10 Sample Video Interview Questions and Answers to Watch Out For
Posted by IntroMagic Team on August 21th, 2021
You could be a fresher or industry veteran with years of experience, but what counts is your ability to make a powerful impression that differentiates you from others. Sample video interview questions and answers like the ones listed in this blog is a great way to prepare for your mission.
Mind you, 70% of interviews are all about measuring attitude and outlook towards growth. So if you haven’t groomed your personality enough for one-way interviews, now is the time to do so.
But before you make post-it notes on what you should and shouldn’t say in front of the camera, ask yourself these questions:
- What is the purpose behind your applying for the position?
- What values can you bring to a recruiter’s attention?
- Why do you think you are a deserving candidate for the role?
Most hubristic candidates assume they won’t be judged for anything other than what they know about the job and completely miss the mark when scorecards are out. Remember that every interviewer has a fondness for personality.
- In every multi-faceted, multicultural organization, a stress test is a ritual, and it takes someone with the right combination of character and confidence to get things back together. As a result, recruiters often worry about hiring candidates who cannot adapt to the company’s culture or are reluctant to have skin in the game at critical times.
10 Sample Video Interview Questions and Answers
Recruiters are picky when offering a chance to candidates whom they see as potential. So if you are skimming instructions, important information could be misread, leaving you with one less opportunity.Â
So always read instructions with care and be diligent while planning your one-way interview, because recruiters haven’t got all day to digest elastic scripts. With that out of the way, here are 10 sample video interview questions and answers to always be prepared for.
Pre Recorded Video Interview Tips
1. Tell me about yourself
While vetting resumes, recruiters measure a candidate’s cultural intelligence and openness to diversity. In a cohesive group, if a newly hired employee is less accommodating to liberal values, it could offset the balance that took years to achieve.Â
For this reason, recruiters always lead with ‘tell me about yourself’ to measure the emotional quotient, and whatever the candidate says next could stump them or make their eyes roll.Â
It might seem like anyone could answer this question with no second thoughts, but doing so in the context of a job interview can seem like a mental workout which many find stressful simply because the question is open-ended.Â
- Even before uttering the first word, understand why this question is being asked in the first place.
- Respond only when you have answers to sustain the conversation. In a video interview, that means linking one question to another till the 60-second mark.
- Remember, on average 118 people apply for the same job and only 20% get an invitation for the interview. So if your resume is shortlisted, that makes you special. So make it count by showing your worth through intense conviction.
- Sample answer:
- Here’s an example of a fresher crafting the correct response:
- My name is Dawson. I recently graduated from Cornell and majored in Marketing (International Business). While there, I maintained a 3.2 GPA and learned theoretical constructs of business development in foreign markets, corporate governance, and more. I actively took part in student exchange programs to increase my exposure to Asian and European markets.
- While I interned with real companies solving business challenges through concepts gleaned from the course, I am looking forward to building real-life work experience in international marketing. I am now in search of an organization where I can further my expertise and values acquired from the university.
2. Why are you interested in this position?
- If you have no purpose to show, it means you’re just throwing spaghetti and seeing what sticks. This is not the type of candidates recruiters are interested in. So instead of speaking about everything you’re fond of, state a few genuine reasons to increase your chance of getting hired.
- Recruiters evaluate specific factors motivating you as a job seeker. Bring your X-factor to the front and center if you already have experience, and showcase what you’ve accomplished.
- Sample answer:
- Here’s how an analytics professional with a few years of experience would phrase the answer:
- I am interested in the job because I see an organization like yours needs somebody with a specific skill set in cohort analysis, retention analysis, and machine learning application.
- I strongly feel that by hiring me, we could mutually benefit as I have specialized skills which you can leverage. If I can be part of your organization, I can help create strategies for effective teamwork. I can bring ideas from my past experiences along with my passion for creativity too.
3. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
- You already know there is no silver bullet solution for this question. The response could vary with industry and profession. But the overarching idea is to let recruiters know that you have a purpose, like a beacon to which you’re headed.
- Every organization that values growth would not want its employees to stagnate in the role where they began. So when stating your ambitions, it tells a lot about your zeal and dedication to succeed. While it’s impractical to boldly assert where you would be in 5 years, having a progressive mindset is enough to be greatly appreciated.
- Sample answer:
- While there aren’t any strict methods on how you should phrase an answer, you could be generic but not impersonal. For example, you could say this:
- In the next five years, I’m completely driven to accomplish both mine and the organization’s goals. Five years down the line, I also see myself as a key member of a cohesive team, growing the business value. You mustn’t sound naïve while setting goals because then you’ll appear short-sighted and lackadaisical..
4. What do you know about our company?
Recruiters want you to do your homework which in other words is telling candidates to come prepared with researched information. A fresher or a professional should know enough to look up the information to see what products they sell, social media reputation, and recent accomplishments.
Hirers are not expecting you to rehearse and recite information from the script, but they expect you to have an idea of the corporate culture fostered from the management to the front desk.
- To understand what the company is into is no big deal in the era of high-speed Internet. A quick query on search engines could tell you anything you wish to know about the company you’re applying to and its culture.
