Top 10 Interview Questions And Best Answers
Review these most frequently asked interview questions and sample answers, and then prepare your responses based on your experience, skills, and interests. Remember that its less about providing the right answers and more about demonstrating that youre the best candidate for the job.
1. Tell Me About Yourself – Best Answers
This is one of the first questions you are likely to be asked. Be prepared to talk about yourself, and why you’re an ideal candidate for the position. The interviewer wants to know why you’re an excellent fit for the job.
Try to answer questions about yourself without giving too much, or too little, personal information. You can start by sharing some of your personal interests and experiences that don’t relate directly to work, such as a favorite hobby or a brief account of where you grew up, your education, and what motivates you.
You can even and showcase your personality to make the interview a little more interesting.
2. Why Are You the Best Person for the Job? –Best Answers
Are you the best candidate for the job? The hiring manager wants to know whether you have all the required qualifications. Be prepared to explain why you’re the applicant who should be hired.
3. Why Do You Want This Job? – Best Answers
Be specific about what makes you a good fit for this role, and mention aspects of the company and position that appeal to you most.
4. How Has Your Experience Prepared You for This Role? – Best Answers
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 is 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 talking.
Read more: Interview Question: What Are Your Greatest Weaknesses?
Where Do You See Yourself In Five Years
If asked this question, be honest and specific about your future goals, but consider this: A hiring manager wants to know a) if you’ve set realistic expectations for your career, b) if you have ambition , and c) if the position aligns with your goals and growth. Your best bet is to think realistically about where this position could take you and answer along those lines. And if the position isnt necessarily a one-way ticket to your aspirations? Its OK to say that youre not quite sure what the future holds, but that you see this experience playing an important role in helping you make that decision.
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How Do You Plan To Achieve Your Career Goals
Having goals shows interviewers you care, are ambitious, and can think ahead. Having a plan for how youll achieve your goals demonstrates your self-motivation as well as organizational and time management skills. Finally, the fact that youve accomplished past goals youve set for yourself is proof of your ability to follow through. All together, these are indications that you can not only set and achieve goals of your own, but also help your prospective boss, team, and company do the same. To craft your answer, make sure you focus on one or two goals in detail, explain why the goals are meaningful, communicate what milestones are coming up, highlight past successes, and connect back to this job.
Tell Me About Yourself / Your Past Work Experience
What seems like such a simple question can sometimes be one of the toughest to answer for most professionals. As it is often the opening question for interviews, it is one of the most important since first impressions are key. When asking this question, the interviewer is looking for an answer that is pertinent to the job you’re interviewing for.
inside out and start with an overview of your highest qualification then run through your past jobs. Give examples of your achievements and the skills you’ve developed in your career so far.
Keep your answer brief – the interviewer will ask you to expand on any areas where they’d like more information.”
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Questions About Your Supervisors And Co
What They Want to Know: Did you get along with your manager? Have you worked with difficult colleagues? How you interact with supervisors and co-workers will provide the interviewer with insight into your interpersonal and communication skills.
I think I get along well with both my manager and my colleagues, because I approach everyone with respect. When issues arise, I try to ask for clarification and find points of agreement we can use to resolve differences of opinion.
More Answers: Interview Questions About Co-Workers and Supervisors
Tell Me About A Time You Made A Mistake
Youre probably not too eager to dig into past blunders when youre trying to impress an interviewer and land a job. But talking about a mistake and winning someone over arent mutually exclusive, Moy says. In fact, if you do it right, it can help you. The key is to be honest without placing blame on other people, then explain what you learned from your mistake and what actions you took to ensure it didnt happen again. At the end of the day, employers are looking for folks who are self-aware, can take feedback, and care about doing better.
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Questions About The Organization
The knowledge that a hiring manager has on a company can determine if they’re the right person to be in a management role. It also depends on how long they’ve been with the company. For example, the hiring manager of a startup might know less than one at a corporation.
- Can you tell me about the founding of the company?
- Where do you see the organization heading in the next 10 years?
- Can you describe the trajectory of the company’s strategy for expansion over the next five years?
- What type of goals is the company trying to accomplish right now?
- What makes you energized about the organization’s future?
- Are you increasing staff in other areas of the company?
- Can you speak more about your product’s growth shortly?
- How would you describe the company’s core values?
- How important is the sales team’s role in helping achieve your goals and continue to scale?
- How has your product’s growth inspired employees within the company?
Degree And References Are Crucialif You Dont Have Them Make Them
The first thing they will look at is what you have already done. Have you got published? Have you written something before? Have you edited the school magazine? Can any person from the industry say something good about you?
You can showcase all these things on your work portfolio. Show the interviewers that you did not wait for the school to finish, but already tried your best to dive into the news business.
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Questions About The Next Stage Of The Interview Process
You’ll want to be clear and concise with your questioning here since you’re looking for a set answer on the next steps of the hiring process. These questions should be reserved until you’re asked for additional questions by the hiring manager.
- Do you have further questions to ask about my background or experience?
- Can you explain the next steps of the interview process at this time?
- Is there any additional information you need that would be beneficial to the hiring process?
- Can I answer any final questions that are on your mind?
Why Did You Apply
We all need to pay the bills, but it’s important to check that this is not the sole motivation for a candidate. They’re likely to be a more productive and happy employee if they identify with your company in some way.
It might be the projects you’re working on or the direction you’re heading in. It could be the fact that you’re a 2-person startup and they’re interested in responsibility. Maybe it’s the fact that you’ve just signed some big customers. Hopefully it’s something!
