What Are Three Positive Things Your Last Boss Would Say About You
It’s time to pull out your old performance appraisals and boss’s quotes to answer the question, “What are three positive things your last boss would say about you?”. This is a great way to brag about yourself through someone else’s words: “My boss has told me that I am the best designer he has ever had. He knows he can rely on me, and he likes my sense of humor.”
Share Specific Facts And Data To Make Your Answers More Impressive
Which one sounds better:
A: Im one of the top salespeople in my company right now.
B: Im one of the top 5 salespeople in our group of over 50, and Im on pace to hit 200% of annual sales goals for my position.
Facts, data, and statistics make your answers far more impressive.
Do your research before the interview so you KNOW your past results and can talk about it.
Ask former colleagues and bosses if you need to. This will also boost your resume bullets if you put it on there as well!
How Do You Define Success
Employers ask this to help them understand how your definition of success influences your goals and how you measure them. A good answer will show that you know how to define and measure goals and youre willing to challenge yourself and work hard to meet them.
Consider your proudest achievements, your long and short-term successes and how the company youre interviewing with views success. Give specific examples of how youve succeeded in the past.
Example answer:I define success as fulfilling my role in my team and in the company. I work toward completing my individual duties as effectively as possible, balancing that with professional growth and contributing to larger organizational goals. In my previous role, success meant exceeding weekly metrics, implementing processes that supported the companys KPIs and meeting quarterly professional development goals.
Read more: Interview Question: “How Do You Define Success?”
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What Have Been Your Most Positive And Negative Management Experiences
Employers might ask you this question to understand what you like and dislike in certain management styles. This might help them decide whether or not you would be a good fit under a certain manager. You should answer this question honestly and as tactfully as possible.
Example:One of my past managers, while very talented, tended to manage our teams work closely with little flexibility on how things were to be done. It made me feel like I wasnt trusted and there wasnt much room for process improvement. My most recent manager was terrific at listening to my needs and helping me get the resources I needed to achieve my goals. I thrive under managers who create a collaborative, trusting team environment.
Why Do You Want This Job
What They Want to Know: Why did you apply for this position? What do you find most interesting about the job and the organization? With this question, the employer wants to know why you think this job is a match for your career objectives. Take the time to describe how your qualifications are a match for the job. The more you can show you’re qualified, the easier it will be to get hired.
From the time my appendix burst as a kid and I spent a week in the hospital, Ive wanted to be a nurse preferably here at James Memorial. Although I went away for nursing school, Im eager to move back home and care for our local community now that Ive become a licensed RN.
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How Do People Describe You
This is another one of those job interview questions you shouldnt take at face value. The interviewer doesnt want you to talk about what your friends think of you.
This question is your chance to differentiate yourself from other candidates.
Good communication skills are common, but how are you as a listener? Tell the interviewer how your listening skills helped you make a sale, or pacify an irate customer.
Hard working is another commonplace skill. But most applicants only share stories of how grit paid off in their own careers. Stand out from the pack by sharing how you helped lighten the workload of your teammate or boss.
If Your Strengths Lie In Soft Skills ‘you Want To Be Bringing That Up’
With so many positions either going hybrid or fully remote, skills such as communication have become increasingly important for employers.
“Soft skills are not something that everyone has,” says Darrisaw, “so if that is a strength that you have, you want to be bringing that up and showing real examples of how your soft skills help you better contribute to your roles.”
Darrisaw gives the examples of techniques you might use to give feedback, assessments you’ve taken to understand your work or leadership styles, and ways you’ve developed to better collaborate with others. “These are great examples of the types of things that you want to highlight because this goes above and beyond your product or your service expertise,” she says.
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What To Ask During A Job Interview
It’s your turn! As your job interview comes to a close, one of the final questions you may be asked is, “What can I answer for you?” Your interviewer will expect for you to have some questions.
Not asking any questions could make you seem unprepared or disinterested, so take the time to have some questions of your own ready to ask the hiring manager.
Plan ahead and have interview questions of your own ready to ask the interviewer.
You aren’t simply trying to get this jobyou are also interviewing the employer to assess whether this company and the position are a good fit for you.
Question: What Is Your Current Salary
This question is illegal for an employer to ask in many locations in the USA .
