"Well, your company's reputation for fostering employee growth appeals to me a lot. I also read about your collaborative work culture and that sounded like a great fit for my work style. I saw that you recently expanded into some emerging markets, too, so that looks like an exciting opportunity. I actually have some experience with international business, so I think I could help out with that."

Results: "Initially, the client was disappointed, but they appreciated my transparency and how I understood their needs. We agreed on the core scope for the initial release, so that maintained project timelines and kept the client satisfied."

Typically, these questions either reference something from your resume, like an employment gap or a career change, or they present you with a hypothetical situation and ask how you would handle it.

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 great results.

“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.

Other than showing the hiring manager 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.

There’s no secret to answering this question; you just need to let the interviewer know about your situation, whatever that may have been. Examples include:

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.

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 things like:

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.”

I optimised their development cycles and oversaw a team of three developers while collaborating with the other two dev teams.

Action: “I coordinated with the hostess and expo to make sure they were pacing the customers, not seating everyone at once. That way, the line cooks had more time to prepare everything. We encouraged them to seat smaller parties first, like two to four people, so we could get their food out faster. Bigger tables are always a challenge, especially during a rush like that. Every second counts when you’re working in a kitchen, so we used every spare moment to prep for the expected large parties.”

Action: "I met with the client, explained the impact of adding the features on time and budget, and proposed focusing on delivering the core project scope. I also suggested incorporating the additional features in future phases."

“I’m much better at working as part of a team than alone, actually. That’s what I love about working in advertising - everyone has their own specific type of creative spark, and when you combine it all, magic happens!

The interviewer wants to see whether you're proactive about your career development and staying up to date on the latest trends in your field.

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 into practice all the things I learned during my time at university.”

But the whole migration process took around three 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.”

Results: "Thanks to the team’s hard work and cooperation, we managed to meet the new deadline. The book was released on time and received positive reviews. Our CEO appreciated our flexibility and dedication, and it was a great example of how we could come together to handle unexpected changes effectively."

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 came to problem-solving. I wasn't told how to do everything, rather, I was given the option of coming up with my own solutions.

“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.

“My greatest professional achievement so far is graduating from University X within four years, with a GPA of 3.9. My family wasn’t able to support me financially, so I had to take care of all the bills on my own.

But, 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, which could give the company the upper hand in any future salary negotiations.

Well, the interviewer is probably asking because they want to know whether they have competition in hiring you. They also want to know if you’re serious about the industry and if you’re legitimately looking to be employed in this specific field of work.

Interviewmagazine

“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 just isn’t for me.

Pretty much any marketing initiative you launch is tied to risk. You can plan everything from the beginning until the end, but no matter how well you plan it out, things might just not work out.

“My biggest achievement is the fact that I went from being an intern to managing company X’s entire marketing over two years.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with playing video games, but the goal here is to get you to talk about your hobbies and interests.

This question helps the hiring manager understand what your long-term aspirations are and how the role fits into your career path.

If you’re applying for a job after getting fired and the interviewer asks you about it, you should be honest. After all, they can easily check-in with your previous employer.

You might have had a good reason for it, though. For example, maybe the second company you got hired in just wasn’t a good culture fit for you.

We’d recommend being very specific about your answer here. Don’t just say yes, give the interviewer a specific example of when you excelled at working as part of a team.

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. In fact, it’s pretty much a constant thing during peak season.

Try to strike a balance here. Show the hiring manager that you don’t have a problem doing things the way you’re supposed to, but that you’re also not afraid to try something new.

So, find a professional achievement that shows off your skills and experience. Just make sure it’s somehow relevant to the company or organization you were part of at the time, whether that’s your previous job, volunteer position, or an extracurricular activity from your time in university.

"I've been focusing on improving my project management skills. Although my role is mainly in software development, I've been studying agile methodologies and using project management software in my personal projects, too. I think this can help me collaborate better with our project managers and even potentially let me take on leadership roles in the future."

Even if you haven’t been continuously refreshing the company’s website for job listings, you should more or less make it seem like you have.

"One of my key strengths is my ability to lead cross-functional teams. I’m great at bringing diverse groups together to achieve a common goal. As for weaknesses, I sometimes struggle with delegating tasks. I'm addressing this by trying to consciously empower my team members. I’m trying to focus on mentoring them instead of micromanaging."

