Interview Questions and Answers

You are an investment. Companies that hire you are committing thousands of dollars not only to your salary, but also on lost productivity, training, resources, benefits, and more. Their success depends on you. Yet the only way they have to evaluate how successful you will be and whether or not you are worth their investment is by asking you a few questions at a job interview.

That is why job interviews are so important. The interview questions that the company asks you – and the answers you provide – are the only chance the company has to determine if you are someone worthy of their investment.

Practice Makes Perfect

You cannot prepare for every interview question. But the more you come prepared, the less likely you will stumble over your words or say anything too embarrassing. It is crucial that you spend time reviewing interview questions and coming up with your best answers. The more you prepare, the more you will be ready even if you are asked a question you did not expect.

Common Interview Questions

There are no rules for what interview questions a company can ask. Some companies ask a variety of standard interview questions. Others ask interview questions that are more industry specific, or involve technical information. For example, “what is your experience with SQL?” or “what algorithm did you use to calculate budgetary projections for your previous company?”

Some companies have moved to “odd ball” questions, like “how many coffee shops are there in Japan?” or “why are manhole covers round?” because the ability to come up with a thoughtful answers to complex, strange questions often says a great deal about your critical thinking skills.

Samples of some of the more common interview questions you may be asked include:

• What is your biggest weakness?
• Why did you apply for the job?
• What do you know about our products/services?
• What did you like most about your last job?
• Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
• Why did you leave your last job?
• How would you describe your work style?
• What do you expect from a supervisor?
• How do you prioritize your work?
• What do you consider your greatest achievement?

There has also been a switch to move to what’s known as “behavioral interview questions.” These are questions that ask you to describe your reaction to a situation, or talk about how you reacted to something in the past. For example:

• Describe a time that you failed to reach a deadline, what did you do?
• Tell me about a time that you and your boss disagreed. What happened?
• Describe a time when you had to use problem solving skills.
• Describe a situation when you provided outstanding customer service.
• Tell me about a time you had a disagreement with a supervisor. How did you handle it?

The reason these questions are becoming popular is because describing a situation that really happened – or at least, a situation you could imagine yourself experiencing – forces the applicant to give answers that are not cliché or uninteresting. They force you to think.

Questions can also be highly technical. They can be about something on your resume. Some interviewers may ask you to solve a real world problem based on issues that may come up at the company.

Every company is going to have its own unique questions to ask, all of which are designed to evaluate your candidacy.

What Makes a Good Interview Answer?

Because there are so many questions, it is impossible to prepare for them all. But what you can do is learn what a “good” answer is for any type of question. The following are the characteristics of a good answer to an interview question:

• Positive – Your interviewer is a person. That person wants to work with someone they are going to like, and someone that is going to bring positive energy to the environment. Answers that complain about somebody, or give off a negative vibe will hurt your chances of getting the job.
• Specific – Good interview answers are specific. They have details. They talk about real life examples whenever possible. “When I worked on PROJECT” is always a better way to start an answer than “I will work hard” or some other cliché. Specific answers make you stand out as a strong candidate.
• Relevant – Not all jobs and experiences are created equal. Your answers to questions should be relevant to the job, including the tasks you will complete or the expectations of that particular workplace.
• Unique – You are competing against other people also applying for the job. The more generic the answer is, the less you are going to stand out as a “Better” candidate. Your answers should be thoughtful, interesting, and something that helps the interviewer say “wow.”

In addition, you’ll find that you are occasionally going to be asked to say negative things about yourself or others, such as “Tell me about a time you made a mistake” or “what is your biggest weakness?” When you are asked these questions, always follow them up with what you are doing to make yourself better.

Employers aren’t actually looking for you to say something negative. They are looking for proof that you’re someone that is driven to be better.

Common Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

Now that we’ve explored how to answer interview questions, let’s look at a few examples. These are interview questions that you can expect to face at most entry level jobs, but learning how to answer them can still prepare you for non-entry level jobs as well.

• What is Your Biggest Weakness?

We’ll start with a question that we’ve referenced several times in this article already – the “greatest weakness” question. It is one of the most famous of all interview questions, simply because it forces someone to say something negative about themselves.

You should not answer with something very negative, as this will make them not want to hire you. But you should also do your best to avoid “cute” answers like “I work too hard” or “I am a perfectionist” or “I don’t have any weaknesses.” These are not impressive.

