15 Interview Questions and Answers You Should Be Prepared to Answer

15 Interview Questions: Once that interview arrives, you’re going to need to brush up on your Q&A skills to ensure you’re sufficiently prepared and, ultimately, land the job.

If you’re preparing for a big interview in the New Year, prepping beforehand with these 15 interview questions will help you get one step closer to that dream job.

Wouldn’t it be great if you knew exactly what questions a hiring manager would be asking you in your next job interview?

We can’t read minds, unfortunately, but we’ll give you the next best thing: a list of more than 40 of the most commonly asked interview questions, along with advice for answering them all.

While we don’t recommend having a canned response for every interview question (in fact, please don’t), we do recommend spending some time getting comfortable with what you might be asked, what hiring managers are really looking for in your responses, and what it takes to show that you’re the right person for the job.

Consider this list of your interview question and answer study guide.

15 Interview Questions and Answers

1. Tell Me About Yourself?

Hint: This is often the very first question. It helps the HR managers to get a basic idea of your communication skills, motivation, and interests. It is also an ice breaker, and a good answer will help you to feel more relaxed.

The interviewers do not ask about your education, experience, personal life, or anything else in particular—you can choose the way to introduce yourself.

However, your choice reflects what matters to you. In a job interview, you should talk about your education, working experience, career goals, skills and abilities. You should talk about things that are relevant for the employer.

On the other hand, you can mention one or two hobbies, or tell them something from your personal life. This shows that you have a life outside of work. Check one sample answer below.

I am Mario, 25 years old, and I have just finished my Masters in Economy. I enjoy team work, and I am looking for my first job, ideally in a big company. I want to learn, and meet like-minded people in work. In my free time I like to run, read, and meet with friends. I try to have positive outlook of life, and take everything that comes my way as an opportunity to become a better person.

2. Why Did You Apply for This Job?

Hint: Motivation is one of the deciding factors in every single job interview. Do you apply for a job just because you want to earn money, or graduated from the field? Do you apply only because you need a job, or do you really want to have this particular position?

Your goal is to convince the employer that you genuinely want to work for them and that you have a good reason for choosing their offer (and not an offer of one of their competitors).

Pre-interview research should help you to find a good answer. You should learn something about the working environment, their vision, and goals, the value they bring to their customers and business partners.

Try to look for something that goes beyond your personal role in the company, something you can praise, something that resonates with you.

I really like the job description and believe I can fit here, and bring some value to your team of financial analysts. On the top of that, I have the right education  for this position, and I would enjoy working in an international environment.

Your store is just ten minute away from my apartment, and I shop here regularly. I like the way you approach customers, and I would be proud do be a member of your team. On the top of that, I like the vision of your company, the way this store is organized, and overall I have a good feeling about the place.

3. How Did You Hear About This Job?

When asked this during an interview, don’t just say you heard about the job on a website. This is your opportunity to go into more detail about why you love this company and what motivates you to want to work there. Moreover, if you have a personal connection at the company, this would be a good time to mention their name!

4. Tell Me About Something on Your Resume

Everyone has something on their resume that they’re really proud of. Whether it’s a skill or achievement you’ve listed or a specific place you worked, considering answering this question with the most interesting thing on your resume.

Plus, don’t just say something relevant to your most recent position–you’re already going to be asked about that. Instead, think back to one of the older positions listed on your resume and talk about how that job helped you grow into the person you are today.

5. Why Are You Looking for A Job? Or, Why Are You Looking for A Different Job?

This question might seem innocuous, but this is how interviewers weed out the people who are either a) just looking for any job b) were fired from their last position or c) might have a high turnover rate, meaning you won’t be sticking around for too long. Focus on the positives and be specific.

Think about why you are looking for a job: did you just graduate and this will be your first real job? Are you switching career paths? Are you leaving a current job for this one?

If you are currently working somewhere, you should also be prepared to answer, “why do you want to leave your current job for this one?”

6. Why Should We Hire You?

When asked this question, keep in mind that the recruiter is looking to hear what skills you have that you’re going to bring to the team. Don’t give a vague answer, such as, “I’m friendly and a hard worker.” Instead, be specific, summarize your work history and achievements, and use numbers when possible.

For example, say how many years of experience you have or name some of the accomplishments you made at your last company. The more specific you can be about what your skills are and how valuable of an employee you are, the better the interviewer will be able to picture you working there.