In addition, asking for your current salary is inappropriate because that salary is being paid by a different employer for a different job in a different environment .
If this question is legal in the employers location, and even if it is not legal, be prepared to answer. You can probably dodge the question for a while by offering your salary expectations for the job and/or asking for the typical salary band for this role in their company.
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What Are Your Biggest Strengths
There are two answers you could go for here: what your actual strengths are, and what you think the hiring manager or HR representative wants to hear. We would most certainly suggest you go with the first answer.
For this question, you would want to narrow your answer down to at most three strengths. Pick 1 or 2 skills that would help you really excel at the job, and 1 or 2 personal skills.
Not sure which ones are your top strengths? Check out the table below to learn which ones perfect for your field:
After picking your strengths, back it up with a situation or story that shows how you have used it to benefit you on the job.
After all, words are just that – words. The HR cant know whether your natural leadership is an actual strength, or just means that you were super active in your high school class.
As you probably already know, this is one of the most common interview questions out there, so make sure youre prepared for it before facing the HR manager!
Possible answers:
- Sample Answer 1:
My biggest strength is that Im good at picking up new skills. Ive worked a variety of different odd jobs – things like working as a waiter, house-keeper, cook, and a lot more .
For most of those jobs, I ended up picking up all the needed skills within 1 or 2 weeks .
So, Im pretty sure while I dont have any experience as a bartender, I have the right certification, and I believe I can get good at it within a week or two.
- Possible answer 2:
What’s Your Definition Of Hard Work
Some companies move at very different paces, projects that might be allocated a week at a large corporate might be expected in a few days time at a fast growing startup.
This question is a great way of telling you whether a candidate can keep pace with your team and fit in with your company’s definition of hard work.
Look out for the “hard worker in disguise”. A candidate who’s currently operating at half capacity at a slow moving company and is keen to, , ramp up.
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Describe A Time You Disagreed With A Coworker
Sample Answer:
About a year ago, a coworker and I had a disagreement about whom a specific account belonged to.
I requested to meet with my coworker one-on-one to discuss the situation.
First, I asked her to explain to me why she thought the account belonged to her.
After listening and understanding her side, we both agreed that the best way to resolve the issue would be to work the account together.
Both of us were happy to work on the account and we actually became very close friends after working together so closely.
Quick Tip: Disagreements happen. It’s how you handled the disagreement that matters.
What Do You Think Are The Traits Of A Good Leader
This question is similar to “what is your preferred style of management?” The candidate’s answer will give you an idea of how they view authority, and the type of manager they will respond to. The question is also useful for candidates applying for a managerial position. In this case, their answer will provide you with insight into their management style.
Red flags: The candidate doesn’t know or poses suggestions that conflict with your idea of leadership.
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How Do You Keep Projects On Schedule
As a leader, you’re responsible for communicating your team’s goals and tracking progress to ensure they meet deadlines. This leadership questions helps you showcase your organizational and time-management skills. While answering this question, kindly explain how you manage tasks, track progress and set goals to stay on schedule.
Example: I use Microsoft Project to keep a detailed schedule and set clear deadlines. I like having one point of reference that my team can use to stay on track and see our progress. Being adaptable is key, so I’m always ready to adjust the project goals and how we achieve them to ensure we meet important deadlines.
What Critical Feedback Do You Most Often Receive
This question is similar to What are your greatest weaknesses? Employers ask this question to see if you have a sense of self-awareness and that youre actively working on self-improvement. To answer this question, think of a genuine piece of criticism youve been given, or a weakness youre aware of. Provide a brief explanation of the critique and how youre working on improving it.
Example:In the past, Ive been told that I tend to talk over others in meetings. While I do get excited about the projects Im working on and love collaborating with others, I deeply understand the value of active listening and using the diversity of ideas in the room. Ive made it a point to listen actively by taking notes and make myself the last one to contribute while others are sharing.
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How Much Do You Know About The Company
This interview question is one of the most common interview questions asked and is essentially a test to check that youve done your research and know your stuff. If you can prove that youve dug a little deeper than the company website and refer to a company achievement, press release or recent update, youll be sure to win extra brownie points.
