Top Questions Asked in an Interview

While many people opt for interview coaching services to practice their interview skills, others prefer to prepare on their own. Here is a list of the 50 Most Common Interview Questions which serve as a foundation for many other interview inquiries. It's important to know how to sell yourself in an interview.

When crafting your responses, always consider how you can highlight your Key Selling Points. It's also beneficial to come prepared with innovative ideas about how you would contribute to the role if hired, as this can impress employers. Make sure you are also familiar with the STAR method interview questions.

During the interview, remember to exercise tact and discretion. One tricky question that may arise is, "What other companies are you considering?" It's important to be honest without divulging too much or implying a preference for another job. Similarly, questions like "Why did you leave your last job?" and "What would you do differently if you were in charge of this company?" require diplomacy and minimal negativity.

Keep in mind that your interviewer's questions may not always extract the specific information they seek. Ultimately, it's your responsibility as the interviewee to provide sufficient details about your background and experiences to answer the crucial question: "Why should we hire you?"

1. What are your career goals?
2. How have your career goals changed over time?
3. If offered this position, how long would you plan on staying with our company?
4. What’s your understanding of the job?
5. What could you bring to this position and to this company?
6. Why do you think you are more qualified than other candidates for this position?
7. Why do you want to work at this company?
8. What salary are you expecting?
9. What would you do differently if you were in charge of this company?
10. Name one of your weaknesses.
11. Name one your strengths.
12. Which areas of your work are most often praised?
13. Which areas of your work are most often criticized?
14. How do you think your last boss would describe you?
15. How do you think a colleague would describe you?
16. How do you think a subordinate would describe you?
17. Walk me through the important points on your resume.
18. Explain to me how your work experience is relevant to this position.
19. Why did you leave your last job?
20. What other companies are you considering?
21. Tell me about your work style.
22. Tell me what your ideal job would be like.
23. What criteria do you use for evaluating success?
24. Do you consider yourself a leader? What qualities make a good leader?
25. Tell me about a problem you’ve encountered on the job and how you dealt with it.
26. Tell me about a situation in which you failed to resolve a conflict.
27. Tell me about an occasion when you acted on someone’s suggestion.
28. Are you willing to travel for this job?
29. Are you willing to relocate for this job?
30. Describe a project that you’re especially proud of. What was your role in this project?
31. Why did you choose your college major?
32. How do you spend your spare time?
33. How do you stay current or up-to-date in this industry?
34. Tell me about a time when you used your creativity to overcome a problem.
35. Which of your skills-technical or otherwise-has most helped you on the job?
36. What new skills have you learned or developed recently?
37. Have you made an oral or written presentation recently? Please describe it.
38. What else should I know about you?
39. What questions do you have for me?
40. Why should we hire you?
41. Can you describe a situation where you successfully adapted to a major change in the workplace?
42. Tell me about a time when you took the initiative to solve a problem without being asked.
43. How do you handle tight deadlines and high-pressure situations?
44. Share an example of a time when you had to work collaboratively with a difficult team member.
45. Describe a time when you faced a setback or failure and how you rebounded from it.
46. What steps do you take to ensure quality and accuracy in your work?
47. Can you give an example of a time when you had to persuade others to adopt your point of view?
48. Describe a situation where you had to make a difficult decision and how you arrived at your choice.
49. How do you handle constructive criticism and feedback?
50. Tell me about a time when you had to quickly learn a new skill or technology.

About the Author

Mandy Fard is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW, CMRW) and Recruiter with decades of experience in assisting job seekers, working directly with employers in multiple industries, and writing proven-effective resumes.

Feel free to connect with Mandy Fard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandyfard/