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!
+ Interview Questions And Answers
The time has come!
After creating a killer resume and cover letter and passing the first round, it is time to face the final challenge:
Your job interview.
And that scares even to the best of us.
Being judged and evaluated by people who have your future in their hands is more anxiety-inducing than meeting the in-laws.
Youve heard the interviewers and hiring managers say there are no right or wrong answers to calm you down before an interview.
But heres the thing:
They are almost always looking for a specific way of answering.
Which brings us to this guide. Were going to cover the most common interview questions and answers, turning you into a bona fide interview expert by the time youre done reading.
So, lets get started!
To make this guide as practical as possible, we covered just about every interview question out there.
Dont let that put you off, though. You dont have to read the whole thing end-to-end. To get the most out of the guide, wed recommend:
Most Common Interview Questions:
Behavioral Questions in an Interview:
Learn About The Employer
Familiarize yourself with the employer before your interview by reading their Handshake page, company website, and searching for recent news online. Avoid asking questions about things that are readily available online, and show the interviewer that youve done your homework.
- What are the most important company values?
- What are the biggest goals for the company?
- How does this team/role contribute to the company goals?
- What excites you most about the companys future?
You May Like: System Design Interview Prep
What Should I Expect To Wear On My First Day
Dress code can be a touchy subject in interviews — you don’t want to reveal that you have deal-breakers so early into a hiring process. But, it is an important aspect of the job for many professionals. Sometimes business wear just isn’t your thing, but you still want to maximize your chances at getting a job offer.
If you want to get an idea of the company’s dress code without suggesting it’s a big deal to you, simply ask HR what you’re expected to wear on your first day. It’s a harmless question that gives you the information you need at the same time.
Why Have You Switched Jobs So Many Times
If youve switched jobs in a very short period of time , the interviewer is bound to ask about it.
After all, job-hopping is one of the biggest red flags for HR managers.
True, you might have had a reasonable cause. Maybe the second company you got hired in just wasnt a good culture fit for you.
Well, youll have to communicate that.
Companies tend to be skeptical because of the following reasons
- You might be a job hopper. Some people tend to switch jobs the moment they get a better salary offer.
- You might be unqualified for the job and you quit because you couldnt deliver.
- You get bored easily and your solution to that is quitting.
So, your job here is to convince the interviewer that you dont belong to any of those 3 categories.
You need to make them realize that you will not jump ship a few months after getting hired just because some recruiter PMd you on LinkedIn with a better offer.
The best way to answer this question is to explain the reason you switched jobs. It could be one of the following:
- The company culture wasnt a good fit. This happens to the best of us – sometimes, the company just isnt the right one.
- The job description was misleading and you ended up doing something you either didnt enjoy, or were not qualified for.
- You learned that you simply didnt enjoy the job, and are not willing to try out something different. While this isnt the best potential answer, its honest and chances are, the HR manager will understand.
Possible answers:
Also Check: How To Prepare System Design Interview
The Top 15 Questions To Ask Candidates
It’s time to fill that vacancy on your team and the pressure is on to find a job candidate who has all the skills and professional experience you need. But can you determine that from just an interview? Its possible if you pose the right queries. Here are 15 of the best questions to ask an interviewee.
1. What do you know about our company, and why do you want to work here?
Youd think with the easy access to information online today, most candidates would do their homework, but thats not always the case. Some applicants may not even know what type of business the company engages in. Ask this interview question and youll find out quickly who is sincerely interested in working for you and who isnt.
2. What skills and strengths can you bring to this position?
Did the interviewee blindly apply to your opening or did they consider how they match your needs? This question can help you find out. Applicants should be able to think critically about how their abilities will benefit your unique team.
3. Can you tell me about your current job?
This is a great interview question to ask a potential employee that can help you evaluate communication skills, while gaining insights into an individual’s background that goes beyond the resume.
Having trouble finding qualified candidates? We can help:
4. What could your current company do to be more successful?
6. Do you work best alone or on a team?
7. Why are you leaving your current job?
What Is Your Company’s Customer Or Client Service Philosophy
This is an impressive question because it shows that you can make the connection between how the company thinks about its customers and the end result. In other words, how the customer is treated on a day-to-day basis, and in turn, how that shows up in the product.
How It Helps You
While you might be able to find a canned response to this question on the company’s website, it’ll be useful — and possibly eye-opening — for you to hear it more candidly from an employee. How the company treats its customers could end up informing your decision to join if you are offered the job, especially if you’re applying for a job where you’ll be communicating directly with customers.
Don’t Miss: Questions To Ask A Cfo During An Interview
What Would Your First 30 60 Or 90 Days Look Like In This Role
Your potential future boss wants to know that youve done your research, given some thought to how youd get started, and would be able to take initiative if hired. So think about what information and aspects of the company and team youd need to familiarize yourself with and which colleagues youd want to sit down and talk to. You can also suggest one possible starter project to show youd be ready to hit the ground running and contribute early on. This wont necessarily be the thing you do first if you do get the job, but a good answer shows that youre thoughtful and that you care.
Are You Planning On Having Children
Questions about your family status, gender , nationality , religion, or age are illegalbut they still get asked . Of course, not always with ill intentthe interviewer might just be trying to make conversation and might not realize these are off-limitsbut you should definitely tie any questions about your personal life back to the job at hand. For this question, think: You know, Im not quite there yet. But I am very interested in the career paths at your company. Can you tell me more about that?
You May Like: Top 10 Behavioral Questions
How Did You Hear About The Role
While seemingly innocuous, this question serves an important purpose. Your company is probably spending significant budget every year on employer branding, advertising and candidate attraction. It’s important to understand what is working!
