Common Interview Questions and Answers
How to Answer the
Most Common Interview Questions [+ Sample Answers]
·
Tell me something about yourself.
·
How did you hear about this position?
·
Why did you decide to apply for this position?
·
What are your biggest strengths?
·
What are your biggest weaknesses?
·
What do you know about this company/organization?
·
Why should we hire you?
·
What are your salary requirements?
·
Do you have any questions for us?
·
What are you looking for from a new position?
·
Are you considering other positions in other
companies?
·
What is the professional achievement you’re most
proud of?
·
What kind of working environment do you work best
in?
·
Where do you see yourself in five years?
How to Answer
Situational Job Interview Questions [+ Sample Answers]
·
Why haven’t you gotten your Bachelor’s Degree/Master’s
Degree/Ph.D.?
·
Why have you switched jobs so many times?
·
Why did you change your career path?
·
Why did you decide to leave your previous/current
job?
·
Why is there a gap in your work experience?
·
Why were you fired?
·
How do you feel about working weekends or late
hours?
·
How would your boss describe you?
·
Do you have any serious medical conditions?
·
What would your first 30, 60, or 90 days look like
in this role?
·
Are you a team player?
·
Are you a risk-taker?
·
How do you deal with pressure or stressful situation?
·
Do you think there is a difference between hard
work and smart work?
·
How quickly do you adapt to new technology?
·
Do you have any interests outside of work?
·
Do you have any children?/Are you planning on
having any children?
·
What do you think our company/organization could do
better?
How to Answer
Behavioral Questions in an Interview [w/ Sample Answers]
·
Give an example of how you have handled a challenge
in the workplace before.
·
Give an example of when you performed well under
pressure.
·
Give an example of when you showed leadership
qualities.
How to Answer 14 Most Common Interview Questions [+ Sample Answers]
These questions are
the ones you’re bound to hear at just about any job interview -
whether you’re an intern, or a senior professional with a decade of work
experience.
All of these
questions are used to learn more about you, both as a person and a
professional.
You might have
heard the popular idea that there’s no right or wrong answers for job interview
questions.
Well, while that
might be true, there ARE a set of rules you need to follow when answering these
questions.
If you understand
what, exactly, the interviewer is looking for with each question, you’ll be
able to give the right answer (and rock that interview!)
In this section, we’re
going to go through 14 of the most common job interview questions and answers.
We’re going to explain what the HR manager wants to see in you, as well as give
you sample answers you could use.
So,
let’s get started!
1) Tell me something about yourself.
How hard can it be
to talk about yourself? We do it on a daily basis without much thought to it.
However,
recruitment managers are not looking for your whole life story, your
third-grade achievements, or what you had for dinner last night. Instead, they
are looking for a pitch.
This is usually the
first question asked in an interview, so it acts as your introduction. Make
sure your answer is relevant to the position you are applying
for. What you should be aiming for here is to present yourself as the ideal
candidate for the job.
A good rule of
thumb is to structure your talking points as follows:
- Briefly
introduce yourself: What’s your name? How old are you? How long have you been
working as [profession]?
- What do
you love about your job?
- What
are your top 2-3 achievements that are relevant to the job you’re
applying for?
Now,
let’s go through some examples:
Possible Answers
·
Sample Answer 1:
Hey! So, my name is
John Doe and I am 27 years old. I’ve worked as a business analyst
for 5+ years in Company X and Company Y. I have some background in data
analysis, having studied Information Systems at [Made-Up]
University. Throughout my career, I’ve done some pretty impressive stuff
(if I do say so myself, haha).
For example, at
Company X, I led a project for migrating all operations data to a new data
warehousing system to cut down on costs. The new solution was a much better fit
for our business, which eventually led to savings of up to $200,000 annually.
·
Sample Answer 2:
I am Jane Doe, a
recent college graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
I have just
graduated with honors in Biochemistry. I know my way around a lab and have had
multiple opportunities to put my knowledge into practice as a chemistry
research assistant.
The
lab felt like home, which is why I’d love to work as a lab assistant. I am
passionate, hard-working, and extremely responsible. I am also looking forward
to putting to practice all the things I learned during my time at university.
2) How did you hear about this
position?
Although at first
glance this might seem like a straightforward question, you should grab any
opportunity you can to show your interest in the
company.
Even if you haven’t
been continuously refreshing the company’s website for job listings, make it
seem like you have (in a professional way, of course). Show excitement and
curiosity.
If someone inside
the company told you about the position or recommended that
you apply, definitely make sure to mention that.
You’ll have a much
better chance at getting hired if someone credible can vouch for your skills.
So,
mention his/her name and his/her position inside the company and give their
reasoning for inviting or recommending you to apply for the position. Tell the
hiring managers what excites you about the job opportunity or what exactly
caught your eye.
Possible answers:
·
Sample answer 1:
“I’ve known about
[MadeUpTechnologies] for a long time - I’m a big fan of your products. I even
own one of your latest phone models!
I love the
company’s passion for creating super intuitive, beautiful hardware, and I would
love to be a part of it.
So, when I saw your
job ad at [RandomJobBoardWebsite], even though I wasn’t actively looking for a
job at the time, I couldn’t help but apply!”
·
Sample answer 2:
“I heard from Jim
Doe, my old colleague and college friend, that [Company X] was looking for a
new sales director. He encouraged me to apply, saying that my experience
managing a sales team at [Some Software Company] would be helpful for
[Company X].
I’ve
heard a lot about [Company X] from Jim, and I’m a big fan of the way you do
things there. I’ve always wanted to work for a company with a flat
organizational structure.”
3) Why did you decide to apply for
this position?
Through this
question, the interviewers want to assess how passionate you are for the
position. And no, the answer isn’t:
“Well, I’m very
passionate about not starving to death.”
Or…
“Well, I needed the
money, and you guys tend to pay a lot.”
What the
interviewer is looking for here is to see how passionate you are about the job
or the company. After all, job performance is directly linked to job
satisfaction. The happier you are about your position at the company, the more
productive you’ll be.
And here’s the
kicker - your passion will be very evident during the interview.
When you’re talking
to a person that’s passionate about something, you can pretty much feel them
glow as they talk. And if you’re an HR manager who’s interviewed hundreds of
people, this is a very good sign to hire the candidate.
So, use this
knowledge to your advantage.
When asked this
question, your answer should include 2 things:
- What
motivated you to apply for this position, specifically.
- Why
this company? Have you heard of them before?
Sample Answer 1:
I’m very passionate
about sustainability and renewable energy. In fact, I minored in Environmental
Science at [XYZ University].
