https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/top-interview-questions-and-answers – Indeed
1. What makes you unique?
Employers often ask this question to identify why you might be more qualified than other candidates they’re interviewing. To help you prepare an answer to this question, we asked Indeed’s resident career coach Jennifer Herrity to offer some guidance. “There are times when helping to prepare someone for an interview that I find they overlook their unique skill sets,” Jennifer told us. “For example, it can be easy to not recognize traits or skills that are natural strengths like the ability to speak another language or motivate a team.” Jennifer further advises, “Start by reflecting on what advice or support people seek you out for — this is an indicator of what you uniquely have to offer.”
You can structure your answer by following these three bullet points:
- Review the job description for qualities that the employer finds valuable.
- Incorporate ways you’ve been successful in your previous roles.
- Highlight the traits or skills you’ve been praised for by former managers and colleagues.
2. Tell me about yourself and your qualifications
The employer asks this question to better understand your skills and accomplishments and why you think you’d be a good fit. Your answer should be concise and direct. Include information about your background, your key achievements and why you think you’re suited for the open role.
3. Why do you want to work at this company?
Interviewers ask this question to see if you took the time to research the company and consider how you would fit within the company culture. The best way to prepare for this question is to do your homework and learn about the products, services, values, history and culture of the prospective employer. In your answer, mention specific aspects of the company that align with your values and career goals.
4. What interests you about this role?
Hiring managers often ask this question to make sure you understand the role and also to allow you an opportunity to highlight your relevant skills. Study the job description carefully and compare its requirements to your skills and experience. In your answer, focus on a few job responsibilities that you would particularly enjoy and that you have experience in handling.
5. What motivates you?
Employers ask this question to gauge your level of self-awareness and to ensure that your motivations align with the role and the company overall. To answer, be as specific as possible, provide real-life examples and tie your answer back to the job role and/or the company’s mission.
6. What are your greatest strengths?
In your answer to this question, share your most relevant technical and soft skills. While it may feel uncomfortable to speak highly of yourself, remember that this is your opportunity to tell the hiring manager what makes you a great candidate.
7. What are your greatest weaknesses?
It can feel awkward to discuss your weaknesses in an environment where you’re expected to focus on your accomplishments. However, when answered correctly, sharing your weaknesses shows that you’re self-aware and have an interest in continued growth and learning—traits that are attractive to many employers.
8. What are your goals for the future?
Hiring managers often ask about your future goals to determine whether you’re likely to stay with the company long-term. Additionally, this question is used to gauge your ambition, expectations for your career and ability to plan ahead. The best way to handle this question is to examine your current career trajectory and how this role could help you reach your long-term goals.
9. Where do you think you’ll be in five years?
Understanding how you imagine your life in the future can help employers understand whether the trajectory of the role and company fits in with your personal development goals.
10. What did you like most about your last position?
Knowing what you enjoyed about your last position can offer employers insight into your motivations and personality, and whether you’ll enjoy the open role. Jennifer advises, “When answering a question about what you enjoyed most in a previous role, it can help to mention a skill, trait or responsibility that is required of the role that you are applying for. This can demonstrate that you understand what you are applying for and that you already know there are aspects of the role that you would enjoy.”
11. What did you like least about your last position?
This question can tell employers about the kind of work you enjoy, your experience level and whether you’d be a good fit with the company culture. But avoid saying anything negative about your former employer, managers or colleagues. “Keeping a positive tone and outlook is key when discussing reasons for leaving a job,” Jennifer advises. “For example, if you share that your previous role didn’t provide you with an opportunity to grow, this can still be a positive reason for leaving because it shows that you are interested in advancing in your career.” Instead, make your answer more about your career growth and enthusiasm for joining the company. Jennifer emphasizes, ”The desire to take the next step in your professional journey should always be seen as a good thing when you express gratitude for the opportunity your previous role offered you and excitement for how you can contribute and expand your skillset in this new position.”
12. Can you tell me about a difficult work situation and how you overcame it?
This question is often used to assess your problem-solving skills and how well you perform under pressure. Consider using the STAR method to illustrate a work challenge and how you overcame the situation. Specifically, you would structure your answer by stating the context of the Situation or challenge, your role or assigned Task, the Action you took to overcome the challenge, and the Result or outcome.
13. How do you respond to stress or change?
How you handle stressful situations and adapt to change is an indicator of your ability to solve unexpected problems and learn new processes. Employers want to hire candidates who react to stress constructively and are willing to try new solutions, so it’s important that your answer to this question demonstrates personal growth. Provide an answer that demonstrates your ability to stay calm under pressure and adapt to new processes.
