40 Common Interview Questions and Answer Strategies

Question 1: Tell me about yourself. This is usually the first question asked because it is a
good ice-breaker. You shouldn't use this open-ended question to offer useless information about
your hobbies and home life. Many people will make the mistake of saying, "'m !" years old,
married, and mother of three children aged #, $ and %. My hobbies are knitting and bike riding . .
blah blah blah." This is not a good answer.
& good answer to this question is about two minutes long and focuses on work-related skills and
accomplishments. Tell the inter'iewer why you think your work-related skills and
accomplishments would be an asset to the company. (escribe your education and work history
)be brief*. Then mention one or two personal character traits and tell the inter'iewer how the traits
helped you accomplish a task at school or work. (o not describe yourself with tired old clich+s
such as " am a team player," " ha'e e,cellent communication skills," unless you can pro'e it with
an illustration. -or e,ample. " would describe myself as a self-starter. &t &cme /orporation,
there was a problem with . . . . . so created a new in'entory system )gi'e details* that reduced
e,penses !0 percent."
-or e,ample, someone with a new degree in an T field might answer this question as follows. "
ha'e en1oyed working with computers since was nine years old and ha'e always been adept as
using them. Throughout 1unior high and high school, friends and relati'es were always asking me
for help with their computer problems, so no one was surprised when chose to ma1or in
computers." 2is answer could go on to e,plain how in college, he disco'ered he wanted to
concentrate his studies on a specific T field3 how his internships or work e,perience influenced
him or led him in a certain direction3 and how he has come to decide that he wants to work for this
particular company and why he would be an asset to this company.
Question 2: !y s!ould we !ire you" Take se'eral minutes to answer this question,
incorporating your personality traits, strengths, and e,perience in to the 1ob you're applying for. &
good answer is to focus on how you can benefit the company. You can best do this by
researching a company before the inter'iew and be ready with e,amples of how your skills,
talents, etc., can benefit the problems and concerns of that particular company.
Question #: !at are your greatest strengt! $or strengt!s%" 4tate one or two strengths that
are work-related and tell the inter'iewer the story about when that strength helped you
accomplish a task at work )or school*. -or e,ample. " ha'e the ability to train and moti'ate
people. &t &cme /o., employee turno'er was 'ery high, so . . . " )gi'e details of what you did to
decrease turno'er, train and moti'ate employees, etc.*.
Question 4: !at is your greatest wea&ness $or wea&nesses%" (on't answer by claiming that
you ha'e no weaknesses. /onfess a real weakness that you ha'e, but choose one that isn't
particularly rele'ant to the 1ob you're seeking. (o not answer with phony weaknesses such as
"'m a sla'e to my 1ob" or "'m a workaholic." 5ust state the weakness, tell the inter'iew how it
has harmed you in your work life, and what steps you ha'e taken to impro'e it. & good step one
can take to impro'e a weakness is to read self-help books on the sub1ect. You might offer the title
of a book you''e read that helped you impro'e your anger, shyness, impatience, etc.
Question ': !y do you want to leave your (resent em(loyer" You could state that you
want a more challenging position, higher salary, or more responsibility. (on't mention personal
conflicts with your present boss or bad- mouth your current employer or co-workers as this will
harm your chances of being offered the 1ob. 6eep in mind that inter'iewers lo'e people who are
looking for more challenging positions or responsibility because it shows dri'e, ambition and
moti'ation.
Question ): !y do you want to wor& for t!is *om(any" (on't answer this question with,
"7ecause you ad'ertised for an 8 at monster.com." Your answer should offer what you think are
the most interesting aspects of the company, for e,ample, "because it is on the cutting edge of
technology" or "because you are the industry leader". The research you do on the company in
order to prepare for the inter'iew should gi'e you an answer to this question.
Question +: !at do you &now about our *om(any" Those who answer this question with,
"9ot much," will probably not be offered the 1ob. You should always research a company before
the inter'iew. :earn about their products ; ser'ices, si<e, future plans, current e'ents, etc. f you
cannot find information about a particular company, call their offices and ask the receptionist to
send you information about the company in the form of a brochure, etc.. You should also
research the industry in which the company operates so you are up on what's happening. You
can find links to research sites by clicking here.
