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• TOP 20 ESSENTIAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Top 20 Essential Interview

Questions and Answers
• Interview Questions and Answers
• / By Biron Clark
• / 48 COMMENTS
 If you’re looking for the commonly asked job interview questions, then
keep reading.

After working for years as a recruiter, I’m going to share the top 20 job
interview questions and answer examples, plus do’s and don’ts to get
you ready to ace your interview.

For each question, you’ll get:

• Notes on why hiring managers and recruiters ask this question

• Do’s and don’ts, including the top mistakes to avoid

• Word-for-word example answers that will impress any employer

Let’s get started…

 20 Interview Questions and
Answer Examples
1. Tell me about yourself
This is one of the most common interview questions, and it trips a lot of
job seekers up because of how open-ended it is.

Here’s what the best answers include, and how to impress when the
interviewer asks this question:

First, keep your answer work-related when answering, “Tell me about

yourself.” While technically they’ve left it open to include personal
details, it’s not what the typical interviewer is looking for.
And to keep your answer clear and easy to understand, tell your story in
chronological order.

Walk them through your background, starting at how you began your
career or your current line of work.

If you’re a recent graduate or entry-level candidate, you can discuss your

academic work. Why did you choose this field of study? What projects
have you done and what have you worked on?

If you have prior work experience, walk the interviewer through your key
accomplishments, key career moves you’ve made and why, and end by
sharing what you’re looking to do next in your career and why you’re job
hunting.

Do:
• Focus on sharing your professional story only
• Keep your answer under 2 minutes in length

• Walk them through how you got started in your career, key moves
you’ve made, and then bring them up to speed on your current situation

Don’t:
• Share personal details

• Talk for more than 2 minutes

Interview answer example:

“I started my career in Marketing after graduating with a Business
degree in 2013. I’ve spent my entire career at Microsoft, receiving two
promotions and three awards for outstanding performance. I’m looking to
join a smaller company now, and take on more leadership and project
management.”

2. What do you know about our company?

This is one of the most common interview questions to practice for.
You’re very likely to hear it in an early-stage interview, especially
a phone interview.
In the sample answers below, you’ll see that the goal is to show them
you’ve done your research and didn’t apply to their company without
knowing anything about them.

If you don’t seem like you know anything about them, you’ll come across
as desperate – somebody who will take any job they can find. And that’s
going to make you unattractive to any good employers out there.

So when they ask, “what do you know about our company?”, your
primary goal is to show you’ve done your research or knew about their
company before applying. If you do this, you’ll be fine.
Do:
• Research the company before the interview (on their website, their
LinkedIn page, Google News, and more)

• The more creative you can be in your research, the better. Try to go
above and beyond a basic scan of the company website if you want to
give the best answer possible

• Understand what industry they’re in, what they sell and how they make
money

• Try to have some sense of their company size. Are they 100
employees? More than 10,000 employees? Etc.

• In your answer, explain what caught your interest or excited you about
their firm and show that you’re interested in their particular company,
and why. The interviewer wants to know why you want their specific job
even if they don’t ask directly.

Don’t:
• Say you don’t know anything

• Say facts that are incorrect or you aren’t sure about (it’s better to know
one or two facts that you can say accurately, than five facts you’re not
sure of)

• Do the bare minimum of research and only cite a couple of basic facts
from the company’s website

Interview answer example 1:

“From what I read, your company is one of the leaders in database and
website security for large corporations. I read your list of clients on your
website and saw multiple Fortune 500 companies mentioned, including
Verizon and IBM. Beyond that, I recently had an informational interview
with James from the Marketing team, after messaging him on LinkedIn,
and he shared a bit about your company culture; mainly, the emphasis
on collaboration and open interaction between different departments and
groups. That’s something that sounds exciting to me and that I’m hoping
 to find in my next job. Can you share more about how you’d describe the
company culture here?”
Interview answer example 2:
“I know you’re one of the leaders in contract manufacturing for the
pharmaceutical industry. I read two recent news articles as well and saw
that you just finalized plans to build a new facility that will double your
manufacturing capacity. One of my hopes in my current job search is to
find a fast-growing organization that could take full advantage of my past
experience in scaling up manufacturing operations, so I was excited to
have this interview and learn more about the specific work and
challenges you need help with from the person you hire for this role.”

