The 20 most common job interview questions
- 1. The 20 most common job interview questions by Allison Green, USNews.com The absolute best thing you can do to prepare for a job interview is to practice your answers to the questions you’re most likely to be asked. Practicing and saying your answers out loud over and over—or even writing them down, which might ingrain them more deeply in your brain—will significantly improve how well you perform when you’re actually in the interview, sitting face to face with the interviewer. Here are the 20 questions you’re most likely to be asked in a job interview: 1. Can you please tell me about yourself? 2. What interests you about this opening/our company? (Or why do you want to work for us?) 3. What do you know about our company? (e.g. history, products, services, reputation, etc.) 4. Why did you leave your last job? (Or why are you thinking about leaving your current job?) 5. Can you please tell me about your experience at ___? (Fill in past job.) 6. What experience do you have doing ____? (Fill in the major responsibilities of the job your applying for.) 7. Can you please tell me about your strengths? Weaknesses? 8. Can you please tell me about a time when… ? (Fill in with situations relevant to the position. For instance: Tell me about when you had to take initiative … when you had to deal with a difficult customer … when you had to respond to a crisis … when you had to give difficult feedback to an employee … ) 9. What salary range are you looking for? 10. What questions do you have for me/about our company? 11. What’s most important to you in a new position? 12. How does this position fit in with the career path you envision for yourself? 13. What has been your biggest professional achievement?
- 2. 14. If I spoke with your previous boss/manager, in which areas/ways would he or she say you need improvement? 15. What are the first five things you would do if you got this position? 16. Could you imagine working for the same company for than 5 years? Why or why not? 17. How do you deal with stress? 18. What does ‘work-life balance’ mean to you? 19. Do you prefer to work alone or as part of a team? 20. How would you describe the ideal work environment? Remember to rehearse your answers out loud. Practice saying them over and over and over, until your answers seem automatic or natural. . The more you practice, the better you’ll become and the more comfortable you’ll feel. And most importantly, if you do this, you will see a significant improvement in your interview experience.