You need to know whether the messaging your company is investing in is resonating with the right candidates. Make a note of the answers to see whether specific trends emerge. For example, maybe high quality candidates all come across your brand on Twitter, therefore you should invest more in that medium.
It’s true that you can rely on analytics, providing you have them in place, to tell you where traffic is coming from and that many applications have a ‘how did you hear about us’ section, but sometimes, hearing it directly from the horse’s mouth give you more context.
Questions To Ask About Company Culture
Even if you have the skills, it wont matter if you dont agree with the company culture. Do your values align with the company? Or does the company share beliefs you dont necessarily agree with?
Also Check: What To Wear For An Interview Women
Here Are The Most Commonly Asked Interview Questions You Can Expect To Be Asked In Your Interview And Advice On How You Can Craft Effective Responses
Know these popular interview questions and answers.
Too many job seekers stumble through interviews as if the questions asked are coming out of left field. But many interview questions are to be expected. Need some job interview tips? Monster has you covered. Study this list of popular and frequently asked interview questions and answers ahead of time so you’ll be ready to answer them with confidence.
Questions To Ask About Career Advancement And Performance
A huge measure of happiness is progress. We like to know we are working toward something. It is also essential for your career and professional growth that you know you are on a track or there is upward movement. Its great to ask about this early on.
Read Also: Interview Attire Womens
How Long Do Interviews Last
Interviews can generally last anywhere between 30 minutes to several hours.
There are many factors that come into play including the type of job, how the company structures their interviews, and what number interview it is .
Phone, face to face, and Skype interviews will all run at different lengths as well.
What Attracted You To Our Company
This is your opportunity to show youve done your research.
Before the interview, read up on everything you can about the company: their values, their mission, their latest results and news releases, who their executive staff are, their origin story, as well as their products and/or services.
Then, identify what stands out about the companys mission and values, and how that resonates with you and your own career path. If youre a fan of their products or services, bring that up too.
Recommended Reading: Best System Design Interview Prep
Ask Questions To Show Interest And Learn About The Organization
Keep in mind that an interview is a two-way street. Not only is the employer assessing you, you are also deciding whether you would want to work for the organization. Welcome the interviewers invitation to ask questions as an opportunity to show your interest and find out information that will help you make a good decision.
What Did You Do In The Last Year To Improve Your Knowledge
This question may come up as a result of the pandemic. Employers want to know how people used their time differently. Know that you dont have to feel scared about answering this question if you didnt spend your time brushing up on skills or taking courses. We learn from any experience we have.
If you spent time honing your professional skills, you might say the following.
Example: The extra time on my plate really allowed me to get introspective around where I want to take my career. I read a lot of journals to keep abreast of the latest ideas in my field, and sharpened my skills by taking some online courses, such as .
If you chose to work on your personal development, you could say something like the following.
Example: Like everyone else, I, too, gained some time last year from not having to travel two hours a day to and from work. I decided to spend my time on things I love. So I got back to learning how to play the guitar and journaling. I feel it brought me closer to myself and has been really great for my mental health and productivity.
Don’t Miss: What Should Females Wear To A Job Interview
What Are Some Of The Less Tangible Traits Of Successful People On This Team
Ever work with people that just get it? That’s who hiring managers are looking for. This question demonstrates that you understand a job is about more than just going through the motions. Successful people have a specific frame of mind, approach, attitude, work ethic, communication style, and so on — and you want to know what that mix looks like at this company.
How It Helps You
Because these characteristics are often hard to pin down, this question forces a hiring manager to articulate that “it factor” they’re really looking for — even if it wasn’t written in the job description.
How Would You Improve Our Product/service
Your knowledge and understanding of what the company does will prove invaluable. Don’t be too critical of the product or service – you want to work there after all – but at the same, don’t say you wouldn’t change anything. The interviewer wants to hear some ideas.
Try to come up with one or two things that you think could be improved. The key is to offer an explanation of how and why you’d make these changes. Make sure you focus on relevant areas that you would have some responsibility for if you got the job.
Don’t Miss: Design Interview Preparation
Questions About The Company
One important note here: Dont ask things that you can easily find with a quick Google search .
What Are Some Good Job Interview Tips
1. Arrive early and engage in friendly communication with other people there in order to get used to connecting with people.2. Set up Google alerts for the industry and company youre interviewing with. This way youll be up to date with any recent news and can bring it up in the interview.3. Turn the interview from an interrogation into a conversation between peers. Ask questions and get some back and forth going between you and the interviewer. This will lower your nerves and you come across as more of a colleague or a peer to the hiring manager.
You May Like: Questions To Ask The Cfo In An Interview
Show How Your Skills Match
At every point of the interview, you need to show your skills and ability to solve problems are a good fit for the company.
Go back to the job description and your earlier conversations with hiring managers to get a review what theyre looking for and craft your answer around that.
You say:Youre looking for someone who can manage big software projects from across functions, and thats exactly what I was doing when I worked at Company X. I managed a budget of $2 million, and a cross-department teams of 10 people that included developers, engineers, and creatives to bring 15 software products to market.
What Do The Most Successful New Hires Do In Their First Month Here
This question shows that you’re the type of person who likes to hit the ground running, instead of spending a week filling out HR forms. It also shows that you recognize patterns of success and want to replicate only the most effective performers.
How It Helps You
Every company has its weird nuances, its own environment, and its own unspoken expectations. This helps you start with a little bit of the insider info so you don’t suffer a case of “if I knew then what I knew now” in six months.
Also Check: Best Interview Clothes For A Woman