1. Tell me about yourself.

This is one of the first questions you are likely to be asked. Be prepared to talk
about yourself, and why you're an excellent fit for the job. Try to answer
questions about yourself without giving out too much, or too little, personal
information. You can start by sharing some of your personal interests and
experiences that don't relate directly to work, such as a favorite hobby or a brief
account of where you grew up, your education, and what motivates you. You can
even share some fun facts and showcase your personality to make the interview
a little more interesting.

If it feels daunting to generate this information from scratch, you can rely on a
simple formula to construct your answer. The ‘present-past-future’ formula is a
way to share key background points while ending on a high note. Begin with a
brief overview of where you are now (which could include your current job along
with a reference to a personal hobby or passion), reference how you got to where
you are (here you could mention education, or an important experience such as a
past job, internship or volunteer experience) and then finish by touching on a
goal for the future.

Bonus points if you’re able to identify how the position you’re applying for aligns
with how you envision your future.

No matter how you choose to respond, write out your answer in advance and
then read it aloud to ensure it sounds natural. Try to keep it short and sweet, as
you don’t want to come across as the type of person who endlessly drones on
about themselves.

Read More: Examples of the best answers

2. Why should we hire you?

Are you the best candidate for the job? Be prepared to say why you're the
applicant who should be hired. This is not the time to be modest (although
neither should you be conceited). Make your response a confident, concise,
focused sales pitch that explains what you have to offer the employer, and why
you should get the job. This is another good time to review the qualifications and
the requirements in the job listing, so you can craft a response that aligns with
what the interviewer is looking for.

3. What is your greatest strength?

This is one of the questions that employers almost always ask. When you are
asked about your greatest strengths, it's important to discuss the attributes that
will qualify you for the specific job and set you apart from the other candidates.
Take the time before the job interview to make matches between your
qualifications and the requirements as stated in the job announcement. This way,
you will have examples ready at hand to demonstrate your suitability for the job.

It can be helpful to remember the tip “show, don't tell.” For example, rather than
stating that you are an excellent problem solver, instead tell a story that
demonstrates this, ideally drawing on an anecdote from your professional
experience.

Read More: Examples of the best answers

4. What is your greatest weakness?

Another typical question interviewers will ask is about your weaknesses. Do your
best to frame your answers around positive aspects of your skills and abilities as
an employee, turning seeming “weaknesses” into strengths. For example, you
might say something like, “I’ve always struggled with perfectionism – I truly want
to do the job correctly the first time, but this sometimes means that I devote more
time to a project than is necessary. I’ve learned to balance this drive with the
equally important responsibility of meeting deadlines.”

You can also share examples of skills you have improved, providing specific
instances of how you have recognized a weakness and taken steps to improve
yourself.

 Examples of the best answers

5. Why are you leaving or why have you left your job?

When asked about why you are moving on from your current position, stick with
the facts, be direct, and focus your interview answer on the future, especially if
your leaving wasn't under the best of circumstances. Always try to put a positive
slant on your response; it’s better to give the impression that you’re more
motivated by the possibility of new opportunities than by trying to escape a bad
situation. In addition, it’s important to avoid bashing your current organization,
colleagues or supervisor.

An employer is not likely to want to bring on someone who talks negatively about
a company.
Read More: Examples of the best answers

6. What are your salary expectations?

What are you looking for in terms of salary? It seems like a simple question, but
your answer can knock you out of the contest for the job if you overprice yourself.
If you underprice yourself, you may get shortchanged with a lower offer. Review
the best way to answer questions about salary so you get the fair pay that you
deserve.

Read More: Examples of the best answers

7. Why do you want this job?

This question gives you an opportunity to show the interviewer what you know
about the job and the company, so take the time before the interview to
thoroughly research the company and its products or services, company culture,
and mission. Be specific about what makes you a good fit for this role, and
mention aspects of the company and position that appeal to you the most.

Read More: Examples of the best answers

8. How do you handle stress and pressure?

What do you do when things don’t go smoothly at work? How do you deal with
difficult situations? What do you do when something goes wrong? The best way
to respond to this question is to give an example of how you have successfully
handled stress in a previous job.

Avoid claiming that you never, or rarely, experience stress. Not only is this
difficult to believe, but it could also lead the interviewer to conclude that you’ve
only worked in low-pressure environments and therefore aren’t equipped to
handle a difficult situation. Rather, formulate your answer in a way that
acknowledges workplace stress and explains how you’ve overcome it, or even
used it to your advantage.

Read More: Examples of the best answers

9. Describe a difficult work situation or project and how

you overcame it.

The interviewer wants to know what you do when you face a difficult decision. As
with the question about stress, be prepared to share an example of what you did
in a tough situation. It’s important to share details around this example in order to
make the story believable and engaging. That being said, avoid talking
negatively, or extensively, about other people. This can detract from what the
interviewer really wants to know about, which is how you can successfully
perform in a challenging situation.

Read More: Examples of the best answers

10. What are your goals for the future?

This question is designed to find out if you’re going to stick around or move on as
soon as you find a better opportunity. Keep your answer focused on the job and
the company you’re interviewing with, and reiterate to the interviewer that the
position aligns with your long-term goals.

Read More: Examples of the best answers

Questions to Ask the Interviewer

At the close of the interview, most interviewers ask whether you have any
questionsabout the job or company. If you don’t have any questions, this can
make it seem like you are apathetic about the opportunity. So, it's always a good
idea to have a list of questions ready to ask and to be prepared to discuss them.

Bonus Questions

Here are some related questions you may be asked during a job interview that
will require some thought to answer. Consider how you'd respond, so you're as
prepared as possible to answer the hiring manager's questions.

 How do you handle success?

