1.
You Feel Uneasy About Sharing That a Friend
31 Most Common Interview
Questions
1. Can you tell me a little about yourself?
- This question seems simple, so many people fail to
prepare for it, but it's crucial. Here's the deal: Don't
give your complete employment (or personal)
history. Instead give a pitch—one that’s concise and
compelling and that shows exactly why you’re the
right fit for the job. Start off with the 2-3 specific
accomplishments or experiences that you most want
the interviewer to know about, then wrap up talking
about how that prior experience has positioned you
for this specific role.
- A Simple Formula for Answering “Tell Me About
Yourself”
Lily Zhang, Manager of Graduate Student Professional
Development at the MIT Media Lab and a writer for
The Muse, recommends a simple and effective
formula for structuring your response: present, past,
future.
Present: Talk a little bit about what your current role
is, the scope of it, and perhaps a big recent
accomplishment.
Past: Tell the interviewer how you got there and/or
mention previous experience that’s relevant to the
job and company you’re applying for.
Future: Segue into what you’re looking to do next and
why you’re interested in this gig (and a great fit for it,
too).
2. How did you hear about the position?
- Another seemingly innocuous interview question,
this is actually a perfect opportunity to stand out and
show your passion for and connection to the
company. For example, if you found out about the gig
through a friend or professional contact, name drop
that person, then share why you were so excited
about it. If you discovered the company through an
event or article, share that. Even if you found the
listing through a random job board, share what,
specifically, caught your eye about the role.
Referred You
I get it. Nepotism, right? Yuck. Nobody wants to feel
like he got his foot in the door just because he knows
someone at the company. What's worse than getting
a little help from a friend? Dancing around the
answer, hoping that you won't have to fess up to the
fact that not only is your future on the line, your
friend currently has a referral fee on the table for
getting you an interview.
What to Do Instead
I hate to sound so crass, but if you’re fortunate
enough to know someone at a company you want to
work for, just buckle up and tell everyone who asks
you exactly how you found out about the job. A
simple response like, “I was excited to find out about
the job from my friend who works in [department]” is
a perfectly OK response. In fact, it’s the only response
you should be giving if this is the case.
2. You Turn it Into a Monologue About Why This Is
the Only Job You Want
Here's a perfect example of an interview question
that only requires a short answer. All you need to do
is tell the hiring manager where you found the darn
job. But, all too often, candidates get so caught up in
the moment that they end up turning it into a long-
winded explanation of not only where they found the
listing, but also why they couldn’t imagine working
anywhere else. Sure, there’s nothing wrong with
being excited about an opportunity, but when you’re
going on and on about how you simple found the gig,
it can be a huge turn-off for a recruiter.
What to Do Instead
If you want to fold in a little tidbit about why you’re
so excited about the job, that’s not a terrible idea. But,
keep it short. Add your unique spin to a response
along the lines of, “I found it on [wherever you found
the job], and since I’ve been hoping to work for the
company for a long time, I was excited to see the
opening had become available.” That’s all you need.
Seriously.
3. You Forgot Where You Found the Job
Job searches are undeniably frustrating at times. I’ve
had stretches where I had so many bills that I needed
to pay, I applied for a lot of openings. And after a
while, it can be hard to keep track of what you’ve
applied for, what the positions call for, and where you
found them in the first place. But that’s no excuse for
drawing a complete blank when a hiring manager
asks you how you stumbled onto the job that, let me
remind you, that you are currently interviewing for.
What to Do Instead
When I realized that I had applied for a lot of jobs
during my last stretch of unemployment, I made
myself a simple Excel spreadsheet to keep track of
everything. It included the following columns: job
title, link to the original listing, the date I applied,
where (or how) I found the opening, and current
stage of the interview process. That list especially
came in handy for phone interviews, but regardless
of how close I was (or wasn’t) to getting any
particular job, I don’t know how I could’ve kept track
of anything during my job search without that
spreadsheet. If you’re having trouble remembering
little details, like how you found a particular posting,
cobble together a tracker for yourself.
If there’s one lesson to be learned, it’s that no
interview question is too small to potentially mess
up. And even the icebreakers can change the entire
tone of a meeting with a hiring manager. So cross
your T’s, build spreadsheets if you need to, and above
anything else, answer the question as thoroughly and
quickly as possible so you can focus on telling the
interviewer more about why you’re the right fit for
the job—rather than boring details about where you
found it.