Researching the company is a must, and almost all job candidates do it to some degree today. But the interview is not a test to see whether you read the company website. Instead, you want to identify opportunities and demonstrate how you can add value to the company, if they hire you. Take the information you gain through your research and prepare insightful questions and observations that can serve as discussion points during the interview. Here are some ways to do that:
What Gets You Up In The Morning
This question tells the interviewer if you have an overarching plan in life.
Jimi Shabir, Managing Director at Bootcamp Media, gave this example:
I wake up every morning with a renewed goal, be it in my personal or work life. One day my goal could be improving our websites design, next day that might change into improving our marketing funnel. Smaller goals come together to deliver value for money for our customers.
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What Makes You Unique
They genuinely want to know the answer, Dea promises. Give them a reason to pick you over other similar candidates. The key is to keep your answer relevant to the role youre applying to. So the fact that you can run a six-minute mile or crush a trivia challenge might not help you get the job . Use this opportunity to tell them something that would give you an edge over your competition for this position. To figure out what that is, you can ask some former colleagues, think back to patterns youve seen in feedback you get, or try to distill why people tend to turn to you. Focus on one or two things and dont forget to back up whatever you say with evidence.
What Salary Are You Seeking Or What Are Your Salary Expectations
This question is to assess if your salary expectations fit with the company’s budget. To be able to respond appropriately to this question, you need to run a search on industry standards of compensation for similar roles. Stating a figure that is either higher or lower than the standard reveals your lack of knowledge. So be careful of what you ask for.
Alternately, you could also ask the employer the package range they have in mind for the position or someone with your background. You can frame your expectation around the interviewer’s answer.
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Top Job Interview Questions And Answers
Find My Profession
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Congrats! If you are reading this, you have most likely received a phone call for an interview.
Thats half the battle!
Here are the top 50 job interview questions to prepare you for a successful interview.
Each interview question below includes a sample answer written by a professional resume writer, career coach, and hiring manager.
You are in good hands!
We have organized the list of interview questions and answers into 6 different categories:
Common Interview Questions
Be sure to practice the most common questions asked in an interview.
Behavioral Interview Questions
These arethe “tell me about a time” questions that test your reactions to different situations.
Educational Interview Questions
If you are a recent grad or education plays a big part in your targeted role, expect these questions.
Professional Interview Questions
These questions ask about your experience and your willingness and ability to perform the job.
Salary Interview Questions
These are the interview questions to establish your pay.
Personal Interview Questions
Hiring managers ask these interview questions to get to know you and your work style.
Browse the list below or use the Table of Contents above to find a category of interview questions and their sample answers.
If Selected Can You Describe Your Strategy For The First 30
Sample Answer:
First 30 days: Focus on training, finding mentors, and embracing the company culture as it relates to both your job description and the people around you.
30-60 days: Implement your training and experience into action while working with your supervisor to optimize your performance.
60-90 days: Add your personal touch to the position. Be an effective leader/coworker and build relationships that benefit your position and the company as a whole.
Quick Tip: You don’t need to go into crazy detail. Provide a brief, high-level overview if you are asked this question on the spot.
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How Are You Different From Other Candidates
Chances are most candidates being interviewed have very comparable qualifications, so this question is really just a variation on âwhy should we hire you?â You approach to answering it should be the same: highlight your skills and explain how you will bring value to the company. Highlighting certifications or interdisciplinary skills that arenât the norm in your industry is a good strategy here â just make sure you explain how they make you better suited to the job.
Tell Me About The Toughest Decision You Had To Make In The Last Six Months
The goal of this question is to evaluate the candidate’s reasoning ability, problem-solving skills, judgment, and possibly even willingness to take intelligent risks.
Having no answer is a definite warning sign. Everyone makes tough decisions, regardless of their position. My daughter worked part-time as a server at a local restaurant and made difficult decisions all the time — like the best way to deal with a regular customer whose behavior constituted borderline harassment.
A good answer proves you can make a difficult analytical or reasoning-based decision — for example, wading through reams of data to determine the best solution to a problem.
A great answer proves you can make a difficult interpersonal decision, or better yet a difficult data-driven decision that includes interpersonal considerations and ramifications.
Making decisions based on data is important, but almost every decision has an impact on people as well. The best candidates naturally weigh all sides of an issue, not just the business or human side exclusively.
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