Understanding what the most common interview questions are and why hiring managers ask them can help you prepare for the meeting with the company’s recruiters and ace it. You’ll know what to say and how to highlight your skills and expertise, which can help you land the job of your dreams more easily.
In this article, we’ll explore some of the most common interview questions, explain the reasoning behind them, and give you example answers that will inspire you to come up with your own.
Key Takeaways
Knowing what the most common interview questions are can help you prepare for a meeting with recruiters and give good answers.
These questions are designed to explore everything from your career goals and motivations to your soft and interpersonal skills.
One of the best ways of answering these questions is through specific examples that highlight your skills and experiences.
You should use the STAR method whenever possible to answer behavioral interview questions.
20 Common Interview Questions With Answers
Let’s examine the most common interview questions and the answers you can give:
#1. How did you hear about this job?
This is a common interview question recruiters ask to gauge the effectiveness of their hiring tactics, as your answer can help them improve their approach.
More than that, your response can showcase your proactive attitude. You can emphasize that you’ve actively looked for an opportunity or that someone from your strong network of professionals referred you to the company.
When answering this question, you should avoid vague responses, such as “I don’t remember.” This gives the hiring manager no valuable information and demonstrates that you likely stumbled upon a job offer passively, applying on a whim.
Let’s see an example of a good answer:
Good Answer
“I found this job on LinkedIn while searching for opportunities in the industry. I’ve been following your company for a while because of your innovative approach and positive reviews, and the moment I saw your ad, I decided to apply.”
#2. Tell me about yourself.
Hiring managers ask you to tell them about yourself to get a broad overview of your personal and professional background. This can give them a solid initial idea of how well you might fit the role.
Your answer should highlight your past experiences that are relevant to the job you’re applying for. That’s why you want to give a concise summary of your career, mentioning your most prominent skills and qualifications.
However, it’s important to keep your answer brief and to the point. Avoid giving a lengthy response and including irrelevant details, as you’ll draw attention away from what’s important.
Here’s an example:
Good Example
“I have an extensive background in digital marketing with more than seven years of experience. When I was starting out, I worked for a startup where I honed my skills in SEO and social media marketing. For the past three years, I’ve been working for a much larger company where I collaborated with interdisciplinary teams and managed multiple client accounts and campaigns.”
#3. Why should we hire you?
The “Why should we hire you” question examines whether you fully understand the job requirements. Following that, your response should also elaborate on why you think you’re a good fit.
Hiring managers ask this question to gauge your confidence and see how your skills align with their organization's needs. That’s why it’s important to research the company before the interview and tailor your answer so that it highlights your strengths and shows the value you bring.
That being said, you should avoid giving generic responses or providing unsubstantiated claims that could come off as bragging.
Check out a good example:
Good Answer
“You should hire me because I have a proven track record in project management. I have a 100% success rate in leading interdisciplinary teams to deliver projects on time and within or under budget. In addition to my expertise in streamlining processes and improving team efficiency, I am also adept at communicating with stakeholders and ensuring continuous success.”
#4. What are your salary expectations?
This is a common interview question that helps hiring managers determine whether your salary needs align with the company’s budget for the position. To optimally answer this question, it’s vital that you do the research and familiarize yourself with industry rates.
Then, you can combine that information with your level of expertise to come up with a range that you can give hiring managers and potential employers. That way, you demonstrate flexibility when negotiating salary and show that you’re open to further conversation.
What you don’t want to do is be rigid in your answer or say that you have no idea.
Here’s how you can answer this question:
Good Answer
“Based on my research and the industry standards for this role, I expect a salary in the range of $85,000 to $95,000. However, I am open to discussing this further based on other benefits that you offer as well as any opportunities for growth and advancement within the company.”
#5. Why did you apply for this position?
This question is designed to gauge your interest in the company and the position. Hiring managers ask this to see whether you’ll display passion and motivation, which are strong indicators of good performance in the future.