3. How did you hear about the position?

When they ask “how did you hear about the position?” it’s typically best
to give an honest, direct answer.
The interviewer is simply curious how you came to know about them and
the general idea behind why you applied. They’re curious how you’re
finding positions to apply to in general, too.

If you found the job through a colleague, through researching employers

online, through a job board or job posting, or any other common method,
simply tell them the truth.
Do:
• Be clear, direct, and upfront

• Tell the truth unless it’s something very embarrassing (for example,
when I was much younger, my mother found me a job to apply for. That
does *not* sound great, so I answered by saying that a friend saw the
job posting and mentioned it to me. A white-lie is okay when needed).

• Explain why the job interested you, if possible (e.g. “I was excited to
apply because ___”)

Don’t:
• Say you don’t remember or don’t know

• Sound unsure of yourself

Good answer examples:

“I found the position while looking for jobs online”
“I heard about it from a colleague/friend”
“Your company was recommended to me by somebody I worked with in
a previous job and had heard good things about your organization”
“I saw the job posted on LinkedIn, and the position seemed interesting
so I wanted to learn more”

4. Why did you apply for this position?

When they ask “why did you apply for this position?” pick something
specific that interested you. If you say you love their products, tell them
why. That’s the key to giving a convincing answer to this job interview
question.
Stay away from sounding like you’re desperate, or that you want just
any job. Yes, if you were laid off it’s okay to say that, but then re-focus
the conversation on exactly what you’re looking for in the next
opportunity and why you feel their company might have it.
You need to sound like you want the RIGHT job and that you’re being
picky. Employers won’t hire you if you don’t demonstrate that you want
to work for them in particular.

So it’s best to appear picky and selective in your job search. That means
being clear about what you want in your next role.

Also, the best answers will stay away from negatives and complaints.
Don’t bad-mouth your current company or boss. Focus on the positives
of the job you’re applying for now.

Do:
• Make them feel like you’re interested in them for a specific reason
• Show you’ve done your research and understand what the job involves

• Phrase everything as a positive. Don’t badmouth your current situation,

just talk about what you hope to gain by coming to work for them
(experiences, challenges, opportunities).

Don’t:
• Say you just need a job in general

• Explain that you’re unemployed and just need to find work

• Say you just need money or have bills to pay so you need work

• Badmouth your current boss or company or say anything that will make it
look like you’re leaving your current role on bad terms

• Sound desperate, or sound like you will take any job you can get and
you don’t care what it ends up being

• Mention any other personal reasons like “I need to find a shorter

commute.”

Example answer 1:
“Since beginning my career, I’ve wanted to work for a larger organization
in this industry, and I know you’re one of the leaders in this space. I’m
very interested in your products/services, especially the mobile
applications you’re building recently, so I’d be excited to come here and
grow my skills with an organization like yours.”
Example answer 2:
“I’ve heard great things about the work environment here from a few
colleagues. And when I saw this job posting, it seemed to match my
skills very closely. For example, I saw on the job description that you
need somebody who’s an expert in Java programming. This is what I
focused on in both of my previous positions, and was even the focus of
my academic work before graduating from university. I consider myself
an expert in Java and it’s a skill I hope to continue specializing in.”
 5. Why are you looking to leave your current
company?
If you’re job searching while employed, this is one of the most important
interview questions and answers to know.

(And if you’re job hunting while unemployed, make sure you prepare to
answer, “Why did you leave your last position?” instead.)
Otherwise, the most important thing to do when they ask why you are
looking to leave your current job is to stay positive and never
badmouth your current employer, boss, or even team members.
Rather than complaining or talking badly about your situation, say that
you’re looking for more of something positive. What are you hoping to
gain from a job change?
Is your current boss a jerk? Say that you’re looking for an environment
with more leadership you can learn from.

Do:
• Sound positive and focus on what you want to gain by making a move

• Show gratitude for your current job (e.g. “This job has been great and
I’ve learned a lot in the 2 years I’ve been here, but I feel I’m ready for
___ now.”)

• Sound like you’re ambitious, motivated, and eager to find the next
challenge in your career.

