipher the meanings especially the one regarding salary:)