I’ve always wanted
to put my engineering degree to a good cause - and the position as a
Sustainability Coordinator at [Company XYZ] is just the right thing.
I’ve
been following your company for the past few years, and I love how you’re
changing the renewable energy landscape in America.
Keep in mind,
though, that if you don’t know much about the company or the position - that’s
OK too. Just be honest and show your passion for the job. However, it’s always
better to do your homework before going to an interview..
Possible answer 2:
I’ve always wanted
to get into marketing. Having done promotional jobs here and there, I never had
an opportunity to do something more serious.
I do believe,
though, that I have just the right skills to get started: copywriting, basic
photoshop, and of course, lots of creativity.
So,
I thought that an internship at [Company X] would be an awesome start to my
career in marketing.
Want
to find more samples answers to this question? Check out our article on 10+
best answers to “Why do you want to work here?”
4) What are your biggest strengths?
There are two answers
you could go for here: what your actual strengths are, and what you think the
hiring manager or HR representative wants to hear. We would most certainly
suggest you go with the first answer.
For this question,
you would want to narrow your answer down to at most three strengths.
Pick 1 or 2 skills that would help you really excel at the job, and 1 or 2
personal (more or less unrelated) skills.
Not sure which ones
are your top strengths? Check out the table below to learn which one’s perfect
for your field:
After picking your
strengths, back it up with a situation or story that shows how
you have used it to benefit you on the job.
After all, words
are just that - words. The HR can’t know whether your “natural leadership” is
an actual strength, or just means that you were super active in your high
school class.
As
you probably already know, this is one of the most common interview questions
out there, so make sure you’re prepared for it before facing the HR manager!
Possible answers:
·
Sample Answer 1:
My biggest strength
is that I’m good at picking up new skills. I’ve worked a variety of different
odd jobs - things like working as a waiter, house-keeper, cook, and a lot more
(as you’ve probably seen on my resume).
For most of those
jobs, I ended up picking up all the needed skills within 1 or 2 weeks (with
basically no previous experience).
So, I’m pretty sure
while I don’t have any experience as a bartender, I have the right
certification, and I believe I can get good at it within a week or two.
·
Possible answer 2:
My biggest strength
is that I’m very efficient at working under pressure. No matter the crisis or
stress, I can make the right decisions on-the-spot.
As an event manager
at Company X, we were organizing an IT conference for a client. There were a
ton of last-minute hiccups - some speakers canceled and the catering company
said they’d be late for the lunch break. On top of that, we were understaffed
because 2 of our volunteer organizers got sick and couldn’t show up.
At
that point, things looked so bleak that we were considering canceling the event
or postponing it. Instead, I took the initiative in my hands and sorted through
the problems one by one.
5) What is your biggest weakness?
Ah, this is always
a tricky one!
After all, you
don’t want to mention your flaws during an interview, so it’s guaranteed to be
a tough question.
The trick to
answering this one is realizing that the interviewers don’t expect you to be
perfect. Everyone has flaws, weaknesses, and things to improve on.
When asking this question,
the HR manager is actually seeking to learn:
- Whether
you have the right skill s for the job. If you’re applying for the
position of a server in a busy restaurant, and you say your biggest
weakness is performing under pressure, then you’re definitely not getting
a call back.
- If
you’re self-aware and really know what your sticking points are.
And NO: fake
humble-brag weaknesses don’t count as weaknesses. You can’t just say
that your biggest weakness is that you work too hard, or that you’re a perfectionist.
The key here is to
mention a weakness that’s real, but not something that would get in the way of
you doing your job. You wouldn’t want to say you’re bad at math if you’re
applying for an accountant position, would you
It’s also good
practice to mention how you are working towards overcoming
this weakness and realizing how it affects you negatively. If you can, just
balance it with a positive side effect: treat it like two sides of the
same coin.
Possible answers:
·
Sample answer 1:
My biggest weakness
has always been my communication skills. I’ve been pretty shy and anxious as a
kid. Over the years, however, I’ve been really working on the issue.
At this stage, I’m
much better than I’ve ever been, but I’m still far from perfect.
This, however,
won’t have any impact on my job as a programmer. Despite lacking communication
skills, I’m very good at working in a team.
·
Sample answer 2:
Well, as a recent
graduate, I’d say my biggest weakness is the lack of real-life work experience.
While I’ve worked
on a dozen software projects in the university, I don’t have the experience of
working in a fully agile environment with an experienced team.
I
am, however, willing to do my best and catch up as fast as I can.
Looking
for more samples answers about your strengths and weaknesses? Check out our
full guide!
6) What do you know about this
company/organization?
A quick search in
the “About” page of the company/organization you are applying for should be
enough, right? Well, yes and no.
Think of this as an
open-ended question. There’s no real wrong answer here, other than:
Incorrect Example
I
don’t know anything about this organization. In fact, how did I end up here?
Can you guys call me a cab real quick?
However, the more you
actually know about the company, the better your chances of getting hired.
Imagine 2 equally
competent candidates:
- One who
doesn’t particularly care much about your company, and is only applying
because they know you pay good salaries
- Another
who’s been following your company blog for ages, loves your product, and
has several friends already working in the company
Which one would you
pick? Exactly, the second one!
So, with this job
interview question, you want to convince the recruiter that you’re the
candidate #2.
Now,
how do you do that? Well, a rule of thumb here is to do some Googling before
the interview and learn the following about the company:
- What
does their product or service do?
- What
impact does the product / service have?
- What’s
the company culture like?
- What
are the latest news about the company? How are they performing?
- ...And
pretty much whatever other type of info you can dig up.
Possible answers:
·
Sample Answer 1:
I hadn’t heard
about you until recently, actually. I found out about [Company X] through your
job ad on RandomJobBoard.
After doing some
brief research on you guys, I ended up falling in love with your software and
your mission.
Now, I’ve worked
with a ton of different project management software - Example Software 1,
Example Software 2 - but none of them were as intuitive and as Example Software
3.
·
Sample Answer 2:
Well, I know that
you’re one of the biggest investment banks in [town / state / country]. Company
X pops up on news pretty often - I’ve read that you’ve invested in some of the
hottest tech IPOs, and have several up-and-coming biotech companies in your
portfolio.
I
got particularly interested by your recent investment in [Startup X], I found
that interesting because of [Y Reason].
7) Why should we hire you?
Ah, the ultimate
humble-brag question.
Now, the real
question is, how do you sell yourself without trying to look arrogant,
desperate, or needy?
A good rule of
thumb here is to stay away from the extremes. Think you’re a good fit for the
job? Say that “you have the right experience.”
Whatever you do,
don’t oversell yourself:
“I’m the best
salesman you’ve ever met!”