“I just realized that being a doctor isn’t for me. While I did enjoy my time in medical school, the commitment was too much. I couldn’t spend so many years studying while my family was supporting me.

This, however, won’t have any impact on my job as a software developer. Despite lacking communication skills, I’m very good at working in a team.”

But other companies are more laid back, with a lot less bureaucracy. The type that says ‘go get us more sales’ and lets you do your own thing.

Action: "I apologized sincerely for the inconvenience and assured her I would make it right. I arranged for a replacement gift to be sent overnight at no extra cost and offered a partial refund for the trouble. Additionally, I personally wrote a card and included a small complimentary item from our store as a gesture of goodwill. I also kept the customer updated throughout the process to ease her concerns."

On the other hand, I also think that in my field, practical work experience is a lot more valuable than any academic theory I could learn.

I was particularly interested in your recent investment in Startup X. I found that interesting because I love robotics and it’s cool that you’re expanding in that direction.”

“Simply because I enjoy sales much more than accounting. After five years of working as an accountant for Company X, I decided I wanted to try something new.

It’s also good practice to mention how you’re working towards overcoming your weakness and that you realize how it affects you negatively.

"I like solving complex problems. There's a great sense of satisfaction in overcoming challenges and seeing the positive impact of my work. I also find collaborating with talented coworkers incredibly inspiring - it pushes me to continually learn and improve my skills, so every day is a new adventure."

At 90 days, I’d aim to have already left a mark. I think we could boost ad performance by 10-20%, streamline email operations, and start seeing real improvements in our marketing efforts. I want to make a positive impact quickly.”

"Well, financial stability is important but I think that having passion for my work is crucial for any long-term success or satisfaction.

There’s just one thing you should keep in mind: If you were laid off at work or you quit and had trouble getting a new job after that, you should be very subtle about it.

Jobinterviewquestions and answers sample PDF

“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.

Bonus points if you can mention something that’s also relevant to your job. For example, creative writing if you’re applying for a copywriting job.

When there’s a ton of orders coming in and we can barely keep up, I tend to get significantly more productive than usual. Funny enough, my manager even said the kitchen has more blunders when it’s slow than when it’s a rush. I guess we just adapt to that really well.”

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.

After all, the interviewer can’t know whether your “leadership skills” are an actual strength or if it just means that you were super active in your high school class.

Focus on intrinsic motivations - what do you enjoy? Why does it make you feel good? And how can that benefit both you and the company over time?

“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.”

With this question, the interviewer is trying to see your reasoning for pursuing a career instead of getting a degree, whether that’s a BA, MA, Ph.D., or something entirely different.

This one’s pretty straightforward. You’re just supposed to mention your greatest professional achievement and you’re good to go.

Additionally, if someone inside the company told you about the position or recommended that you apply, definitely make sure to mention that.

Results: “The Chief Marketing Officer loved the idea and put me in charge of executing the project and it worked like a charm. We secured five new clients within the first two months of the campaign.”

We’re going to cover some of the most common job interview questions and answers, and turn you into a bona fide interview expert by the time you get to the end.

So, try to strike a balance. Talk about things you genuinely value but also highlight the things you like about the job you’re applying for.

“I’m a big fan of creative writing. I have my own personal short-story blog and I contribute actively to several online writing communities, like /r/WritingPrompts on Reddit.

“Well, a lot of things, really. I’m not enjoying the interview process, for example. And your product could use a lot of work, no offense. But hey, there’s always room for improvement, am I right?”

“I was really burnt out by my job at Company X, so I wanted to take some time to myself to recover. I used that to get back into school and get my Master’s degree, which put me back on track to pursue the career I want.”

Results: "We shifted our strategy to concentrate more on healthcare. It paid off because we started getting more leads and ended up signing some major new contracts in that sector. Using data to guide our decisions really helped us expand into a profitable new market."

Before you go into the interview, go through the company’s website and social media pages to get a sense of the general vibe and environment there.

But I’m very passionate about this industry and the work you’ve done over the past several years is impressive. So, I’m more inclined toward working for you if everything works out.”

“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.

