Interview questions at Sabre
We analyzed 427 interview reviews for Sabre from various job sites, social network groups and forums.
Here are the most frequent job interview questions asked by HR managers during initial phone or onsite interviews. This list does not include technical or factual questions.
16 frequent non-technical questions at Sabre:
According to our research, hiring managers at Sabre ask soft skills interview questions 23% less than at other companies.
1. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? top question
How to answer
This question belongs to a family of behavioral, or even more precisely, reflective questions.
The interviewer wants to learn two things about you by asking this question.
- They want to know what you think about the job you are applying for. Remember, they are interviewing you for the job that's open right now. Are you a good fit and will you do a good job for them?
- Just as important, they want to get an idea of your ambitions and goals for yourself and if your goals align with their needs, especially going into the future.
In this way the employer should see how you see yourself today, and whether you are ambitious and strive to grow as a professional, and whether you like to learn and develop your skills.
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About Yourself
What challenges do you like overcoming? Where are you starting from and where might you be going?
For example, let's say the position you are applying for is junior accountant. It includes a wide range of tasks such as basic bookkeeping, financial analysis, and reporting. If accounting is your chosen field, then you would most likely want to move in the direction of obtaining your CPA so that you might step up to more responsibility as an accounting manager or senior auditor within the next 5 years. Your responses should make sense in how you see yourself growing in your professional career.
However, at this point, if you are happy just where you are and want to further your current skills, that is also fine as long as there is a growth path for you that can be imagined and described.
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About The Company
Research the company to learn what career opportunities may be available in the department you are applying to, and what the trends are in the company in general.
- Is the business expanding, are they opening new locations, or starting new projects?
- Or are they heavily automating and cutting staff?
Let’s say you are applying for a UX designer position for a brand-new product.
In the future, if the product becomes a success - which is what the company hopes for - the company will hire more designers and you may become a lead designer, or you may become a product manager.
On a side note: If you train your mind to be open to opportunities you will be amazed at how much this world has to offer to you!
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About The Fit
And, of course, try to see where the perfect fit lies between your own potential and aspirations, and the company’s trends and hopes.
However, beware of the risk of showing too much excitement for future opportunities compared to your attitude towards the current position.
As we said earlier, you must show interest and enthusiasm for the position you are applying for. If the interviewer senses that you are more enthusiastic about future growth than about the current position, they may conclude that you are not the right person for the job at hand.
Pro Tip
This question gives you a good opportunity to showcase your Key Selling Points (e.g. “As I am very good at delegating tasks, I can easily see myself leading a team of software testers in the future…”), and end your statement by asking about current initiatives and goals at the company.
In thinking about the possibilities that may lie ahead, you also might want to consider taking a personality test (I recommend 16Personalities which is based on the Myers-Briggs test), research the internet on what career paths are possible with your skills and current job.
It is generally NOT a good idea to say something like:
“Oh, I cannot imagine what happens to me tomorrow, let alone in 5 years”.
This will show you as a person who is unimaginative and not forward-thinking enough to grow with and be a good fit for the company.
Statistics
This question is asked 50% more frequently at Sabre than at other companies.
2. Tell me about yourself
How to answer
Most job candidates expect this to be one of the first interview questions and probably think of it as an “icebreaker” to get the interview started. It is much more than that! It is your opportunity to show the interviewer your relevance for the job. You want the employer to know that you are qualified to do the job, you are interested in doing the job and capable of getting it done.
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About Yourself
What is your current occupation? Define yourself professionally in one statement.
Pick 3 key skills that make you great at your work (your Key Selling Points). How have you applied these skills?
Try to give some numbers to support your statement.
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About The Company
Your first step is to Research the company to find out as much as you can about what they do and their approach to their business and their employees.
Based on what you know about the company and the job description, why are you interested in the position you are applying for?
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About The Fit
Now is the right time to show the fit between your skills and the company's requirements. Your answer works best if you emphasize your relevance. How do you do this? You will have already researched the company, studied the job description to identify their needs and possible pain points and prepared the relevant Star Stories that show how you addressed similar issues in the past. Your next step is to develop your Present-Past-Present approach.
Start with the Present. Focus on the skills and experience from your most recent positions. What has enabled you to get the job done successfully and how this relates to what the employer is looking to accomplish.
