How To Answer The 5 Most Common Interview Questions

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It doesn't matter where you are in your career, interviews are still a huge cause of stress. And it's easy to understand why. For one, you have to be on your best behavior and you only get the one chance to make the right impression. It's a high stakes situation where one mistake can cost you the chance at the job you really want. Any number of things can go wrong, and many of them are out of your control. A huge traffic jam that makes you late or having your child get sick right before you walk out the door or even just spilling your coffee all over your shirt right before you arrive at the interview can be devastating.

So how can you keep yourself from buckling under all the stress? The best way I have found is to make sure that you can answer the most common interview questions in your sleep. They are the ones that are most likely to come at the beginning of the interview and being able to answer them, even under pressure, will help set the tone for your interview and keep your nerves under control. Of course, the interviewer is likely to ask you any number of question, many that you weren't expecting or haven't prepared for, but these frequently asked question will be mixed in and give you some landmarks to help steady yourself.

Here are 5 most common interview questions:

Tell me about yourself - This one is almost a given. It comes at the beginning of the interview and gives you an opportunity to make your initial pitch and get comfortable with the interviewer. Because this is almost always the first question, it's a good idea to have a standard answer. When you answer this question, be sure not to give the interviewer too much information, especially information that they aren't allowed to ask for.For example, don't mention your marital status, how old you are, your sexual orientation or how many children you have. Instead, mention relevant facts about your work history, your education and what you enjoy most about what you do. Keep in mind that your answer here will set the tone for the remainder of the interview.

What do you know about the company? - This is a question you should always have a prepared answer for. Do some research and find out who the company is, what they do and what makes them different from their competitors. Your answer should show that you are genuinely interested in the company and the job. Believe it or not, having a good answer for this question will score you huge points. So many people show up to interviews at companies they know nothing about. So, set yourself apart by having a thoughtful answer prepared. Besides, if you don't know who the company is and what they do, why do you want to work there?

Why did you leave your last job? - The key here is to always stay positive. Try not to talk about money and never, ever talk bad about a previous employer or co-worker. No matter why you left your last job, try to be as brief as possible. If you were fired from your last job, don't be tempted to lie about it. Give a quick explanation of why you were terminated, from the employer's point of view and mention what you learned from the experience. Be extremely careful here to not sound as though you are blaming anyone or that it wasn't your fault - even if you feel that you were wronged. You won't score points by saying so; in fact, the interviewer might get the impression that you have trouble taking responsibility.

What motivates you to do a good job? - This question seems to come up all the time, but I'm not sure what the point of it is. One thing I do know is that the answer to this question is never "money" - even when it is. You should have a few things in mind that you can say to the interviewer. Maybe you are motivated by recognition or you want to become better in your field. Whatever reason you give, make sure it's one that doesn't make you sound like someone who is mostly just interested in a paycheck.

What sort of salary are you looking for? - Of course, you want as much money as you can get and they want to pay you as little as they can get away with. That's the reality and that's what makes this a really tough question. From a negotiation standpoint, it's always bad to give a figure first. Before any interview, you should do some research to find out what the average salary is for the job. Then, you can either can give a salary range for someone with your experience or you could say that you are more interested in taking about the position right now. However, if you have a number in mind, you should go ahead and give it. You might be surprised at what you're offered.


Having answers for these questions prepared ahead of time will help you stay calm during your interview and give you the confidence to handle the unexpected question that you'll be asked as well. What other questions do you frequently get asked?

 

