What are the 10 most common interview questions and answers

Looking for a new job and applying for open positions can pay off once applicants land an interview. The next step lies in preparing for interview questions and crafting expert answers to gain a job offer. Since most interviews follow a standard format with the most common interview questions, any professional needs to know how they would answer these questions before their interview. 

You’ve finally landed an interview for a job that seems like a great fit. The next step is preparing for the interview and setting yourself up for success.

Part of crucial interview preparation is considering what questions will come up and how a desirable candidate would answer them.

In this story, we talk about some of the most common interview questions, what the questions are asking and how you should craft your answer.

1. Tell Me About Yourself

Candidates likely hear this question early during an interview because it allows them to talk about themselves and why they are better than other candidates. 

The interviewer wants to know why you are a good fit for the role beyond what is on the resume. As such, candidates should answer the question by sharing enough personal and professional information to begin the conversation, but not so much that it answers every question the interviewer may ask.

While you may include personal information, it may not always be appropriate for every interview type. 

Using the past-present-future formula to answer this question is a good idea. 

Example answer for new college graduates: “Currently, I’m working as a retail assistant at XYZ store. My work tasks include restocking the makeup department shelves, assisting with inventory and maintaining store cleanliness, which all require great attention to detail and patience. Before this role, I graduated with a psychology degree from ABC University. I’ve been looking for a position in healthcare where I can learn more about patient care, empower others and offer help in the community. I want to find a role that will help provide a strong foundation for my future healthcare career.”

Example answer for someone with more experience: “I have been working as a senior data analyst at XYZ company for two years. In this role, I provide insights into our customer base and assist with developing solutions to any concerns regarding our customers. Before this, I held other lower-level data analyst roles for several years before earning my master’s degree. At this stage in my career, I am ready to take on more challenging work as a team leader and hone my technical skills.”

2. What Interests You About This Role?

A popular strategy focuses on a specific area within the company that legitimately interests the candidate, such as its history or reputation. 

Researching information about the company and role before the interview shows a candidate has a high interest in the role. 

Example answer focused on the company: “I wanted to apply for this role because I have wanted to work at XYZ company for years. The recent developments that XYZ company has added to our industry and the historically well-renowned leadership here make it a desirable opportunity. Looking at the previous projects from this company, I think my skills and education background would suit this position and organization well.”

Example answer focused on the role: “This role is exactly what I’ve been looking for because it strongly emphasizes user experience and innovation, which is extremely exciting. I always wanted more opportunities to innovate and brainstorm solutions in my previous roles, so I think this role and the knowledgeable team at XYZ company could help me learn new skills and strategies while also progressing in my career.”

3. What Are Your Biggest Strengths?

Employers ask this to see if candidates have the qualifications for the position. Candidates must mention their greatest strengths that apply to the job posting and role to ensure they are set apart from other candidates. 

Diana YK Chan, an executive career and confidence coach, tells candidates preparing for interviews, “Job interviews are opportunities to showcase why you're the best candidate to hire. Employers want to know what makes you awesome and whether you can thrive in the job. It's important to highlight your assets that prove you're a great fit... Take the time to map out your answers and you'll be well prepared to talk about your core assets in any interview.” 

Using this approach, list potential strengths that the job posting seems to mention. Then, determine which skills you have that may match those skills, including hard or soft skills or past work background. Narrow this list to a few solid skills, and plan to use those in your answer.

Example answer: “I pride myself on my exceptional customer service skills. I have years of experience as a customer service specialist, and during this time, it has been necessary to understand and resolve customer concerns efficiently. With customer service comes problem-solving skills, decision-making skills and professionalism, all of which have helped me become a better communicator and team member.”

4. What Are Your Biggest Weaknesses?

Mention weaknesses in a frame of positivity. Instead of making the weaknesses seem like flaws, take this question to show the hiring manager that you are a good learner.

This is another instance to show the interviewer why a candidate is the best fit for the position. With this answer, a candidate may want to focus on their credentials, ability to take on challenges or desire to learn. 

Example answer: “I have extreme attention to detail, but there are times when this turns into perfectionism. I have caught myself checking spreadsheets over more than necessary or taking too long to write emails because I want everything to look perfect. I’ve learned to manage my time better and have continuously worked on gauging how much time to spend on individual tasks to ensure I’m managing my schedule and still ensuring high-quality work.”

5. Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years?

While you may not know where you want to be in five years, avoid saying “I don’t know” when an interviewer asks this question. 

Show that this job aligns with all ambitions by discussing:

• Professional plans or goals
• Desired skills within the industry
• How this role aligns with those intentions

Example answer: “In five years, I would love to become a project manager. I want to explore the skills necessary in a leadership role and gain experience working with major accounts. I would love to learn more about the opportunities available in this role that would help me learn about some of those skills and responsibilities.”

6. What is Your Ideal Work Environment? 

Interviewers ask this question to see if your preferences and temperament align with the company. 

It is essential to answer this question honestly but do a little research beforehand to see what answer is most beneficial to the candidate. 

For example, they may consider a candidate’s personality, values or cultural fit.

Example answer: “I believe this environment would be an ideal work environment for my style, as I enjoy being part of a team. I do better in groups when team members support each other or share ideas. Although I also work well alone when I need to focus on a task, I enjoy being around like-minded people and growing my skills with the help of others.”

7. What is a Major Challenge You’ve Faced?

This question represents an opportunity to elaborate on work history. 

The answer provided here can make a candidate appear very impressive. It is important to think of an applicable challenge and the outcome of reactions to the challenge before the interview to showcase skills.

Be sure the answer covers future potential, how you respond to stress and relevant personality attributes based on the job posting.

Example answer: “In a previous role, I had a manager who recognized my strong work ethic and increased my responsibilities. Eventually, however, this increased responsibility proved too much as I started to fall behind and miss deadlines. I told my manager about my concerns. We hired another person to help with the additional tasks, which increased my productivity overall. Now, I have learned to admit when help is necessary sooner rather than later.”

8. What Are Your Salary Expectations?

It may seem complicated to answer this question without making it seem like the entire reason you want this role is for the salary. However, candidates should be sure they don’t sell themselves short (or ask for too much). 

Research the market and industry norms before the interview to determine a reasonable salary based on your job title, experience and skills, location and employer. 

Example answer: “I’m flexible and open to discussing salary for this position. I have significant skills and experience in this field, which I believe adds much value to my candidacy. I understand that similar positions pay between $50,000 to $75,000, so I would anticipate the salary for this role falls on the higher end of that range due to my background and what I believe I can bring to this company.

9. Can You Explain the Gap in Your Resume?

Employment gaps refer to periods in a professional career when a person didn’t have employment. These gaps may occur voluntarily or involuntarily, and they happen for numerous reasons, such as:

• Becoming a caregiver
• Layoffs or closures 
• Taking medical leave
• Focusing on personal development
• Relocation

Regardless of the reason, an interviewer may ask a candidate about their employment gaps. When this happens, it is important to be honest. Explain the gaps in employment but keep the answer brief. 

Example answer: “During that time, I traveled for volunteer opportunities, learned a new language and spent time with my family. I chose to take this time to focus on my wellness and personal development. Now, I am ready to return to the workforce.

10. What Are Your Career Goals? 

Recruiters want to know if you plan to stay with the company for a long time or if you’d leave at the first sign of trouble. As such, this question wants to determine what career path candidates envision for themselves and how the role may fit into that plan.

Candidates should keep their answers focused on the current opportunity and reiterate that this job aligns with long-term plans.

Example answer: “I hope to work for a company like this one to build my sales skills and work with a team that strongly focuses on customer service. Later in my career, I would love to manage a team to help them become stronger sales representatives and learn how to take on leadership responsibilities within this field.”

How to Nail Your Interview

Interviews are daunting for many but preparing ahead of time will increase a candidate’s confidence. Here are a few tips for nailing that next interview:

• Do plenty of research on the role and company.
• Consider your most marketable skills and experiences related to the position.
• Draft and practice answers to common interview questions.
• Prepare for small talk before interview questions begin.
• Study the job posting and keep important words from it in mind. 
• Practice your body language and gestures.

Top Takeaways

10 most common interview questions and how to answer

• Most interviews will feature common questions that candidates may anticipate.
• Preparing and practicing answers to these common questions will help candidates feel confident and professional during their interview.
• Some questions aim to ask about multiple things at once, so candidates should consider the root of each question when crafting an expert-like response.

(Reporting by NPD)

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