"Tell me about yourself."

Use what you have learned about the company and the position. Plan your answer to emphasize your experience and accomplishments. This is your opportunity to sell yourself, so don't hesitate to "blow your own horn".

"Why are you looking for a new position?"

Be sure to answer this in a positive way. Never bad-mouth current or former employers, or it may lead the interviewer to wonder about your attitude and how you work with others. Instead, state that while you are happy where you are, you recognized that this was an excellent opportunity worth exploring.

"What is your greatest strength?"

Use examples from your background to illustrate your strengths and show how others benefited. Example: "I am a great listener. I have been able to establish positive relationships with potential customers if I listen more than I speak. I was able to arrange a mutually profitable consulting contract with a client by really focusing in on a problem he mentioned with an old system he was using to manage inventory."

"What is your greatest weakness?"

This question can be tricky to answer. It is best if you portray your weakness as something that could be also viewed as positive. Example: "I am a bit of a perfectionist" or "I get so focused on a project that I can be a workaholic." Keep it realistic, though, and avoid saying things that sound too phony.

"What salary are you looking for?"

Try to avoid answering with a specific dollar amount. Too high (or too low!) can take you out of the running. Instead, you can state what you are currently earning, and that you would expect a salary that would reflect your increased responsibility with a new position.

"Why should I hire you?"

This is another opportunity to sell yourself and your qualifications. State concisely why your specific skill set and experience are a good match for this position. Highlight the features that you believe set you apart from the competition.

"What would you like to be doing five years from now?"

Ideally, you know more about the company at this point, and should be able to answer with this information in mind. "I'd like to be in management" is too vague and doesn't demonstrate that you take responsibility for the development of your own career. A better answer would be, "I would like to be on the R & D team, because of the opportunity to contribute to the development of the company's future product offerings. I would expect that I would move up in the organization as I gain more experience and fine-tune my management skills."