Instead, make a
general statement (I’m a great fit for the position because…) and talk about
your experiences and achievements.
Here are 3 general
points you can mention:
- How
you’re super passionate about working for the company (and why).
- How
your skills fit their requirements.
- How
you’re going to help the company solve their existing problems. Improve a
metric, setup a process, etc.
Possible answers:
·
Sample Answer 1:
Well, as a start, I
have all the skills and work experience required for the job. I’ve worked as a
Sales Manager for 5+ years, and over the past 2, I’ve closed several deals
totalling in 6-figures.
Oh, and on top of
that, I have experience working with tech companies, so I’ll be able to pick up
all the product specifics much faster than the other candidates.
·
Sample Answer 2:
I have just the
right skill-set to excel as an executive assistant. While I haven’t previously
worked as a personal assistant, I pretty much fit the bill for the role.
I’m extremely
organized, having managed several project teams in my university. I led the
organization of Event #1 and Event #2. This involved continuous communication
with 12+ companies, 30 speakers, and 15+ sponsors.
I’m
very meticulous and organized, and I’m more than capable of helping the CEO get
the most our of their free time.
Looking
for more sample answers? Check out these 10+ answers to “Why should we hire you?”
8) What are your salary requirements?
This is always a
tricky question. You don’t want to lowball yourself, but at the same time, you
don’t want to be told “No” because you gave such an outrageous number.
When answering,
keep these 3 things in mind:
- What’s
the average salary for someone of your skill-level?
- How
much does the company pay employees of your skill level? GlassDoor should be super helpful
here.
- Finally,
how much are you getting paid in your current company? In most cases, you
can probably negotiate a pay bump from what you’re currently getting.
The final number
you tell them should incorporate all 3 of the points we just mentioned. Do you
know for a fact that the company is doing well (and compensates employees
accordingly)? You’d quote a higher salary.
Is your skill-level
above average? This should be reflected in your salary.
As a rule of thumb,
you can figure out 2 numbers: what’s the “good” scenario, and what’s the “best”
scenario?
Answer the
interviewer with your “best” pay, and worst case scenario, they’ll negotiate it
down.
Or,
you can also answer with a range, and chances are, they’ll pick the number
somewhere in the middle.
Possible answers:
·
Sample Answer 1:
My salary
expectation is around $70,000 annually.
·
Sample Answer 2:
My
salary requirement is in the $30,000 - $40,000 range annually.
9) Do you have any questions for us?
You’ll hear this
question in every interview you will attend.
While there isn’t a
right answer, there IS a wrong answer:
Nope, all good!
Thanks, I’ll go show myself out.
Instead, with this
question, you want to show your enthusiasm about the company. Imagine they’ve
already hired you and you’re starting tomorrow - what would you like to know
about them?
Keep in mind,
though, that the questions shouldn’t be too easy (So, what does your company
do?).
Other than showing
the recruiter that you’re really interested in working for them, this is your
opportunity to really find out more about the ins and outs of the place.
The answers you get
from the interviewer could also be an indicator of whether you really
want to work there or not.
So, what kind of
questions can you ask? Here are some of the most essential ones:
Possible questions to ask at the end
of an interview:
1. What does a regular
day in this company look like?
2. What’s the best
thing about working for the company?
3. What’s the worst
thing about working for the company?
4. What would you say
are the biggest challenges a person in this position might face?
5. What are the most
important skills and qualities one must have to succeed in this position?
6. What do you like
best about working in this company?
7. What are the most
pressing issues and projects that need to be addressed?
8. Do you have
training programs available to employees?
9. What sort of budget
is there for my department?
10. Why kind of
opportunities do you have for future development?
11. What are the
performance expectations for someone in this position?
12. Do departments
usually collaborate with one another?
13. Do you celebrate
birthdays or retirements in the office?
14. Do employees
usually hang out with each other outside of work?
15. Is there anything
else I can help you with at this stage?
16. What is the next
step in the hiring process?
For
the complete list of all the questions you can ask the interviewer,
check out our article!
10) What are you looking for in a new
position?
The easiest way to
answer this question would be to simply say that you’re looking for whatever
the company is offering.
Look at it from the
point of view of the potential employer. Would they hire someone if they
answered this question with:
A good salary. And
uhh, well, that’s about it!
This answer pretty
much says that the moment they get a higher paying offer, they’re going to jump
ship!
Instead,
explain to the interviewer that this job at this
company is the perfect fit for you. Mention what your short-term and
long-term goals are, and how this position ties to it.
Possible answer:
I’m looking to
further apply my machine learning skills that I developed during my 2+ years of
work at [Startup X]. There, I used to do programmatic ads model design.
Now, I’m looking
for an opportunity to work on a larger scale project that involves setting up
programmatic ads for audiences of more than 10 million people.
I
believe that worked with such a large-scale project will allow me to progress
significantly faster in my career.
11) Are you considering other
positions in other companies?
Here’s a tricky
one: How much does the HR manager need to know here?
If you admit to
having interviews with other companies, it might look like you’re not 100%
dedicated to this one.
On the other hand,
if you say you are not considering other positions, it might make you seem like
you don’t have other options (and the company has the upper hand in salary
negotiations).
The right way to go
about here is to find common ground between the two answers.
The interviewer is
probably asking because they want to know whether they have competition in
hiring you. They also want to know if you are serious about the industry and
are legitimately looking to be employed in this field of work.
If you do have
other interviews lined up for other companies, express that you are keeping
your options open but that you favor this job in comparison to the
others.
Don’t have many
other options? Stick to the same approach.
Whatever
you do, don’t make it seem like you’re desperate or that you don’t have any
other options.
Possible answers:
·
Sample Answer 1:
I have had two
interviews during the past week with companies in X and Y industries.
However, as I’m
very passionate about both your industry and the work you have done during the
past several years, I am more inclined toward working for you, if everything
works out.
·
Sample Answer 2:
Not
yet - I wasn’t really actively looking for a job until my friend, [name],
recommended your company. I’m not looking for just any company - I’m interested
in an interesting, engaging project such as yours.
12) What is the professional
achievement you’re most proud of?
This is another
version of the “Why should we hire you” question, but with a focus on one very
specific achievement.
This one’s pretty
straightforward, just mention your #1 professional achievement and you’re good
to go.
As a given, the
achievement has to be related to the job you’re applying for. Let’s say you’re
applying for the position of Sales Manager:
- [Incorrect
Example]
“I’m very good at
underwater basket-weaving, having woven 20+ baskets in the past year.”
