10 Common Interview Questions You Need to Know

You landed an interview! It feels great knowing that a hiring manager from a company you’re interested in working for is also interested in you. But now the pressure’s on—you’ve got to rock the interview.

Here are some of the most common interview questions, and our advice for the best way to answer them.

1Tell me about yourself.

This question is among the first that most interviewers ask, so it’s tempting to jump right in and start listing off all the qualities that make you the best person for the job. But resist. You’ll get to those questions soon. This one’s about breaking the ice.

Rather than talking about your professional skills, share something interesting that the interviewer might find relatable. You might talk about your hobbies or an interesting major life event you’ve gone through recently. Don’t forget to include activities like volunteer work. It’s helpful if you can point out how you’ve parlayed your interests into desirable job skills. Your oil painting hobby, for example, might translate to excellent attention to detail.

Be sure to keep the interests you share neutral. You’ll want to keep your participation in things like political rallies low key unless you’re applying for a job where political activity is relevant or expected.

Here’s a tip: Most companies put an emphasis on cultural fit. If you’ve done your research, and you noticed a blog post about the team’s company-wide kayaking trip last summer, this would be a great time to mention your interest in those types of outdoor sports.

2What are your greatest strengths?

Here’s your opportunity to shine and match your skills to the employer’s needs. What professional talents are you most proud of? What do people often compliment you on? If those skills intersect with what you know the employer is looking for, this is the time to talk about them.

Don’t forget about soft skills. If you’re a good listener, or a lifelong learner who’s always trying out new things, or a versatile person who’s able to fill lots of roles, share that information.

Script the answer to this question before your interview. Make lists of your strengths and then figure out which are the most relevant. Write out your answers. Then, pretend you’re a hiring manager and read what you’ve written. How would you react to the answers you just gave? Are there any red flags? Adjust accordingly.

3What are your weaknesses?

Don’t you love this question? It’s like the interviewer is saying, “Tell us why we shouldn’t hire you.” How do you respond?

Avoid mentioning any weaknesses that you don’t already have a plan for addressing. If you admit to being unorganized, tell the interviewer that you’ve started using some cool new apps that are helping you stay on task. However, don’t be afraid to let yourself be a little vulnerable—knowing and acknowledging your flaws shows that you value self-reflection and personal growth.

Can’t think of an honest answer to this question that won’t sink your career chances? Reflect on your last performance review. No one’s perfect, so it’s likely you were told to improve in an area or two. Now you can own up to those problem areas and share your methods for addressing them with the interviewer.

4Tell me about an achievement you’re really proud of.

Be prepared to share a significant professional achievement, and be prepared to back it up.

Just as when you’re writing a resume, remember that “show, don’t tell” is the golden rule. “I single-handedly turned our sales department around” is bragging, but when you say “Under my management, our sales team was able to increase their conversion rate by 87 percent over six months,” you’re showing that your efforts had a measurable effect.

Here’s a tip: Use the STAR method! First, describe the Situation that led up to your accomplishment and the Task you were required to tackle. Then describe the Action you took to address the problem. Finally, share the impressive Results.

5Why are you leaving your current job?

Make sure you keep your answer to this question short and positive. This isn’t the time to badmouth your current or previous employer. Rather than saying something like “There wasn’t enough opportunity for growth” you could say “I’m looking to expand my horizons and move into a more hands-on developmental role, which is where I know I’d excel.”

Things get trickier if you were fired from your last gig. The best response is a neutral one like “Unfortunately, the company and position were a mismatch for me, so I needed to find a new challenge.” Check Business Insider’s tips for other situations and possible answers.

6What brought you to [Company]?

Here’s where your research skills are going to shine! Prior to interviewing, a savvy job-seeker will have spent time on the company’s website and read articles about the company and its key players to develop a feel for its brand presence and culture.