3. What do you know about the company?
Any candidate can read and regurgitate the
company’s “About” page. So, when interviewers ask
this, they aren't necessarily trying to gauge whether
you understand the mission—they want to know
whether you care about it. Start with one line that
shows you understand the company's goals, using a
couple key words and phrases from the website, but
then go on to make it personal. Say, “I’m personally
drawn to this mission because…” or “I really believe
in this approach because…” and share a personal
example or two.
What 4 Common Questions Really Mean
1.Translation: Tell Me Why You’re the Right Fit
for This Job
The interviewer already has your resume and cover
letter, so she’s not looking for a rundown of your
employment history. Nor does she care that you grew
up in Boston and love to jog on the weekends. She’s
looking for a pitch—one that’s concise, compelling,
and keeps her attention, and one that tells her exactly
why you’re the right fit for the job.
2. How Would You Explain Our Organization’s
Mission?
Translation: Can You Be an Ambassador for Our
Organization?
Any candidate can read and regurgitate the
company’s “About” page. So, when an
interviewer asks you this, she isn’t necessarily
trying to gauge whether you understand the
mission—she wants to know whether you care
about it, and she’s looking for who in the
applicant pool can most effectively discuss the
organization’s work and its impact.
3. Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years?
Translation: Do You Care About Our Work?
Hiring someone is an investment, and
interviewers believe (as you would expect) that
someone genuinely interested in the
organization’s work will be the better hire. So,
what she really wants to know is whether this
particular job and company is part of your career
path, or whether you’ll be jumping ship in a year
once you land your “real” dream job.
4. Question: Do You Have Any Questions for Us
Translation: Have You Really Been Listening?
It’s easy to go into an interview with a list of
questions about the position. But the tougher part—
and what the interviewer really wants to see—is
whether you can roll with the punches, engage in the
conversation, and ask questions that weren’t already
answered over the course of the interview
This will require some thinking on your feet. As
you’re going along in the interview, be thinking which
key areas—job duties, company culture, the team
you’ll be working with—haven’t been covered yet, so
you can target your questions there. You can also
prepare ahead of time by thinking of more non-
traditional questions, or ask questions targeted to the
interviewer herself, which probably won’t be covered
in the interview.
Try things like:
What do you like most about working here?
What drew you to work for this organization?
What do you think are the current strategic
challenges facing the organization?
What advice would you give to someone in this role?
4. Why do you want this job?
Again, companies want to hire people who are
passionate about the job, so you should have a great
answer about why you want the position. (And if you
don't? You probably should apply elsewhere.) First,
identify a couple of key factors that make the role a
great fit for you (e.g., “I love customer support
because I love the constant human interaction and
the satisfaction that comes from helping someone
solve a problem"), then share why you love the
company (e.g., “I’ve always been passionate about
education, and I think you guys are doing great
things, so I want to be a part of it”).
3 Steps for Answering "Why Do You Want This
Job?"
Step 1: Express Enthusiasm for the Company
First things first, this is an excellent opportunity for
you to show off what you know about the company.
You can talk all day about how excited you are about
joining the team, but nothing will trump actually
knowing a thing or two about the place you’re
interviewing with. So, to prepare, spend some time
honing in on what you know about the company and
select a few key factors to incorporate into your pitch
for why you’re a good fit.
Say you’re interviewing for a small quantitative asset
management company. The start of your answer
might sound something like this:
“The first thing that caught my eye when I saw the
position posted was definitely that it was at EFG
Advisers. I know that you build a lot of your tools in-
house, the team is small, and you run a variety of
long- and short-term strategies in the U.S. equities
markets using a quantitative approach.”
Step 2: Align Your Skills and Experiences With the
Role
Next, you want to sell why, exactly, you’re right for
the role. There are two ways you can do this: You can
either focus more on your experiences (what you’ve
done before that brings you to this point) or your
skills (especially helpful if you’re pivoting positions
or industries).
Try to pinpoint what the main part of the role entails,
plus a couple of the “desired skills” in the job
description, and make sure you speak to that. Follow
up your introduction to how excited you are about
the company with why you’re a good fit:
“But the part that really spoke to me about this
position was the chance to combine both the
programming skills I gained from being a senior
software engineer and my knack for quantitative
analysis in a position that actively lets me engage
with my growing interest in investing and portfolio
management.”