Question ,: !y do you want t!is (osition" Your answer should offer what you think are the
most interesting aspects of the position. More responsibility and opportunity, including a higher
salary, are acceptable answers, but state them in a way that isn't blunt. -or e,ample, "because it
pays more" is not a good answer. 7ut, stating that, "The position offers more responsibility,
challenges and interesting opportunities, as well as a higher salary," is a good answer.
Question -: .o you wor& better alone or as (art of a team" f the position you're applying for
requires you to spend lots of time alone, then of course, you should state that you like to work
alone and 'ice 'ersa. 9e'er sound too e,treme one way or another. (on't say that you hate
people and would "die if you had to work with others" and don't state that you "will go cra<y if
you're left alone for fi'e minutes". & healthy balance between the two is always the best choice.
f you ha'e pre'ious e,perience illustrating the fact that you can work alone or with others, then
offer it. -or e,ample, you might state that in your pre'ious 1ob you spent a significant amount of
time alone while tra'eling, or that you ha'e learned how to get alone well with people in the
workplace by working on numerous team pro1ects.
Question 10: !at did your last su(ervisor *riti*i/e most about your (erforman*e" &
good way to answer this question is to offer a criticism you recei'ed that is not 'ery important or
not directly related to the position you're applying for. -or e,ample, telling the inter'iewer that you
were constantly critici<ed for coming to work an hour late is not a good idea. 7ut re'ealing a
minor criticism and telling the inter'iewer what steps you took to impro'e yourself is a good way
to answer this question. n fact, if you can state that you ha'e already sol'ed the problem and
recei'ed a higher mark on a subsequent performance re'iew, then say so.
Question 11: !ere do you see yourself in five years" &ssume that you will be promoted
two or three times in fi'e years, so your answer should state that you see yourself working at
whate'er 1ob is two or three le'els abo'e the 1ob in which you are applying. (o not claim that you
will be "running the company" in fi'e years. You might want to add that you understand your
promotions will be earned through hard work and that you don't assume you will be promoted 1ust
because you stayed with the company.
Question 12: !y !ave you *!anged 0obs so fre1uently" =easons for 1ob hopping should
always be based on your past employers' failure to challenge you or fail to gi'e you enough
opportunity for ad'ancement, and not on the fact that your past employers were incompetent,
dumb, or unfair. Make sure you point out any 1obs you did hold for a long time. Mention that
your current goal is long-term employment and back that up with any proof you ha'e to want 1ob
stability such as a new baby, new marriage, new home, etc. f the 1ob you're applying for offers
you the challenges and en'ironment you were always looking for, then say so.
Question 1#: Are you willing to relo*ate" f relocating wasn't an issue the inter'iewer wouldn't
be asking the question. Therefore, the only acceptable answer is "Yes." f you answer in the
negati'e you will not get the 1ob. f you really don't want to relocate, then perhaps you shouldn't
accept the 1ob if it is subsequently offered to you. f you aren't sure, then ask questions about
relocation, such as when it is likely to occur, where you will relocate to, and would it in'ol'e a
promotion.
Question 14: Are you willing to travel" f tra'eling wasn't part of the 1ob, the inter'iewer
wouldn't be asking this question. Therefore, the only acceptable answer is "yes". f you are
willing to tra'el, answer yes and gi'e some illustrations of work tra'el you ha'e done. 7ut if you
do not want to tra'el, you should find out more about this aspect of the 1ob before accepting the
position, such as how much tra'el will be in'ol'ed, where will you be tra'eling to and for how
long.
Question 1': Are you willing to wor& overtime" f this wasn't an aspect of the 1ob, the
inter'iewer wouldn't be asking this question. Therefore, the only acceptable answer is "yes" if
you want to be considered for the 1ob. f your past 1obs in'ol'ed o'ertime, now would be the time
to tell this to the inter'iewer.
