Common Interview Questions

Are you worried about the kinds of questions you’ll be asked at an interview? Don’t be! Here are some of the most commonly asked questions—and how best to respond to them.  By preparing yourself with good answers before the interview, you'll be surprised how smooth the interview will go.

How would you describe yourself?

This is your chance to talk about yourself—in a way that reflects just why you’re the perfect employee for them.  Be ready to spend about two minutes answering this. Focus on a particular accomplishment or attribute that would make you a valuable employee. Make sure to stay on target and not go off into any tangents.

Tell me about your biggest accomplishment.

There’s no need to be shy. Focus on an accomplishment that demonstrates your hard work, commitment to long hours, or ability to work under pressure. Try to discuss an accomplishment you feel might apply to this new position. The point is to show them that you accomplished something impressive—and that the things you did to get the job done are things you bring to the table.

Why do you want to change jobs?

Even if you had a boss from hell, and even if you hated the company you worked for, don’t ever give those as answers to this question. In fact, never criticize any past employer or co-worker. If your old company was being bought out or shut down, you can mention that. Another safe answer is to say that you feel you can no longer make a contribution because of extensive changes at the company.

What did you like/dislike about your last position?

Again, this isn’t the time to admit you hate overtime, or that you had a conflict with your previous supervisor. The interviewer wants to know whether you’re a good fit for the position, and that includes your temperament and willingness to work hard. Put a positive spin on things and discuss how you enjoy challenges and growth opportunities.

In what ways are you qualified for this position?

The trick is to zero in on a few of the job’s requirements, and then explain how your skills and experience are a perfect match for them. Remember, you want to stand out from the crowd, so don’t give general answers about being a hard worker. Give them specific examples of management experience, a technical skill, or a personal success story, and demonstrate how that meets their specific requirements.

Describe your most important strengths.

You know you’ve got skills and strengths. Pick the ones you think are most impressive—and most relevant to the position you’re interviewing for.  It could be a technical skill or management experience. No matter what your strengths, make sure you explain how you applied them to a previous work situation. After all, you want to show the interviewer how your strengths will benefit a workplace like theirs.

Have you accomplished something you didn’t think was possible?

Here’s another chance to prove your integrity, work ethic, and commitment to achieving a goal. Give an example of how you accomplished a significant challenge without giving up. Was there a situation in the past where you took the initiative? Employers really appreciate a results-oriented employee who knows what to do without being told, so this is your chance to prove you’re one.

Can you think of a situation during your career that was particularly embarrassing? How would you handle the same situation today?

This isn’t the time to be shy either. Be honest about a failure, but put a positive spin on it. Discuss how you learned a valuable skill or experience because of it. The trick here is to show that you’re able to learn from past mistakes. Saying "No, I can’t think of an embarrassing situation" is not only difficult to believe, but it robs you of a chance to really demonstrate your abilities.

One of our company’s biggest challenges is… how would you deal with this?

For this one, it’s never a bad idea to ask more details before trying to answer the question. You’re not stalling for time—you’re breaking the challenge down into sub-challenges, some of which you might already have experience dealing with. Talk about how you’d deal with these sub-challenges, but always bring it back to the main challenge. You want to present yourself as someone who can solve a complex problem, not just small parts of it. This is a great opportunity to show off your analytical and organizational skills.

Have you ever been in situations involving difficult co-workers, tight deadlines, or inadequate resources? How did you handle these situations?

Here’s another chance for you to turn a possible negative into a positive. Talk about your most difficult management task and the skills you used to deal with it. Maybe you used organizational or interpersonal skills, or maybe it was perseverance and diplomacy. Whatever it was, you want to demonstrate you have what it takes to deal with difficult situations in a calm, professional, and effective manner.

What would you change about your career if given the opportunity?

You’re going to have to be honest here. The interviewer wants to know if you’ll be happy in the position, and whether you’re motivated enough to make changes in order to get what you want out of your career. Be honest, but be careful not to say something that will make the interviewer think you’re just looking for a short-term job.

What are your career goals?

We all have goals, and some of them are more realistic than others. Stick to the realistic ones. Sure, maybe some day you want to be CEO of the biggest company in the world, but that’s not going to help you in an interview. Give a more realistic answer, such as a management promotion in three to five years. Having trouble? Then look at your past work history (e.g., did you rise quickly or travel a rocky road?) and use this as a guideline.

Most importantly, why should we hire you?

Interview questions don’t get more blunt than this, but be ready, because many interviewers will ask you this. Don’t get nervous.  If anything, this is your chance to be just as direct—about why you’re the best person for the job. Talk about your organizational skills, positive attitude, and confidence. Take charge by demonstrating, once and for all, why your skills, experience, and strengths are ideally suited for the job. Remember, it’s all about standing out from the crowd. Why should they hire you? Because your A skills, B experience, and C career goals fit perfectly with requirements A, B, and C.