- [Correct
Example]
“In my previous
sales position, I managed to hit and exceed department KPIs by 50%+ for 6
months in a row”
Keep in mind,
though, that you want to be very specific with your answer. To get this right,
try using the STAR method. It goes something like this:
S: Situation - Set the
scene and context.
T: Task - Describe
what your challenge or responsibility was.
A: Action - List and
dwell on all the actions you took towards addressing the challenge or
responsibility.
R: Result - Explain
what the outcomes were and how they fit with the overall goal of the project or
company.
So,
find a work-related achievement that showcases your contribution through your
skills and experience to something that matters to the company.
Possible answers:
·
Sample Answer 1:
My biggest
achievement is the fact that I went from being an intern to managing company
X’s entire marketing over 2 years.
As an intern, I
basically had 0 instructions on what to do - it went like “hey, go learn social
media advertising and get it going.” The founders didn’t exactly expect me to
achieve much, and didn’t particularly care, as they were 100% focused on making
the product work.
Instead of just
complaining about a lack of direction, I started reading up on digital
marketing - pretty much anything I could get my hands on. I learned how to do
content marketing for example, from Neil Patel’s blog, and started putting
everything into practice.
My first success
was getting an article to go viral, generating over $5,000 revenue in a single
day. While that’s not much for a software company, it felt like a lot for an
intern.
After that, the
founding team gave me a lot more trust, and assigned me a small marketing
budget of ,000 per month. With a lot more confidence in my abilities, I started
experimenting with other strategies.
Then, over the next
2 years, I got promoted to Head of Marketing. After making a couple of hires, I
managed to scale up our marketing efforts, growing the company from $2,000 to
$30,000 monthly recurring revenue.
·
Sample Answer 2:
My greatest
achievement so far is graduating from [University X] within 4 years, with a GPA
of 3.9. My family was unable to support me financially, so I had to take care
of all the university bills on my own.
Through
hard work and dedication, I ended up graduating with almost no student loans. I
managed this through a combination of:
1. Working part-time
while studying
2. Doing seasonal
full-time work during the summer
3. Maintaining a high
CGPA and winning 2 scholarships over 4 years
13) What kind of work environment do
you like best?
The aim of this
question is to assess whether you’ll fit in the company’s working
environment.
For example, some
organizations are pretty structured and hierarchical, they require tight
organization and have a well-planned day filled with rules and guidelines on
how to do things.
If you’re the
creative, think-out-of-the-box type who likes to break the rules and innovate,
this is probably not going to cut it for you.
On the other hand,
some companies are more laid back, with a lot less bureaucracy. “Go get us more
sales” can actually be your main duty for the week if you’re working in an
early stage startup.
If you’re the type
who prefers to have strict to-dos and objectives, you probably won’t enjoy such
a job.
So, the takeaway?
Different people work best in different environments, and that’s okay.
Before you go to
the interview, go through the company’s website and social media pages
to get a sense of the general vibe and environment there.
Look at employee reviews
on GlassDoor, or if you know someone already working there, ask them.
Depending
on what you learn, answer accordingly.
Possible answers:
·
Sample Answer 1:
I work best in
smaller companies. I really dislike the corporate world - rules, guidelines,
SOPs, and so on. I perform best when I have a certain level of freedom to do
things. Want to find innovative solutions to problems you didn’t even know you
had? I’m your guy.
Want someone to
just blindly follow instructions and do what they’re told? Then we’d probably
not be a good fit.
·
Sample Answer 2:
I love working in a
youthful, energetic environment. You know, when you’re working on a common goal
with a team of people who are as passionate as you are?
I like to think of
my work as a second home, and my coworkers as family.
The last company I
worked at had such an environment, and I excelled at the job.
I
get that exact feeling about Company X, since the moment I walked in here for
the interview. So, I’m pretty excited to get to know how you guys work!
14) Where do you see yourself in five
years?
Sometimes the
honest answer to this is “Hopefully not doing this.” especially
with entry-level jobs.
Don’t think the
hiring manager doesn’t know it, though. There are diplomatic ways to go around
it.
In general, the
motivation behind this question is for the interviewer to assess whether you
are an ambitious person or not and whether you have realistic
expectations for your career.
Make sure to avoid
any of the cliche answers such as…
“In your seat!”
Or
“As the big boss
man”
Instead, think
realistically about what the next step after this position is,
and whether it is possible to reach it within the company you
are applying at.
Possible answers:
·
Sample Answer 1:
Within the next 5
years, I’d like to reach the position of a Senior Business Consultant. During
the time period, I would like to accomplish the following:
Help 20+
organizations improve their business
Create a personal
network of highly specialized professionals
Learn as much as I
can about optimizing and improving clients’ businesses, as well as the
essentials of operating a company
·
Sample Answer 2:
As a start, I want
to learn if accounting is the right field for me. While I loved what I studied
at the university, I want to see if working in the field feels the same.
If
I do end up enjoying it, I’d like to specialize in either internal auditing or
forensic accounting, as I really like to discover and solve problems. From what
I’ve seen from your job ads, you guys are hiring for both, so I hope it’s going
to be possible to move up from the position of an “intern” within the next few
months!
Still
not sure how to answer this one? We don’t blame you! Sometimes, you might not
know what you’re doing next week, let alone next year! Check out our guide to
answering the “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”
job interview question to find more possible answers.
How to Answer 18 Situational Job Interview
Questions
Congrats!
You’re past the
hard part.
You already know
the most common job interview questions, and can probably deflect whatever the
interviewer throws at you.
Depending
on your specific situation, though, you might also need to learn how to answer
these situational job interview questions...
1) Why haven’t you gotten your
Master’s Degree/Ph.D.?
As a start, keep in
mind that the interviewer isn’t judging you for your decision.
After all, if they
were looking for someone with a better degree, they wouldn’t have invited you
to an interview. The degree is not the dealbreaker here, but your answer to the
question might be.
When asking this
question, the interviewer is trying to see your reasoning for pursuing a career
instead of getting another degree.
Heck, there’s a
chance that if you give them the right answer, they’re even going to like you
more than someone with 3 Phds!
So, simply explain
why you didn’t think that another degree was the right thing for you at the
time.
Don’t say you were
lazy or didn’t feel like it, or that it’s a waste of money (even if that might
be the case).
Instead,
give compelling arguments, such as…
- You
wanted to see whether your field was the right one for you.
- You
didn’t have the financial resources at the time.
- You
wanted to get some practical work experience before committing to another
degree.
Possible answers:
·
Sample Answer 1:
At this stage of my
life, I decided to pursue my career instead of further education. On the one
hand, I want to make sure that Marketing is what I want to do with my life.