Question 1): 2ave you ever been fired or as&ed to resign" >hen answering this question,
keep in mind that the inter'iewer knows that almost e'eryone has been fired at least once and it
is almost always due to a personality conflict with the boss or coworkers. 4o, answer this
question honestly, but without attacking your former boss or employer, and without sounding
defensi'e or bitter. (o not mention that you ha'e been fired many times unless asked
specifically, "2ow many times ha'e you been fired?" 2a'e a sense of humor when discussing
your firings so that the inter'iewer doesn't get the idea you are a nut who might come back to the
workplace with an assault rifle if you're fired. Tell the inter'iewer what you learned from being
fired. f you ha'e been fired many times, mention what steps you ha'e taken to impro'e yourself
)i.e., ha'e read self-help books about . . . getting along with others . . . impro'ing my time
management . . . impro'ing knowledge, work habits, etc.*. &lso, point out any past 1obs you held
when you got along well with your boss and coworkers or recei'ed good performance re'iews or
a promotion.
Question 1+: 2ow long !ave you been sear*!ing for a 0ob" !y !aven3t you re*eived a
0ob offer" !y !ave you been unem(loyed for so long" t is always better to answer this
question with " 1ust started looking" but this is not always possible, particularly if your resume
indicates you''e been unemployed for the last si, months. f you can't hide the fact that your 1ob
search has been taking awhile, then state you're being selecti'e about whom you will work for. @f
course, stating this might prompt the inter'iewer to ask, ">hat offers ha'e you turned down?"
which could land you in hot water if you ha'en't actually recei'ed any 1ob offers. )t isn't a good
idea to lie in answering this latter question.*
& bad economy and a crowded market are good reasons one might ha'e trouble finding a 1ob.
2owe'er, be aware that many inter'iewers will hold this against you e'en if the 1ob market was
'ery bad and many people were ha'ing trouble finding employment.
Question 1,: !at (reviously !eld 0ob do you *onsider to be your favorite and w!y" This
is actually a trick question asked to determine if you en1oy the type of work the position you're
applying for in'ol'es. Therefore, the answer to this question should be a 1ob that requires the
same or similar work that you will be required to perform in the new 1ob. f you do not ha'e a
pre'ious 1ob wherein you performed similar tasks, then offer an answer that does not suggest you
are ill-suited for the position. -or e,ample, if you are applying for a high-stress, demanding 1ob in
a chaotic en'ironment, don't tell the inter'iewer you lo'ed your position with &cme because of the
mellow, low stress "work at your own pace" atmosphere.
Question 1-: .o you *onsider yourself to be organi/ed" .o you manage your time well"
The inter'iewer wants to hear about your work skills concerning time and task management, not
that you ha'e neatly separated the paperclips in your desk drawer into different trays based on
si<e. & model answer might be " manage my time 'ery well. routinely complete tasks ahead of
schedule. -or e,ample, . . . )offer the inter'iewer proof of your organi<ational skills by telling him
about a ma1or pro1ect that you organi<ed and completed on time or mention the fact that you
consistently recei'ed an outstanding grade on pre'ious performance re'iews regarding your time
management*. (on't re'eal to the inter'iewer that you are habitually late or that you complete
tasks at the 'ery last minute.
Question 20: ould you *!oose t!e same *areer if you *ould start over again" 2ow you
answer this question depends on whether or not you are trying to win a 1ob related to your career
history or are trying to enter a new field. 9o matter how much you despise the career you
originally chose, do not admit this fact to the inter'iewer because it tells him you consider your
work to be drudge. f you are trying to enter a new field, of course, tell the inter'iewer that you
would choose the field you're now trying to enter if you had it to do all o'er again -- that's why
you're trying to enter it nowA
Question 21: !y !ave you stayed wit! t!e same em(loyer for so long" 5ust as mo'ing
from 1ob to 1ob too frequently can harm you, so can staying with the same employer for too long --
particularly if you''e ne'er been promoted and your resume indicates you ha'en't been
intellectually challenged in years. Your answer should state something about your ha'ing worked
successfully with many people both inside and outside of the organi<ation, including different
bosses and co-workers, as well as interacting regularly with 'arious types of organi<ations and
customers.