Write down keywords you see frequently on the company’s About Us, Culture, and Employment pages. Look for adjectives used to describe the company and its team. If you see terms like innovative or competitive, you can use them in your answer:

“I’ve been eager to join a team that’s innovating in a way that keeps them competitive in this space.”

Here’s a tip: A word cloud generator can help you identify important keywords on company websites. Simply copy and paste the text from a page into the generator to see some of the prominent adjectives the employer uses.

7Tell me about a time when a customer or colleague disagreed with you. What did you do?

Here’s your chance to prove that you are so chill. Someone disagreed with you, but you kept your cool and worked through it. You could certainly talk about how you were able to persuade someone to see your point of view, especially if the role you’re applying for values that ability. (A sales role would be a good example.) However, this could also be the perfect opportunity to show that you work and play well with others. Try talking about a time when you learned something as the result of a disagreement and how it changed your perspective.

It’s all about story. Pick one that shows conflict with a good outcome and makes a positive statement about your ability to collaborate and grow. The Muse has more advice.

8What would your boss and colleagues say about you?

Honesty is the best policy here for many reasons. If you’re a first-class procrastinator, for example, don’t try to pass yourself off as super efficient. The key to a great interview is to emphasize your strengths while demonstrating an ability to learn and grow from your weaknesses.

Be specific and give examples. It may be true that your colleagues would say you’re a hard worker, but without a story to back that up, you’re just tossing out a cliché the interviewer has probably heard hundreds of times. Instead, tell a story about a time you put in extra effort and your colleagues and friends congratulated you on your hard work.

Look at past performance reviews if you’re having a hard time coming up with a specific example. It’s perfectly okay to quote from a positive review:

“In my last performance evaluation, my boss praised me for my creativity in putting together a new content strategy.”

9Where do you see yourself in five years?

Most job-seekers take this question in one of two directions—they’re either aggressively ambitious (“I want your job!”) or they’re too humble (“I just want to do the best work I can and see where my talents take me.”) Neither answer will do much to win you a position.

Instead, respond in a general way. Rather than saying “I see myself as Director of Marketing,” say “My goal is to be in a position where I can take on new challenges. I’d like to take on more management responsibilities, so I’m on the lookout for opportunities to develop my skills in that area.”

10Why should we hire you?

Don’t you just hate this question? It’s tempting to list your sterling qualities, but odds are that your competitors have a lot of the same qualities, which doesn’t exactly make you stand out. Instead of repeating a laundry list of skills and attributes, try restating what you understand about the company’s needs and the position, and then explaining why you’re a good fit. Here’s an example of that strategy in action from Forbes:

”From what I understand about the job, it’s a position that requires a lot of fast activity during the day, and that’s the kind of job I thrive in. I love to stay busy and wear a lot of hats. Is my assessment of the environment on target?

Dress for the job you want, smile confidently, and offer a firm handshake, but remember to do a little behind-the-scenes interview prep. It can mean the difference between walking away with a sinking feeling and walking away with a job.

When Is the Best Time to Send an Important Email?

Your email may never be opened. Sure, you wrote brilliant copy. You also took the time to craft a compelling subject line. You followed good email etiquette. But, unless you considered the best time to send an email, your message may still be destined for the trash bin.

By my conservative estimate, I’ve sent at least 100,000 emails since the early days of the Internet. (May Prodigy rest in peace.) It wasn’t until I started handling public and media relations a decade or so ago that I gave a second thought to how an email’s send time affects open rates. Time of day may not be important if you’re writing your grandma in Poughkeepsie to tell her you won’t be making it to Thanksgiving dinner (although, if she’s email savvy, she may wonder what on earth you were doing up at 3 a.m.), but it’s crucial for things like:

• Sales and marketing campaigns
• PR pitches
• Survey participation requests
• Newsletters
• Important business communication

Although strategically timing email deliveries is an art that requires intuition, testing, and knowledge of your audience, science can provide some guidance. Let’s take a look at what research says.