14. How do you handle conflict at work?
Employers ask this question to gauge your communication skills, problem-solving skills and how well you deal with stress. A good answer will illustrate a time when you confronted an obstacle, remained calm and worked toward a productive solution.
15. What is your greatest accomplishment?
It can be overwhelming to pinpoint your single most impressive accomplishment. Instead, think of a few achievements that showcase your work ethic and values. If you can, choose examples that also tie back to the main responsibilities of the open role.
16. How do you define success?
Employers ask this question to see how your definition of success might influence your goals and how you measure them. A good answer will show that you know how to define and measure goals and you’re willing to challenge yourself and work hard to meet them. Consider your proudest achievements, your long- and short-term successes and how the company you’re interviewing with views success. Give specific examples of how you’ve succeeded in the past.
17. How do your skills align with this role?
While this is similar to questions like “Why should we hire you?” or “What can you bring to the company?” it allows you to be more specific about your work ethic, style and unique abilities as it relates to the role. An impactful answer will discuss your hard and soft skills, and how those skills benefitted your employer.
18. Why should we hire you?
While this question may seem intimidating interviewers are generally just giving you an opportunity to pitch your best qualifications for the job. Use this time to reinforce your best qualities and skills and mention anything else that didn’t come up during the interview. Practicing your answer in advance will help you sound confident and reinforce your communication skills.
19. Why are you leaving your current job?
There are many acceptable reasons for leaving a job. Prepare a thoughtful answer that will give your interviewer confidence that you’re being deliberate about this job change. Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of your current or previous role, focus on the future and what you hope to gain in your next position.
20. What is your salary range expectation?
Interviewers ask this question to make sure your expectations are in line with the amount they’ve budgeted for the role. If you give a salary range exceedingly lower or higher than the market value of the position, it gives the impression that you don’t know your worth. Here are three ways to approach this response: provide a range, include negotiation options, or deflect the question.
21. Do you have any questions?
This might be one of the most important questions asked during the interview process because it allows you to explore any topics that haven’t been addressed and shows the interviewer you’re serious about the role. Remember that you’re interviewing the company too. Take time to ask the interviewer about their own experiences with the company and address any lingering questions you may have.
22. What are you passionate about?
Employers might ask this question to better understand what drives you and what you care most deeply about. Your answer can help them understand whether you’re a good fit for the role and whether the position will meet your long-term goals.
23. What is your teaching philosophy?
This isn’t a question solely for those applying for teaching positions. Employers may ask this of anyone who might be leading or teaching others. Your response will allow employers to gauge your personal skills and if you would be a good culture add. A good answer will concisely identify what you think teaching should achieve and include concrete examples to illustrate your ideas.
24. What does customer service mean to you?
If you’re applying for a public-facing role, an employer may ask this question to determine what aspects of customer service are most important to you. A good answer will align with the company’s values, which you can glean through researching their customer service policy, understanding their products and clientele and reflecting on your own experiences as a customer. Your answer can either come from the perspective of a customer or a customer service provider.
25. Tell me about your work experience
This question gives you the opportunity to elaborate on your most relevant work experiences. Employers will want to know about the skills and accomplishments that will be most useful in the open role. According to Jennifer, “You want to be concise, curated and current when discussing your work experience in an interview. To do this, keep your work summary brief and focus on recent experience that is relevant to the role you are interviewing for. When possible, include an accomplishment that you are proud to share.”
26. How do you work under pressure?
Many jobs involve moments when there are unexpected situations that require swift action. The ability to stay calm and think logically in such a scenario is a major asset. This question offers another opportunity to use the STAR method to talk about a specific time you faced a stressful and calmly found a solution.
27. What is your dream job?
Employers typically ask this question because they want to ensure that your interests and goals are compatible with the career path of the open position. However, Jennifer cautions, “While it can be tempting to say, ‘This is my dream job!’ it isn’t always a good answer on its own, even if it is true. Interviewers want to know that you have a good understanding of what you’re looking for in a role and that you’re not just applying for random positions. ”The best answer, Jennifer explains, focuses on your specific qualifications. “Describe the skills, tasks and even work environment that you enjoy and make the connection to the role that you are interviewing for by highlighting how this role would allow you to focus on that kind of work.”
28. What can you bring to the company?
This question is similar to “Why should we hire you?” A strong answer will demonstrate how your skills and experience will make you successful in the new role. As Jennifer explains, “Like with answers to many questions asked in an interview, this is your opportunity to show you have done your research, you understand the role, and you are aligned with the company’s goals and values.” She goes on to point out, “This is an opportunity for you to share an example from your past using the STAR method that demonstrates success in an area relevant to the role or company.