Next go back to the Past. Here is where your Star story comes in. Explain how you were able to use your skills and experience to accomplish a task that relates to an area of concern for the employer.
Finally come back to the Present – summarizing the lessons you learned and how they shaped your response and approach today.
Remember, the whole conversation is about the present, not the past. Just one sentence can summarize why your approach works, and its applicability and relevance to this position.
Pro Tip
You can also end with a question like:
“Do you know what the current needs in the company/department are, where my skills and experience can help?”
That can help you learn more about the company and the job, turn the “interrogation” into a conversation and will allow you to relax some tension.
Read our blog post to learn more about how to answer this question.
Statistics
This question is asked 8% less frequently at Sabre than at other companies.
3. What did you like or dislike about your last job?
How to answer
Your answer to this question will show the interviewer your overall perspective (positive or negative) of your prior role and your approach to what you liked (or didn’t like) about that aspect of your work. While answering such a question remember that diplomacy is the key to corporate success.
The answer you give to this question can say a lot about you, for example:
- Can you handle situations professionally when you deal with pressure?
- What strong qualities (your Key Selling Points) can you emphasize answering the question?
- Are you a positive person, and not someone who complains, holds grudges or badmouths their co-workers or boss?
- Do you exhibit loyalty, enthusiasm, dedication, and energy?
- Are you easy to work with?
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About Yourself
Reflect on yourself; stick to the facts and don’t go into emotions.
List the things you were responsible for in your last job.
- Which of them did you like most? Why?
- What were the responsibilities you liked less? Why?
- Was there anything you consider completely unacceptable?
If you feel that your answer will not be complete without a nod toward the negative aspects, then keep it focused on tasks, situations, or company structure, and not on people. The overall tone must be positive and friendly.
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About The Company
- What does your research tell you about the company you are applying to?
- Will there be situations like those in your former job you don't want to get into again?
- What are the requirements for the position?
- What challenges will you face there?
- What responsibilities will you be tasked with?
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About The Fit
Which of the responsibilities you liked will also be part of your future responsibilities in your new role? Don’t forget to show your excitement while telling about these.
If there were responsibilities you disliked that are not part of the job description, don’t bring them up.
By asking about your feelings toward a previous job the interviewers often aren’t that interested in the list of actual likes or dislikes you can provide. Rather, they’re trying to judge your character by listening to the tone and **attitude **with which you respond to a tricky question.
However, details of your likes and dislikes can also reveal whether you'll be a good fit culturally at the company at hand. Showing excitement about responsibilities that will most likely be included in the role you are applying for can help strengthen your position as a fit.
Mentioning that you are ready for more challenges and opportunities, that the position you are applying for is a great match for your skillset and that you feel you would be an asset to the company or department is often a safe way to show your excitement.
Pro Tip
Telling your stories, use the “sandwich method”: start off by mentioning a positive, then mention the negative, and try to pivot back around to something positive.
You can do that by talking about how you managed the aspect you disliked, or by making a connection to the job you're interviewing for.
Statistics
This question is asked 5.3x more frequently at Sabre than at other companies.
4. What are your strengths? Give an example
How to answer
Many people think they know their personal strengths and consider this question simple. However, to impress your interviewer you must be ready to turn your response into a meaningful and insightful answer.
It’s an open invitation to talk about your Key Selling Points, your accomplishments and to show how you match the employer’s values and requirements.
You must be ready to stand out and demonstrate your unique value as a candidate.
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About Yourself
Reflect on your best professional qualities. What are they? Are you dependable, flexible, friendly, hardworking, a strong leader, formal, punctual, good team player?
Pick at least three personal strengths that will help you at your new workplace, and make sure you can give specific examples to demonstrate why you say these are your strengths.
If no key strengths spring to mind, ask your friends or colleagues what they think your greatest strengths are. What examples can demonstrate your success due to these qualities?
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About The Company
Make sure to research the company and read the job description thoroughly in order to identify the key strengths required for the role.
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About The Fit
Recruiters and hiring managers want to know how your strength relates to the job you’re applying for.
Match the skills required by the position with your list of strengths. Choose up to 5 top skills. These are your Key Selling Points! Prove your point by providing examples.
Craft your stories using the STAR method.