Action: "I decided to have a one-on-one conversation with John to understand his perspective better. I approached him in a friendly and non-confrontational manner and asked for his input on the project. During our conversation, I realized that he felt his expertise was being overlooked. I acknowledged his experience and suggested that we incorporate some of his ideas while also encouraging him to be open to others' contributions. I also made sure to involve him more in decision-making processes to make him feel valued."

So, when I saw your job ad on JobBoard Website, even though I wasn’t actively looking for a job at the time, I couldn’t help but apply!”

"What drives me, professionally, is the ability to make a meaningful difference. Whether it's improving a process that benefits my team or contributing to projects that positively impact our clients, knowing that my work actually matters keeps me engaged. I'm also really motivated by continuous learning and career growth opportunities in my field."

"In the short term, I want to become an expert in my role. I’m looking forward to continuously improving my skills and contributing to team projects. Then, in the long-term, I want to move into a leadership position where I can mentor others and drive innovation in the field. I'm excited about the growth opportunities your company offers since they seem to match my goals perfectly."

“The main fault was a miscommunication. The interviewer at my previous company wasn’t clear about the job responsibilities - from what I understood, they were looking for a senior-level marketer to oversee their email marketing operations.

Be honest about your preferences while trying to align them with at least some aspects of the job you're interviewing for.

Action: "I started by watching tutorials online and taking a beginner's course. Then, I practiced in the evenings, experimenting with different features until I felt comfortable navigating the software."

Although at first glance this might seem like a straightforward question, you should use this opportunity to highlight your interest in the company.

But hard work means that you’ll do the job right. Even if there’s no way to do it smartly or efficiently, you’ll be willing to put in long hours of work to get it done.

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.

If you’re the creative, think-out-of-the-box type who likes to break the rules and innovate, this probably won’t cut it for you.

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.”

Results: “It was hard work but we actually managed to launch on time at the end. The client was happy, and the team was relieved that all our efforts paid off.”

So, explain to the interviewer that this job at this company is the perfect fit for you. Mention what your short-term and long-term career goals are and how this position ties into them.

“I didn’t feel like the company’s values matched mine. The management was too controlling and micromanaging everything. I prefer to have some control over my work so I can go above and beyond when I see an opportunity.

The best approach is to show that you value both job satisfaction and financial stability, and explain how you'd try to find a balance.

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, and anything that had an experimental business model.

Finally, behavioral job interview questions are questions that focus on how you’ve performed in the past and give the hiring manager an idea of how you would behave in their organization.

The trick to answering this is realizing that the interviewers don’t expect you to be perfect. Everyone has flaws, weaknesses, and things they need to improve about themselves.

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:

And it’s very common for a company to adopt new tech. This could be a new point of service system, self check-out kiosks, customer management software, or whatever else.

Hey y’all,just curious as to how many of y’all or y’all’s departments are utilizing drones now! I’m a FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot here and it’s gotten to the point where if you don’t have drones nowadays you are behind on the times the tech is so advanced now days! I fly with my father for our local PD and SO when they need help as well as both local departments I’m in! It’s truly amazing how far drones have come! They are a game changer and have helped out on so many calls whether that’s putting it up for a brush fire getting an over view,locating hotspots on a structure fire,even putting it up over a accident scene when it’s over to help PD and SO! So many uses,if you don’t have one I highly recommend you look into it!

“Okay, well… in the first 30 days, I’d dive into understanding the company, our processes, and the team’s challenges. I’d get to know what we do, who our key players are, and where we need help.

Interviewtips

For example, at Company X, I led a project to migrate 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.”

"Innovative, reliable, and adaptable. I tend to bring creative solutions to any challenge I’m up against. I also consistently deliver on my commitments, and I easily adjust to changes, so unfamiliar situations don’t phase me at all."

This question is pretty similar to “What is your greatest strength?” with the main difference being that it should be from the point of view of your boss or coworkers.

The best way to answer this question is to explain the exact reason you switched jobs. It could be one of the following:

When you’re talking to a person who’s genuinely interested in something, you can pretty much feel them glow as they talk. And if you’re a hiring manager who’s interviewed hundreds of people, this will be a good sign to hire the candidate.

For an example of smart work, during my time at XYZ Corp, 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%.

While I am eventually planning on finishing my Bachelor’s, it’s going to be in a more theoretical field, like Artificial Intelligence or Robotics.”

