Job Interview Questions, Answers, and Suggestions: How to answer job interview questions effectively!

Do you have a job interview coming up? Are you prepared? The best way to get ready for an interview is to take the time to review the most common interview questions you will most likely be asked. Knowing what you're going to say can eliminate a lot of interview stress.

You don't need to memorize an answer, but do take the time to consider how you'll respond. The more you prepare, the more confident you'll feel during a job interview.

 When you're not sure what to expect during an interview, also review this refresher on how job interviews work, and tips on how to prepare to ace a job interview.

Job Interview Questions and Best Answers

Review examples of the best answers for the most frequently asked interview questions in several different categories, and advice on how to answer. You don't need to memorize your responses, but do have an idea of how you'll answer the interview questions you can expect to be asked.

Most Frequently Asked Interview Questions

These are top most commonly asked interview questions, with examples of the best answers. Also review job-specific interview questions for many different positions to get ideas for framing your own interview responses.

Interview Questions About You

Interviewers will ask questions about you to gain insight into your personality, and to determine whether you're a fit for both the job and the company.

These are open-ended questions which will give you the opportunity to show the employer that you're well qualified for the position.

• Tell me about yourself.
• What is your greatest strength?
• What is your greatest weakness?
• Tell me about something that's not on your resume.
• How will your greatest strength help you perform?
• How do you handle failure?
• How do you handle success?
• Do you consider yourself successful? Why?
• How do you handle stress and pressure?
• How would you describe yourself?
• Describe a typical work week.
• Are you willing to fail and or make mistakes?
• Describe your work style.
• Do you work well with other people?
• Do you take work home with you?
• How are you different from the competition?
• How do you view yourself? Whom do you compare yourself to?
• How does this job fit in with your career plan?
• How many hours a week do you normally work?
• How would you adjust to working for a new company?
• How would you describe the pace at which you work?
• How would your co-workers describe your personality?
• Is there anything else we should know about you?
• What motivates you?
• Are you a self motivator?
• What do you find are the most difficult decisions to make?
• What has been the greatest disappointment in your life?
• What are you passionate about?
• What are your hobbies?
• What are your pet peeves?
• What is your dream job?
• What will you miss most about your last job?
• What won’t you miss about your last job?
• Would you rather be liked or respected?
• Why should I take a risk on you?
• If you could relive the last 10 years of your life, what would you do differently?

Questions About Leaving Your Job

Employers almost always ask about why you left, or are leaving, your job. Be prepared with an explanation for why you're moving on. Do make sure the reasons you give match what past employers will say about you if they are contacted for a reference.

• Why are you leaving your job?
• Why do you want to change jobs?
• Why were you fired?
• Why were you laid-off?
• Why did you quit your job?
• Why did you resign?
• What have you been doing since your last job?
• Why have you been out of work so long?

Interview Questions About Salary

Some of the hardest questions to answer during a job interview are about compensation. Here's what you will be asked and examples of the best answers. Questions about salary can be tricky to answer, and, in some locations, employers aren't allowed to ask about your salary history.

• What were your starting and final levels of compensation?
• What are your salary expectations?
• What are your salary requirements?
• Why would you take a job for less money?

Questions About Qualifications

The most important thing for interviewers to determine is whether you're qualified for the job. Here's what they will ask to find out. When responding, be specific. Share your skills that are a match for the job requirements, so you can show the interviewer you're well qualified.

• What applicable experience do you have?
• Are you overqualified for this job?
• How did you impact the bottom line?
• Interview questions about your abilities.
• Sell me this pen.
• What can you do better for us than the other candidates for the job?
• What part of the job will be the least challenging for you?
• Which parts of this job are the most challenging for you?
• What philosophy guides your work?
• What strength will help you the most to succeed?
• Why are you interested in taking a lower level job?
• Why are you interested in a non-management job?

