This is going to be a short blog post, but I wanted to list some of the most common asked questions and their purpose in order for you to think about them in advance and prepare a strategic answer. If you are lucky enough to receive an interview, nailing it is essential under the current circumstances.
These are just questions that I have received in job interviews over time, so please feel free to comment any others you have asked interviewees or had been asked yourself!
Job Related Questions These questions are standard and aim to learn more about you and your skillset—pretty obvious, right? Although your resume, cover letter and LinkedIn boast of your abilities and accomplishments, most, if not all, of these questions are likely to be asked during your interview.
These questions give you the opportunity to dive deeper into your experiences that were probably cut short on those aforementioned documents and allow you to prove that you are the perfect fit for the role. Think about your best qualities and skills and how you can turn your experiences into a story that proves your competency and ability to bring quantifiable results to the company. These questions are key to differentiating yourself from the competition.
Tell us about yourself.
What are your qualifications for this role?
What sets you apart from other candidates?
What is/are your greatest accomplishment(s)?
Where do you hope to be in 5 years?
How do your friends describe you? OR What three adjectives would you use to describe yourself?
What is your greatest strength and your greatest weakness?
Company Related Questions
These questions aim to learn how you heard of the job opening and why you decided to apply there instead of another company. It also allows them to see how you would fit into their current team dynamic and which role(s) you can fill. This is your time to shine and show the value and potential you can bring them!
Why did you choose to apply to [company]?
How will you fit in the company culture?
Who are your dream clients?
Why did you leave your last job? OR Why are you searching for a new position?
Experience Related Questions or Hypotheticals
These questions aim to learn more about your leadership style and how well you handle particular situations and conflict. Answer these questions truthfully but strategically, meaning: what would the interviewer want to hear in these scenarios? Companies that value teamwork and collaboration will prefer different answers than a company that values ingenuity and autonomy. They will likely be situational questions, so you probably have plenty of experiences and anecdotes you could relay for whichever type of answer is preferred!
What is an issue you encountered and how you overcome it?
How do you handle multiple deadlines at once?
What do you do when you don’t understand something?
How would you explain something complicated to someone in another department?
How do you handle difficult coworkers?
What would you do in [blank] situation?
Fun Questions
These questions are fun and show a bit about the company’s "personality", and your answers will do the same! Use these questions as an opportunity to show off your ability to think quickly and creatively. These questions will vary, so please let me know if you’ve been asked any other “fun” questions!
If you were an animal, which one would you be?
What would you tell your past/future self?
As a child, what was your dream job?
What are some of your hobbies?
If you were a drink, what would you be?
FINAL TIP: I always practice writing down my key points for each question in a document while preparing for interviews and I suggest you do the same! It helps relieve some stress because I have an eloquent answer prepared and I spend less time thinking and saying “um” during the interview. Overall, it makes me seem and feel more confident!
I hope these examples help! If you have a digital or phone interview coming up, consider reading my other blog post, How to Prepare for Virtual Interviews.
Good luck!