The most important things are to one, minimize your risks; and two, minimize potential damages if everything goes very, very wrong.

“Because it’s not in sync with my future career path. I think that for software engineering, practical experience matters a lot more than having a degree.

“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 two years, I’ve closed several deals totaling six figures.

Results: "The customer was thrilled with the quick resolution and the extra effort we put in. She received the replacement gift the next day and was very grateful for the card and the complimentary item. She sent a thank-you email and later left a glowing review about our exceptional customer service. By going above and beyond, we managed to turn a negative experience into a positive one, and she became a loyal customer."

I can try and figure something out on my own if I have to but I would always start out by following the go-to way to do things."

I really took this to heart and worked very hard on improving my communication skills to make sure that I don’t make any mistakes like that again.”

However, hiring managers aren’t 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.

But I'd also work to increase my value in that job. Maybe I could eventually get both, but I would prioritize passion for sure."

While I’ve worked on a dozen software projects at my university, I don’t have the experience of working in a fully agile environment with an experienced team.

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.

Situation: "As a project manager in my previous role, we were nearing the deadline for a major project, but it became clear that we wouldn't meet all the client's additional feature requests without pushing the timeline significantly."

Now, it’s time to show off your knowledge of the field and explain how you’re going to start making things happen at the company.

Task: "I needed to quickly adjust my priorities and ensure the book was ready for the new deadline. This meant reworking my schedule and coordinating with the rest of the editorial team to speed up the editing process without compromising quality."

Now, I’ve worked with a ton of different project management software, like Software 1 and Software 2, but none of them were as intuitive as Software 3.”

Look at it from the point of view of the potential employer. Would they hire someone if they answered this question with:

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.

First, did you have a good reason for leaving your last job? The hiring manager doesn’t want someone who leaves the second things go south.

Saying something like that will just tell the interviewer you’re not actually interested in the job - you’re just a random applicant.

“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'm impressed by your company's commitment to sustainability and innovation in the tech industry. Your recent project on renewable energy actually aligns perfectly with my passion for environmental conservation. I also think my skills in software development could contribute to the upcoming green initiatives I read you’re planning."

Situation: "Last year, I was working as an editor for a publishing company. We were in the middle of finalizing the edits for a big book release when our CEO suddenly decided to push forward the launch date by two weeks."

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.

So, I’m pretty sure that while I don’t have any experience as a bartender, I have the right attitude, and I’m certain I can get good at it within a week or two.”

“Given enough warning, sure, emergencies happen. Is that something I’ll be required to do often? Do you offer overtime pay for this kind of situation?”

Situation: "At my previous job, I was part of a project team working on a new product launch. One of my team members, let’s call him John, was particularly difficult to work with. He often dismissed others' ideas and insisted on doing things his way, which created tension within the team."

"My biggest career goal is to develop a comprehensive understanding of the industry. I want to have all the know-how necessary to contribute to its advancement. I'm passionate about staying at the forefront of emerging technologies in fintech. Eventually, I want to take on a role where I can influence strategy and maybe drive change on a larger scale. Your company is super progressive and forward thinking, so I think that’s a great match for me.”

So, mention their name and their position inside the company and give their reasoning - why do they think you’re a good fit for the position?

Action: “I came up with a pretty good idea of how to market the company. The gist of it was that we’d interview company clients who were very successful at using our software product, then create case studies on what exactly they’re doing, and include them in our email marketing strategy.”

“My biggest weakness has always been my communication skills. I’ve always been pretty shy and anxious, even as a kid. Over the years, though, I’ve been really working on the issue.

When you pick your strengths, back them up with a specific situation or a story that shows how you’ve used them to benefit you on the job.

You want to stay away from the extremes here. For example, if you think you’re a good fit for the job, say that you “have the right experience.”

"My ideal job would involve solving complex problems in a collaborative environment. I thrive when I’m working with diverse teams, tackling challenges, and driving innovation. I'm also passionate about continuous learning, so opportunities for professional development like the ones your company offers are important to me."

If the current process is fine, I'd follow it. But if I see potential for improvement, I'd do some research, propose changes, and look for feedback. Then I might try doing things my way.

