27 Common Job Interview Questions, and Tips for Answering

27 Common Job Interview Questions, and Tips for Answering 27 Common Job Interview Questions, and Tips for Answering As prepared as you might be for your job interview, it sometimes doesn’t take much to get thrown off by an unexpected question. That’s why we’ve cherry-picked 27 of the most common job interview questions that you might be asked regardless of your industry, as well as some tips for answering them. Here are some of the most common job interview questions, according to Glassdoor: What are your strengths and your weaknesses? Why are you interested in working for [insert company name here]? Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years? Why do you want to leave your current company? Tell me about an accomplishment you are most proud of. Tell me about a time you made a mistake. What is your dream job? How did you hear about this position? Tell me how you handled a difficult situation. Why should we hire you? Why are you looking for a new job? What are your salary requirements? Give a time when you went above and beyond the requirements for a project. Who are our competitors? What was your biggest failure? What are your career goals? What gets you up in the morning? What would your direct reports say about you? What were your bosses’ strengths/weaknesses? If I called your boss right now and asked him/her what is an area that you could improve on, what would he/she say? What are your coworker pet peeves? What makes you uncomfortable? What are some of your leadership experiences? How would you fire someone? Would you work 40+ hours a week? What questions haven’t I asked you? What questions do you have for me? Here are some tips for answering any type of interview question: Keep your cool. Some job interview questions are designed for the interviewer to learn more about you. Others are meant to see how you respond under pressure. And frankly, others might be meant to trip you up. No matter what kind of interviewer you have, try to maintain your composure, especially if you want the job. Answer the question to the best of your ability (even if your interviewer asks you an oddball interview question like, “What would you do if I died?”), and maintain your professionalism. Ask to answer a question again. Let’s say that you totally flubbed an interview question. If the interview continues and you think of the answer that you really wanted to say, it’s completely fine to bring it up to your interviewer. You can say something like, “Regarding your previous question, I’d like to add X.” That way, you can redeem yourself by providing the correct answer during your interview. Be mindful of your body language. Sure, your answers might be communicating one thing to a potential employer, but what is your body language saying? During your job interview, focus on what types of visual cues you’re giving off. If you are having an in-person interview, follow these tips: Make sure that your arms are at your sides and not crossed in front of you, which can appear closed-off or standoffish. Lean in as your interviewer speaks to express that you’re engaged. Doing these things- even for a remote interview- can affect the tone in your voice and make you come across as open, honest, and interested in both the interviewer and the job you’re applying for. Have an interview coming up? Browse our job interviewing category for more tips!