Introduction

Some might say an interview is a necessary evil, but it’s also a great way for candidates and employers to get to know each other before committing to anything. As with almost everything in life, preparation is key - knowing what to expect gives you the confidence boost you need to ace the job interview and secure the position.

Keep on reading as we’re about to give you a list of 55 most common interview questions and ideas on how to answer them in the best possible way.

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How to best prepare for a job interview

Before diving into the list of most common interview questions, let’s go through some general advice on approaching the interview.

No matter what type of job you’re applying for, whatever the industry is, there are a few simple rules to follow every time. 

• Tailor your answers to the role you’re applying for
  Highlight relevant skills and experience that will help you move forward in the hiring process.
• Be honest
  Honesty is the best policy - you want to be hired for who you are.
• Focus on your achievements
  ‍When possible, make sure to quantify your achievements and briefly explain the actions you took in order to succeed.
• Practice
  ‍You know how the saying goes - practice makes perfect. There’s no shame in practicing your answers out loud or even asking a friend to help you and play the part of the recruiter. 

55 most common interview questions and how to answer them

Yay, we made it to the most important part. We’ve split the questions into X categories to make it easier for you. Let’s dive in!

General interview questions

These are applicable anywhere, for any role.

1. Tell me about yourself.
   A classic opening that requires a brief overview of your background. You can state your job title and what you’re passionate about here.
2. Why do you want to work here?
   Recruiters want to check if there’s an alignment with the company’s vision. You can respond with something in the lines of "I admire your innovative approach to sustainability and would love to contribute to a company that’s making a real difference."
3. What are your strengths?
   This one is pretty straightforward - recruiters want to know if your strengths match the role. When answering, make sure to include relevant skills and soft skills such as clear communication and time management.
4. What’s your greatest weakness?
   Ooh, an interesting one. Recruiters are looking for self-awareness and a growth mindset. When answering, you can start by saying a flaw that has been a problem in the past, but it’s something you’re working on improving or have already improved -  "I used to hesitate in delegating tasks, but I’ve been working on building trust and clarity with team members."
5. Why should we hire you?
   And “Well, because you’re hiring!” will work only if the recruiters have a sense of humor. With this question, the interviewer is looking for confidence and a value proposition, so saying something like  "I bring a blend of experience, creativity and results-driven thinking to the table, which has boosted team efficiency at my previous workplace by 25%." is a good start.
6. Why are you leaving your current job?
   As much as you want to say your last job was a living nightmare, that’s not the time and place. Recruiters are looking for professionalism and a forward-thinking attitude with this one. You can say you’re simply looking for a new challenge and an opportunity to grow in a company that aligns more closely with your career goals.
7. Where do you see yourself in five years?
   Your answer to this one is meant to show ambition and career vision. You can say you see yourself in a position where you help shape strategy and mentoring others while continuing to develop your own skills.
8. What are your salary expectations?
   This is something you’d probably never be asked if you apply for a job on nPloy - you always know the salary range beforehand. However, if an interviewer asks you, it’s only because they want to see your preparedness and realistic expectations. You can say something like "Based on the market and my experience, I’m seeking between these numbers, but I’m open to discussing based on the full compensation package."
9. What motivates you?
   Recruiters are looking for passion and drive. Be honest and add how much solving problems, learning and making meaningful contributions makes you feel happy and fulfilled.
10. How do you handle stress?
    With this question, recruiters aim to learn more about your emotional intelligence and resilience. A great answer is "I stay calm under pressure by staying organized and breaking tasks into manageable steps. I also take short breaks to reset and stay focused."
11. Describe your ideal work environment.
    Don’t be afraid to speak your mind and say you’d like to be a part of a collaborative environment that’s open to innovation.
12. What are your career goals?
    Whatever your response is, don’t forget to mention how important continuous learning is. 
13. How do you organize and prioritize your work?
    Highlight the importance of prioritizing tasks, using task management tools and focusing on high-impact activities.
14. What do you know about our company?
    It’s a pretty straightforward question so make sure to do your research before the interview.
15. Do you prefer working alone or in a team?
    You can always choose the best of both worlds - you know you’re productive when working independently but also thrive in a collaborative environment.

Behavioral interview questions

Recruiters use this to paint a better picture of your professional self and how you behave in certain situations.

16. Tell me about a time you overcame a challenge.
    It’s important to focus on the outcome, for example "A tight deadline on a product launch forced us to pivot mid-project. I reorganized our priorities and communicated with all stakeholders which helped us deliver on time."
17. Describe a time you took initiative.
    Something in the lines of  "When I noticed declining engagement in our email campaigns, I proposed and tested a new strategy that improved open rates by 30%." will do the work.
18. Give an example of a time you made a mistake.
    Focus on what you learned from it and how you improved. “I once published content with a factual error. I took responsibility, corrected it promptly, and implemented a peer-review system to avoid future issues."
19. Tell me about a time you had to meet a tight deadline.
    Recruiters want to know how you manage your workload and how well you cope with pressure. Highlight the positive outcome of the situation - “ "A client needed a complete redesign within 72 hours. I prioritized key features, worked extended hours, and delivered a functional prototype on time."
20. Describe a situation where you had a disagreement with a colleague.
    Interviewers want to see how you’ve handled the situation. When saying what you and someone disagreed on, add what you did to help resolve the problem - “I listened to their concerns, proposed a data-backed compromise and later on we discussed progress together."
21. How do you handle conflict at work?
    Make sure calm communication, active listening and finding common ground are a part of your answer.
22. Tell me about a time when you had to adapt to a change.
    A very common situation especially with the remote work model becoming more and more common - “We moved to remote work quickly so I helped onboard tools and trained the team."
23. Describe a time when you exceeded expectations.
    A great place to show your skills and forward thinking - "I added extra analytics insights that helped close a major client.", for example.
24. Tell me about a time you failed.
    No one wants to remember their failures, but we all get a sweet feeling when thinking how that helped us grow and never make the same mistakes. A simple, yet great example is “I underestimated a timeline which taught me to always factor in buffer time."
25. Describe a situation where you went above and beyond.
    The response to this one should be specific to your previous role, but the bottom line is to show you are proactive and can offer creative solutions to work problems.
    