On the other hand,
I believe that in my field, practical work experience is a lot more valuable
than academic.
So far, my decision
has paid off pretty well - I’ve already gotten a lot of experience doing online
marketing for 3+ companies and delivering awesome results to boot.
I might eventually
decide to pursue a masters, but at this point, I really don’t see the point in
that.
·
Sample Answer 2:
Because it’s not in
sync with my future career path. I believe that for software engineering,
practical experience matters a lot more than having a degree.
I’ve already done
an internship as a Junior Javascript Back-end Developer, and I believe that it
gave me a lot more knowledge than my B.A. in Computer Science.
While
I am eventually planning on getting a Masters, it’s going to be in a more
theoretical field, such as Artificial Intelligence.
2) Why have you switched jobs so many
times?
If you’ve switched
jobs in a very short period of time (2 or more full-time positions in 1 year),
the interviewer is bound to ask about it.
After all,
job-hopping is one of the biggest red flags for HR managers.
True, you might
have had a reasonable cause. Maybe the second company you got hired in just
wasn’t a good culture fit for you.
Well, you’ll have
to communicate that.
Companies tend to
be skeptical because of the following reasons…
- You
might be a job hopper. Some people tend to switch jobs the
moment they get a better salary offer.
- You
might be unqualified for the job and you quit because you
couldn’t deliver.
- You
get bored easily and your solution to that is quitting.
So, your job here
is to convince the interviewer that you don’t belong to any of those 3
categories.
You need to make
them realize that you will not jump ship a few months after
getting hired just because some recruiter PM’d you on LinkedIn with a better
offer.
The
best way to answer this question is to explain the reason you switched jobs. It
could be one of the following:
- The
company culture wasn’t a good fit. This happens to the best of us -
sometimes, the company just isn’t the right one.
- The job
description was misleading and you ended up doing something you either
didn’t enjoy, or were not qualified for.
- You
learned that you simply didn’t enjoy the job, and are not willing to try
out something different. While this isn’t the best potential answer, it’s
honest and chances are, the HR manager will understand.
Possible answers:
·
Sample Answer 1:
The last company I
got hired in just wasn’t what I expected. The hiring manager didn’t communicate
the role well enough.
As you already
know, I’m a copywriter - I write sales copy. I work with:
-Landing pages
-Email marketing
-And sales pages
Around a week after
I started work at the company, I realized that they were actually looking for
something completely different. They asked me to write generic blog and social
media posts, which is pretty far off from what I do.
This was really not
what I expected, and not something I find interesting.
·
Sample Answer 2:
Well, as a start,
my first job was in a big corporation straight out of university. While I did
learn a lot there about Software Engineering practices, I also learned that a
huge company with lots of regulations, rules, and the like isn’t for me.
So, at the end of
my internship there, I decided to try working at a startup. I enjoyed that job
a LOT more, as it gave me a lot of freedom when it comes to problem-solving. I
wasn't told HOW to do it. Rather, I was given the option of coming up with my
own solution.
Unfortunately, the
company went belly-up after failing to raise money, putting me back on the job
market.
And
here we are - [Company X] is pretty much THE place I’ve always wanted to work
in. I’ve heard a lot about your company culture, and thought I’d really belong
there.
3) Why did you change your career
path?
If you recently
changed your career path, the interviewer is sure to ask about it.
Don’t worry - there’s
nothing wrong with this.
A lot of people go
through a career change. Some even do it several times in their lifetime!
As long as you’re
good at what you do, no one cares if you were a pediatrician in one year, and a
professional chef in another.
When
asked this question, all you have to do is answer truthfully. Explain how your
old job just wasn’t for you, and how the job you’re applying for is so much
more interesting.
Possible answers:
·
Sample Answer
I realized that
being a doctor is not for me. While I did enjoy my 3 years in med school, the 6
year study period was too much.
I wanted to start
making money and help out my family way before that, so I dropped out of
university and started taking online courses in accounting.
At this point, I’m
pretty good at it, having done 2 internships so far in [Company X] and [Company
Y].
·
Sample Answer 2
Simply because I
enjoy doing sales much more than accounting. After 5 years of working as an
accountant for Firm X, I decided I wanted to try something new.
I
asked my boss at the time to let me transition to the sales team, and I ended
up liking it AND being pretty good at it.
4) Why did you decide to leave your
previous/current job?
When asking this
question, the interviewer wants to learn:
- Did you
have a good reason for leaving your last job? The HR manager doesn’t want
someone that just jumps ship the moment things go bad.
Incorrect Example:
“Oh,
well, the company started bleeding cash and was on its way to bankruptcy.”
Correct Example:
“I
felt like it was time - I got to a point where everything I was doing felt
monotonous. I learned as much as I could at this position while delivering
amazing results. It was, however, time to switch to something new.”
- Did you
leave on good terms? Meaning, did you go through the offboarding process,
instructing your coworkers on how to take up your responsibilities? Or did
you just say “Adios” and stopped showing up at work?
Incorrect Example:
“Things
started to get really boring, and the boss man was kind of mean. I totally deserve
better, so I just ghosted them and now I’m looking for a new company. Hi!”
Correct Example:
“I
didn’t feel like the company’s values coincide with mine. The management was
too controlling and micromanaging. I prefer to have some control over my work, and
being able to contribute by going above and beyond my requirements.”
Of
course, I went through the off-boarding properly. Meaning, gave a timely
resignation notice, and transferred all the essential company knowledge to my
replacement.”
- Did you
leave voluntarily, or were you fired?
Incorrect Example:
“I
got fired for missing work for a week without an excuse.”
Correct Example:
“I was fired,
actually. The fault was in my communication skills at the time. I misunderstood
my supervisor’s instructions and ended ended up setting a higher monthly spend
on ad account for the client. The losses were not more than 3-figures, but
apparently, the relationship with the client was already strained, so they
ended up leaving.
Of
course, I really took this to heart and worked very hard on improving my
communication skills, to ensure that I don’t make any mistakes of this nature
ever again.”
5) Why is there a gap in your work
experience?
In most cases, a
gap in your work experience doesn’t really mean anything. You probably have a
very good reason for it.
The interviewer,
however, will definitely ask about it, and you should answer adequately.
There’s no secret
sauce to answering this question, just let the recruiter know about your
situation, whatever that may be:
- Maternity
leave
- Health
issues
- Caring
for a sick family member
- Time
off to pursue further education
- Relocating
to a different city
- Working
on a personal project
Whichever the case
may be, just explain the situation in brief and move on.
One thing to keep
in mind, however, is that if you were laid off at work, or you quit and had
trouble getting a new job, you should be very subtle about it.