Don’t:
• Badmouth your current employer in any way

• Sound like you’re trying to escape a bad situation, or you’re failing or not
fitting in at your current job

• Say you’re struggling or failing to perform the work

• Say it’s too difficult or stressful

• Say you’re not sure

Good sample answer:

“I’m looking for more leadership opportunities. I’ve been at my company
for three years and have really enjoyed the experience but I feel in order
to take the next step in my career, it’d be helpful to join a larger
organization and use what I’ve learned in the past to lead more projects.
That’s why this Project Manager role excited me.”

6. Tell us about a challenge you’ve faced

and how you handled it
Focus on a specific work-related challenge and talk about how you
overcame obstacles, used it as a learning experience, used the
resources around you (including people/colleagues if applicable), and
ended up with a positive result! That’s how to answer this interview
question. Keep it work-related, not personal.

Do:
• Explain the situation, the task you needed to accomplish, and what
method you chose (and why)

• Share the outcome. What was the result?

• Share what you learned from the experience. Did you take away
knowledge that has helped you in your career?

Don’t:
• Share any story that involves personal conflicts, arguments, or
disagreements at work

• Talk about an argument you had

• Talk about a challenge that you didn’t overcome, or didn’t find a solution
for

Answer example:
“In my last job, we were facing a tough deadline and my boss was out for
the day. Our client was expecting a project to be delivered by 5:00 PM,
but we were far behind schedule. I took the lead on the project,
delegated tasks to the four other team members in a way that I thought
would utilize everyone’s strengths best. And then I re-organized my own
personal tasks so I could dedicate my entire day to contributing to this
project as well. The project was a success and we delivered the work
on-time. I went on to lead more projects after that, and used what I
learned to be a better project manager.”

7. How much money are you looking to

earn?
This question is left off of many lists of common job interview questions,
yet it’s extremely important and the wrong answer can cost you
thousands of dollars.

The best answers to this question follow one rule: DON’T say a specific
number or even a narrow salary range that you’re targeting.

Why? You have the least amount of leverage possible at this point in the
job interview and job search process. You haven’t finished interviewing
with this employer, and they don’t even know if you’re a good fit for the
position.

So you can’t command a high salary right now. There’s nothing to

gain by answering salary questions so early, and quite a bit to
potentially lose.
 If you go too low with your desired salary range, it could limit the offer
you receive later, even if they would have offered more normally. Or, you
could worry them that you’re not at the level they were hoping for!

Meanwhile, if you share a number or range that’s too high, you could
scare them off before they get to know you and see your worth!
Whereas, after talking with you in a few interviews, they might have been
willing to stretch their budget to hire you! I’ve seen this happen
frequently as a recruiter.

Therefore, it’s a lose-lose to tell them your salary target before you know
they’re interested in hiring you. When you’re preparing what to say in a
job interview, especially an early-stage interview, salary goals should not
be a part of it!

You can, however, share some basic research you’ve done into broad
salary ranges for this type of position in your city.

Do:
• Tell them that you’re focused on finding the best-fitting role, and that you
don’t have a specific target salary in mind yet

• Repeat this multiple times if needed (if they pressure you or “push back”
after your first response)

• Share any research that you’ve done into broad salary ranges for your
type of role, but only provide a broad range (for example, a range of
$50K – $75K).

Don’t:
• Tell them a specific salary you’re targeting

• Tell them a narrow range you’re targeting

Example answer:
 “Right now I’m focused on finding a job that’s the right fit for my career.
Once I’ve done that, I’m willing to consider an offer you feel is fair, but I
do not have a specific number in mind yet. My priority in my job search is
to find a position that’s a great fit and will allow me to continue learning
and becoming more skilled. That said, I did some baseline research into
salaries for this type of role here in Seattle and found that the average
seems to be in the $50K to $75K range, so if your job is within that
range, I think it makes sense to keep talking.”
For more info, here’s a full article on how to answer desired salary on
applications and interviews.

8. Why should we hire you?

Employers ask, “Why should we hire you” to see how well you
understand the role, and to hear your perspective on how your skills can
help them.
When you hear interview questions like this, you should be thinking
about their role, their needs, and how you’ll help them. How will they
benefit if they hire you? What will you improve for them? What will
become easier, more efficient, or more profitable?

And show you’ve done your research. Make it clear that you know what
this position involves and that you’re ready to perform those exact tasks
in your next job.