One of the best ways to answer is to mention specific aspects of the job or the company that drew you to apply. You can then show how they align with your goals and aspirations to emphasize that you’re a good cultural fit as well.
Like with most other common interview questions, you should avoid giving generic answers, such as saying that you only applied to get a job.
Let’s see a good example:
Good Answer
“I applied for this position because I admire your company’s dedication to innovation and sustainability. My background in environmental architecture practices and passion for designing net-zero buildings align perfectly with your mission to create a sustainable future.”
#6. What is your greatest weakness?
The idea behind this question is to examine your self-awareness. Hiring managers want to see whether you’re aware of your limitations and honest about them, as well as what you do to address them.
A good answer should show a genuine weakness you have and then an explanation of what you’re doing to improve it. By emphasizing your tendencies to grow and learn, you’ll impress hiring managers and leave a lasting good impression.
Avoid portraying yourself as flawless or giving cliché answers like “I’m a perfectionist.”
Let’s see that in an example:
Good Answer
“My greatest weakness is that I tend to take on too many tasks and projects at the same time. While I like being helpful, this can lead to burnout and organizational issues. That’s why I’ve been working on my time management and organizational skills and taking courses on how to delegate tasks and improve work-life balance.”
#7. What is your greatest strength?
The question about your greatest strength aims to discover the key skills and qualifications that make you a strong candidate for the role that you’re after. Hiring managers want to see if you’re aware of your competence and whether it matches the needs of their organization.
That’s why you should focus on the strengths that are relevant to the job. It’s even better if you can demonstrate your abilities by highlighting quantifiable, concrete results.
On the other hand, talking about skills and experiences that are unrelated to the position likely won’t impress hiring managers.
Here’s an example of a good answer:
Good Answer
“I find my ability to solve complex problems to be my greatest strength. As a data analyst at my previous company, I developed a complex algorithm for data processing, which enhanced and sped up the company’s decision-making capabilities by 41%.”
#8. What is your greatest accomplishment?
Hiring managers ask about your greatest accomplishment to learn about your past professional efforts and your approach to setting goals and measuring success. They also want to find out whether the achievements and skills you used to obtain them align with their company’s needs and the requirements for the role.
That’s why your answer should be role-specific, demonstrating qualities that would make you thrive in the new workplace. On the flip side, you should avoid accomplishments that are entirely unrelated to your new potential job or those efforts that don’t showcase any of your notable skills.
Here’s an example:
Good Answer
“My greatest accomplishment was redesigning my previous company’s website to increase user engagement by 31%. I led the project from start to finish, and the result was a 19% increase in online sales. I consider this achievement particularly important, as it required exceptional organization and continuous collaboration with several different departments.”
#9. Why do you want to work for us?
When hiring managers ask why you want to work there, they want to find out whether you have a genuine interest in their company and the team. They are trying to assess your diligence and determine whether you’re familiar with the organization’s mission, culture, and business objectives.
Your response should highlight something specific about the company that drew you to apply and work for them. On the other hand, you should avoid giving generic responses or mentioning money as your main motivator.
Let’s see that in an example:
Good Answer
“I want to work for your company because of your customer-centric approach. I’ve been following your work for a while and saw that you obtained a 98.5% customer satisfaction rating last year. I would be thrilled to join and contribute to a team that is genuinely eager to help others and make a positive impact on the community.”
#10. What motivates you?
When interviewers ask what motivates you, they want to learn more about your drive and find out how you stay productive in the workplace. Having strong motivators, such as the desire to mentor others or improve your abilities, is always better than simply looking for financial gain.
Your answer should also align with the company’s culture and the role you’re after. For instance, if you’re joining a collaboration-oriented organization, you can emphasize your motivation to be a part of a productive team.
Here’s a good example:
Good Answer
“I am motivated by the opportunity to solve complex problems and overcome difficult obstacles. In my previous role, I found great satisfaction in developing robust solutions that helped solve challenges and improve efficiencies on an organizational level.”
#11. What’s your dream job?