Step 3: Connect to Your Career Trajectory
Finally, you want to show that the position
makes sense for where you’re going in your
career. Ideally, you won’t give the impression
that you’re just using the position as a stepping
stone. Show that you’ll be around for the long
haul, and your interviewer will feel more
comfortable investing in you:
“I’ve been interested in switching to finance for a
while now and have been actively managing my
own personal portfolio for a few years. Joining a
quant shop makes sense to me because I think
it’s one of the few places where I’ll still be able to
use my technical skills and spend my day
thinking about finance. I’m really excited to learn
more and see how I’ll be able to contribute the
firm.”
5. Why should we hire you?
This interview question seems forward (not to
mention intimidating!), but if you're asked it,
you're in luck: There's no better setup for you to
sell yourself and your skills to the hiring
manager. Your job here is to craft an answer that
covers three things: that you can not only do the
work, you can deliver great results; that you'll
really fit in with the team and culture; and that
you'd be a better hire than any of the other
candidates.
3 Better Ways to Answer "Why Should We Hire
You?"
1. The Intersection
One way to attack this interview question is to
intersect what’s in it for the hiring manager and
what’s in it for you. Basically, you want to get
across that he or she will get a enthusiastic
employee who has the exact right skill set for the
position and that you’ll get to—and therefore
look forward to and be motivated to—do
something meaningful, build your skills, and
work toward the next step of your career.
The key here is to not forget that second part:
talking about yourself. Too many people make
the mistake of only listing the benefits for the
employer. Going into what’s in it for you will give
insight into why you’ll stay driven—a trait all
interviewers are looking for.
2. The Company Expert
Some interviewers will spell it out and others
won’t, but you should know that the full question
is always, “Why should I hire you over everyone
else?” If you feel you’ve already spelled out your
skills and experience multiple times, perhaps a
better approach for you is to show what you
have to offer that others don’t. Assuming you’re
competing against other similarly qualified
candidates, a good thing to highlight at this point
is your dedication to the role.
To do that, show deep knowledge of the business
and an understanding for how you might fit in.
This, of course, requires a good bit of company
research (here’s a great guide to get you started),
so you can talk about the uniqueness, the history,
the future, and your own personal investment.
3. The Problem Solver
Frequently, hiring managers post positions
because they have a problem that needs to be
solved. Get straight to the point with your
response and outline, ideally in detail, how you
can offer immediate relief for the company’s pain
point.
Like in a “Pain Letter,” don’t spend all your time
talking about the past—focus your efforts on the
future, and explain how you can make the
interviewer’s life easier by addressing his most
imminent issue. This shows you’re forward-
thinking, already a team player, and ready to hit
the ground running.
6. What are your greatest professional strengths?
When answering this question, interview coach
Pamela Skillings recommends being accurate
(share your true strengths, not those you think
the interviewer wants to hear); relevant (choose
your strengths that are most targeted to this
particular position); and specific (for example,
instead of “people skills,” choose “persuasive
communication” or “relationship building”).
Then, follow up with an example of how you've
demonstrated these traits in a professional
setting.
3 Smart Strategies for Answering "What's Your
Greatest Strength?"
1. Think Quality, Not Quantity
Let’s start with what not to do. The worst
response I’ve ever heard was a full minute-long
diatribe during which the interviewee proceeded
to list a string of positive attributes (outgoing,
detail-oriented, hardworking, independent,
friendly, easy-going, you name it) and just kept
going. One of the adjectives chosen was actually
“humble.” I was speechless.
To walk that line between confident and
arrogant, definitely don’t just list a bunch of nice
adjectives to describe yourself. Sure, you want to
sell yourself as the right man or woman for the
job, but you’re going to be much more
compelling if you cut the buzzwords and speak
genuinely about your strengths.
2. Back Strengths Up With Stories
That said, what’s more important than the
strengths you choose is being able to back up
your claims—don’t just expect the interviewer to
believe you without some evidence.
Start off by answering the question directly, and
then segue into a story that shows off your skills.
For example, “I think some of my greatest
strengths are my communication skills and
willingness to take initiative. During my last
internship, when I was helping to manage
several social media accounts, I made sure that
everyone on the team was on the same page and
knew what our messaging strategy was by taking
the initiative to send out a weekly email to keep
the team up to date and to seek feedback. This
ended up being so helpful that the weekly social
media update was incorporated into a full-time
staff member’s responsibilities. ”
3. Look for Holes and Fill Them
The great thing about the “strengths” question is
that it’s actually pretty versatile and open-ended
—you can really turn the conversation to
whatever you want. So, a great way to approach
this question is to think about something you
really want to talk about during the interview,
but haven’t had the chance to share yet. Are
there any skills that you want to emphasize?
