When preparing for a job interview, you should definitely practice responses to some of the most common job interview questions. You may also want to consider how you are going to handle questions that recruiters aren't legally allowed to ask yet may ask anyway.
The Best Answers to Job Interview Questions
When a recruiter asks you questions during a job interview, they're not just looking for information. In fact, they often ask for information they could easily just find on your resume. That's because the way in which you respond is often just as important as the information you provide. Such questions are called "behavioral interview questions".
You'll also notice that many common questions recruiters ask are essentially the same, just phrased differently. So, make it part of your job interview questions and answers training to identify the intent behind the question. If you only ever practice specific phrases to use in response to specific questions, you limit your ability to respond coherently when faced with unexpected questions.
"What Can You Tell Me About Yourself?"
Unless the phrasing of the question specifically asks for it, your recruiter doesn't want to know about your personal life. Emphasize aspects that are relevant to the position at hand. For example, you might mention your background growing up in a disadvantaged neighborhood, but only as a means of driving home the point that you've managed to overcome this hurdle through dedication and hard work.
"I've been fascinated by engines and technology from an early age growing up in rural Wyoming, which is what led me to pursue engineering at MIT. I love to work on classic cars in my free time, which has given me a great appreciation for how digital technology has revolutionized engine design."
"Why Do You Want to Work for Our Company?"
If you're currently applying for multiple job openings across different companies, you don't need to pretend you're not. In any case, your recruiter will appreciate hearing about your genuine interest in the job they offer. You should give a reason for why that is, such as their excellent company culture. This will also demonstrate how much you've researched the company beforehand.
"I'm currently exploring employment opportunities with a couple of different companies across the banking sector. However, I'm particularly excited about this position, as your company is well-known across the banking sector for working with a number of quantitative hedge funds, which I find particularly compelling."
"How Do You Handle Challenging Situations at Work?"
When asked how you handle difficult situations, you should use the STAR system to share a real example rather than a hypothetical response. Don't assume you don't have a strategy to cope with stress. Everyone encounters challenges every once in a while, and questions such as these are designed to encourage you to be open about it.
"When I started my first job, I used to experience a lot of stress because my workload often meant I had to do unpaid overtime. Realizing I needed to address this to avoid burnout and to prevent the quality of my work from slipping, I implemented a new system to organize my work more efficiently while also taking up yoga to relieve stress. As you can see from my resume, this approach has proven effective."
"What Are Your Salary Expectations?"
Generally, it's not advisable to directly ask your recruiter about your salary. If they ask, however, you should answer by giving a rough range. You can negotiate a specific salary at a later stage. Make sure you have checked beforehand whether your answer is appropriate for the role you're entering and your level of seniority.
When asked about your salary in previous jobs, it reflects well on your professionalism to say you cannot disclose the exact number.
"I’m unable to share the precise salary details due to an NDA from my previous employer but I trust we can agree on a salary somewhere between $60,000 and $70,000 that aligns with the professional experience I can bring to the team."
"What Are Your Strengths?"
When answering questions about your strengths, limit yourself to one or two skills or personality traits that are most relevant to the job you're applying for. You're doing a tightrope walk between showing confidence and sounding insecure. Avoid praising yourself too much, but also refrain from phrases such as "I think I'm..."
It's a good idea to phrase your answers in a way that indicates that you were recognized for your strengths at your previous place of employment. This adds an objective outside perspective to your answer. Use the STAR method to bring up specific examples when you demonstrate your strengths.
"At my previous workplace, I became known as a good mediator between team members because I empathize with people. For example, we used to have two workers who were at each other's throats whenever they had to work together. I sat down with each of them individually and it turned out one of them felt they had been overlooked for a promotion because of their co-worker. We were able to discuss this together and we came to an understanding that allowed the two to work together effectively in the future."
"What Is Your Greatest Weakness?"
Think of a weakness that actually applies to the job at hand, as mentioning things that are unrelated to the job may come off as dodging the question. Make sure, though, that you also mention what you're doing to overcome that weakness. Otherwise, you might unintentionally provide them a valid reason not to hire you.
"I've always been a very shy person, so I find it hard to approach customers for sales purposes. As the amount of customer communication which I've had to manage increased alongside my other duties, I've discovered that working with a team helps me train my interpersonal skills. This has helped me manage the anxiety of calling a customer out of the blue."
"What Is Your Greatest Professional Achievement?"
All of these questions are aimed mainly at gauging your reaction: Will you continue to praise yourself for a job well done? Or will you downplay an obvious failure? Once again, you should use the STAR method to give a short and concise answer based on your actual experiences. When discussing a professional failure, avoid shifting blame to others, instead focus on how much you've learned from the experience.
