Sample Oral Interview Questions And Answers

Tell Us About A Challenge Youve Faced And How You Handled It

Focus on a specific work-related challenge and talk about how you overcame obstacles, used it as a learning experience, used the resources around you , and ended up with a positive result! Thats how to answer this interview question. Keep it work-related, not personal.

• Explain the situation, the task you needed to accomplish, and what method you chose

Dont:

• Talk about an argument you had
• Talk about a challenge that you didnt overcome, or didnt find a solution for

Answer example:

In my last job, we were facing a tough deadline and my boss was out for the day. Our client was expecting a project to be delivered by 5:00 PM, but we were far behind schedule. I took the lead on the project and delegated tasks to the four other team members in a way that I thought would utilize everyones strengths best. And then I reorganized my own personal tasks so I could dedicate my entire day to contributing to this project as well. The project was a success and we delivered the work on time. I went on to lead more projects after that, and used what I learned to be a better project manager.

Top Interview Questions To Prepare For

The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with Indeed’s data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.

Preparing talking points for common interview questions can help you feel confident and prepared for your interview. While every interviewer is different and their questions may vary depending on the job and industry, there are a few common questions you can expect and prepare for, such as “Tell me about yourself.”

In this article, well focus on 30 top interview questions and provide example answers you can use to craft your own, plus we share 95 additional questions you might be asked during your interview.

Key takeaways:

• A key part of any interview preparation is practicing your answers, and starting with some of the top interview questions is a prudent approach.

• Categories of questions you may encounter include basic interview questions, behavioral questions, questions about salary and questions about you and your skills.

• Be sure to research the company and the role well, and prepare for an interview as you would a test.

What Are Your Greatest Weaknesses

It can feel awkward to discuss your weaknesses in an environment where youre expected to focus on your accomplishments. However, when answered correctly, sharing your weaknesses shows that you are self-aware with an interest in continued growth and learningtraits that are extremely attractive to many employers. Consider using this formula for your response:

1. Select an actual weakness that’s honest but professionally relevant: “Im naturally shy…

2. Add context: “…From high school and into my early professional interactions, it sometimes prevented me from speaking up…

3. Provide a specific example:” …After being a part of a workgroup that didnt meet our strategic goals two quarters in a row, I knew I owed it to my team and myself to confidently share my ideas…

4. Explain how you overcame or are working to overcome it: “…I joined an improv acting class. Its fun and has really helped me overcome my shyness. I learned practical skills around leading discussions and sharing diverse perspectives. Now, in group settings, I always start conversations with the quieter folks. I know exactly how they feel, and people can be amazing once they start communicating.

Read more:

Video: What is your greatest weakness? Tips + Example Answer

Jenn explains what interviewers ask the question What is your greatest weakness, strategies for crafting a strong answer plus an example.

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What Skills Are The Most Critical To This Position

Prepare by listing the tasks given in the job description and identifying which skills are key to successful task performance.

Consider the technical skills specific to the position such asknowledge of accounting principles and practices for an accountantposition, human resource management principles for a HR position,understanding the sales cycle for a sales position and so on.

Listthe competencies required for successful job performance. Competenciesor behaviors commonly required in the workplace include:

• problem-solvingability
• organizing andplanning

Describe to the interviewer how your experience is relevant to theserequirements and how you have successfully demonstrated these skills inyour previous positions.

“After carefully reviewing this job I would focus on these key skills as the most essential to success. The company is going through considerable restructuring and as a manager I would need to properly manage any changes with my team.

My communication, motivation, negotiation and conflict management skills are key to this. In my last job I had considerable experience in these areas when ……………..”

View the 12 core competencies identified as key to successful job performance.

This list of job skills will also help you with answering this interview question.

Make sure to refer to these key skills when answering interview questions about why the company should employ you.

Why Did You Leave Your Job

One of the most critical job interview tips: Don’t badmouth a former employer. So if an interviewer asks, “Why did you leave your job?” and you’re unemployed, state your reason for leaving in a positive context: “I managed to survive two rounds of corporate downsizing, but the third round was a 20% reduction in the workforce, which included me.”

If you are employed, focus on what you want in your next job: “After two years, I made the decision to look for a company that is team-focused, where I can add my experience.”

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Tell Me About A Situation Where You Had To Solve A Difficult Problem

This situational interview question for customer service allows your interviewer to discover your problem-solving skills. You will have to handle many requests every day, and some of them are bound to be situations youve never heard of before. In other cases, you know the problem, but the customer seems very unhappy, and it easily escalates.

Tips

• Recall the time you had a difficult situation to solve and how you managed it before the interview. Write it down if it helps you remember so that your mind doesnt go blank in a stressful interview environment.
• Focus on taking ownership of the situation. You might not know how to solve it but acknowledging the problem is the first step.
• Describe chronologically how you manage to handle the difficult situation and what was the outcome of your efforts.

Logical Case Study Interview Questions

Why are manhole covers always round and not square?

The reason why manhole covers are round is because a square cover if turned diagonally will fall right through. On the other hand, round covers will get stuck if turned diagonally.

There are 23 football teams playing in a tournament. What will be the least number of games played to find a tournament winner?

Given there are 23 teams contending and each round will only present 1 winner, the final winner can only be declared after 22 rounds.

How will you put a giraffe in a fridge?

Ill open the fridge, put the giraffe in and shut the door.

Tip: Remember, no specifics were provided. So, keep your answer simple and witty.

A woman and daughter walked into a restaurant. A man walked past and the women both said Hello, Father. How is this possible?

The answer is rather simple and have only 2 options. Hes either a church priest or his name is Father.