Do:
• Be confident in your skills and abilities

• Talk about specific things you can help them do or achieve if they hire
you

• Do your research before the interview and understand their needs, so

you can “tailor” your answers and target the specific things they’ll need if
they hire you in this role
 Don’t:
• Say “I don’t know”

• Say “You should hire whoever you want”

• Give a generic answer that’d fit any company. You really need to “tailor”
this to the specific duties you’ll be performing in THIS specific job.
Otherwise your answer will not impress them.

Example interview answer:

“I read on the job description that you’re looking for someone with
experience in ____. I’ve done that for 3 years and can immediately help
you accomplish ____”.

9. Why do you want to work here?

If they ask “why do you want this job?” show you’ve done plenty of
research to learn about them before coming in to interview. You want to
make them feel like you chose them for a reason. This is very similar to
the previous question: “Why did you apply for this position?”
Show them that you know what that their job involves (at least as much
as you could learn from the job description and company website) and
that you’re excited to be interviewing for this position.

The bottom line is: The typical employer looks to hire someone who will
want to work for them in particular, not just someone who wants to work
any job they can find.

Here’s how to demonstrate that you want to work for them and that
you’re a good fit when you answer:

Do:
• Mention specific, work-related reasons why their job and company
interest you
• Talk about your own career path and goals, and how this job and
company fits your future aspirations

• Sound excited about the opportunity to work for them

• Show you’ve done your research

Don’t:
• Say, “I have bills to pay and need money”

• Say, “I just need a job”.

• Share any personal details like, “I live 5 minutes away so it would be a

very short commute”

Sample interview answer:

“I’ve been actively searching for jobs since graduating with my Nursing
degree. I’m interested in intensive care and emergency medicine and
I’ve seen your hospital mentioned as having one of the best ER’s in the
region. I thought the job description matched up well with my
background, and saw some of my personal strengths mentioned, like
multitasking and being able to thrive in a fast-paced environment, so I’d
love to begin my career here.”

10. Why did you leave your last job?

There are a lot of good answers to this interview question. There isn’t
just one “right” answer. Here are some guidelines:

If you chose to leave on your own terms, stay positive and focus on what
you wanted to gain from the decision, rather than bad-mouthing or
focusing on negatives you wanted to avoid.

And if you were fired or laid off, be upfront and clear. You’re not going to
make employers want to hire you by being vague or trying to hide
something.
 If you got fired, show what you’ve learned from the experience, and what
you’ve done to make sure this doesn’t happen again. That’s how to spin
it into a positive.

Do:
• Be clear and direct and address the question head-on

• If you were fired, own up to it and share what you’ve done to make sure
this never happens again

• If you chose to resign, focus on the positive things you hoped to gain by
moving to the next opportunity, rather than badmouthing or talking about
the negatives in your last role

Don’t:
• Don’t badmouth or complain

• Never say you resigned because of a disagreement or argument with a

coworker

• Don’t make it sound like money is your main priority

• Don’t try to hide facts or avoid the question; this will just lead to more
questions and suspicion from the interviewer

Example answer:
“I was hired for a project management role, but over time that changed
and I was no longer being given the opportunity to do the work I was
interested in. I left to pursue an opportunity that I felt was more aligned
with what I’ve chosen to focus on in my career.”
You can also get more ideas for how to answer this on our list of 20
answers for “why did you leave your last job.”

11. What is your greatest weakness?

 When they ask, “what’s your greatest weakness?” you want to name a
real weakness.
I recommend picking something skill-based, not personality-based.

You never want to say you struggle to work with others, or you’re bad at
resolving disagreements, or taking direction from a manager, etc. Those
things will get you rejected in the interview.
So pick a specific skill, but pick something that won’t severely impact
your ability to do this job.
For example, if the job involves data entry with Excel spreadsheets all
day, you do not want to say Excel is your weakness. Or that you struggle
to pay attention to details.

Finally, end your answer by explaining what you’re doing to overcome or

improve your weakness.

Take a look at the do’s and don’ts and the interview answer example
below to get a sense of what the best answers will sound like.

Do:
• Name a real weakness

• Pick something skill-based, not personality-based. For example, say,

“I’m not particularly strong in Microsoft Excel…” rather than, “My
weakness is working on a team and following directions.”

