How much do you know about the corporate culture of a prospective employer? Until you work there, you're in the dark, right? By reputation, an outsourcing company might be known as a meat grinder or a smaller firm as a cold and unfriendly place. Yet how much of this reputation is true and how much of it is sour grapes?

Focus on what skill sets and competencies make a successful outsourcing professional

A successful job interview and the offer that results can bring many rewards; increased salary, status or security, an opportunity to develop and grow, a chance to fulfil your potential.

Fail to plan, plan to fail. You are certain to be asked specific questions about your potential employer, so make sure you’ve done your homework on things like their last year's profits and latest product launches. Nothing is as disappointing as when a candidate oozes enthusiasm and then doesn’t even know the most basic facts and figures about a company.

Although there is no set format that every job interview will follow, there are some questions that you can almost guarantee will crop up. Here’s a list of the most common questions and a guide to the kind of answers your interviewer wants to hear.