Wouldn’t it be great if you knew exactly what questions a hiring manager would be asking you in your next job interview?We can’t read minds, unfortunately, but we’ll give you the next best thing: a list of 50 of the most commonly asked interview questions, along with advice for answering them all.
While we don’t recommend having a canned response for every interview question (in fact, please don’t), we do recommend spending some time getting comfortable with what you might be asked, what hiring managers are really looking for in your responses, and what it takes to show that you’re the right person for the job.
Consider this list your interview question and answer study guide. (And don’t miss our bonus list at the end, with links out to resources on specific types of interview questions—about emotional intelligence or diversity and inclusion, for example—and interview questions by role, from accountant to project manager to teacher.)
30+ most common job interview questions
- Tell me about yourself.
- Walk me through your resume.
- How did you hear about this position?
- Why do you want to work at this company?
- Why do you want this job?
- Why should we hire you?
- What can you bring to the company?
- What are your greatest strengths?
- What do you consider to be your weaknesses?
- What is your greatest professional achievement?
- Tell me about a challenge or conflict you’ve faced at work, and how you dealt with it.
- Tell me about a time you demonstrated leadership skills.
- What’s a time you disagreed with a decision that was made at work?
- Tell me about a time you made a mistake.
- When can you start?
- Why are you leaving your current job?
- Why were you fired?
- Why was there a gap in your employment?
- Can you explain why you changed career paths?
- What’s your current salary?
- What are your salary expectations?
- What are you looking for in a new position?
- What type of work environment do you prefer?
- What’s your work style?
- What’s your management style?
- How would your boss and coworkers describe you?
- How do you deal with pressure or stressful situations?
- What do you like to do outside of work?
- What should I know that’s not on your resume?
- How do you stay organized?
- How do you prioritize your work?
