40 Common Interview Questions (and Answers!) You Need to Know

2. "Tell me about yourself." Despite how this open-ended question sounds, it is not literally an invitation to delve into an existential examination of your life before your interviewers. Especially not because this is a job interview question!

A good answer should focus on the fact that this is an elevator pitch opportunity and needs rehearsing. Be ready to wrap up your answer in 1 minute and focus on the positive summary of your skills, professional accomplishments, and personal experience that casts you in the most appealing light for the job. Talk about your promotions, highlight your successes and quantify your achievements. One of the worst things you can do is drone on without realizing you are boring the other person or answering with details they aren't interested in, so pay attention to non-verbal cues as you talk and be ready to adjust mid-way through if you need to.

18. "Do you prefer working independently or on a team?" A hiring manager wants to assess whether you will be a good fit, culturally.

Be as honest as possible when you respond to this, but make sure it's clear you're comfortable working collaboratively and on your own. Companies want to hire people who are fun and easy to work with — but also those who can manage whatever they need to on their own.

21. "When you're working on multiple projects, how do you keep yourself organized and on track?" Employers want to know that you stay on top of things.

Be ready to explain how you manage your current responsibilities -- whether in a detailed calendar or to-do list or through some kind of organizational service or app.

16. "Tell me about a time when you disagreed with a coworker. How did you handle it?"

Be ready to have anecdotes about your experiences for these kinds of situational interview questions. They don't have to be about the most interesting days you've had at work; instead, think of situations that have highlighted the fact that you're mature and capable of working with a variety of people, even if you don't always see eye-to-eye.

28. "What is your ideal work environment?"

For example, if the organization has an open office layout, you should probably temper your expectation of having a personal office. Do your best to align your ideal work environment with that of the company's.

30. "Why do you think you can help this company grow?"

Beyond perusing your prospective employer's website, think about how you, specifically, can contribute to their mission.

37. "How would you improve this company/specific operation?" Your vision for improving the company is the reason why you—or someone else—will get hired.

Come prepared with ideas for how you'd make one aspect of the company—something that is, of course, related to the job function of the position in question—better. You don't need to disparage the way the company is currently doing things to make your point; instead, just demonstrate that you've thought about this question and have innovative ideas.

38. "Describe a time you had to make a difficult decision at work." There has been a time when you've had to make a tough call. Perhaps you had to fire someone. Maybe you decided to confront your manager about something with which you disagreed.

Demonstrating your rationale for making this decision gives the interviewer insight into your judgment and thought process. Walk her through the pros and cons and the different aspects you considered before coming to closure to show that you're thoughtful and understand the ramifications and impact of your ideas.

39. "Why should we hire you over another candidate?" You don't know what another candidate will bring to the table, but you do know what you have to offer.

Describe your most important qualities as a worker and what sets you apart in terms of how you work and what you produce. Back up these qualities with examples to demonstrate why you're the best person for the role.

31. "Describe a time you exercised leadership."

Even if you're not a manager, you can still display leadership skills. Describe a time you took the lead on a project or showed initiative in the office.

27. "What do you like to do outside of work?"

Have an unusual hobby or pastime (singing in a punk rock band, for example) talking about this briefly can make you memorable or round out an otherwise very professional conversation. However, if you're not very active outside of work, it's also ok to talk about your friends and family and the things that make you seem like a whole, well-rounded human being.

13. "What's one of your greatest professional achievements?"

Hearing about what you've accomplished is a great way for a hiring manager to see how you might contribute to the company. Make sure you describe the situation thoroughly but without getting too bogged down in details that aren't relevant or won't interest the interviewer—after all, you

14. "Do you have a work 'style'?" First, consider what your work style really is. And then consider whether that style is suited for the job and company culture you're interested in.

If you're an extreme extrovert but the job requires hours of independent, fairly isolated work, you will have a much harder time answering this question than someone whose work style does, in fact, match the job. This question is really getting at whether your personality is a fit for the role and the company so try to answer accordingly.