Questions About Job Performance

How you performed in previous roles can indicate how you will perform in the job for which you're applying. Be prepared to answer questions about what you did well - and what you didn't. As with questions about qualifications, be sure to relate your performance to the employer's requirements. Be careful how you to respond to negative questions. You can frame your responses in a positive manner, even when discussing a challenging situation.

• What do people most often criticize about you?
• What is the biggest criticism you received from your boss?
• What is the worst thing that you have ever gotten away with?
• What makes you angry?
• What problems have you encountered at work?
• What strategies would you use to motivate your team?
• What would you be looking for in an applicant?
• When was the last time you were angry? What happened?
• Why weren't you promoted at your last job?
• Tell me about something you would have done differently at work.
• If the people who know you were asked why you should be hired, what would they say?
• What type of work environment do you prefer?
• How do you evaluate success?
• Describe a difficult work situation or project and how you overcame it.
• Describe a time when your workload was heavy and how you handled it.

Interview Questions About Your Work History

Is your work history stable, has it prepared you for the job you're interviewing for, and do you have any gaps in your employment history that the company should be concerned about? If not, prepare to answer questions about what you were doing when you weren't in the workforce. Also be ready to discuss your accomplishments and the career path you've taken, to date. Here's what you'll be asked about.

• Questions about your work history.
• Questions about your resume.
• What were your expectations for the job and to what extent were they met?
• What were your responsibilities?
• What major challenges and problems did you face? How did you handle them?
• What have you learned from your mistakes?
• What did you like or dislike about your previous job?
• Which was most / least rewarding?
• What was the biggest accomplishment / failure in this position?
• Questions about job demotions.
• How have you impacted worker safety?
• Describe the gap in your employment history.

Questions About Management and Teamwork

Are you a team player? Do you work well with others? Do you prefer to work in a solitary environment or as part of a team? Your work style, and how you get along with others, including co-workers, managers, and customers or clients is important to all employers. Here are some of the questions employers ask about getting along at work.

• Who was your best boss and who was the worst?
• Describe your ideal boss.
• If you know your boss is 100% wrong about something how would you handle it?
• What do you expect from a supervisor?
• Have you ever had difficulty working with a manager?
• How did you fit in with the company culture?
• Describe how you managed a problem employee.
• Do you prefer to work independently or on a team?
• Give some examples of teamwork.
• More teamwork interview questions.

Questions About Why You Should Be Hired

Why should you be hired over the other applicants? What makes you best candidate for the job? Here's when you'll have the opportunity to make the case for getting a job offer, and the chance to sell yourself to the interviewer.

• Why should we hire you?
• Why shouldn't we hire you?
• Why should we hire you instead of the other applicants for the job?
• Why are you the best person for the job?
• What can you contribute to this company?

Interview Questions About the New Job and the Company

What do you know about the company, why do you want the job, and what would you do if you were to be hired, are just some of the questions you'll be asked about the position and employer. Take the time to research the employer prior to the interview, so that you can ask informed questions about the job and company.

• How is our company better than your current employer?
• What interests you about this job?
• What do you know about this company?
• Why do you want this job?
• Why do you want to work here?
• What challenges are you looking for in a position?
• What do you see yourself doing within the first 30 days on the job?
• What can we expect from you in the first 60 days on the job?
• Are you willing to travel?
• What is good customer service?
• What would be your ideal company culture?
• When could you start work?
• Is there anything I haven't told you about the job or company that you would like to know?

Interview Questions About the Future

Are you going to stick around if you're hired is something most employers want to know. All these questions will gauge your interest in making a commitment.

• What are you looking for in your next job? What is important to you?
• What is your professional development plan?
• Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
• Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
• What are your goals for the next five years / ten years?
• How do you plan to achieve your goals?
• What will you do if you don't get this position?
• Where else are you interviewing?

The Final Question

The last question you'll most likely be asked is whether you have any questions. Here's how to respond.

• Do you have any questions for me? (Most common error that candidates fail to soundly answer)

As an interview draws to a close, it's very likely that the interviewer will ask "Do you have any questions for me?"