Maybe you have a killer “teamwork” story, but
haven’t had the opportunity to share it yet. Well,
here is your chance!
7. What do you consider to be your weaknesses?
What your interviewer is really trying to do with
this question—beyond identifying any major red
flags—is to gauge your self-awareness and
honesty. So, “I can't meet a deadline to save my
life” is not an option—but neither is “Nothing!
I'm perfect!” Strike a balance by thinking of
something that you struggle with but that you’re
working to improve. For example, maybe you’ve
never been strong at public speaking, but you've
recently volunteered to run meetings to help you
be more comfortable when addressing a crowd.
A job interview is all about presenting your best
self—which is why answering “What is your
greatest weakness?” is pretty difficult. There’s no
other interview question that feels like more of a
trap.
If you’re too honest, you might scare the hiring
manager and blow your chances of getting the
position. But if you’re not honest enough, you’ll
lose credibility.
Well, the first thing to keep in mind is why the
question’s being asked—and it’s not to trip you up.
Instead it’s to see if you’re self-aware enough to
recognize a flaw, and then self-motivated enough to
fix it. Today’s feedback on your weaknesses is
tomorrow’s feedback on an important team project
that’s not coming together.
8. What is your greatest professional achievement?
Nothing says “hire me” better than a track record of
achieving amazing results in past jobs, so don't be shy
when answering this interview question! A great way
to do so is by using the S-T-A-R method: Set up the
situation and the task that you were required to
complete to provide the interviewer with background
context (e.g., “In my last job as a junior analyst, it was
my role to manage the invoicing process”), but spend
the bulk of your time describing what you actually
did (the action) and what you achieved (the result).
For example, “In one month, I streamlined the
process, which saved my group 10 person-hours each
month and reduced errors on invoices by 25%.”
1. You Were Indispensable in Your Previous Jobs
Hiring managers want to hire people who have a
history of getting things done. The logic goes that if
you were successful in other jobs, then you’re likely
to be successful in this one. Truly, nothing says “hire
me” better than a track record of achieving amazing
results in past jobs.
2. You Will Be Awesome in This New Job
Unfortunately, success in one role doesn’t necessarily
translate to being a fit in another role—and to
convince the interviewer that you’ll be able to hit the
ground running and be awesome in the new job, you
must explain how your skills translate. In particular,
you want to highlight those skills that specifically
address the issues that the hiring manager is facing.
3. You’re the Perfect Fit for This Job
Companies have interview guidelines designed to
hire the most qualified employees based on
experience and aptitude, but let’s be honest: Often a
big factor is likability.
4. You Really Want This Job
You’re almost there! But, it’s not enough that you’re
capable of doing the job and would be pleasant to
work with—you have to actually want the job. Hiring
managers, after all, are looking for employees that
really want to be there and will be part of the team
for the long haul.
9. Tell me about a challenge or conflict you've faced at
work, and how you dealt with it.
In asking this behavioral interview question, “your
interviewer wants to get a sense of how you will
respond to conflict. Anyone can seem nice and
pleasant in a job interview, but what will happen if
you’re hired and Gladys in Compliance starts getting
in your face?” says Skillings. Again, you'll want to use
the S-T-A-R method, being sure to focus on how you
handled the situation professionally and
productively, and ideally closing with a happy ending,
like how you came to a resolution or compromise.
Pick the Right Story
All these “Tell me about a time when…” questions
require stories. As a hiring manager, it’s incredibly
unsatisfying to interview someone who has no stories
to share. After all, how can someone know what you
can do if you can’t talk about what you’ve done? Don’t
be that job candidate.
So, how do you find the right stories to share? Go
through the job description and highlight all the soft
skills that are featured. You’ll likely find things like
“ability to work on a team and independently,”
“comfort with multitasking,” or “strong
communication skills.”
10. Where do you see yourself in five years?
If asked this question, be honest and specific about
your future goals, but consider this: A hiring manager
wants to know a) if you've set realistic expectations
for your career, b) if you have ambition (a.k.a., this
interview isn't the first time you're considering the
question), and c) if the position aligns with your goals
and growth. Your best bet is to think realistically
about where this position could take you and answer
along those lines. And if the position isn’t necessarily
a one-way ticket to your aspirations? It’s OK to say
that you’re not quite sure what the future holds, but
that you see this experience playing an important
role in helping you make that decision.
