These top 20 frequently asked questions touch on the necessary aspects the hiring managers want to know about every candidate: who exactly you are, why you are a perfect fit for this specific job, and what you are good at doing.
Are you preparing for a job interview?
Would not it be nice if you knew exactly what questions a hiring manager of the company would be asking you in your next job interview?
Most interviewers are likely to ask the same types of questions, so it has become slightly easier for you to prepare for any job interview.
The interviewer may not ask you exactly these questions in exactly these words, but if you prepare well and have answers ready in your mind for them, you will be geared up for just about any question the interviewer may ask you.
These top 20 frequently asked questions touch on the necessary aspects the hiring managers want to know about every candidate: who exactly you are, why you are a perfect fit for this specific job, and what you are good at doing.
“I graduated with a Business Management Degree in 2018, and was offered an account management position at ABC Company I had interned with. I loved working with customers and managing and growing my accounts, but the industry we were in just was not very appealing to me. After that, I stayed a full year and learned a lot about how to build and manage accounts successfully and I ended up becoming a top performer in my group before leaving. I left at the 1-year-mark to pursue a very similar position within an industry I am much more excited about healthcare. I’ve been at this healthcare startup space for 2 years with XYZ Company and I feel ready to take my career to the next level so that’s why I’m currently looking for a new opportunity.”
“I noticed that the job offer lists problems solving ability as a desirable skill for the position. I think that my greatest strength is the ability to solve problems quickly and efficiently. I can see any given situation from multiple perspectives, which makes me uniquely qualified to complete my work even under demanding conditions. That problem solving ability allows me to be a better communicator. I am just as comfortable speaking to senior executives, as I am junior team members. I believe my ability to see all sides of an issue will make me a great asset to the team in your company.”
“I do not have much patience when working with a team. I am incredibly self-sufficient, so it is difficult when I need to rely on others to complete my work. I sometimes find it difficult to delegate responsibility when I feel I can finish the task well myself. However, when I became manager in my last role, it became vital for me to learn how to delegate tasks. To sustain a sense of control when delegating tasks, I implemented a project management system in my division to oversee the progress of a project. This project management system enabled and helped me to improve my ability to delegate work efficiently.”
“My greatest professional achievement to date is that at ABC Company, I earned the fastest promotion to Sales Manager in the company’s history. My most significant career achievement was being the youngest person ever awarded a sales management position at my current company. I received this promotion after exceeding my sales goals by 150% to goal for two quarters in a row. I worked very hard for that promotion, and my dedication paid off. I was proud of myself for earning this recognition. I also received accolades from the Vice President of Sales in front of the entire company. That moment was extraordinary and highly rewarding.”
“This is a critical question in the process, thank you for asking. I believe that my resume speaks for itself when it comes to my relevant experience and skills.”
“Based on what I have learnt from the research I have done, your company is looking for a skilled communicator and experienced marketer to grow your business and help your company stand out from the competition. I have always been a hard worker with a strong work ethic. I will bring that innovative and entrepreneurial spirit to your company, and your success will be my top priority.”
“At my previous company, I would like to tell you about a time where I handled a customer issue, and they walked away with renewed confidence in our capabilities and services. I get along well on a team, and my previous internship experience quickly saw me into a supervisory role. Is there anything else I can touch on that would interest you or help you see that I am the best candidate for this position?”
“What I really like about the profile of this company and the job responsibilities, which is different from my current job, is that while I’ve gained important skills in my experience with this role, like time management and communication. I want to focus more on sharpening my writing and leadership skills. I am thrilled that this role provides me more opportunities to grow those skills. Now, I am prepared for the next challenge in my career. I loved the people I worked with and the projects I worked on, but at some point, I understood that I was not being challenged the way I used to be. Instead of letting myself get too comfortable, I decided to pursue a job position where I can continue to grow. ”
“I learned a long time ago that doing the same thing every day is not for me, as I like problem solving in a fast-paced environment. I am also a people-person who enjoys building relationships. I am looking for a company where I not only like what I am doing, but I can also grow into new positions. I am very good at what I do, but in the computer field, there are always new tools and technologies coming out. I am looking for a company that allows me to learn more and develop my capabilities into new areas. In my perfect world, I would toil with my teammates where we all support each other and remain focused on a common goal. Your team-building and employee recognition programs impressed me, as they indicate we share the same values.”
