The number of questions that can be asked by Human Resources, the hiring manager, and other interviewers is limitless.
These are some of the most commonly asked questions and my thoughts on how to answer them in a way that makes you memorable in a positive way.
Even these “boring, standard questions” can have unique and useful answers -- your best answers -- smart answers to these questions!
Take the time to read these questions and to have carefully thought about how you would answer each when asked.
Before the interview, review the job description, and customize your answers to the employer and the specific opportunity.
Preparation is the key to interview success. Use the Interview Checklist to identify and document your match with the job description.
Poor preparation is a deadly mistake, demonstrating to the employer a lack of interest. Using your checklist (above), develop your answers to these common interview questions, following the adivce (below) for each question.
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Employers want to understand more about you and how you might fit into their oganization.
One of the most common questions in an interview is “Tell me about yourself.” Actually, it is not even a question -- it is an invitation.
Your answer to this question is your opportunity to share with the interviewer whatever you think is important about you in their hiring decision.
More importantly, it is your chance to differentiate yourself from other candidates. In most cases, the standard questions offer the same opportunity.
[MORE: How to Answer: Tell Me About Yourself (with sample answers).]
Don't interpret this as a philosophical question about your plans for family, retirement, or dinner. The reality is that a potential employer is looking to see if your career aspirations and professional work satisfaction are achievable within their framework. If you want to be a CEO within five years, that may not be a good match for them.
Focus on them: With that in mind, you will want to know if this job and their organization are a good fit for you. So, instead, share the qualifications, experience, and desires you have that fit this opportunity. Make it clear that this job has all the elements you’re looking for in a role (know what these are).
[MORE: How to Answer: What Do You Want?]
Employers don’t necessarily care to hear that you expect to climb the corporate ladder and be a supervisor.
If the job you’re interviewing for is not a supervisor, they probably are not concerned about your management skills. You can share how you have been a mentor to others and led projects with little to no supervision. That should indicate you have leadership potential.
Focus on them: In five years, you should have made a significant impact to the company’s bottom line. Think about how you can achieve this in the role you are interviewing for. In technology careers, advancing your skills is important, too. You should be able to share what areas you want to strengthen in the near term (but be careful that they are not areas of expertise that the company needs now).
[MORE: How to Answer: Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years? (with sample answers).]
This is clearly a differentiation question. What you want to tell them is: they'd be crazy not to they hire you.
Focus on them: You need to only share how you meet almost all the criteria they seek, and also have two to three additional abilities that they might not even know they need…yet. They need to know you are a candidate who can not only meet their needs now, but will also be valuable for where they want to go in the future.
You can help out with those deliverables until they find someone (or be a backup to the person they hire).
Have you been down a path already that they are currently starting? Having “lessons learned” to offer them is a very strong plus for a job candidate.
[MORE: How to Answer: Why Should We Hire You? (with sample answers).]
There should be a heartfelt answer on this one. Your gut should be giving you the answer.
Although, if the reason is about money, location, work schedule, benefits, and other factors not tied to actual role, you may want to think a little more about your answer. None of those reasons are important to the hiring manager.
Focus on them: They want to hear that this job is exactly what you’ve been thinking about as a next step in your career.
Of course, the follow-up question they’ll ask is: How so?
Be prepared to answer with your rationale for how this job meets your professional needs and how you can contribute at your highest potential while in this role. People want to feel like their work means something. There is nothing wrong with sharing that feeling in a thoughtful way.
[MORE: How to Answer: Why Do You Want This Job? (with sample answers).]
Here’s another opportunity to differentiate yourself. Everyone claims to be: a hard worker, good communicator, and team player.
But how many are a: problem-solver, game-changer, leader in the industry?
Be creative, and have stories to back it up. The interviewer will want to know why someone thinks you are one of these things.
Focus on them: You want to present attributes that make you sound like the go-to guy or gal wherever you work. Even the standard answers can be taken a step further to be more valuable:
I hate the “greatest weakness” question. Everyone knows it’s a trap, and everyone knows the candidate is going to say something trite (popular example: "I’m a perfectionist").
Focus on them: Don't pick a weakness that will disqualify you for the job, but do give a real answer.
When you give a real answer, you are being genuine. You are admitting you have some growth opportunities and are not perfect. But you can include that you already have a plan to overcome this weakness through training or practice (or have alaready started down this road).
Some people even insert a little humor in their answer—“I wish I was better at tennis.” You can, too, if you feel like the interviewer has a sense of humor. But, be sure to quickly follow with a serious answer. Showing you have a lighter side is usually a good thing.
[MORE: How to Answer: What Is Your Greatest Weakness?]
Your greatest strength is something they actually need.
Don't choose something irrelevant to the job or the employer, like your skill in Sudoku (unless Sudoku expertise is a requirement for this job).
Focus on them: You have many strengths, but pick the one they need help with the most. Is it your expertise in a particular skill or technology? Is it your ability to turn low-performing teams into high performers? Share something that makes them think they need to hire you…right now.