When you hear this query, you may groan inside, since it can feel like you've covered absolutely everything during the course of the interview. However, it's better to respond to this question than politely demur. Otherwise, you could leave interviewers with an impression that you're not engaged with the conversation or interested in the position.

Plus, since this question typically comes at the end of the interview, it's one of your final chances to leave an impression on interviewers — so make sure it's a good one!

Here's what you need to know about how to respond — and how not to respond — when interviewers ask if you have any questions for them. Plus, see sample questions you can ask.

Prepare for This Question

Since this question is so common, it makes sense to plan for it: Come to your interview with a list of questions that you want answered.

Keep in mind that your questions may change based on who is interviewing you. If you're meeting with someone from HR, for instance, your questions might focus on the interview process or overall company organization. If you're meeting with the person who will be your manager if you got the role, you might ask questions around responsibilities in the role.

Prepare several questions that you can use during this moment, since many of them may be addressed during the interview.

What Not to Say

It may be an open-ended question, but that doesn't mean any response goes. Stay away from questions on these topics: 

Off-work activities: It's fine to ask questions about the culture at the job, but stay away from queries that are focused on non-work activities, like happy hour outings, lunch, or vacation time.

These types of questions will make you seem not very invested in the company or work, which isn't the right impression to leave. Similarly, don't ask how many hours you'll need to work each day.

The interviewer's personal life or office gossip: Give interviewers the same courtesy you'd want them to give to you — don't ask about their family or living situation, and don't delve into gossip about people you may know in common. 

Things you could answer yourself: If your question could be easily answered with a quick online search or by glancing at the company website, skip it. Time-wasting questions won't be appreciated. Interviewers expect that you will have done a bit of research on the company, and familiarized yourself with the basics.

Salary and benefits: This just isn't the right time, particularly if this is a first-round interview. Getting specific about salary and benefits can make you seem uninterested in the work and the company, and focused only on yourself. (And here's how to respond if interviewers ask about salary themselves.)

Very complicated or multi-part questions: Asking multi-part questions can overwhelm interviewers. Make it easy on them: Ask just one question at a time.

You can always follow-up. Aim to make the moment feel conversational.

One more thing to avoid: Don't ask too many questions at this moment. You want to be prepared and ask one or two, but when interviewers begin to shuffle paper, glance at their watch or a phone, or wake up sleeping computers, take the hint and wind down your questions.

Here's more information about questions that you shouldn't ask during an interview.

So, What Should You Ask?

Ideally, your response will make it clear that you were engaged during the interview and have a good sense of the company's goals and priorities. You can reflect back to earlier moments in the interview ("It sounds like you were saying that XYZ is a real priority. How is your department involved in that project?"). Or, you can mention questions that build off of news of the company, or information you read on the company website.

Aim to always ask open-ended questions, and not questions that can be answered with a "yes" or "no."

Here are a few broad categories of questions that are appropriate to ask. 

Questions about the role: This is a great opportunity to learn more about what you'll do, if it hasn't already been thoroughly covered in the earlier part of the interview. Here are some questions you can ask:

• Can you share more about the day-to-day responsibilities of this position? What's a typical day like?
• Why is this position open — is this a new role? If not, why did the person who held this role leave it?
• If I were hired for this role, what would you want me to achieve in my first months in the position?

Questions about the company or the interviewer: This is also a good opportunity to get a sense of company culture and how the company is doing.

• What's the company organization and management style like?
• What's one thing that makes you happy to come into work today?
• How long have you been at the company?
• What did you do before you were at the company?
• Can you talk about the company culture a bit?
• What are some of the issues facing the company?
• What are the company's goals for the upcoming year?

Questions about you: You can use this moment to get a sense of how the interviewer perceived you, and if they think you're a good candidate. With these questions, you might want to preface by expressing your excitement for the position. And then, based on the feedback you get, you can address the issue on the spot or follow up in your thank you letter. You can ask:

• Do you have any concerns about my candidacy?
• What are you looking for in a candidate?
• Are there any qualifications that you think I'm missing?