The main reason why interviewers ask about your dream job is to find out whether long-term career goals align with their company’s opportunities. They are looking to assess your potential over an extended period of time and determine whether they should invest time and resources in you.
Companies always look for ways to improve their employee retention and hire professionals who will stay with them for as long as possible. That’s why your answer should show that you see your future in the company and describe your dream job as something that they offer instead of something entirely unrelated to their business or organization.
Here’s a good answer:
Good Answer
“My dream job is to lead a team of highly skilled professionals using state-of-the-art technologies to create solutions that solve real-world problems. This role involves working on cutting-edge projects that would give me the necessary knowledge and help me improve my leadership skills, which is something I strive toward.”
#12. What makes you unique?
Employers want to know what makes you unique to see whether you stand out from the competition and have something valuable to offer their team. With this question, they are looking into your unique qualities—be they skills or experiences—that make you a good fit for the role.
That’s why you should highlight your key strengths relevant to the job and avoid giving generic answers or emphasizing qualities that aren’t needed for the position in question.
Let’s see a good example of an answer:
Good Answer
“What makes me unique is my ability to connect my strong technical expertise with written and verbal communication skills. This allows me to convey complex and highly technical concepts to non-technical team members and stakeholders. That way, I can ensure everyone participating in the project is aligned, and the process goes smoothly and efficiently.”
#13. How do you handle criticism?
Interviewers ask this question to evaluate your ability to handle criticism with grace and improve based on the provided feedback. Your answer should show that you’re open to listening to advice and that you can learn from it, as well as apply what you’ve learned to improve your performance.
You should never say that you take criticism personally or that it affects you negatively. Moreover, you should avoid saying that you never receive criticism. Instead, you can speak about a concrete situation where you received constructive feedback, which you used to enhance your expertise.
Here’s a good answer:
Good Answer
“I see criticism as a chance to grow. For instance, my previous manager pointed out that I lacked confidence while giving presentations and that my verbal communication could use some work. That’s when I took a course in public speaking and kept practicing until I saw my delivery improving.”
#14. How do you prioritize your work?
Your prioritization skills are vital in today’s dynamic business environment. They allow you to efficiently handle multiple tasks and consistently meet deadlines. A good answer should show that you’re someone with strong time management and organization skills. You can mention specific tools and techniques you use, such as to-do lists and project management software.
Avoid giving a disorganized answer that might signal to interviewers that you struggle with prioritization or tackle your tasks haphazardly.
Here’s an example of a good answer:
Good Answer
“I prioritize my work by first assessing the urgency and importance of each task. I use a prioritization matrix to sort my assignments before creating simple to-do lists. If the tasks are significant, I break them into small, manageable steps with clear goals and deadlines. This helps me consistently stay on top of my workload and meet deadlines.”
#15. How do you handle stress?
Interviewers ask how you handle stress to find out what happens to your performance under pressure. They want to find out what strategies you use to stay organized and manage stress with little to no drop in productivity. This is a common interview question for NHS applicants, social workers, and other candidates who apply for positions that entail work under stress.
One of the best ways to answer this question is to describe specific tactics you use. Conversely, you don’t want to show that you get stressed easily, handle it poorly, or that it negatively affects your performance.
Let’s see an example of an answer:
Good Answer
“I handle stress by staying organized and focusing on maintaining a positive attitude. When facing tight deadlines, I prioritize and break larger tasks into smaller, manageable steps, which helps me stay on top of my workload. Moreover, I am adept at several mindfulness techniques that help me stay calm and focused during periods of increased pressure.”
#16. How do you stay current with industry trends and developments?
This question is designed to examine your tendencies to continuously learn, improve, and stay updated in your field. Hiring managers want to see whether you’re proactive about your personal and professional growth and good at adapting to the shifts in the industry.
Your answer should describe the particular methods you use to stay informed about the latest happenings and developments. This includes activities like attending conferences and workshops, reading publications, practicing networking, and more.
On the other hand, you shouldn’t say that you don’t follow industry trends or that you solely rely on your current job to do so.