“Where do you see yourself in five years?”
When a hiring manager asks you this, there may be a
few things running through your brain. “Moving
(way) up the ranks,” “running this place,” “working
for myself,” or “in your job,” for example.
None of which are necessarily things you should say
out loud in an interview.
So, how do you answer the question? Watch this
quick video, where Muse CEO Kathryn Minshew
shares a formula developed by our career expert Lily
Zhang. It’ll help you share your goals and ambitions
the right way—and not give your interviewer
anything to worry about.
11. What's your dream job?
Along similar lines, the interviewer wants to uncover
whether this position is really in line with your
ultimate career goals. While “an NBA star” might get
you a few laughs, a better bet is to talk about your
goals and ambitions—and why this job will get you
closer to them.
1. What Skills Do You Want to Use?
I’ve mentioned my experience with __. My
dream job would definitely have to relate to
that. I’d also love to grow my skills in __.
I’ve thought about this before, and I know I
would want to keep honing my skills in __ as
well as learn more about __.
2. What Interests You?
Next, it’s time to talk about what interests you.
Think big picture for this. What drew you to
your industry? What’s something you did as a
kid that’s actually found its way into your
work? What is it about your career that keeps
you engaged? Weave that in.
Build on your answer like this:
I’ve been interested in the __ industry ever since
I first discovered __. That, combined with my
interest in __ and __, means I’ve been hooked
ever since.
In terms of job content, I’m interested in work
that involves __ and __. I’ve been curious about
things like this ever since __, so I would
definitely want that to be part of my dream job.
3. What Are Your Values?
Giving a sense of what your career values are
will give the interviewer an idea about what
motivates you; it’s a good way to bring the
focus back to the company you’re interviewing
for (assuming, of course, that your values align
with the company culture).
Based on my skills and interests, in my dream
job, I would want to __ as related to __, ideally in
a company where I could __ and __. These are
both really important to me, and I’m excited to
see that they seem to be equally important to
this company.
Basically, my dream job would be to __ for __ in
a position that would allow me to __ and __. I
value this last point in particular—it’s the
reason I’m so excited to be interviewing for this
position.
12. What other companies are you interviewing
with?
Companies ask this for a number of reasons,
from wanting to see what the competition is for
you to sniffing out whether you're serious
about the industry. “Often the best approach is
to mention that you are exploring a number of
other similar options in the company's
industry,” says job search expert Alison Doyle.
“It can be helpful to mention that a common
characteristic of all the jobs you are applying to
is the opportunity to apply some critical
abilities and skills that you possess. For
example, you might say 'I am applying for
several positions with IT consulting firms
where I can analyze client needs and translate
them to development teams in order to find
solutions to technology problems.'”
13. Why are you leaving your current job?
This is a toughie, but one you can be sure you'll
be asked. Definitely keep things positive—you
have nothing to gain by being negative about
your past employers. Instead, frame things in a
way that shows that you're eager to take on
new opportunities and that the role you’re
interviewing for is a better fit for you than your
current or last position. For example, “I’d really
 love to be part of product development from
beginning to end, and I know I’d have that
opportunity here.” And if you were let go? Keep
it simple: “Unfortunately, I was let go,” is a
totally OK answer.
14. Why were you fired?
OK, if you get the admittedly much tougher
follow-up question as to why you were let go
(and the truth isn't exactly pretty), your best
bet is to be honest (the job-seeking world is
small, after all). But it doesn't have to be a deal-
breaker. Share how you’ve grown and how you
approach your job and life now as a result. If
you can position the learning experience as an
advantage for this next job, even better.
15. What are you looking for in a new position?
Hint: Ideally the same things that this position
has to offer. Be specific.
1. Start With Your Skills
-“I’ve been honing my data analysis skills
for a few years now and, first and foremost,
I’m looking for a position where I can
continue to exercise those skills.”
2. Explain Your Motivation
-“Another thing that’s important to me is that
the position allows me to not only play with
data, but also present my findings and
suggestions directly to clients. That would be
really refreshing! I’m always very motivated
by being able to see the impact of my work on
other people.”
3. Connect With Your Long-Term Goals
-“And, I’m definitely looking for a position
where I can grow—professional development is
something that’s really important to me since I hope
to take on managerial responsibilities in the future.”