    

Technical questions

Recruiters want to know more about your hard skills.

26. What tools are you proficient in?
    Again, these are role specific and can vary from Excel and Asana to Canva and Adobe.
27. Describe your experience with…
    Recruiters may want to know more about how familiar you are with software relevant to the job.
28. How do you stay current with trends?
    Continuous learning is integral for every occupation, so make sure to mention following industry blogs, attending webinars and networking in online communities.
29. How do you manage multiple projects?
    Focus on daily planning and using techniques such as  the Eisenhower matrix to help with prioritization.
30. Tell me about a successful project you led.
    We bet it would feel nice to remember such a moment, so don’t hesitate to tell the story. A whole marketing campaign, a unique sales approach or running a successful training program? It all counts.
31. What does a typical workday look like for you?
    Talk about how you envision your workday and make sure to tailor your response to the role.
32. What strategies do you use for problem-solving?
    We believe that root cause analysis and collaboration are key for success in any situation.

Company-focused questions

Recruiters want to know if you did your homework in researching the company and what’s your perception of it. 

33. Why do you want to work at this company?
    It’s a good strategy to align your response with the company’s mission and vision and briefly mention how you can help achieve it.
34. What excites you most about this company?
    Respond by saying how their company culture resonates with you - being excited about the opportunity to work for a company that’s known for its innovation and commitment to quality. 
35. What excites you about this role?
    An answer such as "The chance to build user experiences at scale in an agile environment." is a great option.
36. How can you contribute to our team?
    Don’t be afraid to say it out loud - "By bringing fresh ideas, energy, and experience in scalable systems."
37. What do you expect from a manager?
    Setting your expectations right from the start - you need clear goals, timely feedback and trust that you can do your best work.
38. How do your values align with ours?
    You can always say how transparency and growth mindset are central to how you work too.
39. What makes our company appealing to you?
    It’s so much more than the salary and additional benefits - the strong brand and employee-centric culture also weigh in.
    
    

Hypothetical questions

Recruiters are curious about how you would react in a certain situation - these questions are not just about your technical skills, they aim to see how you approach stressful situations and what personal traits take hold of your actions.

40.  What would you do if you disagreed with your boss?
    You can say you’d bring up the issue respectfully with data to back your view and engage in a discussion.
41. How would you handle an angry customer?
    “I'd bring up the issue respectfully with data to back my view” is a great response - simple yet to the point.
42.  What if you missed a deadline?
    Say that you’d own the mistake, communicate and come up with a recovery plan.
43. How would you manage a struggling team member?
    Acting in a compassionate yet productive way is the best - “I would offer support, set clear expectations, and mentor if needed.”
44.  What if you had too much on your plate?
    "Prioritize, communicate with stakeholders, and delegate if possible." is usually the best approach, but you also shouldn’t be afraid to speak with your manager and discuss how your workload is negatively affecting your mental health state. 

Work style questions

Recruiters want to know more about your approach to work and your levels of self awareness. 

45.  How do you stay organized?
    Interviewers are curious about your workstyle and maybe want to steal an idea on how to stay organized. "Task lists, project management tools, and regular reviews." is usually the way to go.
46.  Are you a morning or night person?
    A great thing to take in consideration when delegating tasks and managing meeting schedules, so answer truthfully.
47. Describe your problem-solving process.
    Odds are there are a lot of ways, but an easy way to solve a problem is to break it down, research, brainstorm and test.
48. How do you handle repetitive tasks?
    Showcase your forward thinking by saying you’re organizing tasks by batches and finding ways to automate them.
49. How do you manage stress?
    Stress is no joke, but a way to keep it at bay is to prioritize, allow yourself short breaks and set realistic expectations.
50. Do you have any questions for us?
    Don’t be scared to ask - how does a typical day goes, how do they define success, do they regularly check with their employees to see how they feel and more.
    
    

Closing questions

51. Is there anything else you’d like to share?
    Be confident - say you imagine yourself making a strong impact and growing in the company.
52. Are you interviewing elsewhere?
    It’s not a wrong move to say you’re also researching other options but this one is a top choice due to company culture, job essence or something else you like.
53. When can you start?
    The recruiters need to know so they can plan ahead.
54. What would your previous manager say about you?
    Be prepared for this one and maybe ask your previous manager in advance whether they’d be willing to give you a recommendation.
55. Is there anything else we should know about you?
    A classic wrap-up that gives candidates a final chance to highlight anything important.

There you have it - all 55 most common interview questions. The only thing left is for you to go grab that dream job. 

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In conclusion

Interviews are not only a necessary part of the recruitment process, they’re a great opportunity for you to get to know the people working and the company and get to experience the atmosphere there even for a short amount of time. Don’t be afraid to ask your own questions and present yourself as the truly talented candidate you are. Good luck!