Here’s a good example of how you can answer:
Good Answer
“I stay current with industry trends and developments mainly by reading publications and attending webinars. I am subscribed to several key publications, and webinars offer enough flexibility that I can include them in my busy schedule. I also make an effort to attend conferences and regularly participate in online discussions on professional forums and social media groups.”
#17. How do you handle failure?
This is a common interview question that probes into your flexibility, resilience, and ability to learn from your mistakes. Hiring managers ask this to see whether you’re an accountable professional who takes responsibility for your actions and learns from failures so as not to repeat them in the future.
A good answer would be to describe a situation where you failed and what you learned from it. However, you should avoid blaming others or suggesting that you never failed.
Let’s see that in an example:
Good Answer
“I take lessons from failure and see them as opportunities to grow. I once led a project that ended up underperforming due to a lack of market research. I commended the team for their effort, took responsibility, and thoroughly analyzed the project to find out what went wrong. I quickly learned the importance of meticulous preparation, and the insight I gained helped us ace the projects in the future.”
#18. What are your career goals?
When hiring managers ask about your career goals, they want to figure out your long-term ambitions and see whether they align with the company’s objectives. This is a common interview question for internships. Interviewers ask this to see if you have a clear vision of your future and if a position in the company fits that vision.
A solid response would be to provide both short-term and long-term career goals and highlight how they relate to the position you’re applying for. You should avoid stating that you’re unsure of your career goals, that they have nothing to do with the company, or even that you’re using the company as a stepping stone.
Here’s an example:
Good Answer
“My short-term career goal is to improve my expertise as a project manager. I want to polish my organizational and leadership skills to contribute to the company’s growth optimally. In the long run, I aspire to take on senior leadership roles and make strategic decisions that impact the organization on a large scale.”
#19. How do you handle tight deadlines?
The purpose of this common interview question is to assess your time management skills and ability to work under pressure without a drop in performance. Hiring managers ask this to see how you stay organized when there are time constraints, how you prioritize tasks, and what you do to keep your work at optimal quality.
A good way to respond is to specify the tactics and strategies you use to stay on top of your workload when approaching deadlines. This includes mentioning how you set objectives, prioritize tasks, keep your focus, and more.
Check out an example of an answer:
Good Example
“I handle tight deadlines by prioritizing tasks based on urgency. Then, I break big assignments into small, manageable steps and focus on completing one at a time. If the project is a team effort, I encourage open and effective communication so that everyone is aligned and we can support each other by playing to everyone’s biggest strengths.”
#20. What do you know about our company?
This is a common interview question used to gauge your interest in the organization that you want to join. Your answer shows whether you’ve done your research and are genuinely motivated to become a part of their team, as opposed to just looking for a job.
By sharing something concrete about the company—be it some of their projects, history, or notable accomplishments—you’ll show that you understand their mission and values. On the other hand, a vague or incorrect answer shows a lack of commitment and preparation.
Here’s a good example:
Good Answer
“I know your company as one of the leaders in renewable energy solutions. I’ve been following your work for years, and your recent efforts to integrate solar energy to reduce carbon emissions align with my passion for sustainability and the development of green technologies.”
5 Common Behavioral Interview Questions With Answers
Behavioral interview questions are typically non-technical and designed to examine how you behave in certain situations. One of the best ways to answer them is to use the STAR method (short for “Situation,” “Task,” “Action,” and “Result”).
Here are five of the most common ones:
#1. Can you describe a time when you faced a challenge at work and how you overcame it?
With this behavioral question, interviewers look to examine your resilience and problem-solving skills. They want to see how you approach problems, what tactics you use to tackle them, and whether you learn from the experience.
A good answer should describe a specific situation you faced, followed by the tasks and the exact actions you took. And lastly, you want to capitalize on the response as a result of your actions.
Here’s a good example
Good Answer
“On the last project in my previous company, we faced an approaching deadline when a vital team member got sick. I was tasked with reorganizing the workload, so I quickly delegated their tasks to other members based on their skills and took on additional responsibilities myself. We maintained open communication and managed to meet the deadline for the success of the project.”