If
the interviewer knows that you’re struggling to find a job, you’re going to
give them the upper hand in salary negotiations.
Possible answers:
·
Sample Answer 1:
“I had a baby and
had to take maternity leave.”
·
Sample Answer 2:
“My
father was sick, so I had to be the one to take care of him full-time over a
few months.”
6) Why were you fired?
Now this is a tough
one.
Getting fired is
pretty much never good.
Keep in mind that
we’re talking about getting fired, not getting laid off. There’s a huge
difference between the two:
- Getting
laid off means that you got let go for something that had nothing to
do with your competence. I.e. budget cuts, company down-sizing,
etc.
- Getting
fired, on the other hand, means that you got let go for a reasonable
cause. And chances are, it’s probably your fault.
If you got fired
and the interviewer asks you about it, you should be honest. After all, they
can easily check-in with your previous employer.
Your
best shot here is to be critical about your mistakes, and explain what you’ve
done to improve.
Incorrect example:
“None of it was my
fault. My boss is a total tool, and he hates me for no real reason. He yelled
at me for no real reason!”
In the example
above, the interviewee gets defensive. That’s a pretty huge red flag for the HR
manager.
Instead,
try saying something that shows that you’re aware of your mistakes.”
Correct example:
“The main fault was
in miscommunication. The interviewer was unclear about the job responsibilities
- from what I understood, they were looking for a senior-level marketer to
oversee their email marketing operations.
At the end of the
day, though, it turned out that the company was looking to experiment with
email marketing, and specifically for someone to set it up from scratch.
While
I did my best to deliver, in the end it turned out that their niche doesn’t
actually need email marketing. This was against the management’s vision, so
that decided to let me go.”
7) How do you feel about working
weekends or late hours?
You’re gonna get
asked this question in one of the following 2 cases:
1) You’re applying
for a job that requires working odd hours.
In this case, your
answer is pretty straightforward - since you’re applying for such a job, you
probably don’t have any problems working odd hours.
Sample answer:
“Sure!
I’m OK with working late hours or weekends, as long as you let me know about it
at least a few days in advance.”
2) You’re applying
for just about any other type of job.
Now, you should
look at this as a red flag. Is the employer just checking your dedication, or
are they looking for someone that’s going to work 24/7 with no overtime pay?
In
this case, ask them to clarify what they mean.
Sample answer:
“Given
enough warning, sure. Is that something I’ll be required to do often? Do you
offer overtime pay for this kind of situation?”
8) How would your boss or coworkers
describe you?
This question is
pretty much the same as “what are your greatest strengths,” the only difference
is that it should be from the point of view from your boss or coworkers.
Here, you want to
focus on your traits and achievements that you’ve previously been praised for
(After all, the interviewer might ask for a reference!).
There are at least
2 ways to answer this question:
1) Describe a
specific situation where you excelled at work (and received praise from your
boss and coworkers)
Sample Answer
“They’d say I’m
super hard working. During my weekend-off, not one, but three of my coworkers
got sick, and I had to spot for them.
The weekend was
peak season in Nantucket, so the restaurant was getting seriously
overwhelmed. All of a sudden, we went from being very prepared for the
season, to complete panic.
Had
to jump between serving, bussing, and line-cooking, but overall, managed to
survive through the weekend successfully.”
2) Quote a
performance review
If you’ve
previously worked in an office job, you’re probably all too familiar with
these.
Did
your boss give you a glowing performance review? Make sure to mention it here!
Sample answer:
“Well, in my last
performance review in September, my boss described me as someone who takes
initiative.
My position as a PR
manager involves constantly keeping track of our clients brand reputation, and
if something goes wrong, dealing with it as fast as possible.
In a lot of cases,
you need to be very proactive - if you wait for your entire team to have a
meeting on how to deal with the issue, it might already be too late.
There
were 4-5 different situations where I had to take charge and react to problems
literally the moment they arose, whether it was during my work hours, or not.”
9) Do you have any serious medical
conditions?
When asking this
question, the interviewer wants to learn if you have any medical conditions
that could impair your ability to do the job correctly.
In most cases,
you’re not obliged to give an answer. If you do have a health condition, and it
doesn’t have anything to do with your career, you can simply choose not to
answer, or to say “No.”
However, you might
want to disclose anything that could potentially have an impact on how you
perform.
For
example, if the job requires you to lift heavy boxes, for example, and you’re
not able to do so because of a condition, you should let the HR manager know.
Possible answers:
·
[Sample Answer 1]
“I don’t have any
serious medical conditions”
·
[Sample answer 2]
“I’m
unable to lift heavy objects because of issues with my back, but it won’t have
any impact on how I perform at an office job”
10) What would your first 30, 60, or
90 days look like in this role?
If you’re applying
for a senior or leadership role, you’re probably going to get asked this
question.
Chances are, at
this stage of the interview, you already know a lot about your future position
and the company.
Now, it’s time to
show off your knowledge in your field, and explain how you’re going to start
making things happen at the company.
So,
here’s how to answer the question:
For the first 30 days:
You’re
probably going to need to get to know the company first. You’re going to be
learning as much as possible, including information on:
·
What does the company do?
·
What are the key processes?
·
What does your department do?
·
What are the current problems and challenges?
·
Where can you help?
Then, during the 60 days:
You’ll
start start making things happen. From all the info you gathered, suggest a
handful (3 to 5) initiatives you could take on:
·
You’d audit the company email marketing strategy
and suggest improvements
·
You’ll help come up with better ad copies for
Facebook marketing
·
You’ll help the team with their ongoing marketing
initiatives
Within the first 90 days:
You’re
already have started making an impact. Describe several things you think are
going to be functioning better:
·
Online ads are going to be performing better by
10-20%
·
Email marketing operations are going to be more
streamlined, taking significantly less manpower
11) Are you a team player?
Wherever you’re
applying, the answer to this question should be a “Yes!”
Even if you’re
applying for a completely solo role, chances are, you’re still going to have to
work in a team occasionally.
We’d
recommend being very specific about your answer here - don’t just say yes. Give
the interviewer an exact example of when you excelled at working with a team.
Possible answers:
·
Sample Answer 1:
“I’m much better at
working in a team than alone, actually. That’s what I love about working in
advertising - everyone has their own specific type of a creative spark, and
when you combine it all, magic happens!
I’m good at both
leading and following in terms of creativity and brainstorming. I’m also super
receptive to others ideas, and do my best to help them execute it without
nay-saying or criticism.”
·
Sample Answer 2:
“Yep, definitely. I
excel at team-work.
This one time while
working at [Company X], I was assigned to an existing team working on a web
application for a business process management company.
