Interviews have always been an integral part of the hiring process. But with the rise of AI use and the resulting homogenization of resumes and cover letters, interviews are more vital than ever before.
Preparation is key. That’s why we’ve outlined 10 of the most common interview questions for any job, including guidance on how to impress interviewers with your answers.
#1: Where do you see yourself in five years?
This question can trigger an immediate eye roll. You might think, I don’t even know my plans for tomorrow, let alone five years from now. But in the context of a job interview, you can use your imagination, if it’s based on your truth.
So maybe you don’t know if you’ll be in the same field five years from now. Maybe you don’t know if you want to climb the corporate ladder. But you can emphasize goals like learning, building new skills, innovating, etc.
Your interviewer will likely want to hear something specific to your role and industry, so make sure to research the typical career path for someone in your position for talking points. Who knows? Maybe this research will help you uncover career goals you didn’t know you had.
#2: Why do you want to work here?
This is an opportunity to show you’ve researched the company and have assessed how your skills, experience, and goals align with the opportunity.
To prepare for this question, explore the company’s website, social media, press, and employee reviews. Search specifically for the organization’s core values, along with what other employees have liked about working there.
Then, prepare a list of values you share with the company, projects they’ve worked on that excite you, and ways in which the work environment would nurture your career growth.
#3: What is your biggest weakness?
The classic response to this question is to share a “weakness” that the hiring manager will see as a strength—for example: “My biggest weakness is that I work too hard.” While this is a savvy move, it’s one that’s been done so many times that an interviewer may see right through it.
At the same time, you don’t want to say something that gives the interviewer pause, like “I tend to find myself in the middle of conflict.”
Strike a balance, but lean closer to the former approach; maybe you express a similar sentiment as “I work too hard” but present it as a challenge you have overcome, including specific details that are personal to your career. That way, even if you are taking the strength-disguised-as-a-weakness route, your answer still comes across as authentic and personal.
#4: What is a challenge you were able to overcome?
This is a great time to employ the STAR method:
Situation: Describe the specific situation.
Task: Explain the objective that arose from the situation.
Action: Illustrate the steps you took to achieve the desired objective.
Response: Share the outcome of the action and evaluate results.
While a work-related challenge would be ideal to share, you might have a more compelling story from other areas of your life—i.e., school, team sports, volunteering—as long as it is relevant to your work life and is communicated professionally.
Use the STAR Method to Describe a Challenge You Overcame
Situation: Describe the specific situation.
Example: A mobile app I worked on was receiving poor reviews due to poor responsiveness.
Task: Explain the objective that arose from the situation.
Example: I needed to improve responsiveness to raise reviews by the end of the quarter.
Action: Illustrate the steps you took to achieve the desired objective.
Example: I reached out to the reviewers to rule out outside issues. Then I checked the code and learned it was too large for certain operating systems. I revised the code and resubmitted the app.
Response: Share the outcome of the action and evaluate results.
Example: I confirmed the problem was solved with the reviewers, who revised their reviews, elevating the overall rating before the end of the quarter.
#5: What made you interested in this field?
Interviewers often use this question as an ice breaker. There’s no secret answer; it’s an opportunity for them to get to know you as a person and how your journey has led you to your current profession.
Answer honestly, including details that help paint a more well-rounded picture of who you are. Did someone important in your life inspire you? Was there an incident that sparked your interest? Use storytelling to captivate your audience, painting yourself as the protagonist.
Note: The truly honest answer may be “for the money.” While some might be able to pull this off with the right playful tone, it’s safest to steer clear of money talk until the interviewer brings it up.
#6: How do you manage strict deadlines?
To prepare for this question, consider the kinds of deadlines the job would have—how many deadlines you’d manage at once, the turnaround speed for each project, and how strict deadlines are.
Place yourself in this scenario. How do you see yourself managing these deadlines? How have you managed similar demands in the past? You might share specific time management methods with the interviewer—i.e., proficiency in project management systems—along with past experiences where you managed deadlines effectively.
[Prepping for a phone interview? Read this PTP Report for everything you need to know.]
#7: Can you explain this gap in your resume?
While the resume gap is becoming destigmatized, it is still something that interviewers bring up. As always, be honest and transparent, but try to deliver your explanation through a lens of growth and development.
For example, you may have spent your break in employment learning a new skill, or maybe time away from work reinvigorated your passion for the field. If the gap was due to an illness or other personal circumstances, let the interviewer know, but there is no need to offer details, nor should they ask for further explanation.
Ultimately, you want to keep it brief, trying your best to come back to how you are ready to show that you are a great fit for the present role.
#8: How do you handle conflict?
If you haven’t been involved in conflict, you could say something like, “I’ve been very fortunate not to have found myself in the middle of conflict.” However, you want to avoid painting a too-good-to-be-true picture of yourself. Most people have been involved in conflict, so claiming you haven’t may come across as disingenuous.
You can still communicate that you don’t typically find yourself in the middle of conflict while sharing how you handle interpersonal issues. Employers will want to hear that you value collaboration, even when it is challenging, and that you can handle disagreements in a mature and productive manner.
#9: How do you define success?
Consider your proudest achievements. After coming up with a list of three to five, try to extract recurring themes across success stories. For example, you might realize you have a history of taking risks—i.e., successfully pivoting into a new profession, asking for a promotion, relocating to pursue a new passion.
Next, consider how the company defines success for themselves. Research their social media to see what milestones they’re celebrating. Some examples include forming new industry relationships, improving the customer experience, or making a difference in their community.
Do your best to draw connections between how you’ve found success and how the company defines success—placing an emphasis on common values and goals.
#10: What’s your ideal work environment?
Again, answering this question successfully requires research. Of course, you already have your own idea of your ideal work environment, but interviewers will want to know that your preferences align with how they run things.
In addition to the job description—which may include phrases like “independent work” or “collaborative environment”—check the company’s LinkedIn. Does it seem like most of their employees work remotely, in-person, or both? How do team members seem to communicate with one another? Do employees receive recognition for their hard work? Are there company-wide events employees are expected to attend?
Be honest and confident in your answer, but be sure it overlaps significantly with how your role in the company will function.
[Prepare for second round interview questions with this PTP Report.]
Conclusion
Job interviews are almost always nerve-wracking, but by preparing for these common interview questions, you can go in with confidence. And because so many hiring managers use the same questions, your preparation can last your whole career, making it an incredibly worthy time investment.
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