#2. Tell me about a time when you demonstrated leadership capabilities.
This interview question is designed to assess your leadership skills and your talent to inspire and guide others. Your ability to lead a team and take initiative is particularly important for high-level roles within an organization, but employers always look positively on these qualities regardless of the job position.
Here’s a good way to answer:
Good Answer
“I once led a project to overhaul the company’s customer service process. I coordinated an interdisciplinary team of nine professionals, delegated tasks based on their expertise, and fostered open communication throughout the project. Our efforts resulted in a 21% increase in customer satisfaction within 3 months.”
#3. Describe a time when you worked under pressure and how you handled it.
Performing optimally in high-stress situations is vital in dynamic work environments. Hiring managers ask this to determine whether you can handle stress well and maintain level-headedness to deliver quality work and meet deadlines.
Here’s one way to answer this question:
Good Example
“During one critical large-scale project, we faced a significant and unexpected setback prior to the deadline. I called a quick meeting to reassess our priorities and come up with a new set of tasks that would address the issue and focus on vital bits. I then delegated these tasks in coordination with other team members and maintained clear communication, which helped us finish the project on time.”
#4. Tell me about a time when you got into a disagreement with a team member.
This question assesses your ability to handle conflict and maintain positive relationships in the workplace. Your answer can highlight your conflict resolution and communication skills through specific examples from your past experiences.
When giving a response, you want to share a concrete example and show the steps you took to resolve a disagreement. You don’t want to show how you blame others or avoid conflicts altogether.
Here’s an example:
Good Answer
“I once disagreed with a team member regarding a marketing campaign. We had a meeting where we openly discussed our perspectives, trying to understand the pros and cons of each. By actively listening to each other’s opinions, we reached a common ground and implemented aspects of our ideas to create a cohesive strategy.”
#5. Have you ever had to make a difficult decision?
This question is designed to evaluate your decision-making skills. Employers always look for professionals who have sound judgment and can make tough decisions with confidence. Your answer should showcase that your decisions lead to positive outcomes and that you don’t make them impulsively.
Let’s see that in an example:
Good Answer
“I once had to make a difficult decision to postpone a project’s submission, extend a deadline, or push the team to meet it. After evaluating the circumstances, I communicated with the stakeholders and chose to extend the deadline. The decision was vital to ensuring we delivered high-quality work, which ultimately paid off as we exceeded the client’s expectations.”
20 More Common Interview Questions
Before we wrap up, let’s review some more common interview questions to consider when preparing for a meeting.
For starters, here are some general questions:
General Questions
Describe yourself in three words.
Why did you leave your last job?
How do you define success?
Do you have any questions for us?
How would your former boss describe you?
Now, here are some questions about your teamwork and collaboration:
Teamwork and Collaboration Questions
Do you prefer to work alone or in a team?
How do you handle working with difficult team members?
Describe a time when you had to work with someone whose personality was different from yours.
How do you give feedback to team members?
How do you ensure effective communication in the workplace?
Furthermore, some questions about your skills and experiences may include the following ones:
Skills and Experiences Questions
What do you do to continuously develop your skills?
What is your biggest failure?
What are you passionate about?
What do you do when you don’t know the answer to a problem?
Describe a time when you had to learn a new skill quickly.
Finally, here are some work ethic and motivation questions:
Work Ethic and Motivation Questions
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Why were you fired from your last job?
How do you handle repetitive tasks?
Describe a time when you went above and beyond what was expected of you.
How do you maintain focus during long projects?
Final Thoughts
Preparation is key to having a successful job interview. Therefore, these common interview questions are for teachers, medical professionals, marketing experts, and everyone else looking to apply for junior, medior, or senior roles.
Familiarizing yourself with them will help you come up with optimal answers in advance. That way, you’ll reduce any potential interview anxiety, have a more confident performance, and optimally convey relevant information about your skills and experiences.