“My former company had undergone a restructuring that resulted in my position being eliminated. To be candid, it was a difficult time in my life. Nevertheless, I left with the confidence that I had developed essential skills there and built strong relationships with my colleagues and managers. This gap in my employment gave me an opportunity to take some time off work to focus on myself. It helped me to prepare for new challenges in my career. Now, I am fully prepared and looking forward to the opportunity to apply those experiences and skills in my next position. I am incredibly excited about the opportunities that lie ahead, such as this job.”
“I value communication and teamwork, so I would love to work in a job setting where everyone works together well. I enjoy guiding other team members on projects and making sure everything goes smoothly. I would love to work for a company like yours that makes life-enriching and timesaving products that people use daily. I want to be involved in working on projects like the ones your company is working on, mainly because I like working in places that put an emphasis on teamwork and collaborative environments. My dream job would be a leadership position where the other team members are active participants and communication happens every day. I love seeing a project through to the end and celebrating everyone’s hard work. I am willing to do everything that I can to develop my skills and work alongside brilliant people.”
“Well, one thing you will not find on my resume is my coding skills. I chose not to include my coding skills on my resume because this job seems more focused on branding and graphic design. Nevertheless, I do have experience with HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. I am interested in using these skills of Hypertext Markup Language, Scripting Language, and Cascading Style Sheets on various web development projects I could be assigned to.”
“Teamwork is a vital part of any business or organization, as without working together as a team to achieve a common goal, the culture can fall apart and objectives not be achieved. Motivation often comes from smaller recognitions and gestures. Teamwork occurs when a group of people work together to attain a common goal, drawing on each individual’s skills. In my last job, I was a member of a software implementation team. All of us worked together to plan and manage the project implementation schedule, to offer customer training, and to guarantee a smooth transition for our customers. Most of the time, our team was able to complete our projects ahead of schedule with very affirmative reviews from our clients. Our ability to communicate effectively made us such a good team. The team members expressed their concerns clearly and openly, so we resolved concerns as soon as they arose. This technique made a noticeable difference in our project productivity and deadline management since we started using it.”
“I believe a good manager is encouraging, motivational, possesses effective communication and listening skills. An effective manager builds a relationship with employees and keeps them motivated to continue producing valuable work. I apply these managerial styles when working with employees to provide a professional visionary management style to employees. I believe that communicating your vision for a project is often as much as the employees need to carry that vision out and providing impressive results. I think employees work best without a manager constantly monitoring their work. This is why I use a Laissez-faire management style. Each employee has a different way to complete a given work. I allow my team to complete their work as they deem fit. This helps them feel encouraged and motivated to give impressive results, as they work to make their original ideas come to life. If they need my help, I will guide them as desired. This permits them to feel encouraged to work in a comfortable environment.”
“Actually, in my most recent performance review in January this year, my direct boss described me as someone who is diligent, knowledgeable, hardworking, takes initiative, and a person who does not shy away from hard problems and taking more responsibilities. Diligent because I take pride in our work and always meet a given deadline, and closely follow up with the customer. Knowledgeable because I am very interested in my subject area and keep myself up-to-date with industry trends, topics, and developments. I attend conferences and workshops when I can, and my supervisor has said this really helps the team when I bring new understanding back to them. Hardworking, since I can always be relied on to get a big project over the finish line. If you were to ask my colleagues, I am confident they would describe me as organized, logical, and meticulous.”