Pro Tip
Tip 1: Aim to strike a balance between over-confidence and underselling yourself. If you list too many strengths, you risk sounding arrogant. Listing too few implies a lack of confidence or even a lack of skills.
Tip 2: One of the most in-demand skills nowadays is being adaptive. In order to emphasize your adaptiveness, try to think of an example when you had to quickly learn something new, or quickly become a team member with a completely new group of people, or started contributing quickly in a new environment or project.
Statistics
This question is asked 5.9x more frequently at Sabre than at other companies.
5. Tell me about a successful project you were involved in. What was your role? What was the result?
How to answer
At first glance you might think that this question is only asked of project managers. That is clearly not the case. In the modern business environment, work is often organized in the form of projects across multiple disciplines involving many people at many different levels.
Projects allow companies to plan objectives and milestones in order to reach their goals, to monitor progress and performance, to clearly define deliverables and success.
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About Yourself
Think about a few projects you have been involved in, regardless of your level of participation. These might range from small projects like organizing a party to large-scale multinational projects with participants and teams across the globe, million-dollar budgets and high risk and reward stakes.
Develop one or two project-based STAR stories.
Remember, all project-based STAR stories should start with the following descriptive elements:
- Project name
- Its purpose and goal
- Your role in it
- The duration of the project or its phases (in case only some phases were successful)
- The approximate number of people or stakeholders involved in it.
Once you have establish the base facts, its time to describe the challenges and results:
- What were the top 3 challenges?
- What was the end result?
- How did the company (or other stakeholders) benefit from the results?
- How can you define your contribution in 3-5 key phrases?
If you received any praise for your efforts from your boss, peers or clients, what did they say exactly?
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About The Company
Based on the research you did on the company, what kinds of projects can you expect here?
- What do you know about the goals they are trying to achieve?
- What do you know about their current challenges?
- Can you imagine what success will look like for the projects in this company?
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About The Fit
Once you decide which project best fits this question, use the Present-Past-Present approach to answer it.
Start with the Present by explaining your thinking on what you believe makes a project successful. You might say that your approach to all new projects is to set up the right project framework and tools before you begin, to help ensure that you get off to a good start.
Next go back to a Past situation in which you and your team took on a project and used your method of clarification to ensure that everyone knew their assignment and through hard work and focus, brought it to a successful conclusion.
Finally, come back to the Present to show how you will use your approach to help the employer tackle projects going forward.
Practice telling your story, using the STAR method.
Pro Tip
End your answer by asking the interviewer how they define success for the role you are applying for.
This will provide you with an insight into the company's environment and expectations for this role, as well as helping to transform the “interrogation” into a conversation as the interview continues.
Statistics
This question is asked 4.9x more frequently at Sabre than at other companies.
6. Tell me about a stressful situation and how you dealt with it
How to answer
Stress on the job comes in many forms and from many sources including tight (perhaps impossible) deadlines, difficult bosses and co-workers, family issues, hard-to-please customers and clients and numerous other causes. There are also levels of stress ranging from the ones that are so common that we consider them normal, up to those that can really skyrocket.
Your future employer wants to know how you will behave in such times, whether you will be a helping hand or a burden.
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About Yourself
In order to form a response to this question, think back to a time when you encountered a stressful situation at work, and answer the following questions.
- Was the situation a challenge just to you personally or to your entire team?
- What was your approach to the problem and how did you handle it?
- What role if any did emotions play in the process of dealing with this situation?
- What was the outcome, was it successful?
- Did the outcome meet the company’s expectations as well as your own?
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About The Company
- What do you know about the company, where you may encounter a stressful situation?
- Are they working on a major project which is approaching a due date?
- Are they going through what appears to be a difficult time where cost-saving is a top priority? Perhaps the company culture is full of negativity and mistrust, or they have gone through massive layoffs. Is there any chance that customers are being neglected?
Any of these situations may lead to stressful times at the company, and you should try to know more about their expectations, and how realistic those expectations are.
Or, are they just a dynamic, highly agile company run by smart and creative folks, which may work excellently for some people and be confusing and mind-blowing for others?
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About The Fit
Once you have determined which STAR story will best answer this question, use the Present-Past-Present method for your response. The following is an example of how someone might apply this method.