They were working
on a tight deadline, and needed help on the API side.
I optimised their
development cycles and oversaw a team of three developers while collaborating
with the other two dev teams.
Everything
went pretty well, and we managed to finish the project on time.”
12) Are you a risk-taker?
This one’s pretty
tricky, as the answer here depends on your profession and field.
Ask yourself - is
risk-taking a valuable skill for the job?
If you’re a pilot,
for example, the answer should be a strict “No!”
If, on the other
hand, you’re a day trader, then risk is an essential part of your job.
So, depending on
how valuable risk is for your job, answer accordingly.
You could also give
a more strategic answer. Let’s say, for example, you work in investment
banking. You need to be a risk taker to an extent, but being too risk-friendly
might make the entire company go bankrupt.
The strategy in
such a case would be to show that you’re all about calculated risk.
You’re willing to take chances, but only when the odds are in your favor.
As
with most interview questions, you should give examples of situations where you
had to take risks, and what the end-results were.
Possible answers:
·
Sample Answer 1:
“Yes, I’m a
risk-taker. I believe that to achieve real results, you always need to be
willing to take a certain level of risk.
Pretty much any
marketing initiative you launch is tied to risk. You can plan everything from
beginning till the end, but no matter how well you plan it out, things might
just not work out.
It’s just part of
the job - in order to succeed, you need to take launch risky campaigns on a
regular basis, and hopefully, one in every 5 is going to bring you massive
results.”
·
Sample Answer 2:
“I’m not a
risk-taker, I’m more of a risk-manager. As someone who’s been in finance for
years, I can say with a lot of confidence that there’s risk in everything.
The most important
things are to one, minimize your risks, and two, minimize potential damages if
everything goes very, very wrong.
While working at
Investment Bank X, we had a very interesting policy for investing in new
fintech projects. We used to avoid moon-shots, high-tech projects, as well as
anything that had an experimental business model.
Our
strategy was to invest in proven tech. As in, proven product-market fit,
business model, etc. In most cases, these were runner up companies. We wouldn’t
invest in that one innovative company that was all over the news - we’d instead
invest in their latest competitor. More often than not, this ended up being
more profitable, and significantly less risky.”
13) How do you deal with pressure or
stressful situations?
If you’re applying
for a high-stress job, you’re guaranteed to get asked this question.
The aim of this
question is to see if you’re the type of person who’d survive working at the
job, or fall through the cracks when the first signs of trouble show up.
Obviously, you
wouldn’t answer with the following…
“Well, I end up
having a panic attack, crying, and running away from work.”
Instead, answer as
follows…
- Say
that yes, you do tend to perform well during stressful situations
- Give
1-2 examples of a situation where you had to perform well under pressure
Now,
let’s go through some real-life examples:
Possible answers:
·
Sample Answer 1:
“Though I can’t
particularly say I enjoy stressful situations, I AM very good at working under
pressure.
During chaos and
panic, I tend to take a step back, think, plan, and prioritize.
For example, there
have been times I’ve had to juggle multiple university projects and assignments
at the same time. I would break up large assignments into small, individual tasks,
and prioritize based on:
·
How fast I could complete each task
·
Figuring out which task would take the longest
·
Which project had the earliest deadline
This way, my work
became a lot more manageable. The most times I had to experience such
situations, the better I performed overall.”
·
Sample Answer
2:
“I actually prefer
working under pressure. I look at it as a challenge - a situation where I
really have to up my game to succeed.
As a cook, working
under pressure is pretty much part of the job. I’ve been in several situations
where the restaurant was understaffed for the occasion. Heck, it’s pretty much
a constant thing during peak season.
When
there’s a ton of orders coming in and we can barely keep up, I tend to get
significantly more productive than usual.”
14) Do you prefer
hard work, or smart work?
By definition, hard
work is when you, well, work hard. It’s when you’re willing to put in a lot of
work to get the job done.
Smart work on the
other hand, means doing the work efficiently. If you manage to get the job done
in 2 hours instead of 5, with the same end-result, you’re doing smart work.
Keep in mind,
though, that by asking this question, the interviewer is looking to understand
what your work ethic is like. Meaning, they’re looking for a healthy combination
of both, not just one.
That is, they want
you to be the candidate who not only thinks smartly but works hard as
well.
So, your answer
here shouldn’t be one-sided...
“Oh, I looove smart
work. That’s when you come up with what to do, and make other people do it,
right?”
Instead,
explain how you excel at both:
Sample answer:
“I don’t
particularly have a preference - I believe that both hard and smart work is
important to get the best results.
Smart work, on one
hand, lets you figure out the best and most efficient way to get things done.
Hard work, on the
other hand, means that you’ll do the job right. Even if there’s no way to do it
smart or efficiently, you’ll be willing to put in long hours of work to get it
done.
I’m the type that
does both.
For an example of
smart for, during my time at [Made Up Corporation], I was in charge of the
sales department. As a process improvement initiative, I migrated from an
outdated, in-house CRM, to Pipedrive. This improved the department’s
productivity by around 20%.
On
the other hand, the whole migration process took around 3 months of hard work.
As the software we were using was outdated, trying to learn how to map and
migrate our data was a lot more complicated than we’d expected.”
15) How quickly do
you adapt to new technology?
Today, whether
you’re applying for a software engineering job, or as a cashier in a
supermarket, you’re going to need to use technology at least on some level.
It’s very common
for a company to adopt new tech - new point of service system, self check-out
kiosks, customer management software, and whatever else.
So, you should be
able to pick up new tech ASAP. Any new change shouldn’t completely
disrupt your work.
So,
when answering this question, you should talk about how tech-savvy you are.
Possible answers:
·
Sample Answer:
“I’m pretty
tech-savvy. I’ve worked with a lot of different Point of Service systems so
far, and have zero difficulties learning how to use new ones.”
As a given, I own a
PC, have used Office 365, and all the usual stuff.”
·
Sample Answer 2:
“I’ve always been
interested in tech. In fact, I’m the type of person to actively seek out new
software to help solve business problems at work.
I’ve
worked with 3 different Customer Management Software in the past, such as
PipeDrive, SalesForce, and Zoho CRM.”
Do you have any interests outside of
work?
If the interviewer
asks you this question, take it as a good sign!
It means that they
liked your professional background, and now they’re just trying to get to
know you and see if you’re a good fit for the company culture.
It’s pretty hard to
go wrong here, unless you’re going to answer something like:
“I have literally
no hobbies.”
or...
“All I do is play
video games all day.”
Just talk about
your hobbies and interests, and you’re all set!