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How To Answer Do You Have Any Questions For Me Interview Question
Interviews are an opportunity for your prospective employer to determine if you are a good fit for a position, and it can also allow you to decide if the company is right for you. At the end of the interview, the employer may ask if you have any questions for them. Having a strong response to Do you have any questions for me? can make you a memorable candidate and give you valuable insight into the organization. In this article, you can review tips and examples of how to answer the Do you have any questions for me? interview question.
Answers For Why Do You Want To Work Here
In the search for a position, every job seeker will be faced with a question that may be seemingly obvious. A question that does not seem even to warrant an answer. When hiring managers ask you, Why do you want to work here?
They are trying to determine if you would fit in at the company and if you would add value to their existing team.
An engaged employee that is aligned with the company’s mission and values will be more productive and stay at the company longer. The hiring manager is trying to find out if that person is you.
You might be panicking, wondering how to answer, Why do you want to work here? You never want to answer this question with a blunt and thoughtless response like, Well, the pay is good, and I need a job.
While this may be true, you arent giving yourself much of a chance.
You need to prove that youve done the research on the company, that your core values match the objectives of the company, and that you will enjoy working there.
The hiring manager wont want to hire someone who is only in it for the paycheck.
Its critical that you take the time before the interview to learn everything you can about the company.
Visit their website and read the About Us section, check out their social media accounts to get a sense of their culture, and search for press or articles about innovative things the company might be doing.
This doesn’t say anything about the impact the candidate could have on the company and what they bring to the table.
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What Do You Consider To Be Your Biggest Professional Achievement
Here’s an interview question that definitely requires an answer relevant to the job. If you say your biggest achievement was improving throughput by 18 percent in six months but you’re interviewing for a leadership role in human resources, that answer is interesting but ultimately irrelevant.
Instead, talk about an underperforming employee you “rescued,” or how you overcame infighting between departments, or how so many of your direct reports have been promoted.
The goal is to share achievements that let the interviewer imagine you in the position — and see you succeeding.
What Do You Like To Do Outside Of Work
Interviewers will sometimes ask about your hobbies or interests outside of work in order to get to know you a little betterto find out what youre passionate about and devote time to during your off-hours. Its another chance to let your personality shine. Be honest, but keep it professional and be mindful of answers that might make it sound like youre going to spend all your time focusing on something other than the job youre applying for.
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Tell Me About Yourself
What They Want to Know: Asking about you is a way to break the ice at an interview and make you feel more comfortable. It’s also a way for the interviewer to determine if you’re a good fit for the job.
Before you go on an interview, consider what you want to say when you’re describing yourself to potential employers. Creating an elevator speech, which is a quick synopsis of your background, is a good way to prepare a response.
Im an electrician with ten years of experience in residential construction. After earning my electricians certificate at ABC Tech, I apprenticed with Jones Brothers, and then they hired me as a journeyman electrician. Four years later I earned my certification as a master electrician.
More Answers: Interview Question: Tell Me About Yourself
What Skills Would You Bring To The Job
While this is similar to questions like, Why should we hire you? or What can you bring to the company? it allows you to be more specific about your work ethic, style and unique abilities as it relates to the role.
An impactful answer will discuss your hard and soft skills and use the STAR method to illustrate how your unique skills might benefit the team or organization.
Example answer:I can make anyone feel comfortable in a new environment, which makes me a good fit as a human resources assistant. In my previous position, a new employee came to me and told me that she didnt think she was right for the company culture. After talking to her for a few minutes, we realized that she felt too much pressure to participate in company events. I started introducing events that involved fewer competitions and more casual environments, and she quickly grew more comfortable with her team.
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What Does Work/life Balance Look Like At Your Company
Are you the kind of person that doesnt mind checking emails at home or do you really want to disconnect when you leave the office? Asking this question lets candidates decide if they want to be in an always-on kind of environment. If the interviewers response indicates an overbearing workload and a messy internal processes, consider looking for a better work/life balance elsewhere.
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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How Would You Describe The Work Environment
Knowing how you like to work is an important part of culture fit. If you need complete silence and no overhead lamps, youll want to know what the day-to-day of the office is like. In todays working world, there is a wide range of working styles, and this question will give you a good preview of what your day-to-day life would look like.
Why Are You Leaving Or Have Left Your Job
What They Want to Know: There are many different reasons for leaving a job. You could be moving on because you want more opportunities for growth, you may be looking for a salary increase, perhaps you’re relocating, or you have another reason you’re leaving your job. Be consistent in your answer when meeting with representatives of a prospective employer, because they may compare notes.
Our business was sold and, although I was invited to transition to the acquiring company, I decided that this was the perfect opportunity for me to explore new career opportunities.
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How To Prepare For College Interview Questions
For each of these questions, I recommend jotting down some notes so that you can remember key points or details. Don’t try to completely write out your answers and memorize them. The way you speak in an interview is supposed to appear conversational and not rehearsed. Also, if you try to memorize your answers and forget your script during the interview, you’ll end up looking confused and unsure of yourself.
Practice your responses by having somebody ask you these questions and then answering them as if you were actually in the interview. Remember that you want to be as specific and detailed as possible. Learn to separate yourself from all the other applicants being interviewed.
For some of these questions, it’ll be helpful to review your personal statement. Your personal statement likely has some details or stories you can incorporate into some of your answers.