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READ: The 15 Most Common Email Mistakes of 2017

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What studies say about the best time to send email

CoSchedule, the team behind the marketing calendar software, compiled research from ten different email studies from sources like MailChimp, CampaignMonitor, and HubSpot.

What’s super cool about this sample of articles is that the research varies from studying billions (yes, seriously) of emails to more than 20 million, from case studies to roundups. The data is diverse, but there are dots to connect that’ll help you send emails on the best days and at the best times.

—CoSchedule Blog

Let’s look at the facts.

The best day to send email

According to the studies, Tuesday was “hands down the #1 best day to send emails.” So, if you’ve got a big email campaign coming up, or you just want to make sure your boss is going to open your pitch asking to be considered for a promotion, you can’t go wrong sending email on Tuesday. Research says your email is more likely to be opened then than any other day of the week.

The second-best day to send an email is Thursday. If you’re going to send an initial email and a follow-up, you could consider sending the first on Tuesday with a follow-up on Thursday.

Wednesday ranked as the third best day for sending email, clinching a win for the middle of the week. But there’s data to suggest that Saturday and Sunday are good days to send marketing emails. (I’ll admit to having opened a sales flyer or two on those days. Have you?) The data may be slightly skewed, though, because those are also the days when the fewest emails are sent. Although the open rates may be higher, the actual number of emails opened is much lower.

The best time to send email

According to the collective research, 10 a.m. is the best time to send an email. (11 a.m. ranked right up there, too.) Surprisingly, the time slot between 8 p.m. and midnight ranked as the second-best time. But think about it—how often do you check your email before heading off to bed? (Yeah. Me, too.) And, because half of us also check our email first thing in the morning, 6 a.m. is also a prime time.

Afternoon, at around 2 p.m., also seems promising. It’s toward the end of the workday, at a time when people are getting restless and looking for distractions.

Here’s a tip: Don’t forget to account for time zones! If you’re sending a mass email to an audience spanning several time zones, you might consider aiming for a middle ground. For example, if your audience is in both the Eastern and Pacific time zones, you could time your email so it hits the Pacific time people at 6 a.m., which would mean the Eastern time people would receive their email at 9 a.m.

What Grammarly learned about the best time to write email

“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” That’s the old proverb often attributed to Ben Franklin. And, according to Grammarly’s analysis, it turns out he may have been onto something.

The Grammarly team wanted to know whether time of day had a measurable effect on the quality of a person’s writing, so we crunched over one billion words proofread by our app in search of answers. Ben Franklin might have been pleased with our discoveries. We learned that, although we can’t know the status of their health, wealth, or wisdom, Grammarly users do their best online writing early in the day.

Grammarly’s research showed that we do our best writing between the hours of 4 a.m. and 8 a.m., averaging 11.8 mistakes per 100 words. Night owls writing between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. didn’t fare as well, with 14.3 mistakes per 100 words.

The takeaway? If you’re going to write late at night, at least get help checking your grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

Why you should consider your email’s audience

All this data analysis provides a helpful baseline, but the reality is that your audience ultimately determines the best day and time to send an email, whether it’s to an individual or a large group.

I’ve spent a good deal of my working life writing to journalists. Finding the best time to connect with the majority involved thinking about what their workdays might be like. Many journalists rise early and check email first thing. My message could be waiting in their inbox, and if it offers an intriguing hook (including a compelling subject line, clear and concise copy, and a strong call-to-action), it’s more likely to get a response. By getting into my recipient’s head, I’ve had PR campaigns with 55 percent response rates. (Which, in case you don’t know, is darn good!)

When it comes to emailing a specific audience, take their lifestyle and workday into consideration. When might they be most likely to check email? Aim for that time so your email stands a better chance of being at the top of their inbox. When might they be most likely to reply or click through to a link?