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Possible Answer To Why Was There A Gap In Your Employment

I spent a number of years working at a company in a very demanding job, in whichas youll see from my referencesI was very successful. But Id reached a stage in my career where I wanted to focus on my personal growth. The time I spent traveling taught me a lot about how to get along with people of all ages and cultures. Now I feel more than ready to jump back into my career with renewed energy and focus and I feel this role is the ideal way to do that.

Tell Me About A Time When You Faced An Unexpected Challenge At Work And How You Handled It

Unexpected issues occur in the workplace all the time and how you handle these issues says a lot about how you work under pressure. Hiring managers ask this interview question for two reasons:

Choose a recent example of a time youve faced a challenge in the workplace and briefly recount the events. Follow up with a more detailed account of how you handled the situation and your thought process, focus on any moments of excellent communication with co-workers and teamwork. Conclude your answer by identifying why the challenging issue occurred and, identify a positive outcome because of the problem. An example of a positive outcome could be as simple as I became more self-aware of how I deal with stressful situations and why being a team-player is very important in the workplace.

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Can You Walk Me Through What You Do After Answering A Customers Query

To answer this interview question, you need customer service experience. Your interviewer wants to know the process you operate when handling customers inquiries. For this one, youll need a bit of preparation and imagination.

Tips

• Be organized in your response. From the moment you answer the customers query till youre finished speaking with them, keep the flow as it would normally go.
• Try to imagine you were hired and youre sitting at your desk when a client phones. Pretend youre just describing to the employer each action youre doing and each process that comes into play.
• You can also go back in your memory to when you were speaking to a customer last. Think about what the process was and try to remember it step by step. In this case, youll have something to refer to, which might help in a stressful interview scenario.

Common Interview Questions Answers And Examples

This article discusses 57 common interview questions, answers and examples. It gives tips on how to answer questions that are likely to be asked in interviews..

The best practice for answering common interview questions is to prepare ahead, think carefully about your answers, internalize and personalize your answers and deliver them in a genuine and enthusiastic way.

You do not want to sound rehearsed, unenthusiastic or inauthentic when responding to interview questions.

The way you respond to interview questions and what you say, gives the interviewer clues and insight about yourself. It either elevates you as a candidate or diminishes your prospects of getting a job.

The hypothetical examples used in this article are for illustration purposes only and may not reflect your unique interview situation, background or circumstances.

It is unlikely that you will be asked all these questions in one interview however, it is helpful to know, anticipate and prepare for the questions.

It is always prudent to over prepare when it comes to interviews rather than under prepare.

For your ease and convenience, the 57 interview questions have been grouped into 8 simple categories as follows:

About yourself, Your work experience, About the job, About the company, Your working style, Your problem solving abilities, Your reputation, and Interview concluding questions.

I wish you the very best wishes as you prepare for your interview as well as when you attend your interviews.

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Describe A Time When You Made A Mistake At Work And How You Handled It

You dont want to talk about your failures, but in this case, you need to own your mistakes and show how you handled them. This is a customer service interview question to ask when the interviewer wants to learn how you pick yourself up after a wrong move.

Tips

• Be honest in your answer. Everybody makes mistakes, and you need to show how you solve yours.
• Try to present the story in a positive way to show how this mistake helped you develop. This will show the employer that you learn from your past experiences and that youre a more valuable candidate because of that.

Practice The Star Interviewing Method

STAR is an effective way to answer interview questions, and it stands for:

This helps you structure your answer in a way that has a narrative or storytelling component while including only the necessary details and outcomes, the result being more comprehensive and understandable communication.

In short, it allows you to get to the point quicker.

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Possible Answer To What Makes You Unique

I basically taught myself animation from scratch. I was immediately drawn to it in college, and with the limited resources available to me, I decided to take matters into my own handsand thats the approach I take in all aspects of my work as a video editor. I dont just wait around for things to happen, and when I can, Im always eager to step in and take on new projects, pick up new skills, or brainstorm new ideas.

Why Interviewers Use Tell Me About Yourself

This is one of the most common questions interviewers ask candidates during a job interview.

So when they ask you Tell me about yourself, what are they trying to achieve? Well, for them, its an easy and open-ended way to start the conversation.

Their ultimate goal for this interview is to find out enough about you to decide if youre a good fit for the job opening that they are being paid to fill. In most cases, they want to like you. Their life will be easier if they can find a great candidate quickly. However, they are also on guard because a bad hire will reflect poorly on their judgment and possibly be a mark against them when it comes time to ask for a raise or promotion.

They are hoping that this question will get you talking. This question is almost always asked first, perhaps right after some chit-chat about traffic and the weather. Your answer to this question will dictate the interviewers first impression of you and will set the tone for the entire interview, letting you lead with your strongest selling points.

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Why Are You A Good Fit For This Position

This question helps interviewers gauge your ability to convey your work-related skills. It can also provide insight into the qualifications you believe to be the most important for the position. When you answer, speak clearly about your skills and talents to show employers the confidence you have in your abilities.

Example:”I feel I am a good fit for this position because I am confident, I can provide results for the company. In my previous job, I increased the sales in my department by 8% within the first 90 days of my employment, and I believe I can provide similar results for this organisation. My commitment to regular and effective communication with both clients and sales members, along with my dedication to accomplishing goals, makes me an excellent candidate for this job.”

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How Would You Describe Yourself

With this question, your interviewer wants to learn how your qualities and characteristics align with the skills they believe are required to succeed in the role. To answer this question, pick one to a few personal characteristics and elaborate on them with examples. For example, if you are ambitious and driven you can say:

I am an ambitious and driven individual. I thrive in a goal-oriented environment where I can constantly challenge myself personally and professionally. I am always looking for an opportunity to do better and grow. These characteristics have helped me achieve success in my career. For example, I was promoted three times in less than two years in my last position.

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Sales Interview Questions And Answers