• Mention what you’ve done to overcome this weakness and improve

recently

Don’t:
• Don’t give a fake weakness like, “I work too hard”

• Don’t try to be funny with an answer like, “Kryptonite.” Hiring managers

have heard it over and over
• Don’t tell them you have no weaknesses

• Don’t name a personality-based weakness (like “I have trouble getting

along with colleagues”)

• Don’t name a weakness that will severely impact your ability to succeed
in their job

Example interview answer:

“I’m not particularly strong in social media marketing. For the first few
years of my career, I focused entirely on email marketing. That’s still
what I specialize in, which is why I applied for your Email Marketing
Manager job. But I’ve realized it’s also helpful to understand the
principles of social media marketing because some of the strategies that
work there also work well in email. So I’ve started spending a couple of
hours per week of my own time to study and learn this new area, which
has helped me a lot.”
Note that you the interviewer might also ask, “what areas need
improvement?” In that case, you can use the same approach, and I still
recommend naming one single weakness, just to keep your answer
simpler and more concise.

12. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

There are three big reasons interviewers ask “where do you see yourself
in 5 years?“:
1. They want to see if you’ve thought about your professional future

2. They want to make sure you’re ambitious and hard-working

3. They want to make sure the job they’re offering fits with your goals

So, pick a work-related goal of where you’d like to be five years from
now, and make sure it’s slightly challenging or ambitious-sounding.
 You don’t want to say, “I see myself in the same position five years from
now.”

And make sure to share a goal that is related to the type of job you’re
interviewing for. You want to sound like the experience you’ll gain in this
job fits your long-term goals.

Otherwise, they’re going to be scared to hire you. Why would they offer
you the job if it doesn’t fit the goals you described to them? You’d be
unsatisfied, bored, and would probably quit within the first year. No
company wants this.

Do:
• Show you’ve thought about this topic and question

• Sound ambitious and motivated

• Be realistic. Don’t say you want to be CEO in five years if you’re entry-
level

• Make sure your answer is related to this job. They won’t hire you for a
job that has nothing to do with your 5-year goal

Don’t:
• Be sarcastic or give a joke answer like, “I plan on having your job”

• Say you’re not sure, or say you’d be happy staying in the same role for
five years (most companies do not want to hear this)

Example interview answer:

“I’m glad you asked. In five years I see myself taking on more
responsibilities, either through management or higher-level individual
contributions. I’m not sure which path will make sense to pursue, but I
know my goal right now is to build a strong foundation and gain valuable
experience so that I’ll have a successful future in this industry.”
 They may also ask, “What are your career goals” so prepare to answer
that, too. You can read career goal examples here.

13. Tell me about a time you failed

This is one of the most common interview questions in many fields, from
retail to corporate positions, and is intended to find out if you’re able to
learn from mistakes and bounce back when things don’t go your way.

Employers want to see if you can own up to your mistakes, be

accountable, and also learn and improve from the experience. That last
piece is key if you want to give a good answer to this question.

When you answer, “tell me a time when you failed”… here are the most
important do’s and don’ts to follow:
Do:
• Admit to a real failure

• Describe the situation and what went wrong

• Show that you take responsibility (rather than blaming others), and show
you learned from it

• Ideally, talk about how you used that lesson to get a different outcome
next time you were presented with a similar challenge (e.g. how you
turned a past failure into a future success)

Don’t:
• Say you never fail

• Talk about a failure but then blame others and talk about how it wasn’t
really your fault

• Give a long-winded answer that goes off-track. You really need to be

concise and show you can tell a clear story. That’s one more thing
employers look for when they ask this interview question.
Sample interview answer:
“In my most recent position, I had recently been promoted to Supervisor
and was managing the department by myself right before the close of
business. An employee was acting out and I confronted him in front of
everybody. It made the situation worse and caused a lot of distraction for
everyone on the floor. I failed to lead properly in this situation, and spoke
to my manager the next day to discuss what I could have done better.
We both agreed that I should have handled this privately with the
employee by asking them to step inside my office. If I had done this
instead of reacting the way I did, the situation would have turned out
much better. From that point onward, I am always conscious of whether
a discussion with a team member should occur in public or behind
closed doors, and it made me a better leader.”

14. How do you make decisions?

This is another one of the most common interview questions you’ll hear.

