You made it (almost)! After networking and sending countless resumes, you鈥檝e finally landed a job interview. Of course, you want to be prepared, so you did what most candidates are recommended to do 鈥 you looked up 鈥渕ost common interview questions.鈥
The key to a successful interview is preparation, so it鈥檚 important to look up interview questions so that you can go to the interview with your answers already in mind. This will boost your confidence and increase your chances of a second interview, as well as help you get the job. To help you along, I鈥檝e put together a list of common interview questions and some tips to craft winning answers.
Want to jump to a specific question? I鈥檝e got them linked for you below:
"Why do you want to work for this company?"
"Why are you the best person for this position?"
"What are your strengths and weaknesses?"
"What鈥檚 a professional achievement you are most proud of?"
"How do you handle stress and pressure?"
"Tell me about a time you had conflict with a coworker or colleague, and how did you overcome it?"
"Tell me about a time you failed at work and how did you handle it?"
"Why are you leaving your current job? / Why have you left your most recent position?"
"Where do you see yourself in five years?"
"What are your salary expectations?"
"Do you have any questions for me?"
While every interview is different, most interview questions will focus on:
贬耻产厂辫辞迟鈥檚 says she looks for empathy, coachability, and growth mindset when interviewing a candidate.
鈥淗as this person demonstrated that they're a good colleague?鈥 she explained. 鈥淗as this person demonstrated that they can constructively give and receive feedback? And does this person actively look for ways to expand their skills and deepen their understanding of their role or industry?鈥
To prepare, research the company and, if possible, the person who is interviewing you. You鈥檒l also want to re-read the job posting so you can be sure your answers align with the job requirements. For additional information on how to stand out in the interview process, here are some tips from our former manager of campus recruiting .
The questions asked during an interview will vary depending on the role you鈥檙e up for, however, the following questions are pretty common in interviews and should give you an idea of what to expect.
My mind would always go blank when asked this question. What should I say? What do you need to know? Who am I? To avoid an existential crisis in the middle of your interview, think of the answer as your elevator pitch.
You don鈥檛 want to speak at length about your personal hobbies and passions, but you also don鈥檛 want to give a dry runthrough of what鈥檚 on your resume. Instead give a pitch that is concise, persuasive, compelling, and explains why you鈥檙e the perfect candidate for the job.
Start by speaking a little bit about your current role and include any experiences or wins that are relevant to the job you鈥檙e applying for. Then provide some background as to how you got there, once again focusing on experiences that correlate to the interview. End the pitch by tying all that information together and explaining why you are perfect for the role.
This question helps the interviewer determine if you鈥檝e actually done your research on the company. According to LinkedIn, because they only have a vague idea of their company and the job role.
To beat the statistics, do your research and find something unique about the company that really interests you. For example, during my interview with 探花精选, I pointed out the company鈥檚 one-of-a-kind culture code as a huge motivator for wanting to join.
My answer showed that I did my research beforehand and that I had a genuine interest in being a part of the team. When researching, look for items such as the company鈥檚 mission statement or any news articles about recent accomplishments.
Every candidate thinks they鈥檙e the best for the job, but what makes you stand out above the rest? Be prepared to confidently state the experiences and accomplishments you have that prove why you鈥檙e perfect for the position.
To prepare your answer, review the qualifications and requirements listed in the job description, and craft your answer so that it aligns with what the interviewer is looking for.
Focus on one or a few core strengths you possess that are relevant to the role. Back these strengths up with specific examples. For instance, if you鈥檙e going to say that you鈥檙e a great multi-tasker, bolster your answer by mentioning a time you successfully juggled multiple projects at once. If you鈥檙e a self-starter, talk about a time you successfully took on a project or task without having to be asked.
Now, how can you mention a weakness without tarnishing your image as the perfect candidate? Start by choosing a weakness that will not prevent you from succeeding in the role. For example, if it鈥檚 a writing job, don鈥檛 say you struggle with spelling.
Be genuine with your answer and choose an actual weakness. This is the time to show your potential employer that you are self-aware and always looking to grow. Maybe you struggle with multi-tasking or asking for help when you need it.
After choosing a weakness, be prepared to explain how you鈥檝e worked to improve. Don鈥檛 underestimate your capabilities, but don鈥檛 come off as arrogant either.
To prepare for this question, think back to a moment where you achieved amazing results at your previous job. Don鈥檛 be shy about your accomplishments, because this is the perfect opportunity to show what the company gains from hiring you. A simple way to approach this question is to use the STAR method: situation, task, action, and results.
Give the interviewer background context by describing the situation and the task you had to complete. For example, 鈥At my last job, I was an account manager and I was responsible for managing several high-profile clients.鈥 Then you would describe what you did (the action) and the result: 鈥In one quarter, I used my SEO knowledge to boost my clients鈥 web traffic by an average of 25%.鈥
Deadline pressures, frustrated clients, and an uptick in responsibilities are common occurrences at most workplaces, so it鈥檚 important to show the interviewer you can keep a level head in any situation.
