How to Answer 14 Most Common Interview Questions [+ Sample Answers]
These questions are the ones you’re bound to hear at just about any job interview – whether you’re an intern or a senior professional with a decade of work experience.
All of these questions are used to learn more about you, both as a person and a professional.
You might have heard the popular idea that there’s no right or wrong answers for job interview questions.
Well, while that might be true, there ARE a set of rules you need to follow when answering these questions.
If you understand what, exactly, the interviewer is looking for with each question, you’ll be able to give the right answer (and rock that interview!)
In this section, we’re going to go through 14 of the most common job interview questions and answers. We’re going to explain what the HR manager wants to see in you, as well as give you sample answers you could use.
1) Tell me something about yourself.
How hard can it be to talk about yourself? We do it on a daily basis without much thought to it.
However, recruitment managers are not looking for your whole life story, your third-grade achievements, or what you had for dinner last night. Instead, they are looking for a pitch.
This is usually the first question asked in an interview, so it acts as your introduction. Make sure your answer is relevant to the position you are applying for. What you should be aiming for here is to present yourself as the ideal candidate for the job.
A good rule of thumb is to structure your talking points as follows:
Now, let’s go through some examples:
Hey! So, my name is John Doe and I’ve worked as a business analyst for 5+ years in Company X and Company Y.
I have some background in data analysis, having studied Information Systems at [Made-Up] University.
Throughout my career, I’ve done some pretty impressive stuff (if I do say so myself, haha).
For example, at Company X, I led a project for migrating all operations data to a new data warehousing system to cut down on costs. The new solution was a much better fit for our business, which eventually led to savings of up to $200,000 annually.
I am Jane Doe, a recent college graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
I have just graduated with honors in Biochemistry. I know my way around a lab and have had multiple opportunities to put my knowledge into practice as a chemistry research assistant.
The lab felt like home, which is why I’d love to work as a lab assistant. I am passionate, hard-working, and extremely responsible. I am also looking forward to putting to practice all the things I learned during my time at university.
10) What are you looking for in a new position?
The easiest way to answer this question would be to simply say that you’re looking for whatever the company is offering.
Look at it from the point of view of the potential employer. Would they hire someone if they answered this question with:
A good salary. And uhh, well, that’s about it!
This answer pretty much says that the moment they get a higher paying offer, they’re going to jump ship!
Instead, explain to the interviewer that this job at this company is the perfect fit for you. Mention what your short-term and long-term career goals are, and how this position ties to them.
I’m looking to further apply my machine learning skills that I developed during my 2+ years of work at [Startup X]. There, I used to do programmatic ads model design.
Now, I’m looking for an opportunity to work on a larger scale project that involves setting up programmatic ads for audiences of more than 10 million people.
I believe that worked with such a large-scale project will allow me to progress significantly faster in my career.