 How do you handle failure?
 Do you work well with other people?
 What can you do better for us than the other applicants?

What else will the hiring manager ask? Review more common job interview
questions, plus see sample answers you can use to practice for a job interview.
You can also expect to be asked about how you would respond to a specific
work-related situation. Here's a list of examples of these behavioral interview
questions you may be asked.

What shouldn't the interviewer ask? There are some interview questions that
hiring managers should not ask during a job interview for legal reasons. Here
are questions that shouldn't be asked, with advice on how to diplomatically
respond.

1. Tell me about how you worked effectively under pressure. I had been
working on a key project that was scheduled for delivery to the client in 60 days.
My supervisor came to me and said that we needed to speed it up and be ready
in 45 days, while keeping our other projects on time. I made it into a challenge for
my staff, and we effectively added just a few hours to each of our schedules and
got the job done in 42 days by sharing the workload. Of course, I had a great
group of people to work with, but I think that my effective allocation of tasks was
a major component that contributed to the success of the project.

More Answers: How do you handle stress?

2. How do you handle a challenge? Give an example. One time, my

supervisor needed to leave town unexpectedly, and we were in the middle of
complicated negotiations with a new sponsor.

I was tasked with putting together a PowerPoint presentation just from the notes
he had left, and some briefing from his manager. My presentation turned out
successfully - we got the sponsorship, and the management team recommended
me for an award.

More Answers: Tell me about how you handled a challenging situation.

3. Have you ever made a mistake? How did you handle it? One time I
misquoted the fees for a particular type of membership to the club where I
worked. I explained my mistake to my supervisor, who appreciated my coming to
him, and my honesty. He told me to offer to waive the application fee for the new
member. The member joined the club despite my mistake, my supervisor was
understanding, and although I felt bad that I had made a mistake, I learned to
pay close attention to the details so as to be sure to give accurate information in
the future.

Tips for Responding: How to answer interview questions about mistakes.

4. Give an example of how you set goals. Within a few weeks of beginning my
first job as a sales associate in a department store, I knew that I wanted to be in
the fashion industry. I decided that I would work my way up to department
manager, and at that point I would have enough money saved to be able to
attend design school full-time. I did just that, and I even landed my first job
through an internship I completed the summer before graduation.
5. Give an example of a goal you reached and tell me how you achieved
it. When I started working for XYZ Company, I wanted to achieve the Employee
of the Month title. It was a motivational challenge, and not all the employees took
it that seriously, but I really wanted that parking spot, and my picture on the wall.
I went out of my way to be helpful to my colleagues, supervisors, and customers
- which I would have done anyway. I liked the job and the people I worked with.
The third month I was there, I got the honor.

It was good to achieve my goal, and I actually ended up moving into a

managerial position there pretty quickly, I think because of my positive attitude
and perseverance.

More Answers: Interview questions about achieving your goals.

6. Describe a decision you made that wasn't popular and how you handled
implementing it. Once, I inherited a group of employees when their supervisor
relocated to another city. They had been allowed to cover each other’s shifts
without management approval. I didn’t like the inconsistencies, where certain
people were being given more opportunities than others. I introduced a policy
where I had my assistant approve all staffing changes, to make sure that
everyone who wanted extra hours and was available at certain times could be
utilized.

More Answers: What are the most difficult decisions to make?

7. Give an example of how you worked on a team. During my last semester in

college, I worked as part of a research team in the History department. The
professor leading the project was writing a book on the development of language
in Europe in the Middle Ages. We were each assigned different sectors to focus
on, and I suggested that we meet independently before our weekly meeting with
the professor to discuss our progress, and help each other out if we were having
any difficulties. The professor really appreciated the way we worked together,
and it helped to streamline his research as well.

He was ready to start on his final copy months ahead of schedule because of the
work we helped him with.

Tips for Responding: How to answer interview questions about teamwork.

8. What do you do if you disagree with someone at work? A few years ago, I
had a supervisor who wanted me to find ways to outsource most of the work we
were doing in my department. I felt that my department was one where having
the staff on premises had a huge impact on our effectiveness and ability to relate
to our clients. I presented a strong case to her, and she came up with a
compromise plan.

Tips for Responding: How to answer interview questions about problems at

work.

9. Share an example of how you were able to motivate employees or co-

workers. I was in a situation once where the management of our department
was taken over by employees with experience in a totally different industry, in an
effort to maximize profits over service. Many of my co-workers were resistant to
the sweeping changes that were being made, but I immediately recognized some
of the benefits, and was able to motivate my colleagues to give the new process
a chance to succeed.

More Answers: What strategies would you use to motivate your team?

10. Have you handled a difficult situation? How? When I worked at ABC
Global, it came to my attention that one of my employees had become addicted
to painkillers prescribed after she had surgery. Her performance was being
negatively impacted, and she needed to get some help. I spoke with her
privately, and I helped her to arrange a weekend treatment program that was
covered by her insurance. Fortunately, she was able to get her life back on track,
and she received a promotion about six months later.

Share Real Examples

Interviewers develop questions to determine how successful a candidate will be,

given the specific tasks of the job.

Questions are generally formatted by presenting a situation, inquiring about what

action you have taken to respond to something similar in the past, and what the
result was.

Obviously, you want to present your experiences as clearly as you can, using
real examples, and highlighting situations where you were successful. Learn how
to use the STAR interview technique to give well thought out and complete
answers.

How to Prepare

To help you prepare for a behavioral interview, review the job requirements, and
make a list of the behavioral skills that you have that closely match them. Then
write down examples of when you applied those skills during a work, school, or
volunteer situation. Here's how to match your qualifications to the job. Plus,
review these tips and strategies for behavioral interview success.