The candidate started with the Present by telling the interviewer that she is able to rise to the challenge of the situation regardless of the level of stress that may come with an assignment.
She then went back to the Past to describe when she and her team had to hit a tight timeline for a customer that depended on the outcome of her team's work. It was an emotional time in which the team worked long, hard hours with lots of overtime. As hard as it was at the time, in the end they successfully completed the assignment and the customer was so pleased with the results that it increased its business with her company.
Finally, the candidate came back to the Present to explain how much she enjoys taking on challenges because they help her grow as a professional and she knows that she can successfully complete assignments for the company, no matter how stressful or difficult.
Pro Tip
Think of your ideal workplace environment.
- Does this company feel like it would be ideal for you?
- Do you feel excited and enthusiastic about taking on the kinds of stress you may encounter here?
- Would you prefer to work in an environment where the stress levels were lower or at least more manageable?
If you feel compatible with this company culture and enthusiastic about the challenges you expect here, this is a good chance to mention it and to show your excitement.
Explain your approach or rationale when you give your example from the past.
If you cannot remember any stressful situation with a positive outcome, you can use one with a less than positive outcome but it must be accompanied by your lessons learned and how you were able to use the lessons to help you move on.
Statistics
This question is asked 99% more frequently at Sabre than at other companies.
7. Give me an example when you engaged in something new to you and succeeded at it
How to answer
There will probably be a time when your manager will ask you to perform duties that might be beyond your level of experience.
Interviewers ask this question to see how adaptable you are and how you may have leveraged your problem-solving skills, learned to do something new and grew in your position as well.
They want someone who is open and thrives on challenges, not someone who’s going to be close-minded, do the bare minimum, or not get anything out of their experiences.
They also want to see that you are willing to take on new assignments for the good of the company even when they may seem difficult for you.
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About Yourself
Remember your previous experiences.
- Are you a quick learner?
- How did you cope when you faced a challenge you had never previously experienced?
- What emotions did you have when doing something new?
- Who or what motivated you to do this task?
- Were you excited to complete it?
- Were you satisfied with the result?
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About The Company
Research the company and analyze the job role you are applying for.
- What skills are they looking for in their candidates?
- Is there anything in the job description that might present a challenge to you?
See if you are able to match their values to those you learned from your previous experience.
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About The Fit
It’s your chance to speak about your Key Selling Points, qualities and skills that you gained in the process of learning and improvement, and which have become your professional strengths.
Highlight your skills like creative and independent thinking, decision making and logic.
Show the interviewer that you are a quick learner, a capable and confident person who isn’t afraid of challenges and eager to constantly improve your skills, and have big plans for working for the company.
Remember a real story from your previous work describing how your skills helped you to successfully complete a new assignment. It must be relevant to the position you are applying for.
Tell your story using the STAR method.
- What techniques did you use?
- What steps did you take?
Here is an example of an answer:
“In my previous job, I was a marketing coordinator. My manager asked me to help her build and launch a digital ad campaign, which was something I’d never done before. I did a lot of research, met with several employees outside my immediate team who had experience running digital ads, studied best practices and successfully helped to launch the campaign. Thanks to that hands-on learning experience, I became our team’s expert on digital advertising.”
Pro Tip
When we try to do new things first we feel uncomfortable but after some time we got interested in it.
These new things will open you up to more experiences and leave you feeling more fulfilled.
Statistics
This question is asked 56.4x more frequently at Sabre than at other companies.
8. Describe your dream job
How to answer
Hiring managers ask you about your dream job to find out what you're passionate about. They want insight into what motivates you and what your long-term career goals are.
This gives them a better chance to assess how happy you will be at this job and how long you might stay with the company.
It would be a dream come true if you were actually interviewing for your dream job, wouldn't it?
Don't worry. With Mr. Simon's help, you're on your way to achieve greatness!
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About Yourself
Think of your Key Selling Points, those qualities and skills that make you who you are.
Now consider how they might apply in your dream job. The dream job does not have to be a specific job (although the one you are applying for just might be). Rather, you should think of the kinds of work you want to do and the responsibilities you would like to have and apply your skills, qualities and values to those elements of your dream job.
