Second Interview Questions (And How to Answer Them)
Some people seem to just breeze through job interviews. There are others though who need a bit more preparation to be interview-ready. Whichever category you belong to, the good news is you passed the first interview and now, you just need to ace the second one.
As we’ve said before in a previous post, second interviews are common if you’re applying for a government position or a job in a large company. If you were shortlisted along with other strong candidates, employers usually want to know how you would fit in with the company’s culture.
Second interview questions are therefore different from the first one. Here, we’ll give you a rundown of questions you might encounter at a second interview and how you can best answer them.
Best Answers to Common Second Interview Questions
1. What Makes You The Best Person for the Job?
If this question has already been asked during the first interview, you might be tempted to answer the same way. But you should note that the interviewer (usually an HR person) has already noted down your previous answer. You should assume that the second interviewer already knows your qualifications.
Your answer should highlight your skills that best match the requirements stated in the job description. Don’t give generic answers. This is your chance to stand out from the competition and elaborate on how the essentials skills you have will be an asset to the role.
2. What Is Your Idea of Our Corporate Environment?
You should take what you’ve learned from your first interview and expand on how you could see yourself working for the company. If you know the company’s mission statement, you can also say something about the efforts of the company in terms of achieving it. This would also be a good time to ask for clarifications if, for whatever reason, you have some reservations about accepting the role.
3. What’s Your Expected Salary?
This should be easy to answer as long as you stick to a realistic salary range. Again, if this was already asked during the initial interview, you should take this opportunity to be consistent and explain why you feel the figure you’ve come up with is reasonable.
An important thing to remember is not to undervalue yourself. Considering the role and your experience, be prepared to explain why you should be paid that much for your skills. Don’t forget to ask about bonuses, benefits, and other perks.
Win Your Second Interview
The main difference between initial and second interviews is the questions are bound to be more personal. Beyond your skills and experience, your future employers want to see if you’ll work well with other employees and if you have what it takes to excel in your role, given the company culture.
If you find yourself nervous during interviews or if you need to work on your elevator speech, you should consider interview coaching. With the right coach, you won’t have to struggle with selling yourself. You will be well-equipped to effortlessly articulate your value and arm yourself with the strategies needed to win in today’s competitive job market.
Contact us if you have any questions about our resume, interview coaching, and career coaching services.