7. What Are Your Goals in Five Years’ Time?

Hint: Every responsible person has some goals. When recruiters ask you about your goals and dreams, first of all they want to hear that you have some goals.

Secondly, your goals should somehow relate to their business, or at least they should not interfere with their goals and dreams.

For example, if you dream about running your own business, or about traveling the world, avoid mentioning it in your interview. Companies do not want to hire people who will leave them after a year of employment, to pursue their traveling or entrepreneur dreams…

Goals do change, and nobody can blame you for changing your mind after working in a company for a few months (or even only for a few weeks). Once in an interview, however, you should say things that will help you to get the job.

I would like to have a managerial role in five years’ time. However, I understand that I need to learn a lot before it can happen, and I believe that this entry-level position in your company is a perfect starting point for my career.

I do not dream much about the future. If I have a teaching job, and if I do it well and get a good feedback form my students, it will make me happy in my life. That’s likely my only goal—to be happy, and to do my best in both professional and personal life.

8. Tell Me About A Conflict You Faced at Work and How You Dealt with It

This question is important to ace because it helps an interviewer understand how you deal with conflict. It also helps test how well you think on your feet–so if you prepare ahead of time with a specific example, you’ll avoid the awkward moment of silence while you try to think of an example.

Once you have an example in mind, simply explain what happened, how you resolved the issue in a professional manner, and try to end the story with a happy note about how you reached a resolution or compromise with your co-worker.

9. What Is Your Dream Job?

Similar to the “where do you see yourself in five years” question, the interviewer is looking to understand how realistic you are when setting goals, how ambitious you are, and whether or not the job and company will be a good place for you to grow.

Again, try to set aside your personal goals (don’t say your dream job is to be paid to take Instagram photos) and focus on your career goals. Think about how this job is going to set you up for the future and get you closer to your dream job. But, don’t be that person who says, “to be CEO of this company.”

10. What Do You Expect Out of Your Team/Co-Workers?

This question is meant to understand how you work on a team and whether you will be the right cultural fit for the company. To prepare for this answer, make sure you research the company ahead of time. You can always tell a little bit about what a company’s culture is like by looking through their social media profiles or reading their reviews on blogs.

11. What Do You Expect from Your Manager?

Again, the hiring manager is looking to understand what kind of employee you would be and whether you will be a good fit to add to their team. In some interviews, your future manager might be interviewing you.

Answer this question as honestly as possible and pull examples from your current manager if you can show how they positively help you work better.

12 How Do You Deal with Stress?

Answering this question will help hiring managers identify any potential red flags you might have. You want to show that you can handle stress in a professional and positive manner that helps you continue working or won’t stop you from accomplishing your goals.

Moreover, be specific and explain what you actually do to deal with stress–like taking a 15-minute break to take a walk outside, or crossing items off on a to-do list, etc.

13. What Would the First 30 Days in This Position Look Like for You?

This question helps a company understand what you will get done in your first month, to three months in the position–and how you answer it will signal whether or not you’re the right person for the job.

Start by mentioning what information you would need to get started and what would help you transition into the new role.  Then focus on your best skills and how you would apply those to this position right away.

14. What Are Your Salary Requirements?

Some interviewers ask this question, others don’t. It’s always better to be prepared, especially because you want to make sure you would be paid a fair wage for the value you are going to add. That’s why we built our Know Your Worth tool–to help you determine what you should be paid.

Note: While employers can ask what your salary expectations are, in certain places it is illegal for them to ask what your previous salary was.

15. Do You Have Any Questions?

The last question you will always be asked during an interview is whether or not you have any questions for the interviewer. This is your chance to really stand out–so don’t blow it by saying you don’t, or that your questions have already been answered. Even if you don’t have any questions–there’s always a question you can ask at the end of an interview.

Keep a list of at least three to five questions in the back of your mind so that no matter what, there are at least two questions you have to ask at the end of the interview. Recruiters say that actually enjoy getting to answer some questions at the end of an interview–they did just listen to you talk about themselves, so ask about them for a change. Once this part is over, you can rest easy and walk out of the interview knowing you aced it!

Recruiters say that actually enjoy getting to answer some questions at the end of an interview they did just listen to you talk about themselves, so ask about them for a change. Once this part is over, you can rest easy and walk out of the interview knowing you aced it! It is worth shareable I suppose! Reach out to your friends on their social media handles.

StudentsandScholarship Team.

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