For example, let’s say your dream job is to be a labor relations manager, involved with companies and their union workers. Here are some thoughts you would want to ask yourself in preparation for the “Dream Job” question:
- Do you enjoy solving problems, or mediating conflicts?
- Do you thrive under pressure?
- Do you consider yourself a “people person” who likes to engage with clients and others?
Preparing ahead of time and using your Key selling Points will help you answer the “Dream Job” question and satisfy both the interviewer and you.
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About The Company
Thoroughly read the job description so you have a better understanding of the skills and characteristics the position requires.
Do your research about the company and the position for which you are applying.
Try to find out as much as you can about what the company is looking for in an employee, what type of work environment they have and the company’s values.
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About The Fit
Match the top qualities and skills you want in a dream job with your own skills and qualities as well as what the company is looking for.
Be ready to share some examples of how you have enjoyed utilizing those skills in the past.
For example, if you are a big fan of numbers and the position requires you to be detail-oriented, you can talk about your dream job being in a position where you can use your passion for numbers and problem-solving.
Whenever possible, mention your success in this area, using the STAR method.
Make sure that you do not specify a role, rather keep it open to possibilities. Focus on the characteristics and not the position.
Pro Tip
The key to answering this question is to convey your long-term interest in achieving your dream job, without overshadowing your interest in the job you’re applying for.
Statistics
This question is asked 9.7x more frequently at Sabre than at other companies.
9. What were your responsibilities in your last job?
How to answer
This is a good opportunity to demonstrate that you have experience or knowledge suitable for the job you are applying for.
Even if you have never done exactly this specific kind of job, usually you should be able to name a few “transferable” skills that you used in your previous work assignments that are quite easily applicable to the position you are applying for.
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About Yourself
Remember your last (or current) job and compile a list of things you had to do while working there.
If you don’t know where to start, picture your typical working day at one of your previous jobs, or college day if you are applying for your first job ever.
Describe the categories of tasks in bullet points. Then, try to remember the less ordinary tasks you had to do as well, and add them to the list.
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About The Company
Research the company and the job description.
- What do you expect to be doing in this job?
- How would your performance be measured?
List a few items in bullet points.
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About The Fit
Choose a few task categories that seem like a match between your experience and the requirements of the current position. Think of a couple of relevant examples to illustrate your experience.
Craft your stories using the STAR method.
Pro Tip
Optionally, you can end with a question like “Does this correspond with the expectations for this role? Could you give me an example of what is expected from a successful candidate within the first, say, 3 months?"
That can help you learn more about the company and the job, turn the "interrogation" into a conversation and will allow you to relax some tension.
Statistics
This question is asked 3.1x more frequently at Sabre than at other companies.
10. What one skill do you possess that you think will be the most important to a hiring manager?
How to answer
Employers place a lot of emphasis on finding candidates with the right skills and competencies for their organizations.
Depending on the career sector and profession you choose to work in, there are very specific skills, abilities and knowledge needed to do the job well.
The interviewer asks this question to make sure you will be a good fit with your skills and experience and will be a great addition to their team.
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About Yourself
If you’re not sure which skill would be best to share, consider your previous work experiences.
- Where did you excel?
- What would your peers say you’re especially proficient at?
- Have you ever received recognition for meeting a particular objective or excelling in a specific area?If so, your skills likely assisted you in reaching this achievement.
- What personal talents or attributes helped you meet that milestone?
Ask former coworkers or managers to help you to determine your strengths that made you unique. Imagine yourself as a manager who needs an employee to fill the position you are currently applying for.
What would you as the manager expect from a candidate for this job?
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About The Company
Start by reviewing the job description and making note of any required skills or abilities that match your own.
The job posting is a great guide for what employers want to see in candidates. In addition to job requirements, consider the depiction of the company and its culture in the job description.
Be sure to research the company by reviewing its website for additional information to get to know what skill you should mention.
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About The Fit
It’s important to highlight your best hard and soft skills (your Key Selling Points) to position yourself as a well-rounded candidate.
Though you may have several different areas of strength, include only those that are relevant to the job. Adaptability, critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and effective communication – it is the list of most common soft skills that can be helpful in any job, so you can choose the one to share with the hiring manager that best describes you.
But to make your answer stronger, the skill should be specific to the job you are applying for. Be certain to give examples of how this skill helped you in your last job.