Now, how do you do that? Well, a rule of thumb here is to do some research on the company before the interview and learn the following:

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 two of our volunteer organizers got sick and couldn’t show up.

On one hand, 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.

And, generally speaking, if you know for a fact that the company is doing well and compensating its employees accordingly, you can quote a higher salary.

Not sure what your strengths are? No worries! Check out the table below to learn what strengths are perfect for your field:

The hiring manager also wants to know if you left 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 “bye” and stop showing up at work?

“Well, I know that you’re one of the biggest investment banks in Middleton. Company X pops up on the news pretty often, and 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.

"Honestly, I prefer following established procedures. That way, I can always ask for advice or have something to fall back on.

Our strategy was to invest in proven technology. 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.”

I had to jump between serving, bussing, and line-cooking, but overall, I managed to survive through the weekend successfully. My boss was super grateful, too.”

Situation: “As a seasonal worker, I’d say my entire career is high-pressure. My last position was as a line cook during the summer tourist season at the XYZ Restaurant near Yellowstone Park. There was a lot of work, and the restaurant was pretty much always full.”

“My biggest strength is that I’m very efficient at working under pressure. No matter the crisis or amount of stress, I can make the right decisions on-the-spot.

They want to understand what motivates you and how you balance job satisfaction with other important factors, like your salary.

For most of those jobs, I ended up picking up all the needed skills within one or two weeks, with basically no previous experience.

Results: "After our talk, John became more cooperative and started listening to the team’s suggestions. The atmosphere improved significantly, and we were able to complete the project on time. Our collaborative efforts led to a successful product launch, and I even received positive feedback from my manager on how I handled the situation."

I have had 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!”

Results: "She was pleased with how we handled everything. She exchanged the dress and even used the voucher to buy something else. Later, she left a nice review about our customer service. So, by listening and being helpful, we turned a bad situation into a positive experience for her."

So, use this question to show your commitment to professional growth. We recommend choosing skills that are relevant to the job but not crucial to the role you're applying for.

I'd lean towards the job I'm passionate about since it's likely to be better for me mentally, and it could lead to better performance and opportunities for growth.

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 the next.

Action: "I immediately called an emergency meeting with my team to discuss the new timeline. We broke down the tasks and redistributed the workload to make sure everyone was on the same page. I also reached out to the author and designers to let them know about the change and get their commitment to the new schedule. To stay on track, I set up daily check-ins to monitor our progress and address any issues that came up quickly."

If the interviewer knows that you’re struggling to find a job, you’re going to give them the upper hand in salary negotiations.

The interviewer uses this question to test how well you can summarize your key strengths and if you can make a convincing elevator pitch in a few choice words.

Situation: "Yeah, I’ve had to deal with upset customers before. One time, when I was a retail manager at a clothing store, a customer came in really frustrated because the dress she bought a week ago had torn after she wore it once."

Keep in mind, though, that by asking this question, the interviewer is looking to understand what your work ethic is like.

“I heard from Jim Doe, my old coworker and college friend, that Company X was looking for a new sales director. He encouraged me to apply and said that my experience managing a sales team at Company Y would be helpful here.

Job interview questions are designed to let the interviewer learn more about you and how well you would fit in with their company. That being said, there are a few questions out there that you can expect during just about any interview you go to.

Interviewquestions to ask

“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.

These questions can also be pretty varied, and sometimes they can be used interchangeably with behavioral interview questions, which we’ll cover further down in this article.

“I’m very passionate about sustainability and renewable energy. In fact, I minored in Environmental Science at XYZ University.

This might be unique to you, such as something from your resume, or it might bring up a hypothetical situation so the interviewer can learn more about how you think.

Smart work, on the other hand, means doing the work efficiently. If you manage to get the job done in two hours instead of five, with the same end-result, you’re doing smart work.

If I do end up enjoying it, I’d like to specialize in either internal auditing or forensic accounting, since 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!”

I asked my boss at the time to let me switch to the sales team, and I ended up liking it and being pretty good at it. I learned a lot, and I’m ready to take the next step in my career.”

But 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.

“I’ve always wanted to get into marketing. I’ve done promotional jobs here and there, but I’ve never had the opportunity to do something more serious.

Make sure your answer is relevant to the position you are applying for. Aim to present yourself as the ideal candidate for the job in a few words.