- You could brag to recruiters about how you discovered their business and what you think are the stand-out values.
- If they have a social media page, it’s a great place to mine insights you can’t find elsewhere.
- Sample answer:
- A mid-level SEO executive will respond to this question as follows:
- Your company values and mission is impressive, especially after amassing 5M social followers within 3 years of inception. I find your marketing success to be an excellent case study. It would be a great opportunity to be part of a dynamic team like you have here, delivering tangible values.
5. Describe your work ethic
You may have tremendous skills to show off, but if timeliness isn’t one of them, it could hurt your relationship with your employer. It’s awkward for employers to constantly buzz workers for unmet deliverables.Â
So they want to know whether you have the bandwidth and agility to keep up with peak times. By asking about your work ethic, they are trying to gauge your availability and ability to deliver on time.Â
- If you’re an experienced professional, your achievements translate promises into action.
- In the interview, share your success moments like performance awards, recognition, and other endorsements made by previous employers. It shows recruiters that you aren’t someone who’s after low-hanging fruits.
- Sample answer:
- Keep your narrative simple but genuine like this system administrator:
- I would describe my work ethic as fast and efficient. I plan my day before diving into objectives to increase focus. I’ve created widgets on my home screen to keep me notified about pending tasks so I am always ahead by a mile.
6. What are your strengths?
- Recruiters care about relevance, so if your strength is weightlifting it won’t sell in a data mining company. Maybe, you should try in the Olympics instead. In corporations, hiring managers expect you to understand their requirements and sell the one thing (or many) you’re good at.
- Don’t keep them guessing whether you can communicate across cultural diversity or be agile in the workflow. If you have a unique skill, make it look good in the video and be loud about it.
- Sample answer:
- An art director applying for a position in a reputed museum would compose this answer:
- I enjoy the minutest detail in work because it’s pure passion. Finding a stray smudge in a century-old portrait and fixing an oily fingerprint on an expensive auction art are several special skills that make me a person of exceptional value. Not that anyone could do less, but I just do it better.
7. What is your ideal work environment?
- It’s best to answer your opinion honestly to let recruiters figure out whether you prefer working in a bustling office or a smaller set up with plenty of room for individuality.
- It also reveals how willing you are to work in an evolving culture.
- Sample answer:
- Here’s how a call center executive with formal experience in a startup responds while interviewing at a larger organization:
- I have thrived in an organization with a smaller team. It felt encouraging to be part of a system that fostered creativity, recognition of effort, and open communication. Here, I am expected to network more and work outside silos which is the type of environment I am eager to be part of.
8. What are your career goals?
- You can start by categorizing your career goals into what you want to achieve now and later. Set realistic goals and order them as priorities you can check off the list.
- If you have a smarter approach that nobody else has thought of, you’ll wow the hiring manager the very next second.
- Sample answer:
- An accounts executive working for a tier 2 company phrases his response as such:
- I spent 3 years learning the in’s and out’s of accounting. But I am now keen to upskill my accounting practices and have set the year-end as a deadline for that milestone. In the long term, I want to become a certified auditor. From my university days, I have yearned to work with your organization and would consider my defining objective fulfilled if I am hired for this position.
9. Tell me about three people you would choose to help you with a project
- Think of it as an aptitude test where you put yourself in the position of a leader with constraints and a nearing deadline.
- Think of how you can convince the three best people in the room to put their hard hats on and work with you wholeheartedly. This test determines your decision-making skills, so you better think outside the box for making that impression.
- Sample answer:
- If all options are exhausted, and time is sparse, I’d look at the available resource pool to find a few willing hands capable of divergent thinking and convergent actions. Many a time, it’s impossible to find one person to do it all, but then it could be a fresher with a critical skill that could come in handy.
10. How did you deal with a big mistake, and what did you learn?
Mistakes are part of every individual and they will be judged for their ability to make a turnaround. So when recruiters ask how you coped with a mistake, they are eager to know how you dealt with a failure.
This is an important part of the interview because it showcases your true capability as a problem solver and leader.
- Think of what you learned from a failure and how you cushioned the impact on others. Every hiring professional is interested in the before and aftermath to gauge your worth in a situation that demands quick and innovative thinking.
- Your goal here is to show that you can cope with stress when you are at fault and explain how you made sure everything turned out fine before concluding.
- Sample answer:
- Here’s how an editor explained his mistake to a potential employer:
- In one of the places I worked, I was to proofread the file before submission, except this once a design error caused page numbers to be out of whack. The mistake wasn’t realized till the content made it to the printer.
- Luckily, the error was caught before any further damage was done but to save the intern from full wrath, I burnt accountability, and the problem was resolved without further issues. After the incident, I always double-checked files including the format to avoid repeating the same mistake.
Conclusion
Whether it’s freshers or professionals, preparing for a job interview is an overwhelming task. However, preparation is the key. Understanding and being ready to face some of the common video interview questions and answers can help in boosting confidence and improving your performance altogether.Conclusion
Don’t be intimidated by any unusual questions. Instead, see them as a golden opportunity and sell yourself. Keep your questions on-point and polite.
