What Questions To Ask In An Interview

What Makes You Unique

Employers often ask this question to identify why you might be more qualified than other candidates theyre interviewing. To answer, focus on why hiring you would benefit the employer. Since you dont know the other applicants, it can be challenging to think about your answer in relation to them. Addressing why your background makes you a good fit lets employers know why your traits and qualifications make you a strong candidate.

To help you prepare this answer consider the following:

Example answer:”What makes me unique is my ability to meet and exceed deadlines. In my previous role, my manager consistently praised me for completing my projects efficiently with a high level of quality. This allowed me to take on additional responsibilities and eventually led to a promotion.”

Read more: Interview Question: What Makes You Unique?

What Should Candidates Ask In Interviews

We were especially focused on unearthing the best questions that are not often raised, whether they were queries these leaders themselves have previously posed before joining a company, or ones they wish more candidates would put to them when theyve got their hiring hats on. A few contributors will be familiar from previous Review articles, but most are new faces, eager to share their insights.

We were already big admirers of this group, but what we got in return blew us away: A wealth of favorite interview questions to keep in your back pocket, all that dig much deeper than the ones like Whats the culture like? that just barely scratch the surface.

Their responses span across all sorts of different categories, from the companys future and the teams biggest challenges, to professional development opportunities and what your day-to-day responsibilities will really look like. While some of the questions are geared towards sussing out valuable information whether thats red flags or indicators that its your dream job others are oriented towards reinforcing your thoughtfulness to the interview panel. Not every question will be relevant to you or your role, but we promise youll find at least a few that you havent thought of before.

When jotting down the questions for your interview panel, focus on your deal breakers: What would make you walk away?

Culture and values: How does the company want to conduct its work?

How To Prepare For An Interview

Use these questions and example answers to prepare for your interview by making them your own and tailoring them to fit your experience, the job and the company youre interviewing for. Its important to get comfortable with what you could be asked and understand what a good response might be.

Much like preparing for a test in school, the best way to succeed in your interview is to study and practice. Research the company and the job, and practice your talking points until you feel confident about your answers. The more you prepare, the more likely you are to leave a lasting impression and outperform fellow candidates. Come equipped with examples of work from previous jobs, as well as ideas for the new job. Try and make the interview as conversational as possible by showing genuine interest in the job, company and your interviewer.

Image description

You May Like: Women’s Outfit For Job Interview

What Are Your Goals For The Future

Hiring managers often ask about your future goals to determine whether or not youre looking to stay with the company long-term. Additionally, this question is used to gauge your ambition, expectations for your career and ability to plan ahead. The best way to handle this question is to examine your current career trajectory and how this role helps you reach your long-term goals.

Example answer:I would like to continue developing my marketing expertise over the next several years. One of the reasons Im interested in working for a fast-growing startup company is that Ill have the ability to wear many hats and collaborate with many different departments. I believe this experience will serve me well in achieving my ultimate goal of someday leading a marketing department.

Read more: Interview Question: What Are Your Future Goals?

What Do You Find Most Challenging About Your Job

Ask this question to learn more about potential challenges in the workplace. This may be especially important if one of your interviewers is someone who will manage you directly if you receive this job. Use their response to evaluate potential organizational challenges, and discuss relevant experiences you have that may help resolve these issues.

Also Check: Best Interview Attire For A Woman

What One Skill Would You Like To Improve And Whats Your Plan For Doing So

If youve previously been relying on that cliché what’s your biggest weakness question, give this one a try instead.

Rather than asking an interviewee to point out her flaws and poke holes in her own candidacy, you can turn the tables by focusing on areas of improvement.

Additionally, the second half of this question gives that applicant a chance to redeem herself, so to speak, by explaining what action plan she has for continuing to grow and develop within her own field.

Can You Tell Me More About The Team I’d Be Working With

Use this question to learn more about who your coworkers would be and the general company structure. This may help you understand what your workload may be and how this position ranks within the organization. You may also learn about the talents of your team members, allowing you to share your relevant experience or other ways you specifically may be able to contribute to the team.

Recommended Reading: Questions To Ask A Cfo In An Interview

Interview Questions About The Team:

• Can you tell me a bit about the team I would be working with?
• What are the key positions and groups that I would be working with? What are the leadership or personality types of those people and groups?
• What are the three biggest challenges your team faces when working with other groups within the organization? What do you do to minimize the challenges?
• What is the single largest problem facing your team today?
• What is the approval process for projects and tasks within the group?

+ Questions To Ask In A Job Interview

Job interviews should feel like a conversation, with two people asking and answering questions. You should follow the lead of your interviewer and prioritize giving them information about yourself, but know that interviewers expect you to ask questions, too. When you do, it shows that you have enthusiasm for and genuine interest in the job.

In this quick video, Indeed recruiter Linda gives examples of questions you can ask your interviewer.

Your opportunity to ask these questions typically comes at the end of the interview. Its a chance to learn more about the company culture, the challenges and opportunities the organization is facing, and what being in this job is really like.

Related: 39 of the Best Questions to Ask at the End of the Interview

Recommended Reading: Questions To Ask A Cfo During An Interview

If I Asked Your Investors What They’re Worried About What Would They Say

DanPupius, Co-founder and CEO of Range, advises that you use your likely limited time with the founding team to dive deep into the startups short- and long-term prospects. To map the winding road ahead, he also leverages this question: What milestones do you need to hit for the next round of financing? How did you come up with those milestones?

