Here Are Top 10 Interview Questions And Them Answers

There are questions that employers typically ask at job interviews and it's important to be prepared to respond effectively to those interview questions. Hiring managers are going to expect you to be able to answer the questions that are more often asked during interviews.

You don't need to memorize an answer, but do think about what you're going to say so you're not put on the spot during the job interview.

Review the top 10 interview questions you'll most likely be asked at a job interview, plus the best answers. Also, review the other questions you may be asked, so you're prepared to ace the interview.

Top 10 Interview Questions

1. What is your greatest strength? 

• When I'm working on a project, I don't want just to meet deadlines. Rather, I prefer to complete the project well ahead of schedule.
• I have exceeded my sales goals every quarter and I've earned a bonus each year since I started with my current employer.
• My time management skills are excellent and I'm organized, efficient, and take pride in excelling at my work.
• I pride myself on my customer service skills and my ability to resolve what could be difficult situations.

2. What is your greatest weakness?

When I'm working on a project, I don't want just to meet deadlines. Rather, I prefer to complete the project well ahead of schedule.

Being organized wasn't my strongest point, but I implemented a time management system that really helped my organization skills.

I like to make sure that my work is perfect, so I tend to perhaps spend a little too much time checking it. However, I've come to a good balance by setting up a system to ensure everything is done correctly the first time.

I used to wait until the last minute to set appointments for the coming week, but I realized that scheduling in advance makes much more sense.

Sometimes, I spend more time than necessary on a task, or take on tasks personally that could easily be delegated to someone else. Although I've never missed a deadline, it is still an effort for me to know when to move on to the next task, and to be confident when assigning others work.

I had difficulty with calculus during college, but I persevered with tutoring assistance and extra effort and completed 2 levels with a B minus average.

I've learned to make my perfectionism work to my advantage at work. I am excellent at meeting deadlines, and with my attention to detail, I know my work is correct.

I used to like to work on one project to its completion before starting on another, but I've learned to work on many projects at the same time, and I think it allows me to be more creative and effective in each one.

3. Why are you leaving or have left your job?

• I found myself bored with the work and looking for more challenges. I am an excellent employee and I didn't want my unhappiness to have any impact on the job I was doing for my employer.
• There isn't room for growth with my current employer and I'm ready to move on to a new challenge.
• I'm looking for a bigger challenge and to grow my career and I couldn't job hunt part time while working. It didn't seem ethical to use my former employer's time.
• I was laid-off from my last position when our department was eliminated due to corporate restructuring.
• I'm relocating to this area due to family circumstances and left my previous position in order to make the move.
• I've decided that is not the direction I want to go in my career and my current employer has no opportunities in the direction I'd like to head.
• After several years in my last position, I'm looking for an company where I can contribute and grow in a team-oriented environment.
• I am interested in a new challenge and an opportunity to use my technical skills and experience in a different capacity than I have in the past.
• I recently received my degree and I want to utilize my educational background in my next position.
• I am interested in a job with more responsibility, and I am very ready for a new challenge.
• I left my last position in order to spend more time with my family. Circumstances have changed and I'm more than ready for full-time employment again.
• I am seeking a position with a stable company with room for growth and opportunity for advancement.
• I was commuting to the city and spending a significant amount of time each day on travel. I would prefer to be closer to home.
• To be honest, I wasn't considering a move, but, I saw this job posting and was intrigued by the position and the company. It sounds like an exciting opportunity and an ideal match with my qualifications.
• This position seemed like an excellent match for my skills and experience and I am not able to fully utilize them in my present job.
• The company was cutting back and, unfortunately, my job was one of those eliminated.

4. Tell me about yourself

Interviewers will sometimes start an interview with an open ended question like "Tell me about yourself." It's a way to break the ice and make you feel more comfortable during the interview process. It's also a way for the hiring manager to get insight into your personality to help determine if you're a good fit for the job.

Sharing too much or too little information isn't a good idea. The interviewer doesn't want to know everything about you, but disclosing too little can make him or her wonder why you aren't more open.

5. Why do you want this job? 

• This is not only a fine opportunity, but this company is a place where my qualifications can make a difference. As a finance executive well versed in the new stock options law, I see this position as made to order. It contains the challenge to keep me on my toes. That's the kind of job I like to anticipate every morning.
   
• I want this job because it seems tailored to my competencies, which include sales and marketing. As I said earlier, in a previous position I created an annual growth rate of 22% in a flat industry. Additionally, the team I would work with looks terrific.
   
• I well understand that this is a company on the way up. Your web site says the launch of several new products is imminent. I want be a part of this business as it grows.
   
• Having worked through a college business major building decks and porches for neighbors, this entry-level job for the area's most respected home builder has my name on it.
   
• As a dedicated technician, I like doing essential research. Being part of a breakthrough team is an experience I'd love to repeat.
   
• This job is a good fit for what I've been interested in throughout my career. It offers a nice mix of short- and long-term activities. My short-term achievements keep me cranked up and the long-term accomplishments make me feel like a billion bucks.
   
• I want this job selling theater tickets because I'd be good at it. I'm good at speaking to people and handling cash. I would like a job with regular hours and I'm always on time.
   
• Although some companies are replacing Americans with imported low-wage workers, you are standing tall. This company's successful strategies, good reputation and values make it heads and shoulders above its competition.
   
