Most questions you will be asked in an interview can be learned beforehand. Knowing the questions employers ask allows you to prepare practical answers and practice your responses before you sit face-to-face with a prospective employer. This knowledge is like having the questions in advance for a final exam!
The frequently asked interview questions below are a good starting point for interview preparation. Once you have developed answers (in writing) to each relevant question, practice giving your answers out loud. Next, set up a Zoom meeting (you can use a free account for up to 40 minutes per meeting) and practice answering these questions while recording your responses.
Listen to the recorded “interview” and modify any of your responses that:
- Are longer than sixty seconds.
- Do not effectively answer the question.
- Do not market your skills and abilities effectively.
In addition to the questions below, job seekers today have found a unique ally in their interview preparation: ChatGPT. This powerful language model developed by OpenAI can be a valuable tool to enhance your interview readiness. Explore what ChatGPT is, how it works, and how to use it to ace your next interview.
Before an interview, think through the 3 to 5 things you want to communicate about your qualifications for the position. Ensure you emphasize those points in your responses to their questions. And, if the interviewer isn’t asking questions that elicit good information about your qualifications, take the initiative in talking about yourself. For example, you could insert a statement like this into the interview: “This position interests me, and I believe I could do it well. Some of my strengths are….”
Frequently Asked Interview Questions
1. Can you tell me about yourself? (In your mind, re-word the question to “Can you tell me about your qualifications for this position?” Do not mistake this question for being an inquiry about your life.) Your Strengths Summary provides excellent information that you can include in answering this question.
Wrong answer: “Well, I was born into a family of four children. I was the youngest, so I learned cute tricks to get attention. Then, when I turned 21, I left home and hitchhiked across America…My first job was a doozy, let me tell you…” (The interviewer is now asleep or waiting to show this person the door!)
Good answer: “I have over 15 years of accounting experience and am proficient with several software programs. I have previous experience in this industry working for the Barnsworth Company, which is about the same size as your organization. There, I supervised a staff of five employees and streamlined the accounts payable process, reducing the paperwork and staff time required by about 20%. I have a strong work ethic, am detail-oriented, and am skilled at finding ways to improve efficiency.“
2. What are your greatest strengths? (Be prepared to talk about at least three strengths. These can be transferable, personal, and content skills you have that relate to the job. Develop an example for each area of strength.)
Sample response from a person interviewing for a Copy Editor position:
“I have strong skills in using proper grammar and punctuation. In my previous position, my manager asked me to edit the departmental policy manual, even though it wasn’t part of my job description. He said he recognized that I had excellent verbal and written communication skills.”
I also have strong attention to detail and a commitment to doing a project well. I consistently receive recognition from my superiors for the quality of my work.
Lastly, I take initiative when appropriate. For example, the departmental manual lacked information on working with certain vendors. I corrected this and then pointed this out to my manager. He said it was a significant oversight and was impressed that I took the initiative to fix this.”
3. What are your weaknesses? (The strategy in answering this question is to think of job-related weaknesses that are genuine, but that will not eliminate you as a candidate. Weaknesses can be in skills, knowledge areas, or personal qualities. Always talk about how you are working on this weakness. Be prepared with at least two or three examples.
Bad answers:
“I’m sorry, I can’t think of any.” (No one is perfect– this answer shows either a lack of self-knowledge or humility.)
“I’m short-tempered with my kids, and my house is usually messy!” (Talk only about work-related weaknesses; do not discuss personal shortcomings!)
“I resent having to be at work right at 9:00 a.m. I’m usually at least 10-15 minutes late.” (If this has been true in past positions, the job candidate must correct this attitude and behavior. And, even if true, this would not be something to share in an interview unless the person did not want the job.)
“Wow! Where do I begin? There are so many!“
Good answers:
(Weakness in skill area): “I have not worked on this type of phone system before, but I have used several other systems and am confident I could quickly get up to speed.”
(Weakness in knowledge area): “I am not yet very familiar with your product line, but I have been studying your catalog so that I would be able to talk intelligently with your customers.”