Bonus
points if you can mention something that’s also relevant to your job (creative
writing if you’re applying for a copywriting job, for example).
Possible answers:
·
Sample Answer 1
“I’m a big fan of
creative writing. I have my own personal short-story blog, and contribute
actively to several online writing communities (such as Writing Prompts on
Reddit).
Oh, and I’m also a
huge fan of the New York Giants.”
·
Sample Answer 2
“Well,
I’m very interested in all sorts of sports. I like to keep active, as it really
helps keep me productive. Over the past 2 years, I’ve done a bit of everything
- fencing, archery, hiking, and several other things.”
17) Do you have any children?/Are you
planning on having any children?
A lot of companies
don’t want to hire someone only for them to go on maternity (or paternity)
leave a few months after.
The thing is,
though, asking this question is illegal. Companies are not allowed to discriminate
based on family status.
So, feel free to
give a generic answer:
Possible answers:
“I don’t have any
children, and currently, I’m not planning on having any.”
“Currently,
my main focus is my career (and not my personal life).”
We would, however,
recommend reconsidering working at a company that follows legally questionable
practices.
18) What do you
think our company/organization could do better?
Well, this one’s
interesting!
While not too
common for most organizations, it’s a favorite amongst tech companies.
How come? Well,
answering this question shows a couple of things…
- That
you’re really passionate about the organization, and have done your
research
- Are not
afraid of giving feedback
Obviously, you
should be very political about your feedback. You can’t just say that:
Incorrect example:
“Well, a lot of
things really. I’m not enjoying this interview right here, for example.
And
your product kinda sucks, no offense. But hey, there’s always room for
improvement, am I right?”
Instead,
you want to show off the research you’ve done. Talk about anything that might
seem off about their product or business:
Correct example:
“I actually went
through your resume builder before coming to the interview, and found several
things that seemed kinda counter-intuitive.
Not to say that
it’s too hard to understand, or something, but it took me a while to figure out
some stuff.
If
you want, I can open up my laptop and show you what I mean.”
How to Answer 3 Most Common Behavioral Questions in
an Interview [w/ Possible Answers]
Finally, behavioral
job interview questions are questions that focus on how you’ve
performed in the past, or how you’d perform in a specific situation.
They’re used to
understand your thinking patterns, and whether you can think on your feet.
Remember the STAR
method we discussed all the way up? Well, it can be used to answer just about
any behavioral interview questions.
To brush up your
memory, the main idea behind the STAR method is that each answer should involve
the following:
- S:
Situation - Set the scene and context.
- T: Task -
Describe what your challenge or responsibility was.
- A:
Action - List and dwell on all the actions you took towards
addressing the challenge or responsibility.
- R:
Result - Explain what the outcomes were and how they fit with the
overall goal of the project or company.
Here
are 3 of the most common behavioral interview questions (with sample answers):
1) Give an example of how you have
handled a challenge in the workplace before.
What the
interviewers want to know in this case is how well you handle conflict and
difficulties.
So,
the answer here should be pretty straightforward. You should describe a
challenge you faced at work, and explain how you solved it.
Possible answers:
·
Sample Answer 1
“During my last job
as a Google Ads expert, one of the company clients had accidentally butchered
their own ad account. I noticed this over the weekend and saw that they were
basically wasting money on nothing.
I took the
initiative and immediately got in touch with the client to let them know about
the issue. Then, we set up an impromptu meeting on the same day, and fixed the
account before any real damage could be done.”
·
Sample Answer 2
“During my last
job, I was managing the creative and web dev team in charge of creating an
online store for a client. Two days before deploying, we found a major bug that
messed up the whole front-end user experience.
Now, we could have
pushed the deadline a bit, but that would have messed up the relationship with
the client. The project was already postponed once because of unforeseen
circumstances, so this one was a do or die.
I
assembled a task force consisting of web developers from my team, as well as
some software engineers from another department. We focused 100% of our time on
fixing the issue, and actually managed to launch on time at the end.”
2) Give an example of when you
performed well under pressure.
For
any high-stress work environment, you’re guaranteed to get asked this question.
Possible answers:
·
Sample Answer 1
“I actually perform a lot better when under a lot of pressure. The
sense of urgency and importance really motivates me to up my game and make sure
everything works out right.
When I worked as a Financial Analyst at [MadeUpFinanceCompanyInc], most
of the work was very high pressure. I had to go above and beyond the line of
duty to make sure we met the tight deadlines set by our clients. This often
meant working 12 hour work days, and sometimes, working over the weekend.”
·
Sample Answer 2
“As a seasonal worker, my entire career is high-pressure, haha... My
last position was as a line cook during the summer at the SomeRestaurant in
JacksonHole, Wyoming.
Around 3 out of 4 of the months were super high
stress - there was a LOT of work, and the restaurant was pretty much always
full. Heck, I’ve even had to skip breaks just to make sure we wouldn’t be
understaffed.”
3) Give an example of when you showed
leadership qualities.
Applying for a
leadership position? You’ll definitely get asked this behavioral interview
question.
Keep in mind, though,
that this question doesn’t necessarily mean that you should have held a
managerial position.
What
the interviewer is asking for is a situation when you took the initiative and
led a project or an initiative.
Possible answer:
“As an entry-level marketer, there was not much expected of me at
SoftwareCompanyInc.. My main to-dos involved doing research, and completing
whatever tasks were assigned to me.
During a content marketing brainstorming session, I came up with an
awesome idea to market the company. The gist of it was, we’d interview company
clients who were very successful at using the software, create case studies on
what exactly they’re doing, and include it in our email marketing strategy.
The Chief Marketing Officer loved the idea and put me in charge of executing the project, which I did with flying colors.”
Additional Interview Preparation Tips
And we’re finally
here!
If you managed to
get to this point, you definitely deserve a high-five!
Now, before we wrap
up the article, let’s go through a couple of essential tips on acing your
interview…
- Make
sure you’re prepared to answer all the common job interview questions.
Wherever you’re applying, you’ll likely be asked several of these
questions.
- Think
of the answers you’ll give for the situational interview questions
(whichever ones apply to you). I.e. gap in your work experience, why were
you fired, etc.
- Understand
how to answer behavioral job interview questions. If you know how the STAR
method works, this shouldn’t be difficult at all.
- Follow
basic interview etiquette. Make eye-contact with the interviewer, but
polite, and so on.
And finally, good
luck on the interview! You got this!
Suggested
readings
- How to Make a Resume & Land That Job
- How to Make a Cover Letter
- How to Ace a Video Interview
- Phone Interview Questions & Tips
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Internship Resume Examples [2020] + Writing Guide
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