You may also hear this phrased as a behavioral interview question, like,
“Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult decision? How did you
handle it and what did you decide?”

With any of these decision-making job interview questions, hiring

managers want to know that you’ve made good decisions in the past and
are comfortable making a tough decision under pressure. Demonstrate
this, and they’ll feel more confident that you’ll be able to make good
decisions in your next job, too… while working for them.

So to show the hiring manager that you’re the right fit, prepare to explain
how you organize and structure your decisions. The best answers will
show that you’re calm and follow a logical system when you make
important decisions.
Answer sample 1:
“Just last week I had a situation that describes my process pretty well.
One of our largest clients was having an issue with our latest software
update and I had to decide between doing a fresh install on their system
or trying to troubleshoot. The fresh install would come with downtime,
but it was a known variable. Whereas, if we took troubleshooting steps, it
could resolve the problem eventually, but the company would be working
with multiple software bugs and issues for an unknown period. I spoke to
our representative from their company, and also spoke to the Account
Manager within our firm who had originally brought this client on, since
he had the closest relationship with the firm. The company didn’t express
a preference and told us that we should decide what’s best. However,
the Account Manager I spoke with said that this company is typically
risk-averse and doesn’t like uncertainty. They want to know how bad the
“damage” will be whenever a problem arises. Based on this information,
I felt the best way to resolve the situation was to do a complete reinstall
of the software, causing 30 minutes of downtime, but solving the
problem that day. I also spoke to our billing team to provide a special
discount to help offset the lost revenue our software caused, which the
company appreciated and thanked me for.”
Answer sample 2:
“I typically list out all available options and then weigh the pros and cons
and expected outcomes of each. If other teams or people are impacted
by the decision, I’ll ask for their thoughts, too. Sometimes a peer will
point out a pro or con that I hadn’t seen, so I find it helpful to talk to
others when appropriate. After this, I’ll choose the course of action that I
feel is most likely to bring about the best outcome. I also weigh the risks
of each possible decision. If one decision has a good potential outcome
but comes with too much risk for the company, then it may not be the
right choice. Would you like me to give an example? Or did that answer
your question…”

15. What is your greatest achievement?

You shouldn’t brag about yourself in every interview question and
answer, but sometimes it’s called for. And this is one of those cases.
Don’t be timid and don’t hold back. This is your chance to share one
accomplishment that you’re most proud of and why. I recommend
choosing a professional achievement, but if the biggest win that comes
to mind is personal, that’s fine too.

Ideally, share a story that illustrates how you overcome a challenge,

went through a transformation, or overcame doubt or fear to accomplish
something that you’re proud of. If you can show determination and
resiliency, that’s going to impress most employers. However, there are
plenty of scenarios where your biggest achievement might show other
traits instead. That’s fine, too.

16. What are your leadership experiences?

Even if you’re not directly interviewing for a management role, you may
face some leadership interview questions.
Employers like a candidate who can take initiative and lead projects and
tasks even if it’s not their main role to lead. Plus, that shows you’ve got
room to grow and can be promoted in the future.

So before any interview, think about one or two recent leadership

experiences, ideally from work situations. Did you lead any meetings or
projects? Did you train or mentor anyone? Did you spearhead a new
initiative at work?
If you have no examples from work, then look to university experience,
sports, or other clubs/activities where you led a project, task, meeting, or
event.

Note that you may also be asked, “what is your leadership style?” but
this is typically reserved for positions where you’ll be leading as a core
part of your role.

17. How would you describe yourself?

While this question is similar to, “Tell me about yourself,” it’s best
answered with a shorter response. To prepare, pick two or three key
positive adjectives that you’d use to describe yourself and your work,
and be ready to explain why.
Example answer:
I would describe myself as careful and hard-working. I’m persistent, and
my work ethic is something I take pride in. But I also like to work
carefully and ensure that I’m not committing mistakes or having to redo
my work. I’ve found that by slowing down and working carefully and
methodically, you can often save yourself a lot of time and hassles in the
long run.

18. What are you passionate about?

Employers like to hire a candidate who has interests, passions, etc. This
is also why companies often ask, “what motivates you?” or, “what gets
you out of bed in the morning?”
When answering, “what are you passionate about?” you have a lot of
freedom. The question is very open-ended. I recommend naming one
single area. This keeps everything simple and makes it easier to
prepare. That’s why I recommend it for multiple interview questions and
answers above, too.
So pick one topic that gets you really excited. It can be mission-oriented,
like solving a crisis or helping the world. Or it can simply be that you
enjoy challenges at work, learning, improving, problem-solving, reaching
new levels of skill, etc.

