While it is perfectly normal to experience some nervousness before and during a job interview, you can ease the anxiety by familiarising yourself with some commonly asked interview questions. Knowing what the employer is looking out for with each particular type of question will allow you to put together a more relevant answer and enable you to present it more effectively.

For starters, I've compiled a set of basic questions that are usually fielded by interviewers.

1.  Tell me about yourself.

With this "ice-breaker", the interviewer wants to hear a summary of your previous employment /education experiences as well as discover what your interests and ambitions are.

Highlight your academic achievements (where relevant to the position) and give an overview of your career track. Do give details of your motivation for specializing in the particular field of work. If you are venturing into a new field, you should likewise share your motivation for the transition and additionally, emphasize that you master new skills quickly and are very adaptable.

2.  What made you apply to our company? / What attracted you to this job?

The interviewer wants to know that you are sincere about wanting to work for the company.

Explain how you are inspired by the company's philosophies and in what ways they parallel your own principles. It is also good practice to list some of the areas in the job description that you found interesting so as to show your enthusiasm for the position.

3.  What are your strengths and weaknesses?

The interviewer wants to assess your maturity level from the way you acknowledge your character traits and be assured of your suitability for the job's demands.

State briefly your strengths and cite examples of how they have served you well in challenging situations. When mentioning your weaknesses, do elaborate on how you intend to overcome them or exploit them in a positive way.

4.  How do you think you can contribute to the company? / Why should we hire you?

The interviewer wants to know that your experiences and skills are relevant to the position. With respect to certain positions, this question is used to evaluate how soon you can produce the results needed to justify the company's investment in you.

Relate how your work history has provided you with valuable learning and self-development opportunities that translate into relevant experience and transferable know-how. You may give examples of how you intend to apply certain skills to benefit the company. Where possible, you should state specific targets that you intend to achieve and suggest a workable time-line to accomplish them.

5.  What are your career goals? / Where do you see yourself X years from now?

The interviewer wants to be reassured of your productivity and long-term commitment to the company.

Your answer should clarify how the position and its prospects fit in with your career objectives. Share your short-term goals in the context of the job scope (i.e. How you intend to fulfill your duties and contribute effectively) and describe your long-term goals in relation to the prospects of the position (i.e. What advancement opportunities you expect to have within a given time frame).

When preparing answers in anticipation of interview questions, remember to always be honest. You risk contradicting yourself during the interview if you introduce half-truths or white lies.

As you brainstorm for each question, write down all the points you can think of so that editing will be easier. After fleshing out the answers, read them aloud several times. This will help you to re-phrase or re-frame where required to improve delivery. Ultimately, you must be able to deliver the answers comfortably and naturally.

During the interview, remember to pause briefly before answering a question. While you may have memorized the answer, it is better to give the impression that you have carefully considered the interviewer's question before offering a reply.

All the best!