Landing a new job isn’t just about having the right skills—it’s also about knowing how to handle yourself in the interview hot seat. Hiring managers tend to use a handful of classic questions designed to understand your problem-solving skills, cultural fit, and potential to grow. To help you confidently step into that next opportunity, we’ve rounded up the 10 most common interview questions, explained what they’re looking for, and offered smart strategies to elevate your answers.
1. Tell me about yourself
Goal
The interviewer wants to get a feeling about the candidate and understand their professional background. They’re looking for a concise summary that connects your career story to the position you’re applying for while giving you the chance to explain any great gaps in your CV through personal situations.
How to Respond
Start with your most recent role: Highlight your position, key responsibilities, and notable achievements.
Provide a quick summary of your career progression: Include past roles or milestones that are relevant to the job.
Connect to the role you’re interviewing for: Explain why your experience makes you a great fit for this opportunity.
Stay confident, professional, and clear: Avoid personal details unrelated to your professional experience.
2. What does our company stand for/is popular for?
Goal
The interviewer wants to know whether you’ve done your homework and genuinely understand the company’s mission, values, and culture. It gives an overview of your motivation and willingness to go the extra mile.
How to Respond
Do your research before the interview: Learn about the company and inform yourself about any important changes, new projects, areas of work, and news. (On their Social Media Platforms, websites, news articles,…)
Highlight a specific area/aspect you like: Focus on something, that is unique to them, such as their innovation, community involvement, or growth.
Connect the company’s mission to your values: Show that you fit into the team and align with the company’s goals and values.
3. What are your strengths?
Goal
The interviewer wants to understand your key skills and how they will contribute to the company’s success.
How to Respond
Choose relevant strengths: Make sure to read through the job description carefully and focus on skills or qualities mentioned in it.
Support with examples: Talk about specific situations in your past employments that demonstrate your strengths.
4. What are your weaknesses?
Goal
This question tests your self-awareness, honesty, and ability to improve. They want to see how you managed to change these weaknesses.
How to Respond
Choose a minor weakness: Focus on a skill, which is not critical for the specific position you want to get employed in.
Show awareness: Acknowledge how it has impacted you and how you worked on improving the specific weakness. If you haven’t managed to erase it, give a detailed explanation of how you are actively working on doing so.
5. Why did you leave your last job?
Goal
The interviewer wants to understand your motivation and make sure that you left on good terms. Employers want to make sure that you will be able to stay in the role even if it’s stressful or challenging.
How to Respond
Be positive and professional: Avoid speaking negatively about previous employers as it doesn’t leave a good impression. It might be a good idea to state concrete reasons for leaving, which you will have in the new position.
Keep it concise: Don’t elaborate too much on this question and try to keep it short.
6. Tell me about a time you failed
Goal
The interviewer wants to understand in which way you handle challenges, take accountability, and learn from mistakes.
How to Respond
Use the STAR method: Describe the Situation, Task, Action, and Result. This helps to keep the goal in mind and end on a positive note.
Be honest but focus on growth: Share a real example without giving someone else the blame and speaking too long on your failure. Focus most of the time on your personal and professional growth through that mistake.
7. How do you deal with conflicts among colleagues or in the workplace?
Goal
The interviewer wants to assess your interpersonal and problem-solving skills.
How to Respond
Show a collaborative approach: Emphasize listening and talking the problem through as well as trying to solve it independently.
Highlight professionalism and solutions: Avoid being overly emotional or personal on that issue even though you might have negative emotions towards it. Try to concentrate on the solution and open communication.
8. Why should we hire you?
Goal
The interviewer wants to understand what sets you apart from other candidates and how you can put yourself in the best light.
How to Respond
Highlight your unique strengths and show your value: Focus on skills and experiences relevant to the role and concentrate on your value for the firm.
Be confident and concise: Avoid any comparisons with other candidates by being as confident as possible and convey pride in your career.
9. What is your expected salary?
Goal
The interviewer wants to assess your market knowledge and ensure your expectations align with their budget.
How to Respond
Research typical salaries: Understand what is typically expected and avoid unrealistic responses by doing your research.
Provide a range: Be flexible and provide a range instead of a fixed sum.
10. Do you have any questions for us?
Goal
The interviewer wants to see your interest and upfront preparation for the role.
How to Respond
Ask about the role or team
Ask about growth opportunities
Keep the focus on the company and your journey there
Mastering these common interview questions can help you stand out as a well-prepared, thoughtful candidate. By understanding the goals behind each question and structuring your responses effectively, you’ll demonstrate professionalism, self-awareness, and alignment with the company’s needs. Good luck with your next interview—you’ve got this!
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