Pro Tip
It is important to be able to distinguish your skills from personal qualities. The first are acquired in the process of work and training, and the second characterize you as a person.
Statistics
This question is asked 4.4x more frequently at Sabre than at other companies.
11. What is your greatest weakness?
How to answer
This question ranks as the most challenging for many people. Fortunately, Mr. Simon is here to help!
Interviewers are not out to trick or trap you! They ask this question to gauge your level of self-awareness, your honesty and openness, and your capability for self-improvement.
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About Yourself
No one is perfect and your interviewer doesn't expect you to be perfect either.
While it is good to be honest and open, it will not help you to put yourself down.
What's important is to find a weakness that you have overcome. How you turned what might be considered a negative into a positive.
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About The Company
Research the company (website, social media, etc) to learn about the company culture.
What personal and professional qualities do they value?
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About The Fit
This is the time to clearly state a true weakness that you have overcome.
Be as specific as possible and stay away from vague cliches like “I work too hard.” It would be difficult for anyone to try and explain how they overcame a weakness like that
Mr. Simon emphasizes the Present-Past-Present method of responding to behavioral questions. When you are asked about your greatest weakness, you should be able to successfully use this approach as well. Here is an example of how someone might answer this question.
Present - "I have always had a fear of public speaking, and believe this may have held me back in my career, especially when having to make presentations to management."
Past - "Last year I learned about Toastmasters International and decided to join this group to help me gain confidence in myself and improve my ability to present to others in just about any situation."
Present - "By overcoming this weakness I believe that it has made me a much stronger candidate for this position, someone you can count on to make presentations to management, conduct training and communicate at a high level."
It's important to show how well you've overcome a weakness by motivating yourself and learning a new skill to grow professionally.
Pro Tip
Use this question to sell yourself!
Statistics
This question is asked 63% less frequently at Sabre than at other companies.
12. What has been your biggest professional disappointment?
How to answer
Interviewers ask this kind of question to understand how you perceived and dealt with adversity.
They are looking for how you handled the situation and what you may have learned from the experience.
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About Yourself
Take a little time to understand what you were feeling and why you were feeling that way when you were disappointed in the workplace.
Select something significant in your professional life where someone or something didn’t meet your expectations.
- What did you do to handle it?
- What professional learning have you acquired?
- What would your approach be if a similar situation repeats itself in the future?
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About The Company
Research the company and its culture; review the job description, as it will list the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of the job.
Browse the company’s website, blog and LinkedIn profile for previous projects, achievements and client testimonials. Read news articles about the organization and online employee reviews of the company.
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About The Fit
Use the STAR method to discuss a work-related disappointment.
It is best to avoid an example that's closely related to the responsibilities of the job for which you are applying.
If possible, the situation you describe should be one that was something that was beyond your control.
Be positive about the experience and accept any personal responsibility you may have had, if applicable. This quality is highly valued at any job.
Show acceptance and no negative feelings. There is nothing wrong with admitting to having professional disappointments; you will be seen as an honest and confident candidate.
Discuss a disappointment in the context of a learning experience, describing your approaches to dealing with the challenges and, if possible, relate them to the new company’s culture.
The following is an example of a professional disappointment and how it was handled:
“The team that I led was tasked with developing a system needed to account for new sales in the EU. The team worked diligently for over 6 months, and the project was nearly complete when the company pulled the plug due to budget constraints and a change in direction requested by our strategic partners in France and Germany. Although initially disappointed, my director and I worked with senior management to scale back the original scope of the project and successfully redirected it for a more targeted use by our US and Canadian units. We were able to turn a disappointment into a positive.”
Pro Tip
Every company wants its team to see challenges as opportunities to learn and grow.
Convince the potential employer that you possess that mentality through this answer, and you will have won this round.
If you are someone who has persevered in the most challenging and uncertain of times, then you have what it takes to help the new company do the same.
Statistics
This question is asked 33.3x more frequently at Sabre than at other companies.
13. What challenges are you looking for in this position?
How to answer
This is a typical question that interviewers ask to determine what you are looking for in your next job, whether you are qualified for the job and if you would be a good fit for the position.
They want to hire people with goals and motivation for their career; they want to understand how you approach novel situations and difficult tasks that you might expect to face, and the situations you consider to be a challenge.
This question can be a way for you to show how you handle these circumstances. It also helps the interviewer to know if you are a person who likes routines or a person who prefers dynamic changes in plans.
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About Yourself
- What qualities do you wish to develop in yourself both professionally and personally?
- What kind of culture do you want to work in?
- What motivates you?
- What will help you to achieve your future goals?
Choose those things that you’re already pretty good at, but still trying to improve even more.
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About The Company
Research the company, its culture and the work environment. Check their website, read up on any media report you can find about them, check out their social media platform.
Carefully read the job description to get an insight into what the company thinks the challenges are. Make sure to include them in your answers to demonstrate your skill set.
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About The Fit
The best way to answer this question is to discuss how you would like to be able to effectively apply your skills and experience to the new job.
Focus on those skills that you are most passionate about or have the most experience with. You can also mention that you are motivated by challenges, can effectively meet them, and have the flexibility and skills necessary to handle a stimulating job.
Describe specific examples of challenges you have met and the goals you have achieved in the past. Choose those that reveal your strengths.
Challenges clearly vary widely based on the position you are applying for.
For example, in sales you may speak about higher sales quotas, a larger sales territory, or a more prominent range of products or services.
In IT, they might be learning a new software program or incorporating the cloud in the company’s systems.
In a management position, it could be leading a larger team than you currently do or stepping into your first leadership role.
Pro Tip
Don’t suggest challenges that can prevent you from doing a job properly or those which are impossible to resolve.
Also don’t choose those that are too easy or too quick to resolve, because in such a way you will not be able to show that you are eager to grow further and meet difficult tasks.
Be honest and self-aware and don’t be afraid to speak about some of your points that may need improvement. Not those, of course, that are related to your crucial work duties.
Statistics
This question is asked 11.9x more frequently at Sabre than at other companies.
14. What are your salary requirements?
How to answer
This question seems factual, but it gauges how well you value yourself and how well you know your industry.
This is your opportunity to present yourself as a qualified professional and get a proper salary!
Read on to learn how you can answer this question with confidence, using an analytical approach. The answer may be given as a range or as a single target number.
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About Yourself
The first thing to research is the salary range for your role in the market. What is the industry standard?
Next, think of your qualifications for the role. Weigh in your traits, skills, education, and experience. Try this exercise, draw a line on a piece of paper where on the left side sits a complete beginner, and on the right side - the best professional in the world the company may try to invite for the role. Where do you position yourself?
Now, remember that once you start in your new role, your qualifications will be growing fast, due to all the new experience you will be gaining - consequently, your value will rise as well. Your salary, on the other hand, will not increase as quickly. So, try to imagine where your qualifications will bring you, on that scale, in about a year into the new job.
Map the scale against the industry range. Now you should be able to come up with an objective figure, as opposed to pure speculation.
This is not real math, however, so your number cannot be very precise, of course. Define a range, which starts with the minimum that will keep you satisfied a few months into the job, and the maximum which, a year into the job, will give you the lifestyle you would ideally like to have at that time.
Make sure the range stays within 40%-60% between extremes. Remember, the higher the position up the ladder, the wider the range can be. What is the number in the middle? Will you feel comfortable with this number?
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About The Company
Research the company and find out what they are paying. The best places to find this information are Glassdoor, LinkedIn, PayScale and other similar websites.
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About The Fit
Based on your research, does the company fit your desired salary range?
Now, whether you should be giving a range, or a single target number is a matter of debate. I personally think that a single number, given in a suggestive manner, is better than the range, because when given a range, they may logically gravitate towards the lower end, especially since you’ve said that the lower number is acceptable.
One example of how to structure your answer of a single target number is this:
I have done my research and based on the average for the industry, location, and my level of expertise, something like XXX seems reasonable to me. What do you think?
Besides giving the factual answer that the interviewer is asking for, such an answer will also show you to be someone who takes the initiative, who goes the extra mile, and someone with data-driven and analytical mindset.
Pro Tip
Firstly try asking the interviewer to give you their intended range as budgeted for this role, which is a regular practice in most companies. However, don’t be too evasive and if you see they are not inclined to give you their number, name yours.
Statistics
This question is asked 50% more frequently at Sabre than at other companies.
