Top 8 Startup Interview Questions You Need to Practice

Tell me about yourself.

Although you might be tempted to this question, it isn’t an open invitation for you to share your life story. Interviewers usually like to ask this question at the very beginning of the interview and it might catch you off guard. This question is their attempt to understand who you are and if that fits with the role. Before the interview, note a couple of adjectives that best describe yourself in parallel with the job description. Be honest and authentic, if possible, try to add some adjectives that will let them understand what separates you from other candidates. 

Why do you want to work for us?

Let’s start with the obvious, to answer this question you need to research the company thoroughly. It would be nice to prepare an answer beforehand. However, you need to be careful not to sound phoney, your answer should be genuine and polished. Keep in mind, the goal behind this question is to find someone who will fit well with the companies’ culture and will enjoy working there. Especially startup companies like to stand out with their company culture to lure the best candidates, so chances are there is plenty of information out there for you to seek. 

What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?

Arguably these might be one of the most dreaded interview questions. The key lies in being honest and enthusiastic. Try to highlight your strengths that will benefit their company by indicating how. Try to reframe both or one of them in a story format to paint a clearer picture. Mention a time your strength helped you in a professional format and/or your weakness became a hurdle to you. Adding how you overcome that hurdle despite your weakness can be a nice touch. 

What are your salary expectations?

This question can be a tricky one. While you don’t want to aim low, you wouldn’t want to aim so high because it could intimidate the interviewer. The best recipe for stress-free salary negotiation is to show them you are flexible. Give them a range you are willing to negotiate on. However, try to find a balance between the company’s overall salary rate and what you think your skills are worth in terms of compensation. You can find the London startup’s title salary rage in this article.

What is your greatest professional achievement within your department?

While it is tempting to visit the memory lane and select one achievement that made you rise up in your professional career, you need to make sure to give a recent and relevant example. Similar to the weakness and strength question present your answer with a story that will highlight your key values and qualities. No need to be humble, deliver your professional achievement with the confidence it deserves.

What is your work style?

Each company has its own work culture so the interviewer has a fairly good idea of who would succeed on their team. This question is specifically to determine if you’ll be a good fit for their team. To determine your working style ask yourself these questions:

• Do you feel more comfortable working individually or with a team?
• Are you more efficient when you have your own working schedule?
• How do you tend to solve problems? 
• What is your relationship with details?
• What is your communication style?
• How do you deal with conflict?

You get the gist of it, the list can go on. It would help you if you can research the company or even talk to a couple of employees beforehand. 

How do you deal with pressure or stressful situations?

One common mistake you can make is to deny you feel stress. In the end, you are human and human beings tend to crack under stressful events quite often. The interviewer wishes to know how well you can handle job-related stress and how stress outside of the workplace affects your motivation and efficiency. One trick to successfully mention how you handle pressure is to give an example where you excelled in overcoming your stress. 

What motivates you?

Answers to this question are limitless. You need to dig deeper to give a unique answer that will separate you from the rest. Just focus on what you do well and why you enjoy doing it. Your competencies and skills are your best friend when it comes to answering this question honestly. 

Conclusion

Yes, no matter how many interviews you have gone through the process is stressful. However, with focused research, it’s not hard to predict what’s waiting for you. If you prepare beforehand you will feel much more confident and you will be able to make sure you highlight the important points. If you are wondering what more you can do to prepare before an interview, check this article.