(Weakness in personal skill area): “Paperwork and record keeping are weaker areas for me, but I understand that I must keep accurate records of my billable hours. I would prioritize setting aside time daily to keep my records current.”
4. Why are you interested in this particular area of work (in this job)? (Do as much research on the company and the position as possible so that you can give a knowledgeable answer. Share your enthusiasm, telling why you are enthusiastic about the position and how your qualifications fit the position)
5. Why should we hire you (instead of the other candidates we are interviewing)? (This question may be asked toward the end of an interview. The interviewer is asking you to “sell” yourself! Summarize and highlight your essential qualifications and how they equip you to do a good job and meet the employer’s needs. Make sure to express enthusiasm about the job, as well.)
6. What interests you about our organization? Or What do you know about our company? (Do your homework on the company to answer this question intelligently.)
7. What did you like about your last job? (In particular, talk about aspects of your previous job that relate to the job you are interviewing for.)
8. What didn’t you like about your last job? (Be careful with this question! Negativity is a “red flag” to employers. Talk only about minor things such as, “I wish they would have used a more efficient software system. We couldn’t access customer records as quickly as I would have liked.”
You don’t want employers to view you as someone who complains about their work.
9. What were your significant contributions to your last job? What are three of the best accomplishments in your career? (Be prepared to talk about at least three relevant contributions and achievements to the job you are interviewing, including their impact on the department/company.)
10. What kind of contribution can you make to our company? (Think through how your experience relates to the new position. Also, the more you know about the needs/problems of the prospective employer’s department and company, the better you can answer this question.)
11. How did you help to increase sales and profits at your last job?
12. What interests you most about this job?
13. What interests you least about this job?
Personal Skills Questions
Employers frequently ask questions about personal skills (personality traits, etc.). Consider the unique abilities most relevant to the position you are interviewing for. Prepare examples that illustrate your top personal skills. The following are examples of questions that relate to personal skills:
14. Are you creative? Cite some examples.
15. Do others think of you as being analytical? Why or why not?
16. Give me some examples that illustrate your communication skills.
17. Do you consider yourself to be a “people person”? Why or why not?
18. Can you work under pressure?
19. Can you tell me about a time when your supervisor criticized you and how you reacted?
20. How would your former boss describe you? How would your references describe you?
Supervisory and Management Questions
If applying for a supervisory or management position, you may get questions such as:
21. How well do you delegate responsibility? Cite an example.
22. How do you feel about managing people? How would you assess your management skills?
23. Have you ever hired anyone? Tell me about it.
24. How many people have you trained? Tell me about a time when the training didn’t go well. What could you have done differently?
25. Tell me about a project in which you worked with people from different levels of the organization.
Questions About Your Career Goals
Employers want to have a sense of your career goals. They may ask questions like these:
26. What are your long-term objectives?
27. What are your short-term objectives?
28. How would you like to improve your job skills or knowledge?
29. How long do you envision yourself working for this company?
30. What do you hope to get from this job?
31. How far do you feel you can go in this company?
32. If you could choose any company for which you could work, which would you select?
Potential Problem Questions
Hiring someone is a big responsibility. Employers look to find any potential problems in a candidate. When asked questions such as the following, you must speak to the employer’s concern to answer the questions effectively.
33. Why have you changed jobs so frequently? (The employer’s concerns are that, for some reason, you may be unable to keep a job successfully and that you are a job-hopper and would leave this company after a short time. If you have changed jobs frequently, you must develop a brief, concise explanation about your job history and reassure the employer that you are looking for a long-term position.)
34. Do you have a degree? (If you do not have a college degree, you can respond with an answer such as: “I had to go to work at an early age and was unable to complete my formal education. I have made it a point to attend seminars and training sessions to develop my professional skills. My past managers have been delighted with my knowledge and work performance.” A great follow-up question for you is: What are the essential qualifications you seek in the person you choose to fill this position? Once the manager has answered, you can present (with examples) how your qualifications fit what they are looking for.)