4. Wrap Up With Something About the Company
-“To sum it up, I’d love a position where I can
use my skills to make an impact that I can see
with my own eyes. Of course, the position is
only part of the equation. Being at a company
where I can grow and work toward
something I care about matters, too. DNF’s
goal of being the intersection between data
and education inspires me, and I’m really
excited about this opportunity.”
16. What type of work environment do you prefer?
Hint: Ideally one that's similar to the
environment of the company you're applying
to. Be specific.
 During the interview, don’t ask, “What’s it like
working here?” Ask, “What would a newspaper
article about your company’s culture have to
include?” (TheLadders)
 Go through the company’s tweets, videos,
Facebook posts, and the like to get an idea of
what’s important to the team. (Careerealism)
 Show up early to the interview and watch how
employees interact with each other.
(QuintCareers)
 When talking to employees about the culture,
note their response time. Generally, the quicker
the better! (Fortune)
 However, don’t just consult employees. You’ll
also want to speak with customers, suppliers,
partners, and so forth. (Harvard Business
Review)
 Be on the look-out for the “warning signs” of a
problematic culture—like making a huge deal out
of the ping-pong table. (Forbes)
 Learn how to read between the lines. For
example, promotions that rest on “something
opening up” means you’ll probably have to wait
for someone to move up or out. (Lifehacker)
 Take a look at a beta survey that uses
“psychometric frameworks” to show you
workplaces in which you’d thrive. (Co.Exist)
 Of course, don’t forget to browse company
profiles on The Muse to get an inside peek into
what it’s really like to work at some amazing
companies! (The Muse)
17. What's your management style?
The best managers are strong but flexible, and
that's exactly what you want to show off in your
answer. (Think something like, “While every
situation and every team member requires a bit
of a different strategy, I tend to approach my
employee relationships as a coach...”) Then,
share a couple of your best managerial moments,
like when you grew your team from five to 15 or
coached an underperforming employee to
become the company's top salesperson.
18. What's a time you exercised leadership?
Depending on what's more important for the the
role, you'll want to choose an example that
showcases your project management skills
(spearheading a project from end to end,
juggling multiple moving parts) or one that
shows your ability to confidently and effectively
rally a team. And remember: “The best stories
include enough detail to be believable and
memorable,” says Skillings. “Show how you were
a leader in this situation and how it represents
your overall leadership experience and
potential.”
19. What's a time you disagreed with a decision
that was made at work?
Everyone disagrees with the boss from time to
time, but in asking this interview question, hiring
managers want to know that you can do so in a
productive, professional way. “You don’t want to
tell the story about the time when you disagreed
but your boss was being a jerk and you just gave
in to keep the peace. And you don’t want to tell
the one where you realized you were wrong,”
says Peggy McKee of Career Confidential. “Tell
the one where your actions made a positive
difference on the outcome of the situation,
whether it was a work-related outcome or a
more effective and productive working
relationship.
20. How would your boss and co-workers
describe you?
First of all, be honest (remember, if you get this
job, the hiring manager will be calling your
former bosses and co-workers!). Then, try to pull
out strengths and traits you haven't discussed in
other aspects of the interview, such as your
strong work ethic or your willingness to pitch in
on other projects when needed.
21. Why was there a gap in your employment?
If you were unemployed for a period of time, be
direct and to the point about what you’ve been
up to (and hopefully, that’s a litany of impressive
volunteer and other mind-enriching activities,
like blogging or taking classes). Then, steer the
conversation toward how you will do the job and
contribute to the organization: “I decided to take
a break at the time, but today I’m ready to
contribute to this organization in the following
ways.”
22. Can you explain why you changed career
paths?
Don't be thrown off by this question—just take a
deep breath and explain to the hiring manager
why you've made the career decisions you have.
More importantly, give a few examples of how
your past experience is transferrable to the new
role. This doesn't have to be a direct connection;
in fact, it's often more impressive when a
candidate can make seemingly irrelevant
experience seem very relevant to the role.
23. How do you deal with pressure or stressful
situations?
"Choose an answer that shows that you can meet
a stressful situation head-on in a productive,
positive manner and let nothing stop you from
accomplishing your goals," says McKee. A great
approach is to talk through your go-to stress-
reduction tactics (making the world's greatest
to-do list, stopping to take 10 deep breaths), and
then share an example of a stressful situation
you navigated with ease.
