All About You
Can you tell me a little about yourself?
Start off with the 2-3 specific accomplishments or experiences that you most want the interviewer to know about, then wrap up talking about how that prior experience has positioned you for this specific role.
How did you hear about the position?
If you found out about the job through a friend or professional contact, name drop that person, then share why you were so excited about it. If you discovered the company through an event or article, share that. Even if you found the listing through a random job board, share what, specifically, caught your eye about the role.
What do you know about the company?
Start with one line that shows you understand the company's goals, using a couple hey words and phrases from the website, but then go on to make it personal.
Say, “I’m personally drawn to this mission because...” or “I really believe in this approach because...” and share a personal example or two
Tell me about a challenge or conflict you've faced at work, and how you dealt with it.
Use the S-T-A- R method, being sure to focus on how you handled the situation professionally and productively, and ideally closing with a happy ending, like how you came to a resolution or compromise.
Why are you leaving your current job?
Frame things in a way that shows that you're eager to take on new opportunities and that the role you’re interviewing for is a better fit for you than your current or last position.
Why do you want this job?
First, identify a couple of hey factors that make the role a great fit for you then share why you love the company.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
A hiring manager wants to know...
a) if you've set realistic expectations for your career
b) if you have ambition (a.k.a., this interview isn't the first time you're considering the question)
c) if the position aligns with your goals and growth.
What are you looking for in a new position?
Ideally the same things that this position has to offer. Be specific.
How do you deal with pressure or stressful situations?
Use the STAR Method.
Choose an answer that shows that you can meet a stressful situation head-on in a productive, positive manner and let nothing stop you from accomplishing your goals.
Why were you fired?
Share how you’ve grown and how you approach your job and life now as a result. If you can position the learning experience as an advantage for this next job, even better.
Why should we hire you?
Your job here is to craft an answer that covers three things: that you can not only do the work, you can deliver great results; that you'll really fit in with the team and culture; and that you'd be a better hire than any of the other candidates.
What Should I Know That’s Not on Your Resume?
Try talking about a positive trait, a story or detail that reveals a little more about you and your experience, or a mission or goal that makes you excited about this role or company.
What type of work environment do you prefer?
Ideally one that's similar to the environment of the company you're applying to. Be specific.
What's a time you disagreed with a decision that was made at work?
Use the STAR Method
“Tell the one where your actions made a positive difference on the outcome of the situation, whether it was a work-related outcome or a more effective and productive working relationship.”
How would your boss and co-workers describe you?
Be Honest.
Choose one or two traits to keep your answer simple and easy to deliver
Explain why you chose those traits, ideally with an example
If possible, show how these traits would help you succeed in the job you are applying for
What are your greatest professional strengths?
Be accurate (share your true strengths, not those you think the interviewer wants to hear)
Be relevant (choose your strengths that are most targeted to this particular position)
Be specific (for example, instead of “people skills,” choose “persuasive communication” or “relationship building”).
Then, follow up with an example of how you've demonstrated these traits in a professional setting.
What Would Your First 30, 60, or 90 Days Look Like in This Role?
Think about what information and aspects of the company and team you’d need to familiarize yourself with and which colleagues you’d want to sit down and talk to. You can also suggest one possible starter project to show you’d be ready to hit the ground running and contribute early on.
This won’t necessarily be the thing you do first if you do get the job, but a good answer shows that you’re thoughtful and that you care.
Do you have any questions for us?
You should always have 1-2 questions.
Examples:
What is the next step in the hiring process?
Can you talk about company culture
In your opinion, what is the single most important indicator of success in this role?
If I were hired for this role, what would you want me to achieve in my first two months?
and many more...
What Is Your Greatest Professional Achievement?
Use the STAR method: situation, task, action, results.
Set up the situation and the task that you were required to complete to provide the interviewer with background context (e.g., “In my last job as a junior analyst, it was my role to manage the invoicing process”)
Then describe what you did (the action) and what you achieved (the result)\
Example: “In one month, I streamlined the process, which saved my group 10 person-hours each month and reduced errors on invoices by 25%.”
Why was there a gap in your employment?
Be direct and to the point about what you’ve been up to.
Then, steer the conversation toward how you will do the job and contribute to the organization
Example: “I decided to take a break at the time, but today I’m ready to contribute to this organization in the following ways.”
What do you consider to be your weaknesses?
Think of something that you struggle with but that you’re working to improve.
For example, maybe you’ve never been strong at public speaking, but you've recently volunteered to run meetings to help you be more comfortable when addressing a crowd.
What Are Your Salary Expectations?
Figure out your salary requirements ahead of time. Do your research on what similar roles pay by using sites like PayScale and reaching out to your network. Be sure to take your experience, education, skills, and personal needs into account, too! The follow one of these
Three strategies:
When Can You Start?
If you’re ready to start immediately—if you’re unemployed, for example—you could offer to start within the week.
If you need to give notice to your current employer, don’t be afraid to say so; people will understand and respect that you plan to wrap things up right.
It’s also legitimate to want to take a break between jobs, though you might want to say you have “previously scheduled commitments to attend to” and try to be flexible if they really need someone to start a bit sooner.
Tell Me About a Time You Demonstrated Leadership Skills.
You don’t have to have a fancy title to act like a leader or demonstrate leadership skills.
Think about a time when you headed up a project, took the initiative to propose an alternate process, or helped motivate your team to get something done. Then use the STAR method to tell your interviewer a story, giving enough detail to paint a picture.
Be clear about why you’re telling this particular story and connect all the dots for the interviewer.
Can you explain why you changed career paths?
Give a few examples of how your past experience is transferrable to the new role.
This doesn't have to be a direct connection; in fact, it's often more impressive when a candidate can make seemingly irrelevant experience seem very relevant to the role.