After all your hard work—updating your resume and filling out job application after job application—you’ve done it. You’ve landed an interview. Now you’re probably wondering what interview questions you’ll be asked.
It’s good to be prepared, and we’ve got your back. In this article, we’ll go over 40 common interview questions you may get asked in an interview.
Introduction Questions
Before getting into more complex questions that assess specific skills, interviewers will start with some basic questions designed to learn more about you and how well you would fit in with their company.
1. Tell me about yourself.
This is a common interview question to start off the dialogue. Use this as your introduction and make sure your answer is relevant to the position. You’re trying to sell yourself, not give them your whole biography.
2. How did you hear about this job?
This basic question allows interviewers to see where interested applicants are coming from and help them understand what recruitment efforts are paying off. This is also a chance to highlight what interests you about the position and mention any current employees you may know.
3. Why do you want to work here?
With this question, interviewers are hoping to see how much you know about the company and whether you are genuinely interested in the role. Take this opportunity to show off what research you’ve done about the company and discuss your specific reasons for applying.
4. What is your greatest strength?
When you answer this question, you want to strike a balance between your actual strengths and what the interviewer wants to hear. Pick a skill that will help you excel at the job or a personal trait that will contribute to the workplace dynamics.
5. What are your weaknesses?
This can be a tough question to answer—of course, you don’t want to focus on your flaws while trying to impress the interviewer. The secret is interviewers already know that no one is perfect. They expect you to have flaws, but it’s about how you deal with them. This is a chance to show how you overcome challenges and try to improve yourself.
6. What other companies are you interviewing with?
Interviewers want to know if they’re competing to hire you. This question can be tricky—you don’t want to seem like you aren’t dedicated to the position, but you also don’t want to seem like you don’t have other options. You can tell the interviewer what other interviews you have lined up but emphasize your preference for this role.
7. What kind of environment do you work best in?
This question is to see if you’ll fit in with the company’s environment. Prior to the interview, check the company’s website and social media to assess their environment. Make your answer truthful but targeted toward their specific vibe.
8. What is something about you that isn’t on your resume?
This is your chance to go beyond your resume and discuss any relevant and impactful information that didn’t make it on your application. You could use this answer to talk about a project that helped you develop your skills or any soft skills or personality traits that would help you fulfill job responsibilities.
9. What kind of culture are you looking for in a company?
With this answer, highlight what values you consider important for your workplace—especially if they align with the company’s values.
10. What motivates you?
Interviewers want to learn what drives you and keeps you engaged at work. Think about what inspires you and try to connect it to the job or the company’s goals.
Prior Work Information
It’s important for a company to understand more about your past work experiences to help determine if you are the right person for the job.
11. What is your greatest professional achievement?
This question allows interviewers to gain insights into your values, skills, work ethic, and what you consider important in your career. Your answer should speak to the organization’s needs and demonstrate skills that are relevant to the role.
12. Why is there a gap in your work experience?
If you’ve ever taken a break from working, chances are you’ll be asked about it. Whatever caused this gap, explain it briefly and then move on. As long as you have a valid answer, the interviewer should be satisfied.
13. Why are you leaving your current job?
The interviewer wants to know if you have a good reason for leaving and if you are doing so on good terms. They want to make sure you won’t leave the second any difficulties arise. In your answer, be honest but also keep it positive.
14. Why did you change your career path?
If you recently switched industries or roles, the interviewer would want to know why. Your answer should explain that your old job no longer aligned with your career goals and this position fits with your new career path.
15. How would your previous coworkers describe you?
The goal of this question is to gain a different perspective. Be honest—the interviewer may ask for a reference. Focus on our best traits or any achievements you were praised for in your last role.
16. How do your skills align with this role?
This question allows you to be more specific about your work ethic and unique abilities that make you right for the job. Your answer should discuss your hard and soft skills, plus how those skills benefitted your employer.
17. Are you a team player or do you prefer to work alone?
Even if you prefer to work alone, you will likely have to work with others at some point. Use this question to provide a specific example of when you worked well with a team and achieved successful results.
Communication
Many roles require collaboration between various team members, and customer-facing roles also need additional communication skills. You’ll likely be asked these common interview questions to assess your abilities.
18. Describe a situation where you had to collaborate with a difficult coworker. How did you manage it?
Interviewers want to make sure that personal conflicts won’t get in the way of your ability to perform well. Use this answer to highlight traits like patience and understanding that helped you in a specific instance of working with someone difficult.
19. Tell me about a time you handled a specific conflict at work, whether it was with another coworker, a decision, a policy, or something else?
Your answer should show your conflict management and resolution skills. Discuss a specific time when you disagreed on how to solve a problem or experienced personal differences.
20. Give an example of a time you received feedback that was difficult to hear. How did you respond?
Your answer should show how you’ll handle feedback as an employee. Since receiving feedback is a part of work, it’s important to show interviewers you have no issues understanding and implementing steps to improve.