Interview Tips: The Bottom Line

Job hunting is never easy, even when the job market is seemingly on your side. Interview tips from experts can help you find your dream position sooner, but there are no quick or guaranteed schemes in the art of a job search.

As you keep applying and interviewing, remember: The main thing is perseverance. Control what you can by preparing, and dont let rejections bring you down. Theyre simply a part of the process.

Have you been rejected recently for a role? Here are some ways you can ask the interviewer for feedback.

Image credit: VaDrobotBO / Depositphotos.com

Don’t Miss: Preparing For System Design Interview

Questions About The Job

How would you describe a typical workday? What are some of the objectives you would like to see accomplished in this job? What is most pressing in the beginning? What would you like to have done within the next three months? Would I be required to supervise other employees? If so, how many? What are some of the more difficult challenges one would face in this position? How does this position contribute to the company? Is there any travel involved with this position? If hired, who would I report to? If hired, who would be the primary people I would be working with? If hired, would I be replacing someone or is this a newly created job? How would I get feedback on my job performance?

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.

More Answers: Answer the Interview Question About Your Interest in a Job

Also Check: What Should Females Wear To A Job Interview

What’s In Store In The Future

• “What motivates you?”
• “What are you most proud of so far?”
• “Do you plan to sell the company?”

You can’t guarantee that plans won’t change, but this gives you some indication of what is in store and it helps you understand the founders’ motivation better.

• “What’s the company strategy and why?”

You are looking for a simple answer – otherwise the company and the product will end up a bit of a mess. At PostHog, we define strategy as simply “Nail X”, where X is the thing we need to nail. We’re currently focused on Nail Self Serve.

• “How do you and the other founders avoid falling out?”

One of the most common ways for an early stage company to die is that the founders break up. Hopefully they’ve put some proactive thought into their relationship.

• “What keeps you up at night?”

This will reveal perhaps what the hardest challenge will be, and where you could add the most value if you joined

How Did You Learn About The Opening

Job boards, general postings, online listings, job fairs — most people find their first few jobs that way, so that’s certainly not a red flag.

But a candidate who continues to find each successive job from general postings probably hasn’t figured out what he or she wants to do — and where he or she would like to do it.

He or she is just looking for a job often, any job.

So don’t just explain how you heard about the opening. Show that you heard about the job through a colleague, a current employer, by following the company–show that you know about the job because you want to work there.

Employers don’t want to hire people who just want a job they want to hire people who want a job with their company.

Read Also: Design Interview Preparation

Interview Questions About The Job Position:

• What prompted you to hire for this job role?
• How long has the position been open?
• What was the individual like who previously held this position?
• Are you looking to hire someone with the skills and experiences to do the job out of the gate, or are you open to hiring and training the right candidate for this position?
• How are goals and objectives set for this job role?
• If hired, what would be the top three priorities you’d like me to focus on in the coming year?
• What traits does the perfect candidate for this job position possess?
• What can you tell me about the position that isn’t listed in the job post?
• What do you believe is the main reason someone could fail in this position?
• I’ve worked with larger corporations in the past . That being the case, do you think I’ll be successful with an organization such as yours?
• What is the work schedule like? Is it flexible, set-in-stone, or are there options?
• Do you have any reservations about my qualifications?
• What is a typical day, week, or month like for someone within this position?
• What is the toughest time of the month or year for someone in this position?
• How can I grow in this job role?
• In an ideal world, what’s the anticipated start date for this position?
• What’s the timeline for making a decision on this job position? When would be a good time for me to follow-up with you?

Interview Questions To Ask The Interviewee

Having a good mix of soft-skill, hard-skill, situational and behavioural questions can help you develop a well-rounded interview. It can also help you get a sense of a candidate’s overall strengths to determine how well these fit into your team. Here are 15 interview questions to effectively open a dialogue between you and your interviewee:

Also Check: Interview With Cfo

Who Is Your Top Competitor

The first thing you need to know about this question is that it shouldn’t come from a place of ignorance. During your research before the interview, you should already discover who the company’s top competitors are. This question is designed more to give you insight from the company itself. Perhaps you’ll be able to gain a better perspective of their primary competitor or discover an up-and-coming competitor to be wary of.

This question also allows you to appear confident. One aspect of this question is learning more about what the company is dealing with, but another aspect is that it forces the interviewer to try to win you over. While the question may specifically ask who the top competitor is, it’s also implicitly asking, “Why should I work for you rather than your competitor?” It helps to solidify your value as an employee.

If I Want To Do Well In This Role What Skills Do I Need To Focus On

Learn what hard and soft skills are essential to the role by asking this question. This gives your interviewer the opportunity to elaborate on what abilities can help you succeed in this role. If you already have a lot of the skills they are listing, this can be a sign that you’re prepared for the job.

Also Check: Questions To Ask Cfo During Interview

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

How Do You Handle Stress

How you handle stressful situations is an indicator of your ability to solve problems. Employers want to hire candidates who react to stress constructively, so its important that your answer to this question demonstrates personal growth.

Spend some time thinking about your response to stressful situations and provide an example that communicates your abilities around perseverance, resilience and stress management.

Example answer:Im able to stay calm when I focus on the bigger picture and break down my projects into smaller tasks. I always start by asking myself, What is the ultimate goal Im trying to achieve? From there, I make a list of immediate and long-term action items with achievable but ambitious deadlines. Even if the big project is due tomorrow, I ask myself, Whats something I can tackle in the next 30 minutes? Before I know it, Ive made significant progress and that impossible project doesnt seem so impossible.

Read more: Interview Question: How Do You Handle Stress?

Read Also: Top 10 Behavioral Questions