32. "What are you reading?" Employers want to know that you're intellectually curious, and this question will give them a window into your particular interests.

If you're binge-watching 3 shows on Netflix and haven't opened a book in a month, you're not alone -- but make sure you think about the last book you've read or one of your favorites.

40. "Do you have any other questions for me?" Having questions for interviewers is a must; you should take the chance to show that you're thoughtful, and ask a question that illustrates your insight and curiosity. However, don't force a square peg into a round hole and ask a question only because you feel like you have to.

If you've been sitting with the interviewer for over an hour and been having a very in-depth conversation about the business, it's ok to skip the question and simply reiterate that you're even more interested in the job after the interview and believe you're a great fit for the role. However, if you do have one or two questions that you haven't been able to squeeze in, now is a good time to ask if those questions. An open-ended question about company culture that is thought-provoking is always a good idea if you have one.

12. "What are your weaknesses?" To address this question, be brief and be comfortable with silence. You should certainly brainstorm examples of weaknesses (yes — there are some good weaknesses for interviews, especially when they're fairly honest and you can describe how you're improving).

In other words, whatever you say, don't say more than you have to, and remember that you don't have to literally share what you believe to be your greatest weakness. Typically this means choosing a single weakness and one that isn't very serious (e.g. "I can be a little too aggressive in setting goals" or "I can be very impatient when I'm working on a project I really believe in") and too central to the job description you're interested in.

10. "What did you do in the years that are missing from your resume?" If you're someone who has taken time out of the workforce... be up-front about it.

Intuitively, honesty is the best policy and it can be awkward (or even illegal) for a prospective employer to ask you about your family situation. So being forthright about your situation will make everyone feel better.

34. "Is there anything else we should know about you/why you're the right person for this job?" Just in case this is thrown in at the end...have an answer in mind.

It can be simple; after all, you've likely already discussed a lot. But prepare a brief, conclusive pitch about how you're motivated and capable because your past experiences have prepared you well for the tasks at hand.

9. "You seem to change jobs frequently."

It's a big investment of time and money to hire someone new and they want to make sure that you are not fickle or immature about your choices. If you can provide context about inevitable job changes that weren't your fault (e.g. you had to move across the country to be with your spouse, the company closed down), that will put the interviewer at ease.

1. "Would you like something to drink?"

It's called the Ben Franklin effect: a person who has performed a favor for someone is more likely to do another favor for that person. So even if you're not a thirsty job candidate that day, just take the water, for goodness sake!

33. "How do you read the news?"

It's important to convey that you're intellectually curious and well-informed about what's going on in the world. Have a couple of your favorite news outlets in mind so that you're not scrambling to come up with something if asked.

6. "How did you hear about this position?" While this question may not seem all that important, it's actually a great opportunity for you to demonstrate your interest in the company. Perhaps it's been your longtime dream to work at the organization, and you peruse the company website. If that's the case, say so!

Maybe you heard about it from an acquaintance who is a current employee. In that case, mention the employee's name—this can help you establish a connection, which can help you achieve a more favorable impression. Or you might have come across the position on a job board. Still, something caught your eye, so rather than dwelling on the fact that you're just looking for any job, explain why you chose to apply to this one in particular.

23. "What are you expecting in terms of salary?"

Simply state the number you believe you should receive for the role (and make sure it's more than what you would settle for, just in case it sets an anchor figure for future pay negotiation).

5. "What do you know about this organization?" Essentially, the interviewer wants to know whether you care enough about this position and the business to take the time to do your homework.

So do your homework! While this isn't a test, you should be aware of the business's major initiatives, mission, and qualities. You should also look into all aspects of the business that are related to the position or function you'll be performing. For example, if you're interviewing for a marketing role, make sure to look at all of the company's social media accounts.

25. "Where do you see yourself in five years?"

Sticking with a brief vision statement about where you want to grow your career is great. It demonstrates ambition to say that you want to be managing a division (or a larger division, or even a CEO), and intrinsic self-motivation that every employer wants to see in a prospective employee.