21. Have you ever had to deal with an upset customer? How did you resolve the situation?
Demonstrate your ability to calm down dissatisfied customers and fix issues that are presented to you. You want to show that you can turn bad situations into positive experiences.
22. When working with diverse groups of people, how do you help ensure everyone’s voice is heard?
Workplaces are more diverse than ever, so you want to show you can work well with all of your colleagues. Use this answer to highlight your awareness of diversity and ability to exhibit inclusive behavior on the job.
Problem Solving & Critical Thinking
In the job you’re interviewing for, there will likely be unexpected situations that you must successfully work through. Interviewers will typically ask questions to determine your problem solving and critical thinking capabilities.
23. How do you deal with pressure or stressful situations?
The goal of this question is to see if you would survive a high-stress position or project. You don’t want to seem like someone who gets overwhelmed easily. Give examples of a situation where you had to perform well under pressure.
24. How have you handled a challenge in the workplace before?
This question is to see how you overcome difficulties. Mention the steps you took to address the challenge and how you managed to find success despite the roadblocks.
25. Tell me about a time when you had to handle multiple tasks simultaneously. How did you prioritize?
This answer will show how you make hard decisions under pressure and how you manage your time. You’ll also be demonstrating what you consider to be most important out of your job duties.
26. What unique contributions could you bring to the job and our company?
Interviewers want to know how dedicated you’ll be to the role and to the team. In your response, you want to highlight your willingness to contribute to the organization’s success.
27. Describe a situation where you had to be creative to solve a problem.
Your answer to this question should help interviewers understand your thought process and creative ability. Show how you can think outside the box and find innovative solutions that end up successful.
28. Tell me about a time when a team project you worked on wasn’t successful. How did you assess what you or the team could have done better?
This question aims to test how you handle challenging situations and learn from them. Your response should show your ability to admit your mistakes and the steps you took to avoid making similar mistakes in the future.
Initiative
Employers are looking for candidates that go above and beyond and take initiative to continuously improve their skill set. These common interview questions will assess your determination to develop in your role.
29. What skills are you currently working on improving?
The interviewer wants to see if you’re proactive about your career development. Your answer should show your commitment to professional growth while mentioning skills that are not required for the role but would be a bonus to have.
30. What key milestones or achievements do you hope to accomplish in your career over the next five years, and how does this role support those goals?
This is your chance to show how the role fits in with your career goals. Explain how the position contributes to your five-year plan to grow your skill set, gain experience in a specific area, or apply your formal education to a real-world environment.
31. Describe a time you felt a knowledge gap at work and sought out information to fill the gap. What steps did you take?
Your answer should demonstrate your ability to recognize improvements you need to make and the follow-through to act on them. Mention how the information you learned positively impacted your contributions to the team.
32. Can you talk about a time when you had to go above and beyond your regular duties to get the job done?
Describe a situation where you helped others or offered to work on a project in addition to completing your regular job duties. You can use your answer to show your integrity, selflessness, and teamwork.
33. How do you stay on top of current knowledge in your field?
Your answer should demonstrate a determination to stay in-the-know about relevant career skills and show your commitment to professional development.
34. What would you hope to accomplish in your first 30, 60, or 90 days in this role?
You should already know a decent amount about the position and the company. Now is the time to show off your industry knowledge and explain the impact you will have within the company. You can always use this question to ask more about the role and what the team wants out of the new hire in the first 90 days.
Adaptability
Nothing stays stagnant, and that’s true for most career fields as well. Interviewers will ask questions to see how you adapt to changes in your industry and changes within your job responsibilities or during specific projects.
35. How do you adapt to new technologies?
As technology advances, companies are implementing new tech in the workplace. Interviewers want to see that technological changes won’t disrupt your work. Your answer should highlight your computer skills.
36. Tell me about a time you had to quickly adjust your priorities to meet changing demands. What did you do?
Your answer should show that you can make on-the-fly changes when necessary. Interviewers want candidates that are quick thinkers and problem solvers.
37. Describe a time you have demonstrated leadership.
Even if you aren’t applying for a leadership position, employers are looking for candidates who aren’t afraid to step up and have potential for growth in their role. Give an example of a situation where you took charge and how it was received.
38. Tell me about a time when you had to take a risk at work. What was the outcome?
Interviewers want to know how you handle adversity and the skills you learned from the situation. Your answer should show how an unexpected situation allowed you to grow as a professional.
39. Describe a time when you stepped out of your comfort zone.
Your answer should show that you can step up when needed and you aren’t afraid of taking on responsibilities that are outside your usual scope. This will also highlight your dedication to your team.
40. If you had a choice, would you rather innovate a process or follow the established procedures for it?
The interviewer is hoping to learn if you’re more of an innovator or if you prefer following protocol. Different roles will value different approaches—show that you are capable of following directions, but that you aren’t afraid to try new things. Some companies value—and want—disrupters. Try to get clarity on the needs of the role and what the company values.
Find Your Next Opportunity
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