Common interview questions and answers

Interviews are all about preparation, and there are many general interview questions you may be asked that assess the compatibility of your skills, experience, education and character traits in a certain role and workplace. It’s best to know what interview questions you’re likely to encounter so you can effectively present your qualifications and personality. In this article, we provide a list of interview questions and some sample answers to help prepare you in making a great impression during your next job interview.

Common interview questions and answers

The following questions are general and are used in nearly every industry for nearly every role. That’s because recruiters ask these questions to gauge your overall experience, personality and ability to handle workplace scenarios. Here are some of the most common interview questions you should prepare for:

1. Tell me about yourself.

This type of opening question is a chance to run through the most relevant points of your CV. Give a concise history of your employment, talk about what you’ve achieved and finish by explaining why you’re here at this interview.Example: ‘I’ve worked as a personal assistant for eight years now, serving a variety of executives and department heads. I love the work, especially when I get to use my talent for planning and efficiency. I think I’m now ready to move up to a more challenging level, which is why I’m interested in becoming the executive assistant to the CEO’.Read more: Interview Question: ‘Tell Me About Yourself’

2. How would you describe yourself?

This question aims to discover your strengths and weaknesses as a professional. It’s also about self-awareness, so it helps to support claims with concrete evidence.Example: ‘I would say that I’m a natural leader. In my last job, I took over a team that was had issues meeting their targets. I held meetings with each team member, learned about their concerns and problems and then explained to them my vision for the team. We launched some new initiatives to encourage everyone, and within six months, we were consistently beating targets’.Related: Meeting targets interview questions and answers (Plus tips)

3. What makes you unique?

Employers want to know why you, out of all the others, are the best candidate. One way to stand out from the crowd is to have a blend of different talents and experience, such as soft skills and technical knowledge.Example: ‘What makes me unique is my combination of sales and customer service experience. I understand the needs and frustrations of customers from experience addressing their concerns. This insight helps me better guide them through sales conversations’.Related: 139 Action Verbs to Make Your CV Stand Out

4. Why do you want to work here?

This interview question seeks to find out if you’ve done your research on the company. Prepare for this answer by learning about the mission, history and culture of your potential future employer. If you can show that your personal ambitions complement the goals of the company, you can stand out as a good potential fit.Example: ‘I’m passionate about your company’s mission of helping families better manage their money. I grew up in a household that experienced this issue, and I would love to help others with a background like mine’.Related: Answering: ‘what are you looking for in a job?’

5. What motivates you?

Employers want to find candidates who will be enthusiastic and engaged at work each day, so they need to know if you’ll be motivated by the work involved. To show your enthusiasm, give specific, real-life examples of times that you’ve felt motivated at work.Example: ‘I love talking to people, especially when I get to help them. As a customer service representative, I’ve helped many customers troubleshoot issues with their services. One time, I guided a brand new customer through her online portal, showing her how to make payments and view her transaction history. I enjoyed talking to her and helping her learn the ins and outs of my company’s service. She was so grateful for my help that she reached out to my supervisor to share her praise’.

6. How do you handle stress?

Stress can occur at work due to impairments, impending deadlines and other challenges. For this reason, employers want a candidate who can focus and get work done even in the face of stress. Demonstrate how you effectively manage stress by referencing how you made the most of these experiences.Example: ‘I was once given a project with a short deadline. At first, I was overwhelmed, but I calmed down and broke the project down into individual tasks. I asked some colleagues to help with some of these tasks, which took a little pressure off, and I made an achievable plan to tackle the others. In the end, I successfully reached the deadline with high-quality work’.

7. Why are you leaving your current job?

Employers ask this question to understand what you’re looking for in a new role and workplace. No matter what circumstances you left under, always be positive about your previous employers. Focus on your career goals, what you hope to achieve and why you think this employer is a perfect fit for you.Example: ‘I’m looking for a job that allows me to focus on building long-term client relationships. In my current role, we work a tight sales cycle, which means that I don’t get to spend that much time with individual clients. Relationship-building is my favourite part of sales, and I think I’m good at it, which is why I think I’d be a good fit for this role’.

8. What are your goals for the future?

Hiring managers want to know if you’re likely to stay long-term or if this job is a stepping stone in your career journey. Even if you’re not planning to make this job your career, talk about how your goals align with their company mission.Example: ‘I would like to keep growing my marketing skills and learn more about management over the next several years. I’m interested in working for a startup because I’ll be exposed to new challenges and have the opportunity to collaborate with a lot of different departments. With the right mentoring, I think I could become a marketing department manager’.

9. Can you tell me about a time you overcame a difficult work situation?

Behavioural questions like this are commonly asked to assess skills like critical thinking, communication, problem-solving and time management. Answer them in the STAR format, addressing the situation you had to deal with, the task at hand, the actions you took and the results of your efforts.Example: ‘I was filling in for my manager when our biggest client was very dissatisfied with the team’s performance. I couldn’t reach my manager to meet with the client, so I personally reached out to them and went through their expectations step by step and identified where we were experiencing a disconnect. I put together an action plan and asked if we could review again when my manager got back. Upon her return, she was able to show proof that progress had been made on the action plan. The client then doubled their next order’.

10. What are your salary expectations?

This question allows employers to assess your professional value against their own pay expectations. Review the salary data for your role, industry, education, experience and location, and ask for a competitive salary. You can also let the hiring manager know if you’re prepared to negotiate on salary in exchange for perks like flexible working.Example: ‘My salary expectation is between £25,750 and £27,100, which is typical for a candidate with my level of experience. However, I would be flexible if there were an opportunity to work from home‘.Related: What are your total compensation expectations? (And answers)

11. Do you have any questions for me?

This is a chance to show how engaged you are by asking questions of the interviewer. If you ask prescient, relevant questions, the interviewer can tell that you’ve done your homework and fully researched the company. It’s also a chance to find out about anything that you might need to know about the job.Examples:

‘The company did well last year, according to reports. Are you planning to expand’?
‘Do you have any employee health schemes, such as gym membership’?
‘What kind of career path is available to an employee coming into this position’?