15. What are your current professional goals?
How to answer
This question is your chance to show yourself as a focused and results-oriented person (and this is exactly who you are, aren’t you?)
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About Yourself
Define up to 3 goals. Think about each goal:
- Why is it important to you?
- What are you doing to achieve it?
Imagine a company where you would like to work, ideally. How can working in that company help you achieve your goal? And what about the opposite - how can the company benefit from your reaching your goal?
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About The Company
Based on the research you did on the company, what are their current goals and initiatives? How would its goals and initiatives help lead you to achieve your goals?
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About The Fit
From your list of goals choose the one with the most synergy between yourself and the company. Explain how your professional passions will help the company achieve its success.
Craft your story around these 4 points:
- The Why: Why is this goal important to you, what makes it so exciting?
- The What: What steps are you taking to reach your goal?
- What’s in it for you? How can this company and job role help you reach your goal?
- What’s in it for them? How can the company benefit?
Pro Tip
Try to validate your assumptions by asking the interviewer what they think.
For example, you can end your answer with this question: “And do you know what current goals the company/department is trying to achieve?”
It can help you learn more about the company and the job, turn the "interrogation" into a conversation and will allow you to relax some tension.
Statistics
This question is asked 2.7x more frequently at Sabre than at other companies.
16. Walk me through your resume
How to answer
This question is often asked at the beginning of the interview.
The interviewer wants to hear a brief overview, a summary of your professional experience, in order to have a starting point from which they can dig deeper.
Structuring your answer wisely gives you a good chance to emphasize your Key Selling Points and to channel the conversation in the direction you want.
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About Yourself
Print out your resume. For each of your recent job experiences (at this point do not go back more than 5 years), write down 3-5 key points at which you feel you are strong.
For example, for your current (or previous) job, you may want to list skills like “Excellent presentation skills,” “Employee Engagement guru,” “Analytical skills,” “Attention to detail” (they don’t have to be all soft skills, but being aware of at least a few of your strong soft skills is important). Make sure you have examples for each of your statements.
If you have difficulties to think of these points, search online for job descriptions for similar job roles, and figure out which of those keywords appeal to you. Look for people on LinkedIn that have jobs similar to the one you are applying for. Their profiles often contain many keywords that you can use in response to this question.
Now that you’ve gone through all your recent experiences, are there any points that repeat more often than others, or are especially important to you? These are candidates to be your Key Selling Points -highlight 3-5 of them.
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About The Company
Research the company and the role for which you're being interviewed. When researching the company, find out what skills and qualities they value the most. Carefully consider the job requirements. What is it that you will be responsible for?
Now, write down 3-5 keywords from the job description that you find of utmost importance for this job role.
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About The Fit
Try to establish the match between your own highlighted keywords, and those of the job description. These are your Key Selling Points! You should normally limit yourself by 3-5 such keywords or phrases.
Now, craft a story based on your career history. You don’t have to go in chronological order - you can start with your current or last job experience, and then go back to your previous ones, or focus on just the experiences that are relevant to your story, and only briefly mention the less relevant ones and only if needed.
Select one point to highlight for each phase of your career. Make sure you ingrain your Key Selling Points in the interviewer’s memory - after the interview is over, you want them to remember you as someone who is strong at XYZ, or experienced in A, B and C.
It's okay to focus more on stellar achievements and brag a little bit about them.
Pro Tip
Don't bore the interviewer by going through your resume line-by-line.
Instead, WOW them by succinctly (keep it within 2 minutes) telling a story of how your career path has brought you to this point and how you are the best candidate for this role.
Super tip: The more you practice with Mr. Simon, the better you'll be at telling WOW-worthy succinct stories!
Statistics
This question is asked 63% more frequently at Sabre than at other companies.
You don't have to be alone in your job search!
Mr. Simon invites you to join the Friends of Mr. Simon Meetup Group that supports both individuals seeking their next job role and working professionals. Members of our network come together to learn and practice new skills and network with others through our regular interactive events where they establish meaningful connections and have a chance to promote their personal brand and stand out in the marketplace.
Group membership is free of charge, courtesy of Mr. Simon.
Join our Friends of Mr. Simon Meetup Group to become part of our growing and supportive community!
This page has been updated on February 23, 2024.