Question 22: .o you *onsider yourself to be a ris&4ta&er" 2ow you answer this question
depends on the type of company it is. f it is a start-up company or within a highly-competiti'e
industry, then they are probably looking for those more willing to take risks. f you belie'e the
company is this type, then offer an e,ample of a risk you''e taken in business. f the company is
a well-established industry leader, risk takers are not as highly 'alued. @f course, no company is
looking for employees who are foolish in their risk-taking beha'ior, so a good rule of thumb is to
place yourself somewhere in the middle -- you are neither too foolish nor o'erly cautious.
Question 2#: ould your (resent em(loyer be sur(rised to &now you3re 0ob !unting"
9e'er answer this question with negati'e information such as "My current boss wouldn't be
surprised in the least to hear 'm lea'ing since he's been trying to sho'e me out the door for
yearsA" &lways tell the inter'iewer that you are happy with your current employer and 1ob, but are
simply looking to stretch your wings out and take on a 1ob with more challenge, and yes, more
salary and opportunities for ad'ancement.
Question 24: 2ow well do you !andle *!ange" The only acceptable answer is one stating
you handle change 'ery well. (on't 1ust make this claim, offer an e,ample of how well you coped
with a ma1or change that took place in your work en'ironment. & common shakeup occurs when
your employer brings in new automation or changes its culture. n any e'ent, tell the inter'iewer
what you did to cope or adapt to a change that occurred with a pre'ious employer -- and this
should be a ma1or change, not a minor one.
Question 2': !at salary are you e5(e*ting" You should do some research before the 1ob
inter'iew so that you don't ask for too much or too little. You might be asked to 1ustify why you
are worth the salary you are asking, so be prepared with an answer )i.e., tell them how your skills
and e,perience will benefit the company so much that your salary will be a bargain for them.*
:inks to good salary resources can be found by clicking here. Bse these salary resources to
1ustify the compensation you're requesting.
Question 2): 2ow do you resolve dis(utes wit! *o4wor&ers" 2ow do you !andle *onfli*ts
in t!e wor&(la*e" (on't claim that you ha'e ne'er had a dispute with a co-worker. The
inter'iewer will know you are lying, since getting along with co-workers is one of the hardest
things in the world to do. The best answer to this question tells the inter'iewer about a dispute
you had with a co-worker and how you resol'ed it so that they outcome was positi'e. Your
answer should tell the inter'iewer how you resol'ed it on your own, and hopefully, that you and
this other person are now friends, or at least are able to work together producti'ely. &lso,
concentrate on resol'ing work-related issues rather than personal feuds. -or e,ample, telling the
inter'iewer about your problems getting a co-worker to take your suggestions on a specific
pro1ect seriously is a much better topic than telling the inter'iewer about your long-standing feud
with a co-worker o'er a prime parking space in the company parking lot. &nd don't tell the
inter'iewer that you resol'ed a dispute by tattling to the boss or trying to get the other person
fired. Cmployers are sick of dealing with employee conflicts and they want a mature person who
can resol'e conflicts on her own without tattling or complaining to the boss.
Question 2+: !o was your favorite boss and w!y" !o was your least favorite boss
and w!y" These are two of the most difficult inter'iew questions to answer unless you
understand what the inter'iewer wants to hear, and if you reali<e that you can answer both
questions with basically the same answer. Cmployers are looking for employees who are
interested in contributing to the company, impro'ing their 1ob skills, and making a contribution.
4o, instead of insulting or demeaning your past bosses by telling the inter'iewer that he was
always "hogging all the credit" or was "totally incompetent", state that you wished he had offered
you more feedback about your 1ob performance, pro'ided you with more 1ob training, or
challenged you more by pro'iding you with more opportunities to show what you can do, etc.
You can answer the question, "who was your fa'orite boss and why?" using the same answer.