Consider the nature of your email, too. How easy is it for your recipient to accomplish what you’re asking for? It’s one thing to request a simple act like clicking through to a link, but another if you’re asking for something more complicated, like for the recipient to provide feedback or take a survey. Remember, your goal isn’t just to get your email opened (although that’s a good start), you also need your recipient to respond to your call to action.

Go ahead and use the mountains of email research as a guideline. After all, you probably can’t go too wrong sending important emails on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. But to truly optimize for a mass audience, consider your recipients, theorize a few of the best times to reach them, and then test your theories. Happy emailing!

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Writing on a Mobile Device

In ancient times (circa 1995), so-called “cell phones” were designed exclusively for making phone calls. But these days we spend a lot more time typing on our smartphones than talking.

We use our mobile devices for everything—texting, email, posting to social media, Slacking with coworkers, commenting on our favorite blogs, and flirting with our latest matches. There’s even a growing number of authors tapping out entire novels on their mobile devices.

While the list of things we don’t do on our smartphones continues to shrink, writing on a mobile device still has its own set of challenges. So today we’re sharing five common mistakes (and how to avoid them) so you can always show up as your best self—even when you’re writing on mobile.

1Bad Grammar

That feeling when autocorrect does the wrong ‘its’ in a reply to someone with a huge following… pic.twitter.com/gWy8m1zbGl

— Young Crone (@ThrupennyBit) October 7, 2017

There’s just no context where blatant grammar errors will make you look good. Whether you’re texting with your mom (or your crush), emailing your boss, or crafting a witty retort on Twitter—good grammar matters.

Unfortunately, typing on a tiny touch screen can be . . . challenging. Typos abound. And when autocorrect kicks in, the results can get embarrassing.

The solution? Slow down and proofread your messages before you hit “send.” Did your phone’s autocorrect change “baked” to “naked”? Did you type “their” when you should have used “they’re”?

If you don’t have the time to proofread your texts, or you don’t trust yourself to catch every error, download the free Grammarly keyboard for your iPhone. We’ll do the proofreading for you as you type (just like on your web browser) so you can elevate your mobile writing to the same quality as what you produce on your Mac or PC.

2Keeping It (Too) Casual

via GIPHY

We’re so used to sending casual messages to friends and family that it’s easy to forget the need for formalities in more official communication—such as answering work emails.

Writing on a mobile device does not give you a pass to be unprofessional. When you pick up your phone, remind yourself which audience you’re writing for. Are you texting your buddy about evening plans, or are you responding to a client’s question?

A “formal” message has five distinct parts: salutation, opening line, body content, call to action, sign-off.

Hi Nancy, (Salutation: addresses who you’re writing to)

Welcome to round one of your product rebrand! (Opening Line: addresses why you’re writing)

Here’s what our team came up with… (Body Content: your main message!)

Let me know which of these options is your favorite. (Call to Action: what you need from them)

Thanks so much for your feedback! (Sign-off: show your appreciation and sign your name)

—Joanna

If writing a formal message on your mobile device feels too complicated, wait until you can get back to your laptop or desktop to craft your message.

3Convoluted Text Messages

If your text message is longer than my iPhone 6 screen.. You should probably just call me.. Holy cow #longtext

— stephanie morrison (@smorrison627) March 23, 2016

We all just want to be understood. Increase your success rate (in life, love, and business) by writing messages that are clear and concise.

Lengthy, rambling text messages viewed on the tiny screen of your mobile device are not a great way to communicate. Especially when your novel-length missive gets broken into multiple messages that arrive jumbled in the wrong order.

via GIPHY

Do everyone a favor by keeping things simple, and if it’s too complicated to communicate over text—don’t. Send an email or ask if you can call.

For specific examples of how to improve your texting game, click here.

4Too Much Text-Speak

There is no excuse for #textspeak in a world of #autocomplete. #tech #grammar pic.twitter.com/75uvFKqoLr

— Grammarly (@Grammarly) December 23, 2013

The opposite of the dreaded “rambling text” is the message that’s been shortened into obscurity using “text-speak.”