24. What would your first 30, 60, or 90 days look
like in this role?
Start by explaining what you'd need to do to get
ramped up. What information would you need?
What parts of the company would you need to
familiarize yourself with? What other employees
would you want to sit down with? Next, choose a
couple of areas where you think you can make
meaningful contributions right away. (e.g., “I
think a great starter project would be diving into
your email marketing campaigns and setting up a
tracking system for them.”) Sure, if you get the
job, you (or your new employer) might decide
there’s a better starting place, but having an
answer prepared will show the interviewer
where you can add immediate impact—and that
you’re excited to get started.
25. What are your salary requirements?
The #1 rule of answering this question is doing
your research on what you should be paid by
using sites like Payscale and Glassdoor. You’ll
likely come up with a range, and we recommend
stating the highest number in that range that
applies, based on your experience, education,
and skills. Then, make sure the hiring manager
knows that you're flexible. You're
communicating that you know your skills are
valuable, but that you want the job and are
willing to negotiate.
26. What do you like to do outside of work?
Interviewers ask personal questions in an
interview to “see if candidates will fit in with the
culture [and] give them the opportunity to open
up and display their personality, too,” says
longtime hiring manager Mitch Fortner. “In other
words, if someone asks about your hobbies
outside of work, it’s totally OK to open up and
share what really makes you tick. (Do keep it
semi-professional, though: Saying you like to
have a few beers at the local hot spot on
Saturday night is fine. Telling them that Monday
is usually a rough day for you because you’re
always hungover is not.)”
27. If you were an animal, which one would you
want to be?
Seemingly random personality-test type
questions like these come up in interviews
generally because hiring managers want to see
how you can think on your feet. There's no
wrong answer here, but you'll immediately gain
bonus points if your answer helps you share
your strengths or personality or connect with the
hiring manager. Pro tip: Come up with a stalling
tactic to buy yourself some thinking time, such as
saying, “Now, that is a great question. I think I
would have to say… ”
28. How many tennis balls can you fit into a
limousine?
1,000? 10,000? 100,000? Seriously?
Well, seriously, you might get asked brainteaser
questions like these, especially in quantitative
jobs. But remember that the interviewer doesn’t
necessarily want an exact number—he wants to
make sure that you understand what’s being
asked of you, and that you can set into motion a
systematic and logical way to respond. So, just
take a deep breath, and start thinking through
the math. (Yes, it’s OK to ask for a pen and
paper!)
29. Are you planning on having children?
Questions about your family status, gender
(“How would you handle managing a team of all
men?”), nationality (“Where were you born?”),
religion, or age, are illegal—but they still get
asked (and frequently). Of course, not always
with ill intent—the interviewer might just be
trying to make conversation—but you should
definitely tie any questions about your personal
life (or anything else you think might be
inappropriate) back to the job at hand. For this Hi ! I'm Jholina Mae Asturias, I am a
question, think: “You know, I’m not quite there college undergraduate with a degree in
yet. But I am very interested in the career paths Computer Science. Although, I have not
at your company. Can you tell me more about
that?”
finished my degree, I was hired as an
Accounts Collection officer where I was
tasked to handle loan collections of local
30. What do you think we could do better or and foreign clients. I can also design
differently?
websites for personal and business
purposes . At the moment, I am attending
This is a common one at startups (and one of our the internship program of Microsourcing
personal favorites here at The Muse). Hiring Phils to further enhance my skills and
managers want to know that you not only have improve my chances of success in my
some background on the company, but that
future job applications. I am flexible and
you're able to think critically about it and come
to the table with new ideas. So, come with new can easily adjust to various working
ideas! What new features would you love to see? situations.
How could the company increase conversions?
How could customer service be improved? You
don’t need to have the company’s four-year
strategy figured out, but do share your thoughts,
and more importantly, show how your interests
and expertise would lend themselves to the job.

31. Do you have any questions for us?

You probably already know that an interview

isn't just a chance for a hiring manager to grill
you—it's your opportunity to sniff out whether a
job is the right fit for you. What do you want to
know about the position? The company? The
department? The team?

You'll cover a lot of this in the actual interview,

so have a few less-common questions ready to
go. We especially like questions targeted to the
interviewer (“What's your favorite part about
working here?") or the company's growth
(“What can you tell me about your new products
or plans for growth?")

JOB PITCH