I’m extremely organized, having managed several project teams at my university. I led the organization of a charity event and the graduation ceremony. In total, both involved continuous communication with 12+ companies, over 30 speakers, and 15 sponsors.

This way, my work became a lot more manageable. The more times I had to go through that, the better I performed overall.”

Let’s say, for example, you work in investment banking. You need to be a risk taker to some extent, but being too risk-friendly might make the entire company go bankrupt.

Task: “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. We had to figure out a way to fix it on time.”

Of course, they’d be thrilled if your ideal job matches what they can offer, but that doesn’t mean you should just describe the exact job you’re applying for.

"That’s a tough one. Generally, I value both job satisfaction and financial security. Ideally, I would look for a middle ground – a job that I enjoy and that also provides fair compensation for me.

Task: "I had to make a tough call to prioritize the core requirements and inform the client that we couldn't accommodate all the requested features within the original timeframe."

But whatever you do, don’t oversell yourself. Grandiose statements like “I’m the best salesman you’ve ever met!” don’t do anything to convince the hiring manager.

You need to make them believe that you won’t just jump ship a couple of months after getting hired because a recruiter PM’d you on LinkedIn with a better offer.

Action: “I briefly discussed it with the management team and assembled a task force consisting of web developers from my team and some software engineers from another department. We focused 100% of our time on fixing the issue and even got in a few hours of overtime to make sure we were on track.”

I’ve been following your company for the past few years, and I love how you’re changing the renewable energy landscape in the USA.”

On one hand, if you admit to having interviews with other companies, it might look like you’re not 100% dedicated to this one.

Interviewanswers

Instead, you want to show off the research you’ve done. Talk about anything that might seem off about their product or business. Such as:

Generally, what the interviewer wants from this question is to learn whether you’re an ambitious person and if your career expectations are realistic or not.

Results: "After a few weeks of learning and practice, I successfully created the animations the client wanted. They were really happy with the results, and it added a dynamic touch to their website. Learning After Effects did a lot more than help me finish the project, though. I’d say the whole experience broadened my skills as a graphic designer, so it was great."

“As a start, I want to learn if accounting is the right field for me. While I loved what I studied at university, I want to see if actually working in the field feels the same.

“I just felt like it was time - I got to a point where everything I was doing felt monotonous. I learned as much as I could in that position while delivering great results. But it was time to switch to something new.”

Instead, be genuine. Show the hiring manager that you’re self-aware and give them real strengths and weaknesses with your answer.

But if I’m forced to choose, I would probably go for the job with better compensation. I have too many responsibilities to prioritize a fun job over a good salary.

However, 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:

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.

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.”

Interviewquestions

“I’ve always been interested in tech. In fact, I’m the type of person who actively seeks out new software to help solve business problems at work.

I might eventually decide to pursue a Master’s degree to get some specialized knowledge, but at this point, I really don’t see the point in that.”

“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 ad model design.

Of course, I went through the off-boarding properly. So, I discussed things with my manager, gave a timely notice of resignation, and transferred everything I was working on to my replacement.”

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.

“Things started to get really boring, and the boss man was kind of annoying. I figured I deserve better, so I just ghosted them and now I’m looking for a new job.”

“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.

Action: "I listened to her, apologized for the problem, and took a look at the dress. I told her that we want our customers to be satisfied with our products. I offered her a choice between a full refund or a new dress. To make up for the trouble, I also gave her a discount voucher for her next purchase. I made sure to report the issue to our supplier to avoid this happening again."

Generally, you should be able to pick up new tech as soon as possible. Any new change shouldn’t completely disrupt your work.

When you get this question, all you have to do is answer honestly. Explain how your old job just wasn’t for you at this stage in your life and how the job you’re applying for is so much more interesting and aligned with your new career path.

That being said, avoid saying something that leans too far in either direction. You don’t want to seem like you’re solely motivated by money or that you don’t care about your salary at all.

My first success was getting an article to go viral, which generated over $5,000 in revenue in a single day. While that’s not much for a software company, it felt like a lot for an intern.

But the reason hiring managers use this question is because they want to evaluate your honesty and self-awareness. They want to see if you can give yourself a realistic assessment and if you're actively working on improving yourself.

Instead, say that you perform well during stressful situations and give one or two examples of a situation where you had to perform well under pressure.