If they often outsource or hire consultants in a key area of your expertise, you're in their sweet spot for candidates.
[MORE: How to Answer: What Is Your Greatest Strength?]
Consider this question an invitation to do some bragging about what you have achieved in your career that can benefit this new employer. By asking this question, the interviewers are inviting you to share an achievement/accomplishment which provides proof that you are the best candidate for this job
Focus on them: Choose a recent accomplishment, if possible, that demonstrates your ability to do this job very well. Have several good examples prepared before the interview.
Like your greatest strength, your greatest accomplishment aligns with something they need. Again, as with strengths, while you have many accomplishments you could describe, the smartest strategy is to focus on your recent accomplishments that make it clear you can do their job very well.
Be truthful and also be very careful about treating this question casually. Advanced preparation is the smartest strategy.
Hopefully, your LinkedIn Profile and your resume reference this accomplishment or situation in some way.
[MORE: How to Answer: What Is Your Achievement/Accomplishment? (with sample answers)?]
This can be a deal-breaker question.
Obviously, if you say you hate your current boss or company, the interviewer will naturally believe you will hate them eventually. And, if you say, your current compensation or role is below your standards, they will again assume the worst.
Although these may be legitimate reasons to leave a job, there must be other reasons, too.
Do you see a pattern here? Highlight a reason that the hiring manager cannot be concerned about.
Of course, if you have an issue that is very important to you that could be a deal-breaker (like company culture), you can mention it. Just be prepared for them to take one extreme or the other. For example, maybe you only want to work for companies that buy from vendors in your home country. The hiring manager will let you know if their company does this. And if they don’t, I guess the interview is over.
[MORE: How to Answer: Why You Want to Leave Your Current Job? (with sample answers).]
My simple advice is: yes, you had better have questions.
When I hired people to work on my teams in the past, I expected interviewees to have questions.
This is your chance to “interview the interviewer.” In essence, to learn about the company, the role, the corporate culture, the manager’s leadership style, and a host of other important things.
Candidates who are genuinely interested in the opportunity, ask these types of questions. Those who don’t ask questions give the impression they’re “just kicking the tires” or not really too concerned about getting the job.
It is imperative that you ask questions that do three things:
When given the floor to ask questions, you should realize the interview is not over yet. Good candidates know this is another time to shine.
[MORE: 50+ Good Questions for You to Ask the Interviewers, 5 Key Questions to Ask in Second (and Subsequent) Interviews, and 45 Questions You Should NOT Ask in a Job Interview.]
Be careful about this question for several reasons:
It doesn’t mean that you have “landed the job.” They may be just checking to add that to their notes. You must keep your guard up until you are in your car and driving away from the interview.
If you are currently employed, you should be honest about the start date and show professionalism. You should tell them you would have to discuss a transition with your current company to see if they require a two-week notice (or some other timing). If you currently have a critical role, your potential new employer would expect a transition period.
If you can start right away (and they know you are not currently employed), you certainly can say you’re able to start tomorrow. Sense of urgency and excitement about starting work at the new company is always a good thing.
[MORE: How to Answer: When Can You Start? (with sample answers).]
These are scary questions that need to be answered carefully. Your answers will likely impact any job offer you may receive.
This question is illegal for an employer to ask in many locations in the USA (listed here).
In addition, sking for your current salary is inappropriate because that salary is being paid by a different employer for a different job (even if the job titles are the same) in a different environment (maybe even different geography, industry, or size of company).
If this question is legal in the employer's location, and even if it is not legal, be prepared to answer. You can probably dodge the question for a while by offering your salary expectations (see below) for the job and/or asking for the typical salary band for this role in their company.
[MORE: What Is Your Current Salary? (with sample answers)]
This question is the start of the salary negotiation, in case they decide to make you an offer (unfortunately an offer is not guaranteed just because they ask).
Reality is that salary is on part of the employer's "compensation package" which may include other items of very high value, like bonuses, tuition reimbursement, healthcare, paid vacation, and other benefits.
Be prepared by researching what most employers in your location pay for this type of job; if you can, find out what this employer pays for the job. Conduct your research on sites like PayScale, Salary.com, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and Google.
When you do answer, provide a salary range rather than a specific number, and indicate that it is variable depending on the benefits they offer. Be sure you are comfortable with a salary at the bottom of this range.
[MORE: What Are Your Salary Expectations? (with sample answers)]
This is a key indicator of how interested you really are in the employer and the job. The answer to this question has two aspects:
Focus on them:
[MORE: How to Answer: Why Do You Want to Work Here? (with sample answers).]
This is actually a test. If you know very little, it is an indication that you are not very serious about working there.
Focus on them: Candidates who are really excited about the prospect of working there have done their homework. If you really want to stand out, learn more than what is listed on their web site.
Do some heavy research -- perhaps find some articles on the company that not many would know about. It may even come up in conversation spontaneously, and you can show them a copy of the article (I have had this happen to me).