• I'd fit right in as a counter clerk in your fine dry cleaners. I have observed that the counter clerk position requires competence at handling several activities in quick order -- customer service, payments, bagging and phones. I like multitasking and, as a homemaker, I have a lot of practice in keeping all the balls in the air.
   
• The work I find most stimulating allows me to use both my creative and research skills. The buzz on this company is that it rewards people who deliver solutions to substantial problems.

6. Why should we hire you? 

When an employer asks you, “Why should we hire you?” she is really asking, “What makes you the best fit for this position?” Your answer to this question should be a concise “sales pitch” that explains what you have to offer the employer.

The best way to respond is to give concrete examples of why your skills and accomplishments make you the best candidate for the job. Take a few moments to compare the job description with your abilities, as well as mentioning what you have accomplished in your other positions. Be positive and reiterate your interest in the company and the position. Here's how to prepare your response.

Think of the Job Listing

To prepare an answer to this question, look at the job listing. Make a list of the requirements for the position, including personality traits, skills, and qualifications. Then, make a list of the qualities you have that fit these requirements. For each quality, think of a specific time that you used that trait to achieve something at work. For example, if you list that you are a “team player,” think of a time in which your ability to work well on a team resulted in a successfully completed project.

Keep it Concise

You want your answer to be brief – no more than a minute or two long. Therefore, select one or two specific qualities from the list you created to emphasize in your “sales pitch.” Begin by explaining what you believe the employer is looking for, and how you fulfill that need.

Focus on your Uniqueness

The interviewer wants to know how you stand out amongst the other applicants. Therefore, focus on one or two qualities you possess that might be unique, or more difficult to find, in other interviewees. For example, if you are very experienced with a certain skill that the job requires, say so. This is your chance to tell the interviewer why you would be an invaluable employee.

7. How do you handle stress and pressure? 

A typical interview question, asked to get a sense of how you handle on-the-job stress, is "How do you handle pressure?" Examples of good responses include:

• Stress is very important to me. With stress, I do the best possible job. The appropriate way to deal with stress is to make sure I have the correct balance between good stress and bad stress. I need good stress to stay motivated and productive.
• I react to situations, rather than to stress. That way, the situation is handled and doesn't become stressful.
• I actually work better under pressure and I've found that I enjoy working in a challenging environment.
• From a personal perspective, I manage stress by visiting the gym every evening. It's a great stress reducer.
• Prioritizing my responsibilities so I have a clear idea of what needs to be done when, has helped me effectively manage pressure on the job.
• If the people I am managing are contributing to my stress level, I discuss options for better handling difficult situations with them.
• I find that when I'm under the pressure of a deadline, I can do some of my most creative work.
• I'm not a person who has a difficult time with stress. When I'm under pressure, I focus, and get the job done.
• I find it exhilarating to be in a dynamic environment where the pressure is on.
• I find a past pace to be invigorating, and thrive when the pressure is on.
• I've done some of my best work under tight deadlines, where the atmosphere was very stressful.
• I'm the kind of person who stays calm under pressure, and handles stress fairly easily.

8. Describe a difficult work situation / project and how you overcame it.

Give concrete examples of difficult situations that actually happened at work. Then discuss what you did to solve the problem.

Keep your answers positive ("Even though it was difficult when Jane Doe quit without notice, we were able to rearrange the department workload to cover the position until a replacement was hired.") and be specific. Itemize what you did and how you did it.

The best way to prepare for questions where you will need to recall events and actions is to refresh your memory and consider some special situations you have dealt with or projects you have worked on. You can use them to help frame responses. Prepare stories that illustrate times when you have successfully solved a difficult situation.

9. How do you evaluate success? 

• "I evaluate success in different ways. At work, it is meeting the goals set by my supervisors and my fellow workers. It is my understanding, from talking to other employees, that the GGR company is recognized for not only rewarding success, but giving employees opportunity to grow as well. After work, I enjoy playing softball, so success on the field is catching the winning pop-up."
   
• "For me, success is about doing my job well. I want to be recognized as someone who always does their best and tries their hardest to make my goals."
   
• "I evaluate success based on not only my work, but the work of my team. In order for me to be considered successful, the team needs to achieve both our individual and our team goals."
   
• "I evaluate success based on outcomes. It's not always the path you take to achieve success that matters. Rather, it's quantifiable results."
   
• "To me, success is when I am performing well and satisfied with my position, knowing that my work is adding value to my company but also to my overall life and the lives of other people."

10. What are your goals for the future? 

One of the questions typically asked during an interview is about your future goals. Employers want to be sure that you won't be moving on to another job right away.

The best way to respond to the interview question "What are your goals for the future?" or "Where do you see yourself in five years?" is to refer to the position and the company you are interviewing with.

Don't discuss your goals for returning to school or having a family, they are not relevant and could knock you out of contention for the job. Rather, you want to connect your answer to the job you are applying for. Examples of good responses include:

• My long-term goals involve growing with a company where I can continue to learn, take on additional responsibilities, and contribute as much of value as I can.
• I see myself as a top performing employee in a well-established organization, like this one. I plan on enhancing my skills and continuing my involvement in (related) professional associations.
• Once I gain additional experience, I would like to move on from a technical position to management.
• In the XYZ Corporation, what is a typical career path for someone with my skills and experiences?

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