Instead, choose a weakness that is real, but not something that will prevent you from getting the job. But do not stop there. In fact, the most important part of your answer isn’t the weakness, but what you’re doing to fix it. Always follow up your weakness with the steps you’re taking to prevent the problem in the future.

Here is a sample answer:

“Sometimes when I am speaking with a supervisor about ideas, I’ll have an idea that is way outside of the box, but I’ll find myself failing to speak up because I worry about being judged. Since I know that these ideas could help the business, I’ve been working on sharing my ideas more openly.”

With this type of answer, you give a real weakness (not speaking up about your good ideas) and you follow that up with your intentions to fix it. In fact, this answer gives bonus points because it implies you have great ideas that you haven’t been sharing, but plan to start sharing at this new job. That is how you create a good “biggest weakness” answer.

• What Do You Know About Our Company?

Another question you may be asked is to share your knowledge of the company. This question tests your interview preparation and your reasons for applying. Some people send in resumes to any company that has an open job. Others have heard of a company (for example, a company like Facebook), but don’t know much about them as a business – only as a brand name.

This is an example of why preparation is extremely important. Your answer should reflect that you have done considerable research into the company, and have a genuine understanding of its products, services, culture, and more.

Here is a sample answer:

“I’ve been following your company since it first made headlines in 2013, after the launch of Product X. At the time, I remember thinking about how critical the product was about to become for tracking and monitoring B2B sales. When I heard you were in development of Product Y, which would bring that same functionality to consumers, and when I read reviews of your company culture and the way you motivate staff, I knew I wanted to be a part of your team.”

All you really need to do is show that you have done your research. But make sure that your research is more than simply a brief glance at their website.

• Describe a Time You Had a Conflict at Work. What Did You Do?

This is an example of a behavioral interview question. Some are positive, such as “tell me about your greatest workplace success,” but many others are negative and ask you to say something about a tough time in your work life.

There are several important strategies for answering a question like this. First, never say bad things about your coworkers, bosses, clients, or anyone else you have worked with. Companies do not like applicants that blame other people. Second, don’t say anything too terrible. Third, focus more on what you did to solve it and/or prevent it from happening again in the future.

Here is a sample answer:

“We were coming across a deadline and a key piece of data was missing. My coworker and I both thought the other person was in charge of working on it, and given that tensions were high, we had a lengthy discussion about who’s responsibility it was. But right in the middle of the conversation we both realized that figuring out fault wouldn’t serve the needs of the company. We worked together to try to compile the data as quickly as possible, and once it was over, I created a new organizational strategy that we used to make sure each person knew their role on the project. We were able to avoid the problem from occurring again.”

Your story may not even be that long. All that matters is that you show that you did something to control the situation, and that you tried to make sure it didn’t happen again.

• How Do You Like the Weather?

Companies are made up of people. At any point in the interview, you may be asked simple questions, such as “seen any movies lately?” “Did you have any trouble finding this place?” “Any plans this weekend?” These questions are not technically interview questions. But a bad answer could create a negative impression with the interviewer. From the moment you step foot on their property, you should treat every question like it is an interview question – staying upbeat, being unique, and showing that you put thought into your answer.

Here is a sample answer:

“It’s been really nice to have a few weeks of rain. The sound is relaxing and I can’t wait to walk along the river and see how much the rain has affected the tide.”

Hopeful, positive, unique. That is what makes a good interview answer.

• Do You Have Any Questions?

Both during and after the interview, you are going to be asked if you have any questions that you’d like to ask the interviewer. Your goal is to make sure you have thoughtful questions. First, no matter how desperate you are for employment, you should never take a job you don’t want. Asking questions helps make sure that this is really the job for you. Second, asking questions shows that you were listening, that you’re thoughtful, and that you are interested in learning more. All of those impress interviewers.

Here is a sample answer:

“Earlier you mentioned that the staff here all get lunch over at McQuackenburger’s together on Tuesdays. Would you say that staff is pretty close? Does the company encourage its staff to bond?”

Practice Interview Answers, Get the Job

Those that take the time to practice their answers to all sorts of interview questions are the ones that are most likely to get the job. Remember, the interview is the only opportunity the company has to get to know you as a person and as a professional. Every question matters, and so the more you are ready to answer any interview question they can throw at you, the more likely you will be to get the position.

If you’re looking for more help check out our free resume building software.

 

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