Avoid saying you鈥檝e never or rarely experienced workplace stress. Instead, relate the question to a time you were stressed on the job, then explain how you overcame it or used it to your advantage.
For example, I鈥檓 very candid about telling employers that I keep stress balls on hand and that I always take a moment to do deep breathing exercises when I鈥檓 feeling overwhelmed. I also approach deadline pressures as a challenge to complete projects faster 鈥 and I love a challenge. There鈥檚 no shame in experiencing stress, it鈥檚 all about how you respond to it.
This question helps to determine your communication, people skills, and self-awareness. When answering this question, avoid bad mouthing the coworker you were in conflict with, instead focus on the heart of the problem and how you resolved it.
Prater told me this is actually her favorite question to ask during interviews:
鈥The answers to this question tell me a lot about the candidate's ability to problem solve and their self-awareness. Most of us have worked with someone we didn't quite get along with,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 love to hear how folks navigated those situations and identified ways to better understand the other person and better themselves.鈥
Rather than saying, 鈥I had this incredibly rude coworker at my old office,鈥 say 鈥I worked with someone whose communication style was different from mine.鈥 Then, explain how you both reached common ground: 鈥I realized that face-to-face communication was more helpful to us than email communication, since tone can be lost or misconstrued in texts. So, I decided to schedule weekly coffee meetings to ensure we were on the same page about the project.鈥
Yes, you want to convince the interviewer that you鈥檙e the best person for the job, but no one is perfect. Your answer should highlight that you can take responsibility for your mistakes and that you won鈥檛 put the blame on others.
Perhaps you missed an important deadline at your previous job. You can use that situation as an opportunity to share how you accepted feedback, learned from the issue, and developed a system of organization that keeps you on track with deadlines.
For this question, it鈥檚 important to demonstrate self-awareness.
鈥淲hen all answers focus on outside factors rather than how the candidate handled situations, I get concerned,鈥 Prater said. 鈥淭hings often happen outside of our control 鈥 but tell me what you learned from that situation and how it has informed your actions/work moving forward.鈥
The most important thing to remember when answering this question is to be honest while avoiding a negative spiral about your current or previous employer. Focus on your excitement for new experiences and the professional goals you鈥檙e working toward. Saying you want to face new challenges, be closer to family, or apply your skills to a new field, are all acceptable answers.
If you were laid off from your current job, you can be honest and say your position was eliminated due to a merger, budget cuts, or restructuring. If you were fired, responding with 鈥Unfortunately, I was let go,鈥 is also fine. Of course, the latter will result in the interviewer asking why you were fired. Tell the truth, because you never want to get caught in a lie, and be sure to frame it as a learning experience.
Employers want to know you can be trusted to stay on top of all of your responsibilities, especially if the role is in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment. Explain your method. Do you use calendars, sticky notes, digital folders, spreadsheets, or organization tools like Trello or Hootsuite?
Prepare a clear and concise answer that shows you鈥檙e dependable and will have your new tasks under control.
It鈥檚 important to be honest and specific in your answer. When crafting your answer, make sure you:
And if you鈥檙e not sure what the future holds 鈥 that鈥檚 okay too. You can tell the hiring manager that you鈥檙e still figuring things out, but express that you are confident the position will play an important role in building your future.
This question definitely requires research ahead of time. Use sites like PayScale or Glassdoor to find out what similar roles pay, then factor in your experience, skills, education, and cost-of-living. If you choose to answer with a number, give a salary range that is somewhere in the mid-to-high point of what you鈥檙e looking for.
You can also flip the question back to the interviewer by saying, 鈥That鈥檚 an excellent question 鈥 if possible, it would be helpful to learn the range for this role.鈥 You can also delay the salary conversation by saying you鈥檇 like to learn more about the role or the rest of the compensation package before discussing pay.
The answer to this question should always be yes. Before the interview, you should have already done your research on the company and the role. That research should be used to help you form questions that will give better insight into the job and team. Questions targeted toward the interviewer are especially helpful.
鈥淚 don't expect a candidate to be an expert on the role or even the company, but I appreciate when a candidate has done some basic research and asks me thoughtful questions that go beyond, 鈥What do you like about working at [company name]?鈥 or 鈥What would success look like in this role?鈥欌 Prater said. 鈥淭hose are important questions, but I love when a candidate digs a little deeper as well.鈥
If you鈥檙e working remotely, you may also want to ask the following questions:
Interviews can be nerve wracking, but you鈥檙e likely to succeed if you take the time to plan ahead. When you research and form your responses in advance, you鈥檒l be able to approach the interview with confidence. If you鈥檙e still nervous, remember they chose to interview you for a reason 鈥 they already see your potential.