Top 50 Common Interview Questions

Why Practicing Common Interview Questions is Important?

There is no better way to build confidence before the interview than to practice answering questions that are likely to be asked of you. This will help you avoid feeling awkward during the actual interview. It is also ideal to practice answering them out loud with a friend or family member who can act as your interviewer. This will allow you to focus on your body language while responding to the questions.

Types of Interview Questions

During your interview, you should be prepared to elaborate on your work history. You may also be asked to answer behavioral or situational questions that require you to provide a brief story about how you handled a work challenge in the past or how you would handle a situation in the future.

Questions About Your Job Qualifications

Hiring managers will be interested in the actual professional experience you can provide. Be prepared to clarify details about the work history you described in your resume.

Questions:

1. What relevant experience do you have?
2. What did you like or dislike about your previous job?
3. What were the key challenges you dealt with?
4. How did you fit in with the company culture?
5. What is your biggest achievement (failure) in this position?
6. What is the most (least) rewarding part of your job?
7. Why are you leaving your current job?
8. Why did you resign?
9. Why did you quit your job?
10. Why were you laid off?

How to Respond:

It is important to do more than just provide a simple list of jobs you have held in the past. Instead, try to describe how you developed the qualifications that the employer is looking for (the job listing is the best guide to identify the skills you should emphasize). If you are an entry-level candidate with little relevant work experience, it’s good to draw from your educational/training background, part-time jobs, or internship experience to show that you have the required skill set.

Questions About Work Habits and Preferences

Interviewers try to predict which of their candidates will be the most adaptable to their workplace and current team dynamics and work style.

Questions:

11. Describe your work style.
12. Do you take work home with you?
13. How would you describe and articulate the pace at which you work?
14. Is there a particular type of work environment you prefer?
15. What interests you about this job?
16. What are the toughest decisions you make?
17. Have you ever had difficulty working with a manager?
18. Have you ever been angry at work? What happened?
19. How would you handle it if your manager was wrong?
20. Are you overqualified for this position?

Note: The interview is not just about the interviewer asking questions and you responding correctly. It’s your opportunity to make a great impression and demonstrate your value as a resource to the company. Make sure you dress appropriately and arrive prepared to take the job offered.

Questions About Teamwork and Communication Skills

You can tell from the job listing whether teamwork and interpersonal skills are important for success in the position you are applying for. If so, plan to provide some examples of how you have led or participated in teams in collaborative settings.

Questions:

21. Do you prefer to work alone or as part of a team?
22. Give some examples of teamwork.
23. What do you expect from a supervisor?
24. Describe your best manager and your worst manager.
25. How do you handle pressure and stress?
26. If people who know you were asked why they should hire you, what would they say?
27. What do you know about this company?
28. What can you contribute to this company?
29. What can you do for this company?
30. What problems have you faced at work?

How to Respond:

Use the STAR response technique to answer questions about teamwork that will impress the interviewer: just describe a situation where you collaborated in a team, the task you were assigned, the action you took, and the result of that action.

Questions

About Your Personality and Self-Knowledge

Most employers hope to hire employees who have professional skills to do the job, along with personality traits and a level of self-awareness that will allow them to work well with supervisors, colleagues, and/or clients.

Questions:

31. Describe yourself.
32. Are you the right person for this job? Why?
33. How do you measure success?
34. How would you describe yourself?
35. Why should we hire you?
36. Tell me about yourself.
37. What are the things you feel passionate about?
38. What have you learned from your mistakes?
39. What is your greatest strength?
40. What is your greatest weakness?

Important: During the interview, you should only address the questions regarding your ability to perform the job. You do not need to discuss or disclose anything else, including your age, race, or family status.

How to Respond:

Take a middle ground when answering these questions: you don’t want to come across as overly confident or full of yourself, but you also don’t want to downplay your abilities or “hide your light under a bushel.” The best tone to use is quiet confidence. If you are asked a “tricky” question about your weaknesses or mistakes you made in the past, acknowledge a minor failure and then explain how you learned from avoiding this problem.

Questions About Your Career Path

The hiring process can be costly and time-consuming for employers, especially when they have to pull interviewers away from their regular duties to speak with candidates. Thus, their goal is usually to hire someone who can last and grow with their organization.

Questions:

41. Describe your career goals.
42. How long do you expect to work at this company?
43. How much do you expect to be paid?
44. Tell me why you want to work here.
45. What are you looking for in your next job?
46. What are your goals for the future?
47. What are your salary requirements?
48. What challenges are you looking for in your next job?
49. Why do you want this job?
50. What will you do if you don’t get a job offer?

How to Respond:

Before the interview, try to envision how you might, in a perfect scenario, enjoy settling down with the company you are applying to. What would you like to be doing in five years? Ten years? Think about how your career goals align with the opportunities offered by the employer. Then, in your answer, “sell” your candidacy by envisioning how you can contribute to their operations and gradually take on greater responsibilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can you succeed in the interview? You should practice answering common job interview questions with a friend, arrive at the interview on time or early, have specific questions for the interviewer, and send a thank-you note after the interview.

What to Say at the Beginning of the Interview?

Start with a friendly and professional greeting like “It’s great to meet you!” You can also thank the interviewer for meeting with you.

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Source: https://www.thebalancemoney.com/top-job-interview-questions-2061228