You can also share a personal story explaining how you got into your
field of work or why it matters to you.

No matter what you choose, pick one thing, and tell the truth. There isn’t
one “right” answer here but employers can tell if you’re being
genuine/honest, and that’s what they want to see.
19. Do you want to tell us anything else
about you?
As you reach the end of the job interview, the employer may ask, “do
you want to tell us anything else?”
When you hear this, you have two choices.

First, if you feel the interview went well and you don’t have anything else
to add, it’s completely fine to say:

“No, I think we covered the important topics here. I’m satisfied if you are.
I’m looking forward to hearing your feedback, though, and the role
sounds exciting to me.”
This is normal/acceptable and you shouldn’t feel pressure to say
more if you’re satisfied that the interview went well. This is not a
trick interview question.
However, if there is a topic you wish they had asked about but didn’t,
or something unique that sets you apart from other candidates that you
didn’t explain yet, then feel free to share it. They’re giving you the
opportunity because they genuinely want to know.
You can also give yourself the opportunity to share a final point even if
they don’t ask.

Just say, “Is it alright if I share one more detail? Something came to
mind and I think it’s relevant.”

99% of interviewers will say, “Yes, sure!”

20. Do you have any questions for us?

If you don’t ask good questions in each interview, you might be costing
yourself job offers. Asking questions shows interest in the position and
shows employers that you’re looking for the right fit, not just any
job. This will make them trust you more and want you more.
You can ask about the work, the training, the challenges you’d face, the
overall direction of the company.

Don’t ask about salary, benefits, time off, or anything that isn’t related to
the work. Wait for them to bring it up, or until you know they want to offer
you the position.

Here are 105 of the best questions to ask the interviewer.

Example answer:
“Yes, I have a couple of questions actually. The first thing I wanted to
ask: Is this a newly-created position, or did somebody hold this role in
the past? And if so, what did that person go on to do after this position?”
UPDATE:
If you have interviews coming up and don’t want to leave anything to
chance, I’ve created a new guide where you can copy my exact step-by-
step method for getting job offers. You can get more details here.

Hold Up! Before you go on an

interview...
Get our free PDF with the top 30 interview questions to practice. Join
10,000+ job seekers in our email newsletter and we'll send you the 30
must-know questions, plus our best insider tips for turning interviews into
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Keep Reading
14 Sep, 2021
How Do You Prioritize Your Work? (Interview Question)

07 Sep, 2021
Answers to “Who Inspires You?” (5 Examples)

10 Aug, 2021
12 Peer Interview Questions and Answers

03 Aug, 2021
26 Good Examples of Problem Solving (Interview Answers)

Previous Post12
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48 comments
Heinrich Smith says
The page was very informative thank you.
Lawson Omowanile Olubukunola says
Helpful
LongOverdueResponse says
I appreciate your comment is from 2017 and you may never read this,
but for other visitors I have been in this situation and found the best way
to approach this is to spin it positively.

Whilst it is true that many of those contracts you may have taken just to
pay the bills, you don;t have to go into that too much, instead talk about
why you were contracting and why you’re now looking for a permanent
position (if you’re interviewing for another contract position they’re
unlikely to question your history of contracting).

By that, I mean – mention that for a while contracting was easier to

balance with your home-life, but now you’re in a position to look at
permanent positions and you’re eager to secure a permanent position in
a company with whom you can grow professionally over the coming
years.

Hope this helps!

Hilda Vicente says
impressive advice i realize my error in my interview.thanks
Patrick Wandera says
The article is impressive &helpful thanks a lot
Biron Clark says
Glad it helped, Patrick. Thanks!
Nelson says
You have helped me a lot
Froilan says
Thank alot I learn some strategy how to answers correctly the question
Ginger Irving says
Thank you for your insight. I haven’t had to apply for a job in over 30
years so you really helped me understand the best way to handle an
interview.
OUMA JAMES says
So helpful
Taiwo Lucy says
Insightful.

Thank you.

Comments are closed

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