"5ohn (oe was my fa'orite boss because he offered me lots of feedback about my 1ob
performance, taught me almost e'erything know about marketing, and ga'e me plenty of
opportunities to pro'e myself by gi'ing me 'ery challenging pro1ects to complete." 9e'er put
down your past employers or blame them for anything in a demeaning or insulting way, since it
makes you come across as petty.
Question 2,: !at *ould you !ave done to im(rove your relations!i( wit! your least
favorite boss" &gain, refrain from stating negati'ities about your former boss. Dut a positi'e
spin on your answer by telling the inter'iewer that, if you had it to do all o'er again, you would
ha'e requested more feedback from your boss regarding your performance and requested to be
assigned more pro1ects, etc.
Question 2-: !at boo& are you *urrently reading $or w!at was t!e last boo& you read%"
!at were t!e last t!ree boo&s t!at you read" The only correct answer is to offer the title of a
nonfiction book, preferably one that is on a sub1ect related to your career or business in general.
-or e,ample, if you are a sales person, tell the reader you're currently in the middle of, "4elling for
(ummies." @r, if that seems too much of a clich+, offer the title of a book on impro'ing your time
management, personality, efficiency, etc. @f course, we aren't suggesting that you lie and claim
to be reading a book that you aren't really reading. &s part of your 1ob search, you will ha'e to
start reading one or two acceptable books so that you can intelligently discuss them if the sub1ect
is brought up during an inter'iew. The inter'iewer might ask you how the book is helping you
)what you ha'e learned from it*, so ha'e an answer ready. 4ome inter'iewers will try to
determine if you regularly read by asking you for titles of !, E or # books you''e read this year, so
be ready.
Question #0: !at is t!e last movie t!at you saw" =eplying that you "don't ha'e time to
watch mo'ies as you are completely de'oted to your 1ob" is not a good answer and will not win
you any points, e'en if the inter'iewer was dumb enough to belie'e you. nter'iewers are looking
for well-rounded people who en1oy healthy acti'ities, such as rela,ation and entertainment, and
will e,pect you to state the name of a mo'ie. The mo'ie title that you gi'e in reply to this question
should always be one that is popular with the general public, but uncontro'ersial, meaning that it
doesn't ha'e any negati'e or <ealous political or religious o'ertones. &lso, don't re'eal the fact
that you spend way too much time watching mo'ies by stating you ha'e seen a particular mo'ie
F# times or that you spend too much time watching mo'ies. -or e,ample, don't tell the
inter'iewer that you are obsessed with 4tar Trek mo'ies and regularly attend 4tar Trek
con'entions dressed up as Mr. 4pock. & well-known uncontro'ersial mo'ie, popular with the
general public, and one that the inter'iewer is likely to ha'e seen, is always a good choice.
Question #1: Are you *onsidering offers from ot!er em(loyers" t is recommended that you
9@T disclose any other offers you ha'e recei'ed or discuss the companies with whom you ha'e
inter'iewed. Therefore, a good answer to this question is to state that you do not ha'e offers
from other companies. )@f course, if for some reason you belie'e you would ha'e a better
chance of getting the 1ob offer if you disclosed this information, then do so.*
Question #2: !en *an you start" t is customary for most employees to gi'e at least two
weeks notice to their current employer. Those in management positions are e,pected to gi'e
longer notice. You will not earn points if you e,press disrespect toward your current employer by
telling the inter'iewer that you plan to quit your present 1ob without gi'ing sufficient notice. 2e will
assume you will show his company the same amount of disrespect. t is also a good idea to tell
the inter'iewer you plan to start learning about your new position ; employer on your off-hours
)i.e., reading employee training manuals, etc.* Telling the inter'iewer you can't begin work for a
few months because you want to take some time-off is not a good idea.
Question ##: !y did you de*ide to attend 6 College" Are you !a((y wit! your *!oi*e"
&lways state that you are happy with your choice, e'en if you aren't. (o not state that "it was the
only place that would accept you". (o not make negati'e statements about the school or your
professors either. & good reason for choosing a particular school is because you liked the
particular program they offered, or it is known for offering a good education in your particular
ma1or.