"One of my main responsibilities at my last job was managing B2B customer relations. Unfortunately, I once had a major customer of ours switch to a competitor because I had failed to communicate a change in our pricing model to them in time for the next invoice. Since then, I have started using a digital checklist to remind myself which customers I've already contacted about major pricing changes and the like, which has helped me prevent making that mistake again."
"Why Did You Leave Your Last Job?"
Explaining to a recruiter that you were let go as part of a downsizing effort or that you left on your own to pursue other career opportunities is straightforward.
But what if you were fired for a very good reason which you'd rather your recruiter didn't know about? In that case, you should be open about what happened. After all, your recruiter could just pick up the phone to confirm your story with your previous employer.
The key is to openly acknowledge the reason why you were let go without blaming anyone else for it. Take the opportunity to explain how you were able to learn and grow from that experience.
"After working for my previous employer for many years, I was stuck in a rut and unfortunately, my performance started suffering from my lack of motivation. This realization led me to change my career trajectory to something entirely new. Now that I know the warning signs, I'm confident that I'll be able to act in time should a similar situation arise again."
"How Do You Explain This Gap in Your Resume?"
Having any gaps longer than a few months in your resume can reflect poorly on you, but you can mitigate this if you can provide a believable explanation. Use the job interview to highlight how you've grown in your time off.
If you've taken time off to care for a sick relative, for example, your employer may appreciate your commitment to this responsibility as well as the new skills you learned in the process. If you have gaps in your resume due to incarceration, you're not required to disclose this up-front, so you may want to focus on the work you did in prison ("I worked part-time as a call center agent").
"My mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2022, so I moved back to Atlanta to care for her while my sister and I searched for a more permanent housing solution. I spent much of that time working my way through the medical information and reading up on the legal implications of the situation, as well as dealing with various government and healthcare agencies."
"What Are You Doing to Further Your Career?"
Think of one or two training courses to highlight during the interview. Ideally, these should be related to the job at hand in some way. Showing that you've made an effort to learn something new reflects positively compared to admitting you didn't go through any additional training. If you haven't had any relevant training courses in a while, you should highlight the circumstances that prevented you from doing so.
"Due to my extensive responsibilities at company X over the past few years, I haven't really had time to pursue additional training courses outside of my work. I managed the workload of one of my colleagues who was on extended sick leave at the time, so I had to familiarize myself with his duties alongside my own, which was the focus of my attention."
"How Do You Organize Your Work Efficiently?"
When you're asked questions such as these, the recruiter already has an idea of what type of work environment their company offers. So, the question itself is meant mainly to figure out if you're compatible with them.
Since remote work has become more prevalent, it's no longer detrimental to mention you appreciate working from home, however, you should avoid being overly eager to highlight this preference. Otherwise, your future employer may get the idea that you tend to procrastinate at home.
"I love working in teams because I enjoy brainstorming ideas with my co-workers in person. Although I'm not averse to working remotely as long as there's a direct line of communication open between us."
"How Did You Hear About This Position?"
If you've had any prior professional contact with the company, this is your opportunity to show off your connections. Perhaps you spoke to someone from the company at a job fair? Or maybe someone you know works there and informed you about the job opening? If you've been told about the job opening by someone who already works there, make sure to ask them before the interview whether they're comfortable with you mentioning their name.
"I first heard about your company speaking to some of your employees at a job fair in Seattle in March, and later learned that my neighbor, Marcy Inglewood, works for you. She also informed me about the job opening."
"Did You Ever Disagree With a Supervisor?"
You should assess whether being honest about disagreeing with a superior could earn you points during the job interview. Very conservative companies may not appreciate employees who "don't follow orders", while others may value input. You can use the STAR method to structure your response when mentioning a specific example.
Make sure, however, that you don't mention any situation in which you contradicted your superior in front of a customer or outright ignored direct orders, as that could leave a negative impression.
"When I worked at the bank, our supervisors implemented a system to measure success based on how many corporate clients we proactively contacted per month. From my experience, many clients had limited time for sales calls and tended to react negatively to frequent outreach. I discussed my concerns with my supervisor, who reconsidered this strategy to make room for a more individualized approach."
"What Do You Like to Do Outside of Work?"
If your recruiter shows interest in how you spend your free time, they may just be making small talk. Or they may try to fish for implicit information about you. For instance, if you mention you like to build miniatures as a hobby, your recruiter can conclude that you're probably good at precision work requiring a lot of concentration.
Be cautious not to mention hobbies and interests that your employer may look down upon. A company mainly staffed with a younger workforce probably won't bat an eye if you tell them you enjoy playing video games, but a bank or law firm may perceive you as lacking the maturity they desire.
"I'm a bit of a photography buff, so I spend much of my time going out into the woods to take pictures of plants and animals."
What Are Some Questions to Ask in a Job Interview?
