Common Interview Questions and How to Answer Them Like a Pro

What you will find in this blog:

• Tell me about yourself.
• Walk me through a time when you had to solve a problem.
• Tell me about an accomplishment that made you proud of your work.
• What is your biggest weakness?
• Why do you want this job? Why do you want to work here?
• What is your salary expectation?
• Ready to answer the most common interview questions 

When you have an interview there are some questions that are just so common it surprises me when applicants do not have prepared answers.

The wonderful thing about common interview questions is that you can formulate and practice responses in advance so that you feel confident and answer them like a pro.

This is not to say that you will only receive these common interview questions during your conversation with a recruiter or manager, but they do often come up and having some prepared answers can take a lot of pressure off you during your conversation.

Here are some common interview questions and how to answer them like a pro.

Tell me about yourself.

This is one of the most common ice breaker requests from interviewers. What it really does is alert you that the interview is starting and gives you a golden opportunity to sell yourself. The key is to start with your current role, do a quick recap of your past work history as it relates to the job you want, and talk about the future with this specific job and company. Read more about how to answer the common Tell Me About Yourself question on my blog.

Walk me through a time when you had to solve a problem.

Recruiters ask this common interview question to assess how you work under pressure, your teamwork and collaborative skills, problem-solving abilities, communication style, and professionalism. 

Come prepared with an answer that highlights these things and describes how you found and implemented the solution, and how that positively impacted the company. Do your best to present this as a challenge you confidently handled. Do not disparage other team members, even if the problem was someone’s fault. 

Tell me about an accomplishment that made you proud of your work.

Another common interview question that is a gift. This question provides you the opportunity to sell yourself and walk the interviewer through a project or outcome that helped your employer meet specific goals or KPIs. It makes you look good. 

Recruiters and managers are looking for what drives you, how you track and measure success, and how it made you feel to accomplish the goal. Be sure to include those aspects in your answer and share specific data points if available.

What is your biggest weakness?

Do not fall for this common trick interview question! It might be tempting to say something placating such as “I work too hard,” or “I care too much.” Resist that urge because recruiters know those are bogus answers. 

Instead, share a real weakness that will not significantly impact your performance or business goals, and also share what you are doing to overcome the weakness. 

For example, if your role does not require a lot of public speaking, you can say, “I sometimes struggle with speaking in front of a large group of people. However, I have been practicing as I take on more leadership responsibility, and with each opportunity to present I become more comfortable. My current manager has been mentoring me through strategies for stronger public speaking skills.”

Why do you want this job? Why do you want to work here?

This is a litmus test for how interested you are in the role or company, and if you understand the job. Recruiters will want to know that you really want the role and that this is not just a filler position. 

To answer this common interview question break it down into three parts: 

1. Share that you are a good fit for the role and give some examples of why
2. Explain how the mission of the company speaks to you
3. Describe how you see potential growth in specific career development areas which are important to you

What is your salary expectation?

This is a common interview question because the recruiter will want to make sure that there is alignment in salary expectations before they invest more time and pass you through to managers. Instead of throwing out a number and just letting it hang there, give a reason why you think that number is accurate. Make sure that the number is within the posted range if there was one in the job post. It can also help to note that you are open to negotiation if that is the case.

You can say something like, “I am looking to make between A-B dollars because of my C number of years of experience and D work history which fits the role. I will also take into consideration any benefits which are offered and am open to negotiation. I can give you a more exact number once I discuss specific job expectations and responsibilities with the interviewing manager.” 

Ready to answer the most common interview questions

These common interview questions do not have to feel like a surprise or struggle to answer. By thinking through them in advance, you can enter your interview prepared and answer them like a pro. This will take some stress and pressure off you during your interview, and allow you to think through other questions that may arise. 

Want to get personalized interview prep that helps you create answers to these common interview questions and more? Connect with me to learn about my interview preparation services and packages, and how I can make sure you enter your interview confident with answers to the most common interview questions for your role and work history.