And here I am. XYZ Company is pretty much the place I’ve always wanted to work, from what I’ve heard about your company culture, and I thought I’d really fit in here.”

The aim of this question is to see if you’re the type of person who would survive working at the job or fall through the cracks when the first signs of trouble show up.

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.

If you’ve switched jobs in a very short period of time, like two or more full-time positions in the span of one year, the interviewer is likely to ask about it.

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.

These questions are used to understand your problem-solving abilities, thinking patterns, and whether you can think on your feet.

Then, over the next two 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 in monthly recurring revenue.”

I do think I have just the right skills to get started, though: copywriting, basic Photoshop, and, of course, lots of creativity.

It’s just part of the job - in order to succeed, you need to launch risky campaigns on a regular basis, and hopefully, one in every five is going to bring you massive results.”

As an intern, I basically had zero 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 since they were 100% focused on making the product work.

You already know the most common job interview questions, so you can probably handle whatever the interviewer throws at you.

Situation: "Definitely. When I was working as a customer service representative at an online retail company, we had a customer who ordered a gift for her daughter's birthday. Unfortunately, there was a mix-up with the shipping, and the package was delayed, so it would arrive after the birthday."

“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 two years, I’ve done a bit of everything - fencing, archery, hiking, and several other things.”

Then, by 60 days, I’d start making changes. Things like improving our email marketing, refining ad strategies, and supporting ongoing projects.

Jobinterview

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 they decided to let me go.”

You could also answer with a salary range instead of a specific number. Though, keep in mind that they’ll probably pick a number somewhere in the middle of that range.

Keep in mind, though, that the questions you ask shouldn’t be too easy or too obvious. Asking, “So, what does your company do?” won’t sit well with the interviewer, especially if it’s at the end of your interview.

Action: "I dug into our customer data and market trends using our CRM system. I also looked at what our competitors were up to. Based on all that, I recommended that we target the healthcare sector, where there seemed to be a rising demand for our software."

“Not yet. I wasn’t really actively looking for a job until my friend, John, recommended your company. I’m not looking for just any company - I want an interesting, engaging project, like what you’re working on.”

Always answer the interviewer with your “best” salary requirement. They’ll probably negotiate it down, and you’ll be left with something closer to the “good” number you thought up.

I wanted to start making money and help them out way before that, so I dropped out of university and started taking online courses in accounting.

There are tons of different versions of this question, like “What word would you use to describe yourself?” and “What five words would people use to describe you?” but the same idea applies to all of them.

Results: “In the end, it worked out. We managed to roll out all the food on time, there were no complaints about quality, and though we were all stressed out by the end of the night, the customers were happy. It goes to show how teamwork can really make or break a high-pressure situation.”

If they were looking for someone with a better degree, they wouldn’t have invited you to an interview to begin with. The lack of a degree probably isn’t a dealbreaker here, but your answer to the question could be.

"I'm currently working on my data visualization skills. While I'm decent at data analysis, I'm learning to use tools like Tableau to create more impactful presentations of what I find. It could help me communicate really complex information more effectively so I could show it to stakeholders, for example."

Situation: “During my last job, I was managing the creative and web development 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.”

“Within the next five years, I’d like to reach the position of a Senior Business Consultant. By then, I would like to have accomplished a few things, like:

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 ten million people.

If you do have other interviews lined up for other companies, just say that you are keeping your options open but that you prefer this job to the others.

Here, you want to focus on your best traits and achievements that you’ve been praised for. After all, the interviewer might ask for a reference.

At the end of the day, though, it turned out that the company was looking to experiment with email marketing and needed some specifically to set it up from scratch.

So, make sure to choose words that are positive, relevant to the job, and actually reflect your personality or work ethic.

Task: "I needed to resolve the issue and make sure the customer was happy, even though it wasn't technically our fault that the shipping company delayed the package."

what are the 7 most commoninterviewquestions and answers?

Task: “On one occasion, the town we were in was hosting a festival, so we suddenly had this huge wave of hungry tourists, all at once. We had no time to prepare, so we had to roll with it and make sure everyone was served.”

So, with this job interview question, your goal is to convince the hiring manager that you’re the right candidate for their company.