Question #4: !at fa*tors did you *onsider in *!oosing your ma0or" & great answer is to
state you ha'e always wanted to become 8 since you were a child and picked your ma1or
accordingly. f you're changing career fields or applying for a position unrelated to your ma1or, tell
the inter'iewer you were interested in that sub1ect at the time, but circumstances ha'en taken you
down a new path. @f course, you should put a positi'e spin on also stating that you ha'e
benefited tremendously by changing careers )learned new things, made you more hardworking,
etc.*.
Question #': 2ave you ever fired anyone" The inter'iewer does not want you to e,press
either too much indifference or too much sympathy for those you ha'e had to fire. Tell the
inter'iewer how you discussed the employee's shortcomings with him se'eral times and tried to
help him impro'e, but as a last resort, you had no choice but to fire the person.
Question #): 2ow do you motivate em(loyees" There is not a simple way to moti'ate all
people due to the 'ast number of personality types and situations in which people work. The best
answer is one that tells the inter'iewer that each employee must be uniquely moti'ated. You
should offer se'eral e,amples of situations where employees were successfully moti'ated.
Question #+: !at is your *ommitment to t!is 0ob" Most people would respond with an
answer a'owing a deep commitment to the company and the 1ob3 howe'er, a better answer would
be to state that your commitment will grow as you get to know the company and the people in it.
Question #,: Aren3t you over1ualified for t!is 0ob" 9ote that employers don't like to hire
o'erqualified people because they won't stay around long. 7ut since it is probably ob'ious that
you're o'erqualified, admit that you are, but also emphasis the positi'e. -or e,ample, " am
o'erqualified in some ways. ha'e more e,perience that is required for this 1ob, but you are
looking for someone who is an e,pert in 8, and that's me. 2owe'er, that doesn't mean 'm
completely o'erqualified. feel that ha'e much to learn in the area of 8, which is a big part of
this 1ob and know it will keep me challenged blah blah blah."
Question #-: Are you o((osed to doing a lot of routine wor&" (on't answer with, "@h yes,
will en1oy filing eight hours a day, E0 hours a week, #0 weeks a yearA" nstead, try to assure the
inter'iewer you aren't going to go mad doing your boring 1ob. -or e,ample, " know this position
requires a lot of routine work, but don't e,pect to start at the top. 'm willing to start at the bottom
and pro'e myself. C'entually, will be assigned tasks that require more brain power."
Question 40: .o you !ave any 1uestions" This question is usually the last one an inter'iewer
will ask as it is a logical way to end the inter'iew. 9e'er go to an inter'iew without preparing
questions to ask beforehand. &'oid asking about salary, 'acation time, employee benefits, etc.
until you ha'e asked a number of other questions that demonstrate your interest in working for
the company. Good questions to ask the inter'iewer.
>hy is this position a'ailable?
s this a new position? 2ow long has this position e,isted?
2ow many people ha'e held this position in the last two years?
>ho would be my super'isor? To whom would report?
>hom will super'ise?
>ith whom will be working most closely?
>hat do you like about working for this company?
>hat are the current plans for e,pansion or cutbacks?
>hat kind of turno'er rate does the company ha'e?
2ow financially sound is this company?
>hat pro1ects and assignments will be working on?
>hat happened to the person that held this position before? >as he promoted or fired?
>hat is this company's culture, )i.e., is it rigid and formal or rela,ed and fle,ible?*
>hat are the current problems facing the company )or my department*?
>hat do you like the most about working for this company? The least?
>hat is the philosophy of the company?
>hat do you consider to be the company's strengths and weaknesses?
>hat are the company's long and short term goals?
(escribe the work en'ironment.
>hat attracted you )the inter'iewer* to this organi<ation?
>hy do you en1oy working for this company?
(escribe the typical responsibilities of the position.
>hat are the most challenging aspects of the position?
(escribe the opportunities for training and professional de'elopment.
>ill recei'e any formal training?
>hat is the company's promotional policy?
&re there opportunities for ad'ancement within the organi<ation?
>hen can e,pect to hear from you?