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  • Shari A
    Shari A •
    This article on 'How To Answer The 5 Most Common Interview Questions' I found to be extremely helpful. I gives you a lot to think about as far as your approach to the questions asked. Funny thing is the questions selected are the ones that normally give me butterflies in my stomach. Lol....I will use this useful information to aide me with my future interview endeavors going forward. Thanks for the very helpful tips and the encouragement. :)Shari  
  • Jeanette B
    Jeanette B •
    This information was very helpful.
  • Cherl E
    Cherl E •
    Great article. I took your advice and ended up with a job offer. I start next week!Thanks
  • David S
    David S •
    Yuriy K: Hopefully this will help? The question "Tell me about yourself": Should be a brief description of yourself.....An example to this question/statement can be: I graduated H.S. in (year) attended college at (school) receiving (type of degree) and them name a few jobs and some of your experience. Just remember not to put everything in 1 basket with this question.
  • Jose T
    Jose T •
    Thank you for the Info. It is great!!!!
  • Luis M
    Luis M •
    Very good article, another lesson learned.....
  • James M
    James M •
    I have learned alot from this page! Thank you for writing this article.
  • Reginald W
    Reginald W •
    Yes, these are very good questions with sensible answers.
  • Melisssa Kennedy
    Melisssa Kennedy •
    Thanks for the comments. I agree that "Where do you see yourself in 5 years" is a tough question during an interview. You don't want to sound overconfident or imply that you wouldn't still be with the company. I think that maybe I should include that question in an article about 5 more interview question.
  • Gladys P
    Gladys P •
    Thanks for the interview tips it was helpful.  However, I've been give the question such as "do you prefer to work with a team or by yourself".  In my opinion I work well in both ways which is the answer I give, but the interviewer is looking for which one I like the most.  I’m not sure how to answer this question, to ensure it’s not a deal breaker for getting the job.
  • CHRISTINA M
    CHRISTINA M •
    Very helpful thanks
  • Al C
    Al C •
    I am the founder of a faith-based job assistance program, and found this article extremely useful to pass along at our weekly meetings.  Once a month we feature a JOB INTERVIEWING WORKSHOP. Thank you.
  • Angel R
    Angel R •
    This is very helpful information.  BUT, could you address the situation when you have multiple interviews on the same day with same company all in the same region and the interviewer asks you..."Do you have any questions for me?"....when all of your questions have already been answered in the previous interview??
  • alma c
    alma c •
    Oh my!! No wonder why nobody has called me back i was answering all those questions with the "what not to say:" Now I know and will be practicing my answers. THANK YOU
  • Janine W
    Janine W •
    How about these questions: "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?"or "What are your strengths and weaknesses?"or "Give a specific event where something went wrong that wasn't your fault but you had to fix it, tell us how you handled it."or "How would your co-workers describe you?"I've gotten all these questions more than once, and have no idea what answer they were looking for.
  • FRANKLIN P
    FRANKLIN P •
    Excellent advise
  • Barbara F
    Barbara F •
    I have an interview next week so this article was most helpful to me. Thank you so much for posting it.  It's so ironic that I came across it at the most appropriate time. Thank you ~ Barbara ~
  • Ronnie B
    Ronnie B •
    Very informative advice.  When I was in a management position, I did indeed ask these very questions to applicants during the interview process.  The answers received speaks volumes about the person.  You may also mention body language plays a role as well.  Posture and looking at the interviewer square in the eye when answering the questions is important as well as it shows confidence.
  • boniface r
    boniface r •
    ALWAYS WHEN WE GET ON SALARY MATTER, IT IS DIFFICULT BECAUSE THE MONEY I SAY, THE INTERVIEWER GETS SURPRISED AND THIS ENTAILS ME TO MISS THE JOB BECAUSE THEY SAY IT IS TOO MUCH MONEY.
  • Yuriy K
    Yuriy K •
    For the "tell me about yourself" question, how about giving an example of what one might say, instead of generalizing. I already know these questions are asked-they are not news to me. It is a sample response that is more important and was not addressed in this article.
  • Kimberly L
    Kimberly L •
    I thought the article was worthy and insightful to read.  Being out of work for some time, I can use all of the help I can get.....and yes, I will now be practicing my answers to those common questions.  Thank you!
  • Edward B
    Edward B •
    Thanks for this advice it truly has shown me why I have failed in so many interviews. I will admit, I have been on at least twenty interviews in the past year without any success. After reading what questions to expect, I now have a better outlook on getting hired. Also, I read all of the comments posted here and thank you guys for your feedback.
  • Candy J
    Candy J •
    I'm interested in looking for anew job and haven't been to an interview in years. These questions will really allow me to be prepared for the interviews. Thnaks much for the information
  • Julia G
    Julia G •
    This article is great! It gives a lot of guidance to job seekers.  It couldn't have come at a time when i am personally in search of a job! Please keep me posted on more tips!!
  • Sylvia T
    Sylvia T •
    The suggested response to answer: What motivates you to do a good job? was the most helpful to me.  

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