"I'd say my strength lies in my analytical skills. I can quickly interpret data and translate it into actionable insights. My biggest weakness is public speaking, though. I've been trying to work on it by taking a Toastmasters course and volunteering to present more often in team meetings."

And, to calm you before an interview, you might have heard the interviewers and hiring managers say that there are no right or wrong answers.

So, 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 for.

If you understand what the interviewer is looking for with each of these questions, you’ll be able to give the right answer and rock that interview!

"Hmm, well, I’d say the ideal job is one that lets me make a meaningful impact while growing professionally. I'm looking for something that offers a balance of independent work and team collaboration, with opportunities to take on increasing responsibilities over time. I'm also drawn to companies that value work-life balance and contribute positively to society, which is why I'm particularly excited about this position."

I’ve always wanted to put my engineering degree towards a good cause - and the position as a Sustainability Coordinator at Company XYZ is just what I’ve been looking for.

Task: "As the project coordinator, it was my responsibility to ensure the team worked smoothly and efficiently, which meant finding a way to work with John and keeping the project on track."

Besides, I’m a pretty curious person, so I’m sure I could eventually find satisfaction in any type of job. I just think I would find it hard to really enjoy a job if I felt like I wasn’t being compensated properly."

“I was fired, actually. The fault was mainly in my communication skills at the time. I misunderstood my supervisor’s instructions and ended up setting a higher monthly spend on an ad account for the client. The losses were less than 3-figures, but apparently, the relationship with the client was already strained, so they ended up leaving.

But hard work and dedication paid off. I ended up graduating with almost no student loans. I managed this through a combination of:

After you’ve created a killer resume and cover letter and passed the first screening, it's time to face the final challenge:

Here, you’ll start making an impact. From all the information you’ve gathered so far, suggest a few initiatives you could take on. Examples include:

"Collaborative, diligent, and enthusiastic. The first is because I thrive in team environments, and I love working with others. Then the next one is because I pay really close attention to the details in my work; it’s almost compulsive for me. And I’m also, well, enthusiastic - I’ve been told I bring positive energy to every project I work on."

“I actually went through your resume builder before coming to the interview and found several things that seemed kind of counter-intuitive.

"Well, I am a teacher, but what I’m most proud of is volunteering to teach English to refugees in my community. Over two years, I helped over 50 individuals improve their language skills, which helped their integration and job prospects. This experience really improved my communication skills, cultural awareness, and I learned to adapt my teaching style to meet really diverse needs."

Task: “My main to-dos involved doing research and completing whatever tasks were assigned to me. But one day, during a brainstorming session with the content marketing team, I had a chance to give my input.”

“At this stage of my life, I decided to pursue a career instead of furthering my education. On the one hand, I want to make sure that Marketing is what I want to do with my life.

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.”

Narrow your answer down to three strengths at most. Pick one or two skills that would help you really excel at the job and one or two personal skills or traits.

At this point, you should already have an effect on the company. Describe several things you think are going to be working better than before you joined. Some examples could be:

Depending on your specific situation, though, you might also need to learn how to answer a few situational job interview questions.

"My greatest accomplishment was completing a marathon last year. It required months of disciplined training, pushing through physical and mental barriers. The experience taught me a lot about setting long-term goals, being consistent, and how far perseverance can take you. I apply the same principles in every aspect of my life but that, by far, made me feel the most sense of accomplishment."

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“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 bunch more you’ve probably seen on my resume.

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.

The strategy here 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.

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, so I dropped out after two semesters.

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 someone from a different background.”

After that, the founders gave me a lot more trust and they assigned me a small marketing budget of $1,000 per month. I had a lot more confidence in my abilities, so I started experimenting with other strategies.

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.

There's no universally "correct" answer here, but it is important to be thoughtful and explain the reason behind your answer.

This is another great question that the interviewer can use to see how much you know about the company and whether you’re genuinely interested in the role.

Keep in mind, though, that if you don’t know much about the company or the position, that’s okay, too. Just be honest and let your genuine interest in the job shine through.

In that case, your answer should be pretty straightforward - since you’re applying for the job in the first place, you probably don’t have any problems working at unusual times.

Here’s the thing: Is the employer just checking your dedication to the role, or are they looking for someone who’s going to work 24/7 with no overtime pay?

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.”