35. Have you ever been fired? (If you have, describe it as positively as possible and take responsibility for anything you did that led up to the firing. For example, “Yes, regrettably, I have been. Ten years ago, I went through a brief time when I let personal problems affect my work. I missed an important deadline, and my supervisor decided to let me go. I left on friendly terms with my supervisor, and he would verify that my performance, except for that one incident, was excellent. Since that time, I have never allowed personal problems to affect my work.”)
36. Why were you out of work for so long? (Be prepared to explain any gaps in your work history. Give a straightforward answer, and steer the conversation back to talking about you and the job you are interviewing for. For example, “I decided to stay home when my children were young. I have enjoyed my return to the workforce, and am excited about this position because….” or “I was working on my degree, and decided to go full-time so that I would not have to divide my time and attention between work and school. I like to give my job 100%….” or “I had been in a few unsatisfying jobs, and decided to take a “time out” to determine what kind of job would be a good fit for me. Like my previous position, I believe this job would be a good fit because….”
37. How well did you get along with your previous supervisor? What things do you think they should have done differently? (Be careful with your answer, especially if you and your supervisor did not get along well or thought your boss was not a good manager. No employer wants to hire someone with a negative, critical attitude. Sample response: “Although my supervisor and I have different personalities, we worked effectively together. I guess one thing I would have done differently is to be firmer with people who tend to slack off. My supervisor was pretty gentle in his feedback.”)
Job Specific Questions
Job-specific questions. Depending on the position and company, an employer may ask questions such as:
38. Are you willing to travel?
39. Would you be able to relocate?
40. Would you be willing to work the night shift?
Salary and Benefit Questions
“Money” questions – Learning to handle these questions well can increase your salary by thousands.
41. What is your salary history?
42. What are your salary requirements?
43. Do you feel you are pretty compensated at your present job? Why or why not?
44. Would you be willing to take less money?
45. What do you think you are worth?
Many more questions and answers are in the Secrets to Salary Negotiation section.
Behavioral Interview Questions
Questions such as “Give me an example of…” or “Tell me about a time when….”? are typical questions in a behavioral interview. In a behavioral interview, you can demonstrate your knowledge and abilities by giving specific examples of your past experiences. Learn more about how to ace behavioral interview questions.
Ambiguous and Ilegal Interview Questions
Ambiguous questions—Make sure you understand a question before answering it. You shouldn’t have to be a mind reader; ask for clarification if you are unclear about what the interviewer is asking.
Example: How do you feel about social media? (Sample response: What social media aspect would you like me to address?)
Illegal questions– Title VII is a federal law forbidding employers from discriminating against anyone based on sex, age, race, national origin, or religion. (An exception is that religious non-profits are allowed to discuss a person’s beliefs within the context of the hiring process.) Nevertheless, you might find yourself in a situation where an employer asks you an illegal question (perhaps unaware that the question is inappropriate). The best strategy is to answer the question courteously and then move the discussion to your qualifications. (If you are asked an illegal question and are very uncomfortable with it, you can try asking, “So that I can better understand what you are asking, could you please explain how the question relates to the position?” There is a risk of this question seeming aggressive, so use it carefully.)
The following are examples of illegal questions and possible responses:
What is your age? (Sample response: “I’m in my forties and have over 20 years of experience in this field. Some of the ways I see my skills fitting this position are….”)
Do you have children? (Sample response: “Yes, I do, but my previous employer can confirm that being a parent does not affect my work performance. I will be able to meet all of the demands of this position.”)
(From a secular employer) I see you worked for a ministry. Are you religious? (Sample response: “Yes, I am, and my faith is essential. I bring to the job a strong work ethic and a desire to be of service in all that I do.”)
Summary
By preparing answers to these questions, you will develop many great responses to the interviewer’s questions. When you hear a question during an interview that throws you for a “loop,” write it down afterward. If you don’t answer it well, you can always include an additional paragraph addressing the question more effectively in your thank you letter. You will be ready to interview more effectively by preparing answers to these questions.
Interviews normally provide you with an opportunity to ask the employer a few questions. Being prepared for an interview includes having several questions that you can ask before, during, or at the end of the interview.
These questions will help you to determine if a job and the employer are a good fit for you.