You may have spent your youth tapping out “wut r u ^ 2?” on your phone’s numeric keypad, but technology and the etiquette of mobile communication have since evolved.

So if your opening line to potential dates is still “hey, r u frE 2nt?”, I’ve got bad news. Research conducted by dating sites Match.com and Zoosk have found that bad grammar is a significant turn-off for the majority of their users—both women and men.

Your flagrant use of text-speak isn’t impressing anyone, and you’re likely coming off as childish or uneducated. Instead, show up as your best self by using your device’s qwerty keyboard to write complete words and sentences with punctuation.

5Overusing Emojis

via GIPHY

Emoji-use is another classic case of “know thy audience.”

They’re easy to access through your smartphone’s keyboard, and can be a great tool for enhancing written communication, but they are not appropriate in every context and can even have negative consequences when used in the workplace.

While you’re safe using emojis in messages to friends and family, research has shown it’s a bad idea to send them to your boss and work superiors, clients, and coworkers you’re not close with.

Instead, focus on writing messages that are clear and unambiguously worded so they don’t need the assistance of emojis to convey their meaning.

What Is an Intensive Pronoun?

An intensive pronoun is almost identical to a reflexive pronoun, but their functions differ. Intensive pronouns are used to add emphasis to the subject or antecedent of the sentence. You’ll usually find the intensive pronoun right after the noun or pronoun it’s modifying, but not necessarily.

The intensive/reflexive pronouns include myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves.

Furthermore, an intensive pronoun is defined as a pronoun that ends in “self” or “selves” and places emphasis on its antecedent.

The Difference Between Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns

You can tell the difference between a reflexive pronoun and an intensive pronoun easily: intensive pronouns aren’t essential to a sentence’s basic meaning, whereas reflexive pronouns are.

To differentiate an intensive pronoun from a reflexive pronoun, remove it from the sentence; if it’s an intensive pronoun, the sentence will still make sense. If the sentence no longer makes sense when the pronoun is removed, it’s a reflexive pronoun.

Did you yourself make the cake?

The sentence would still make sense if we removed yourself—“Did you make the cake?” Therefore, yourself is an intensive pronoun in this context. Consider the intensive pronouns in the sentences below:

I myself like a little stroll after dinner.

We went to hear the man himself speak.

The author approved the book cover herself.

Season’s Greetings or Seasons Greetings and 3 More Confusing Holiday Terms

For many, the holiday season is a time of communication. Not only are we getting together with loved ones, but we also take additional time to greet others and get in touch with old friends.

Sometimes, however, it can be tough getting all the words right. Where should the apostrophe go in “Season’s Greetings”? Should you “ring in” or “bring in” the New Year? What in the world does “Bah, Humbug” mean?

If you’re a little confused, we’ve got you covered in this post.

1Season’s Greetings or Seasons Greetings?

Looking for a general and inclusive way to greet others for the myriad of holidays in December? Whether it’s for Hanukkah, the winter solstice, Christmas, or Kwanzaa, it’s usually safe to go with “Happy Holidays” when greeting people in person. “Season’s Greetings” is a warm tiding that works particularly well for written cards or in alternative holiday greetings.

But, how exactly should it be formatted?

Here’s a tip: The correct formatting is “Season’s Greetings”—with the apostrophe.

When writing the phrase, it is standard English to place the apostrophe after the N and before the S in ”seasons.”

The apostrophe tells us that the greetings are regarding the current season (and all the holidays in it.) Apostrophes mark possession, but the degree can vary, which makes “season’s greetings” a bit counter-intuitive The glad tidings don’t belong to the season in the same way that Frosty’s top hat belongs to him. Rather, the apostrophe in “season’s greetings” is more accurately equated to the word “of.”

2Ring in the New Year

Is it “ring in the New Year” or “bring in the New Year”? Well, both.