[MORE: How to Answer: What Do You Know About Us? (with sample answers).]
You may have found the opportunity through research on ideal jobs where you can make the most impact and hope to grow professionally.
I would also hope you looked for companies that you feel meet your standards for corporate culture, investment in employees, successful business model (or perhaps giving back to community), and any other aspects you feel are important to you.
Make sure you can go into a little detail on what you found in your research.
The “job” may have found you. In that case, you can say you were contacted by HR or a recruiter who felt you were a good fit. But don’t leave it there.
You should still mention you did your homework and verified that this is right for you -- as a potential contributor to the company’s success, and as a good match for what you’re looking for in an employer.
[MORE: How to Answer: How Did You Find This Job? (with sample answers).]
This is a tough one. Typically, you should not quit a job until you have accepted another job.
However, life doesn’t always allow that to happen. Did you quit because you couldn’t spend enough time looking for your next job? Perhaps the company you worked for was close to shutting down and you didn’t want to waste valuable time waiting for the last day of operation.
Certainly, there are common reasons that are understood as necessity:
The key to answering this question is to keep it short. Don’t feel the need to expand your answer to include a lot of details.
[MORE: After You Quit, How to Answer: Why Did You Leave Your Last Job (with sample answers).]
This is another danger zone. This is not the time for defending yourself with a long story about you being the victim.
If you made a mistake, you are going to have to try to minimize the severity of the situation.
An argument with a boss could be described as a difference in opinion. Not following orders because your moral compass told you not to could be described as “taking the high road.”
Just be careful not to cast blame on others. Consider including a “silver lining.” Did you learn a lot from the experience and now possess knowledge that will mitigate the chances of this happening again?
[MORE: After Being Fired, How to Answer: Whey Did You Leave Your Job (with sample answers).]
Laid off is not fired: If you were part of a layoff, this is different from being fired. It was likely a financial decision by management, and you were part of a group that was targeted as part of budget cuts. Layoffs are typically not personal -- they are just business. Hiring managers know this (and likely have been involved in one at some point in their careers).
[MORE: If You Were Laid Off, You Weren't Fired!]
Be very careful with this question. It sounds like an invitation to complain about your previous employer. Interviews are a bad time to trash anyone -- even the previous employer who eliminated your job.
Let the interviewer decide on their own (if they care) about how badly management performed. Just make a simple statement about the cause of the layoff (as it was explained to you upon exit), and then quickly follow with a question about the stability of their company and history with layoffs.
[MORE: After a Layoff: Why Did You Leave Your Job? (with sample answers)]
I’ve dedicated a whole article to this topic (with 5 options to fill that gap). The bottom line is you should make sure to paint a picture that you were productive, improving yourself, helping family, or something constructive.
Hiring managers don’t want to hear that you felt it was time for a “long-awaited break from the rat-race.” Or "time to recharge your batteries." The first thought that will pop into their heads: When is your next break coming? Probably in the middle of a big project we’re working on.
[MORE: Long-Term Unemployed? 5 Options to Bridge that Employment Gap and How to Answer What About that Employment Gap?]
You may not get a chance to address shortcomings in a follow-up interview -- it is imperative to understand what was missing from the discussion while still in the interview.
After you have had a chance to ask your questions, you will want to validate that you are an ideal candidate for the job. To do this, you should probe into the minds of the interviewers and see if there are any concerns they have about you.
The key question to do this can be along the lines of:
“After discussing this job, I feel as if I would be a perfect fit for it. I’m curious to know if there is anything I said or DID NOT say that would make you believe otherwise.”
The answer you get to this question may open the door to mentioning something you did not get to talk about during the interview or clarify any potential misconception over something that was covered.
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You should think hard about how you can differentiate yourself from others -- every step of the way during the interview. Be memorable in a positive way even when answering these "boring questions." And, to be well-prepared to give smart answers to behavioral interview questions, read my article Smart Strategies to Answer to Behavioral Interview Questions
As some of you know from reading my free Job-Hunt interviewing guide -- Successful Job Interviewing: What Job Candidates Need to Know -- I recommend building a checklist of key experiences and attributes you want to cover and find opportunities to present them during the interview. The “Standard Questions” are often times those moments.
In developing your answers to the typical questions, focus on stories rather than simply stated facts. Read my post The Secret to Job Interview Success for details on how to choose and structure those stories.
Don't forget the important follow-up -- including-- email or snail mail, short or long?
About the author...
Job-Hunt's Working with Recruiters Expert Jeff Lipschultz is a 20+ year veteran in management, hiring, and recruiting of all types of business and technical professionals. He has worked in industries ranging from telecom to transportation to dotcom. Jeff is a founding partner of A-List Solutions, a Dallas-based recruiting and employment consulting company. Learn more about him through his company site alistsolutions.com. Follow Jeff on LinkedIn and on Twitter (@JLipschultz).
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