“I am certain if you asked my coworkers; they would describe me as an organized, friendly, and thoughtful person who works well under pressure. I like creating a well-organized environment, doing administrative work, and anticipating the needs of my coworkers to make office life run as effortlessly as possible. My colleagues regularly comment on my problem-solving abilities and positive attitude when we get a difficult or complex client on the phone. I use a meticulous schedule to ensure that we meet all of our project goals within the stipulated time. I regularly adjusted our strategy for dividing responsibilities based on each of our individual strengths. I never forget to organize surprises when somebody in the office has his or her birthday. I was also very loyal to my team. Nonetheless, I miss them now; however, I am ready to bring my professionalism to this new team at this organization.”
“While I personally like a bit of stress in the job, as I love a challenge, I recognize that stress in a team can be a problem as not everyone feels that way. When I know there is a stressful situation or an assignment that is causing my team some anxiety, I prefer to seek them out personally and check in with them about their worries and about how they are handling the workload.”
“A good employee is not someone who is unstressed out but a good employee is somebody who can work efficiently, even when there is a deadline weighing you down. I feel that sometimes pressure can be a good thing. Working under pressure has taught me how to balance and prioritize my workload. I once had three very important projects due the same week, but I completed each task on time because I meticulously organized and planned how I would complete each project. Because of my prioritization and better planning, I was able to avoid stress altogether.”
“In another instance, I recently had multiple projects in the works for several clients, but the stress of the situation just motivated me to work more efficiently and smarter. I was able to deliver great finished products for each of the clients. They were all happy with the result. While it was a stressful time for us, the final outcome was better than anyone’s expectations, and my team and I felt proud of what we had accomplished.”
“This in all probability is not surprising coming from an engineer, but I like experimenting with code. As a software developer, I am passionate about creating truly fine-looking, efficient digital products to make people’s experience with technology memorable. One of the things I loved about my last work position was witnessing the results of my team’s code update and inspecting as our weeks of work yielded positive user feedback. I really loved the process of discovery and getting feedback from the user community. It is precisely why I like what I do all day as an engineer. Having the chance to lead projects from ideation through launch was one of the reasons I was so excited to apply for this job.”
“Thanks for asking! My work and family accounts for a lot of my time, but on the weekends, I like to get out and enjoy nature. During my spare time, I like running and enjoying nature. In the weekdays, I like to run in our neighborhood park but during the weekends I usually take a more challenging and scenic route. Sometimes, I run with the members of our local health club. It is a great way to socialize and to stay motivated by cheering each other. It helps me to refresh and reset before tackling the workweek. It is also a great way to get exercise.”
“In five years, I would like to expand my horizons. I have had amazing mentors and managers in my past positions, so I would like to be able to provide similar guidance, potentially taking on a leadership role. It is important to me to keep growing my skills and expanding my knowledge through training and educational opportunities and adding value to the company in new ways. One thing that drew me to this position was the opportunities for professional development and growth. My ultimate goal for the next five years is to master my position and advance into a managerial role within my department. I was drawn to the personalized training approach your company outlines on its website, and I truly believe this approach to training will allow me to learn new skills and grow within this position. Over the next five years, I see myself taking on new and exciting projects within your company that will prepare me for a management role with the organization. I would love to be an industry expert that others can go to for help, ideas, and strategy.”
“I do not think that my current salary is relevant. As I am sure you understand, my company considers employee salaries to be confidential, and access to this information is restricted to management inside our organization. Therefore, I am unable to share it with you. However, if you share the salary level and range for this position, I can confirm that my salary is within that range or not for this job.
I need to understand the full extent of the opportunity and the benefits you offer to employees plus what the salary range is for this job. I will share my salary expectations with you, and we can see if it fits into your salary range for this role.
Moreover, I can be flexible depending on the benefits and any incentives you may offer. For now, we should assume that salary would not be an issue.”
“Thanks for giving me an opportunity to ask the questions.”
“Can you share more about the day-to-day responsibilities of this job? How would you describe the pace of a classic day?”
“What is the one key thing that somebody needs to be successful in this role?”
“What mechanisms are in place for performance reviews and when would I receive my first formal assessment?”
“How would you describe the management style at this company?”
“What are the organization’s goals for the upcoming year?”
“What are your concerns about my candidacy?”
“Are there any qualifications that you think I am missing?”
“What is next in the hiring process?”