Why should we hire you? What are your weaknesses? What motivates you in the job? Tell us about yourself, and so on. Everyone who went to a couple of job interviews has faced each of these questions at least once.
We decided to analyze the common interview questions in detail, because many job seekers struggle with them. Reading the analysis of a question should help you understand why the employer asks the question, what they try to find out, and what they want to hear from you. Typically we come up with 7 great sample answers to each question (sometimes even more answers). Enjoy!
* If you cannot see your question on the list, try the search button in the header of this page. We have 7 sample answers online for dozens of questions, but below is just a short selection of the most popular ones.
- Why should we hire you? Learn how to identify the value you can bring to the company, and how to demonstrate it in your interview. According to statistics and number of google monthly searches, no other question attracts as much attention as this one.
- What do you know about our company? Good research will help you with a good answer, as long as you understand what the interviewers want to hear from you.
- Why do you want this job? A tough question indeed, especially if we speak about jobs that are generally considered bad, or at least not ideal, and we apply for them simply because our current situation does not allow us to apply for a better job, or because we need any job, to survive.
- Tell me about yourself. The most typical interview question all around the world. Hr managers use it mostly in screening interviews, in the first rounds of interviewing process.
- How would your colleagues describe your personality?
- What are your weaknesses? Most people do not like to talk about their weaknesses. What is more, we often can not even tell our strengths and weaknesses, or have an unrealistic view of them. Learn how to identify your weaknesses, and how to answer this question in your interview.
- What are your strengths?
- What are your goals? Learn how to connect your goals with their goals, impressing the hiring managers.
- Does your academic record accurately reflect your capabilities?
- Why did you choose your major? You can get this question in both job and school admission interviews. Learn how to impress the interviewers with your answer.
- What are your salary expectations?
- What motivates you in work? Motivation of job candidates is often the deciding factor, especially in the interviews for entry level jobs and for manual labor.
- How do you define success?
- What are you passionate about? Life is an adventure, a story that unfolds in front of your eyes in every second. Passion is a virtue, not a vice. But what passion should you talk about in a job interview?
- In what areas of customer service have you had experience?
- Why do you want to work for us? We typically submit dozens of job applications, trying to secure some invitations for a face to face interview. But how to convince the employer that their offer is our first choice?
- What are you looking for in your new job?
- Aren’t you overqualified for this job? Three excellent answers to this tricky interview question. Learn how to convince the HR managers that you aren’t overqualified.
- Are you willing to relocate?
- When can you start in job? A seemingly simple questions which can get difficult when you cannot start ASAP.
- What are the three things your former manager would like you to improve on?
- Do you smoke or drink alcohol? Easy one when you don’t, but what should you say when you smoke a lot, or drink a lot?
- What’s your ideal working environment?
- With whom would you discuss confidential information about your customers? – You may get this one especially in retail. Check 7 sample answers.
- How do you handle failure? – Failure belongs to life. What matters for the hiring managers is how quickly you can get over it, and whether it impacts you in work.
- Describe yourself in one word – One of the strangest interview questions. I hope you will pick at least one word in our selection of 100 fitting answers to the question.
For shorter analysis of 15 most common interview questions, check the interview questions and answers article. And if you’d like to see premium answers to over 100 interview questions, check our Interview Success Package. Thank you.