The phrase “ring in the New Year” most likely derives from the tradition of bell-ringing to mark important events throughout life, like weddings or graduations. Bells are a common symbol of celebration and happiness during the holidays. Before you run out for some silver bells, consider context. Over time the verb “ring” has come to imply more joyful welcoming than literal bell-ringing. Here are some examples of correct usage:

We plan to ring in the New Year with close friends. How will you ring in the New Year?

“Bring in the New Year” is also grammatically correct but likely a derivation of the idiomatic “ring in the New Year.” Nevertheless, it makes complete sense to “bring in” or welcome the coming year.

3Bah, Humbug!

Though many of us know this as the catchphrase of Charles Dickens’ curmudgeonly character Ebenezer Scrooge, “Bah! Humbug!” has much older origins.

“Humbug” traces back to student slang from the mid-1700s and referred to a person who behaved in a deceptive, tricky, or jest-like way. The term was in continual use into the 20th century to reference frauds, fakes, and phonies.

Perhaps the most popular usage of the word, however, is in Dickens’ novella and stage adaptations of A Christmas Carol. When the surly Mr. Scrooge exclaims “Bah! Humbug!” he is claiming that Christmas is fake.

This sort of grumbly attitude toward the holidays has been adopted tongue-in-cheek by pop culture and playful neighbors alike, usually to highlight excessiveness during the season or even to call out a party pooper.

4Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

As we join friends and family to celebrate holidays and welcome the New Year, we are often encouraged to “Eat, Drink, and Be Merry.” This seasonably appropriate instruction is directly from the Bible, but the original lesson doesn’t mean what you think it does.

“And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.”

— Luke 12:19, The King James Bible

Out of context, this may seem like Jesus encouraging relaxation, food, drink, and merriment. While there are Biblical recommendations for celebration, this quote is taken from the Parable of the Rich Fool—a story Jesus shares as a warning against storing wealth and greed. Luke 12:19 is an excerpt from the rich farmer’s reasoning, not an instruction from Jesus.

Over time, however, the phrase “Eat, Drink, and Be Merry” has been used increasingly in popular culture to encourage gratitude for and celebration of abundance. This common usage is entirely appropriate during the holidays, as we reflect on the last year and anticipate the future.

The Ultimate Guide to Analyzing a Company’s Glassdoor Page

If you’ve heard of Glassdoor, odds are that you know you can find company ratings on our site. But while this is an important part of your job hunt research, the truth is that Glassdoor offers so much more than that (including job listings — more on that later!). So if you’re only looking at a company’s rating in order to assess what it’s like to work there, you’re missing out. But with so much information available, what exactly should you focus on?

I chatted with Jamie Hichens, Senior Manager of Talent Acquisition at Glassdoor (and resident job search guru) to get the low-down on what job seekers should keep in mind when viewing a company’s Glassdoor page — here were a few of her top recommendations.

1 Company Reviews

Let’s start with Glassdoor’s bread and butter: company reviews. Using Glassdoor’s 33 million reviews and insights for approximately 700,000 companies, “you can see what current and former employees have to say about working there, including what’s working well, what needs improvement and advice to senior management. Depending on what you want in a company, reading reviews is a great way to better understand what goes on inside a company and the type of culture that is best for you,” Hichens says.

One important thing to keep in mind: “Most people on Glassdoor read 6-7 reviews before forming an opinion about a company, so we recommend reading several reviews as you conduct your research. There is no perfect place to work, so don’t focus on just the glowing reviews, or those that are overly negative — you want to see what a variety of people have to say, look for constant themes within reviews, and determine if the company is right for you or not. Interestingly, on Glassdoor, 7 in 10 people report that they are OK or satisfied in their jobs,” Hichens shares.

That’s right — don’t get thrown off if you see a negative review here and there. “Even the Best Places to Work have some negative reviews,” Hichens points out. “The important part when researching a company is to take into account themes you uncover from a variety of employees, and looking for reviews and details related to what’s important to you and your life in and out of work. What’s a bad review to one person may not be a bad review to someone else, so it depends on what’s most important to you.”

When looking at a company’s reviews, you might be wondering how they stack up against the average employer. “Of the 700,000 employers reviewed on Glassdoor, the average company rating is a 3.3, so employers with a higher rating are an above-average employer, while those with a lower rating are below-average employers,” Hichens says. But like I mentioned before: it’s important to keep in mind that this is just a part of the whole picture. “This is a useful data point to take into account, but it’s not everything. Make sure to still read as many reviews and insights as possible to really understand where the company is today, what it’s like in the department you might be working in and to fully understand where the company has been and where it’s going,” Hichens advises.

2 Salaries

For a long time, you had to wait until the very end stages of the interview process before you found out how much you’d get paid — a process that often ended in frustration or even feeling like you wasted your time pursuing a job that was way below your expectations. With Glassdoor, though, that pain point has become a thing of the past.

“On Glassdoor, you can see salary reports for specific jobs in specific cities at specific companies,” Hichens says, which “[helps] you get a better sense of what fair pay for a particular role should be.”

Not sure how to gauge whether or not those salaries are good deals? “You should also use our tool called Know Your Worth™ to get your current market value where you can ensure you are being paid fairly,” Hichens suggests. Just enter your company name, location, job title, years of experience, and a few other data points to get a free, personalized estimate of what you should be making — it’s incredibly useful not only for assessing salary offers, but also as a data point to bring up in salary negotiations.

Some job listings on Glassdoor will even say right within the description what the estimated pay is — Glassdoor’s recently launched salary estimates can help you instantly know what you could be paid before you even apply, so you know what to expect right from the get-go.

3 Interviews

In my opinion, Glassdoor’s interview reviews are one of the most underrated features on the site. They tell you not only whether or not previous candidates have generally had a positive, neutral, or negative interview experience, but also how long it takes, how difficult it is, whether or not the reviewer received an offer, and, most critically, which questions the company asked.

Think about it: when you know which questions a company’s recruiters and hiring managers have asked, you can prepare for and rehearse those exact questions, making it that much more likely that you’ll ace the interview (and ultimately land a job offer). If you really want to go above and beyond, check out our list of the 50 Most Common Interview Questions that employers ask.

4 Benefits

Benefits aren’t always the first thing you think of when you’re assessing a company, but for many people, perks like 401(k) plans, health insurance, and child care programs are make-or-break factors in deciding whether or not they take a job. So whether you care most about free lunches, the ability to work from home, or something else entirely, be sure to check out the “insights shared by employees on more than 50 benefits a company may offer to see how your potential total compensation package might compare from one employer to another,” Hichens suggests.

5 Ratings and Trends

Beyond the three major metrics you see at the top of a company’s “reviews” section — company rating, recommend to a friend score, and CEO approval rating — you can click “Ratings & Trends” to reveal a handful of other ratings as well, for factors like Culture & Values, Work/Life Balance, Senior Management, Comp & Benefits, and Career Opportunities. Clicking on this button will also reveal trends over time and the distribution of ratings.

“We know that the majority of people value company culture, career opportunities and trust in senior leadership when it comes to long-term employee satisfaction, so if this applies to you too, look for reviews where these themes are strongest. They might help point you to a company that values you more than others and can help foster your professional development in the near term and long-term,” Hichens says.

6 Jobs

If, after reviewing all of the items above, you decide that the company you’re reviewing is a good fit for you, it’s time to apply to one of their open positions!

“Glassdoor is now the second-largest job site and fastest growing in the U.S., so if you see a company you might want to work for, you can also see all of their open jobs on Glassdoor,” Hichens says. “If you like a company, apply to one of their jobs directly on Glassdoor while doing your research all in one stop.”

