While you may be asked to answer a series of seemingly basic questions during your next job interview, you'll certainly NOT want to go with the first answer(s) that comes to mind. That is, of course, unless you've become completely comfortable with the whole interview process. However, for those of you who aren't so experienced, this Odyssey article is meant to provide you with 7 sample interview questions, as well as the kind(s) of answer(s) that would likely result from responding with your initial thoughts, before finally explaining what your first and final answer(s) should be by the time you open your mouth.

1. "Tell me a little about yourself."

Your instincts will compel you to: tell the manager your ENTIRE life story (e.g. where you live, what your favorite color is, etc.). In other words, your instinct will compel you to provide the manager with an endless list of unnecessary details that they really couldn't care less about.

You should ACTUALLY respond by: telling them 1-3 general details about who you are and what skills you have that would make you successful in the workplace. For instance, you could tell them what jobs you've had in the past, what degree you are pursuing and why, etc. The details are literally endless! Just make sure you don't get too carried away. They have plenty more questions to ask you, after all.

2. "Why do you want to work here?"

Your instincts will compel you to: reply with the simplest answer that everyone else probably gives. Maybe you'll want to say something along the lines of "I love the people and products here!" or "I come here often!"

You should ACTUALLY respond by: EXPANDING on those answers. Tell them what it is about the people and products that you love, why you come here often, etc. In other words, what is it about the job that interests you so much to the point that you would actually want to obtain it for yourself?

3. "What's your availability like?"

Your instincts will compel you to: tell them what your actual availability is.

You should ACTUALLY respond by: informing them of ALL of the times that you are available to work. Remember, they may not even ask you to work during all of the hours that you expressed your availability. Just give them a good amount of hours so that they'll know you have what it takes to be truly dedicated to the job.

4. "How much are you hoping to get paid?"

Your instincts will compel you to: give an exact payment preference.

You should ACTUALLY respond by: reassuring them that you do not have a preference for the amount you would like to be paid if you were to be offered the job. This shows respect for the company and sincerity in the sense that you are pursuing the job for good reasons beyond just being paid. However, you can also inform them of the amount of money you were paid per hour at your last job (just to give them an idea of what would be reasonable for the both of you).

5. "What, would you say, is your biggest weakness?"

Your instincts will compel you to: tell the manager your ABSOLUTE BIGGEST WEAKNESS that they will likely frown upon.

You should ACTUALLY respond by: supplying a weakness that is also a strength. For instance, during one of my interviews, I responded to this exact question by saying something along the lines of "My biggest weakness would have to be that I am a perfectionist. As a result, I often worry that I am not doing as well as I can when really, I'm doing exactly or even more than what's expected of me."

6. "How would your coworkers describe you?"

Your instincts will compel you to:say literally EVERY quality (both positive and negative) that your coworkers would use to describe you.

You should ACTUALLY respond by: listing 4-5 POSITIVE qualities that you are certain your coworkers admire about you.

7. "What's your spirit animal?"

Your instincts will compel you to: say what your actual spirit animal is. Unfortunately, this can have even more of a negative impact on you if you are an introvert.

You should ACTUALLY respond by: saying an animal that is strong and respected while still being a representation of who you are. For instance, my mom suggested that I constantly refer to myself as being a lioness. After all, lions are fierce leaders who are always strong and looked at as predators rather than prey.

Overall, when it comes to answering your next set of interview questions, make sure to take the time to really think about your answers before you give them. Furthermore, everything that comes out of your mouth needs to be as POSITIVE as possible. After all, positivity is far more admirable than its opposite in the world of business!