Right from the time when we join a school, we know the relevance of interviews in our practical life. This screening phenomena has been experienced by all of us atleast once in our lifetime. You might have been questioned about your strengths and weaknesses or why you thought you were suitable for the job? 

While we all focus on preparing for our technical interview we generally overlook such questions. As we move up in hierarchy and gain more experience dealing with such questions becomes all the more important. Just like if one has already ready maps it becomes easier for us to locate the town, similarly by understanding the style of interview questions we can face the interview more confidently. 

There are four styles of interview questions: skill-based; behavioral-based; impression-based; and personality-based.  

Skill-based questions

Skill-based questioning seeks to identify the applicant's job-related skills. Often the interviewer does not use prepared questions. He uses the candidate's resume as a reference to look for specific qualifications. The interviewer will ask questions like:

What kinds of business software do you have experience with?

What were your main responsibilities on your last job?

How much experience do you have with the equipment we use here?

What method of closing a sale do you use most?  

Behavioral-based questions

Behavioral-based questioning uses structured inquiries to ask about job-related technical skills and the social skills required to apply them. The interviewer works on the assumption that past behaviors are the best predictor of how a candidate will behave in the future. The interviewer will ask questions like:

Can you tell me about a time when you were creative in solving a problem?

Can you give me an example of how you built rapport with someone quickly?

Can you recall a specific time you made a mistake and learned from it?  

Impression-based questions

Impression-based questioning is used in an unstructured approach. The inquiries do not stick to job-related questions. The interviewer tends to rely on his impressions when deciding whether a candidate is the "right type" for the job. The interviewer will ask questions like:

Why should I hire you? Have you ever played competitive sports?

Why should I consider someone with your background? How will you manage your career and family responsibilities?  

Personality-based questions

Personality-based questioning explores the candidate's psychological make-up. The questions are prepared in advance and often seek information about personality traits not directly required for the job. The interviewer is looking for candidates who match a predetermined profile. The interviewer will ask questions like:

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Are you aggressive or passive in conflict situations?

Do you have problems with authority?

How do you handle uncooperative people?

Are you an organized person?  

While many interviewers use a combination of different styles of questions, recognizing the type of questions will help you understand the purpose behind them and thus you can phrase your response accordingly.