Now that you’re a bonafide Glassdoor expert, it’s time to put that knowledge to work — so go forth, research, and find the job that fits your life!

Similes

Life is like a box of chocolates: you never know which one you’re going to get.

Let’s use this example to understand what a simile is:

• A simile is a phrase that uses a comparison to describe. For example, “life” can be described as similar to “a box of chocolates.”
• You know you’ve spotted one when you see the words like or as in a comparison.
• Similes are like metaphors. But metaphors aren’t the same as similes.
• Similes are great for famous authors, public speakers, and folks who want to make their writing as exciting as a spontaneous show of fireworks.

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What is a Simile?

Here’s a tip: A simile (SIM-uh-lee) is a type of figurative language that describes something by comparing it to something else with the words like or as.

Even if you don’t know the definition like the back of your hand, you’ve probably seen plenty of similes. For example:

I know that definition like the back of my hand. Those two are as different as night and day. He stood out like a sore thumb. That answer is as clear as mud. Grandpa has a memory like a sieve. The mouse is as dead as a doornail.

Here’s a tip: Need a trick to remember? Simile sounds a lot like similar. Similes compare similar things, with help from the words like or as.

More Simile Examples

Similes can make writing more colorful and interesting. If you don’t believe us, ask these famous writers.

William Shakespeare

O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! Her beauty hangs upon the cheek of night, Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear…”

Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 5

As a side note, the word “Ethiop” isn’t exactly politically correct. But Shakespeare didn’t know that when he used it to evoke Juliet’s jeweliness.

William Woodsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud that floats on high o’er vales and hills.

“Daffodils”

That’s pretty lonely.

Langston Hughes

What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up Like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore— And then run?

“Harlem, 2”

Don’t defer your dreams, folks. You don’t know what could happen to them.

Similes in Writing

The above examples represent the height of poetic creation. But similes also boost everyday writing by painting a vivid image in just a few words. Compare these sentences:

Lois walked across the room with purpose. Lois moved across the room like a warship sailing into battle.

The first sentence is relatively bland. But the simile in the second sentence invites the reader to imagine an old-fashioned warship sailing to battle: stately, determined, proud, perhaps with a hint of danger. It characterizes Lois as an imposing figure and hints that she’s planning something big once she gets to the other side of the room.

Simile vs. Metaphor

Here’s a tip: Similes and metaphors are both used to make comparisons or elucidate concepts, but they aren’t the same.

While a simile makes comparisons with help from like or as, a metaphor states outright that one thing is another thing. It’s important to undersatnd the difference between a metaphor and simile.

To compare these forms of comparisons, here are some examples:

Life is like a box of chocolates. (Simile)

My life is an open book. (Metaphor)

That baby is as cute as a button! (Simile)

Baby, you’re a firework. (Metaphor)

Fun fact: Because they both make figurative comparisons, all similes are metaphors, but not all metaphors are similes. For the most part, keep like and as in mind if you’re on the hunt for similes, and you’ll be set.

Test your knowledge of simile and metaphor with our quiz.

Similes and Exaggeration

Similes often make use of hyperbole, or exaggeration:

He runs as fast as lightning.

She’s as sweet as honey.

You sing like an angel.

Similes focus on a particular aspect of a comparison, so they keep hyperbolic statements from seeming over-the-top. Contrast these sentences:

Dirk’s a mean snake.

Dirk’s as mean as a snake.

The first version is a metaphor, but it’s so blunt that it risks seeming clumsy or childish. The second version, a simile, more clearly emphasizes the quality that Dirk shares with snakes: meanness.

Figurative language is an excellent way to add interest and imagery to your writing. So next time you’re struggling to find exactly the right words for a description, try to come up with a simile that’s as perfect as a flawless diamond.

Metaphor vs. Simile Quiz

Similes are often confused with metaphors because the serve similar functions. Take our short simile-metaphor quiz to check your understanding of these rhetorical tools.