24. "What other positions are you looking at?"

The best answer here is something along the lines of "Similar roles at companies in this industry where I think I can make a real difference."

11. "What do you think are your strengths?" Answer in a way that reinforces your work experience and your long-term career goals. Ideally, you have picked 2-3 things and a sample answer you really believe make you stand out as an employee for this particular job or company

The more specific you can be about examples demonstrating these strengths, the better. It's much more compelling, for example, to say that you are "usually the colleague in the room that brings everyone together when there are disagreements over strategy or business plans" rather than a more generic statement about being "a good team player."

19. "How do you deal with pressure or stress?"

The short answer you want to give is: "Well." While you probably don't want to literally say that, the idea is to convey competence to deal with difficulty and hopefully pressure is not a problem for you. Frankly, this question tends to come with high-pressure, stressful jobs or companies and they want to know whether you'll be able to handle tough situations.

35. "Tell me about someone you admire and why." This is often a question people ask to get a sense of what your values and aspirations are.

There's certainly no wrong answer — you can name someone personal or a celebrity — but being authentic here matters because there's no point in trying to guess what someone thinks the right answer is. Your reasoning is also probably more important than the name of any individual.

36. "What would your first 30, 60, or 90 days look like in this job?" They have real, usually time-pressing needs and they want to see at least improvements in the issues they're facing when they hire you.

Therefore, be prepared to talk about what you think you will accomplish in a 1-3-month horizon. Ideally, this is based on a clear understanding of what the job entails and what the company's challenges are.

4. "Why our company?" This is a test to see how much you understand about the larger context and employer, itself.

Think about the interviewer's perspective and about the company goals. This is a time to show that you understand the company's mission, its values or something about its culture. Remember, you want to make the interviewer feel good about where he or she works and make them believe you really want to join them.

3. Why are you interested in the role?" Emphasize the merits and exciting aspects of the position itself to convey your enthusiasm, rather than a time to rehash how your background and work experience is a fit.

Think of it this way: Even if you're the perfect fit, that's what the rest of the interview is to demonstrate. This is the time when you get to demonstrate your enthusiasm about the work you're about to do. Actually wanting to do a certain job counts for a lot.

15. "How would your colleagues describe you?" This question is a combination of a personality-fit and work-style question wrapped up in one.

This is an opportunity to showcase your interpersonal strengths if you have them and reflect on the way you add to the team in your current job. If you have a brief anecdote about how you were the leader in a time of crisis or pulled the team together during a stressful project, now is the time to tell it.

26. "What is your dream role?"

This precise title and position might not be your end game, but the interviewer wants to see that it at least matches up with your overall ambitions. For example, if you're interviewing for a programming job and your goal is to be a chef, that's bound to raise a few eyebrows.

7. "Why are you leaving your current job?" Remember that this isn't a time for a job-seeker to bad-mouth your boss or previous employer. Doing so will be a red flag and create a problem that could hurt you as early on as during the phone interview.

What this question is really getting at is why you are looking for a new job at the place you're interviewing. So even though it's not phrased that way, respond by talking about how appealing this specific opportunity is to you. As tempting as it may be to vent, don't spend any time dwelling on the things that make you sound unhappy or unsatisfied at your current company.

17. "If I called your previous boss/manager, why would they tell me I should hire you?" Come up with an honest answer.

What would your boss say about you? And why? Think of an anecdote that will indicate why you're a pleasure to work with, are a team player and have the right skills for this position.

20. "Tell me about a challenge you faced and how you dealt with it." Ideally it is something you are proud of (which by definition means it was a significant challenge).

While it's fine to say that you were able to climb Mt. Everest or won a medal at the Olympics, most of us will provide a great answer if we can talk about a workplace or business challenge we helped a team or company overcome.

29. "What was your biggest accomplishment at your last job?"

You know why you're good at your job, but make sure you have a specific accomplishment you can point to. Interviewers like details, so have an anecdote ready that shows how you oversaw a successful project from start to finish.