Having mastered job interview questions and answers alone won’t impress your recruiter as much as actively engaging in conversation. Asking questions demonstrates your enthusiasm for the company, so it’s wise to prepare some before the job interview. Ideally, your questions should be specific to the company reflecting your research. Here are a few examples:
- "How does company X approach the current challenges of Y in the industry?"
- "Are you planning to expand your business to other states?"
- "How is success measured at company X?"
- "What does a typical workday look like at company X?"
- "In your opinion, what differentiates a good employee from an exceptional one at company X?"
- "Can you introduce the team I'll be working with?"
While you can enquire about anything you really want to know, be cautious: Many of the questions you're probably thinking about right now are focused on what the company can do for you, whereas the recruiter primarily wants to know what you can do for the company. Although it’s natural to want to know what perks the job has to offer, being overly focused on them may make you look a bit self-centered. So, avoid asking questions like these:
- "How much will I earn working for company X and how soon can I expect a raise?"
- "How quickly will I be eligible for a promotion?"
- "Can I work from home?"
- "How many sick days/vacation days will I receive?"
- "Do you have a policy regarding maternity leave?"
Keep in mind that we're only talking about the initial job interview here. You'll still have the opportunity to discuss your salary with your future employer once they offer you the position. The first interview is your chance to get a foot in the door, while the specifics will be discussed later.
How to Handle Illegal Interview Questions
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and various pieces of legislation that followed it (such as the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978) make it clear that discriminating against job applicants and employees on the basis of things such as race, sex or religion is illegal.
Unfortunately, some recruiters continue to pose illegal interview questions, and answering them may be tricky due to potential discrimination concerns. Specifically, it's illegal to ask questions concerning your:
- Sex/gender/sexual preference
- Family status (marriage, children, pregnancy etc.)
- Health or disabilities
- Age
- Nationality or race
- Religion or lack thereof
In some instances, such questions may be innocent small talk and your recruiter may not even realize they are overstepping boundaries. However, it's not the best idea to call them out on it, as you may come off as confrontational. Instead, try to stay neutral whenever possible and shift the discussion to more appropriate topics. Here are some examples of illegal questions and strategies for handling them effectively:
Q: Are you planning to have children?
A: Right now, I'm focused on my professional career, which is why I’m curious about your additional training programs for employees.
Q: Do you have any medical conditions? What is your religion?
A: I assure you that my personal life won't interfere with my job performance.
If your recruiter pressures you on any of these questions, you should consider whether to answer or decline on the grounds that the recruiter isn't allowed to ask these questions in the first place.
Think about how to respond to questions about any part of your life that may be used to discriminate against you before the interview, even if such questions are illegal. Sometimes, it may actually benefit you to answer illegal questions. For example, if you have children and you apply for a job with a company that produces childcare products, your first-hand experience could be seen as an advantage, while other companies might view your family commitments negatively.
If you've tried to evade the question but your recruiter pushes you to give an answer, you can always tell them you don't think this question is relevant to the job at hand. If they continue to press for an answer, your last resort is to explain to them that they're not allowed to ask such questions on the grounds of federal law. This may, however, label you as a "troublemaker". This could be a sign that it might be a good idea to think twice about working for the company at all.
When applying for a job, you may encounter state laws that dictate whether your employer can inquire about your arrest and conviction history, so it’s important to check the relevant laws in the state where you’re seeking employment.
Use the STAR Method for Behavioral Interview Questions
When asked questions during a job interview, you should consider using the STAR method to structure your responses. The acronym stands for:
- Situation
- Task
- Action
- Result
It's a simple idea, but effective: You first describe a real-life situation you've experienced which is relevant to the question. Then you explain what you were tasked to do in this situation, which actions you took and what resulted from your actions.
Keeping each point to one or two short sentences, this structure can help you give concise answers that include all the necessary information and effectively highlight your qualifications. Here's an example:
Q: How do you handle tight deadlines?
A: As a project manager at company X, I was once tasked with compiling a comprehensive list of all our clients over the past 10 years and all relevant information such as the specific number of orders they'd placed with us, with a deadline that same day. To meet this challenge, I rescheduled all low-priority appointments I had that day and compiled the list via our database, making sure to eliminate any duplicates. Using these simple organizational strategies, I was able to compile a list of more than 100 customers within the deadline, without interfering with any important appointments.
Train Using Real-Life Job Interview Questions and Answers
What's important about the most common job interview questions is that you use them to practice formulating responses during the interview—but don't memorize these questions and their corresponding answers. Instead, learn how to identify the intent behind a question and how to quickly provide a response that satisfies the question in a way that's advantageous to your job application.
This allows you to learn how to effectively answer any questions your recruiter may ask, using the job interview questions and answers provided here.