100 most common interview questions and answers

One of the smartest things you can do before a job interview is to review answers to the 100 most common interview questions and answers because there is a good chance that you will be asked at least some of the questions on the list. and answering just one question incorrectly may put you out of the running for a job.

Here’s a list of the most common questions and a guide to the kind of answers your interviewer wants to hear

Common general interview questions

• Tell me a little about yourself.
• Why should I hire you?
• How do you define success?
• Where would you like to be in five years? Ten years?
• Describe your personality.
• What past accomplishments have given you satisfaction? Why?
• What made you choose to apply to this position?
• Why do you want to leave your current position?

Common experience interview questions

• How would you define a great work environment?
• Have you ever worked for a difficult person?
• Have you mostly worked alone or in groups?
• How many projects can you handle at one time?
• What was your workload in your current/last position?
• What are some things you find difficult to do on the job? Why?

Common education interview questions

• What tertiary qualifications have you attained?
• What if (if any) self improvement courses have you attended?
• What certificates have you attained?
• What is the most recent skill you have learned?
• What have you learned from your past jobs?

Common competencies interview questions

• What are your strengths?
• Describe a time when there was disagreement in your team.
• What achievements in your life are you most proud of?
• Tell me about the biggest change that you've had to deal with at work.
• How do you respond to change?
• How do you feel about supervising people older than you?
• What is your weakness?
• What was your greatest achievement in your job?
• What experience have you had working in a team?
• Do you think conflict or differences of opinion can ever be seen as positive?
• Tell me about a time when you used tact and diplomacy
• Tell me about a time when you had to unexpectedly change your approach during a project.
• Tell me about the last time you had a disagreement with someone
• Give me an example of when a project or task you were managing suffered a setback.
• Tell me about the most difficult person you have worked with

Common behavioral interview questions

• How do you work with new people?
• We have a problem with “______”. How would you handle this problem?
• Are you a persistent person? Give me an example of this, if so.
• Where do you stand with your former employer?
• Explain a difficult situation in which you were involved and how you handled it.

Other stress interview questions

• Why are manhole covers round?
• Why did you switch to political science? Is it because you couldn’t handle engineering? Why did you do so poorly on this test?
• What kinds of people do you find it difficult to work with?
• What are some of the things that you find difficult to do?
• How would you evaluate me as an interviewer?
• What interests you least about this job?
• See this pen I’m holding? Sell it to me.
• You need to work a full whole one month because of quarter results nearby what reason will you give to exempt from the work?
• If you are a leader of the team, what could you do better than the truly leader?
• What do you think that you have learned from it?
• Would you like to have your boss’s job?
• Why should I hire an outsider when I could fill the job with someone inside the company?
• Why were you out of work for so long?
• If you caught a student cheating on their test, what would you do?
• How do you feel this interview is going?

Common new job interview questions

• What are you looking for in a job?
• What kind of people do you like to work with?
• What type of work environment do you prefer?
• Do you have any questions for me?
• What do you know about this position?
• What do you know about this company?
• Explain why you are qualified for this job.
• Are you looking for a permanent or temporary job? Why?

Common stressful interview questions

• What are your worst characteristics?
• How long have you been looking for a new job? Why?
• How would you rate your performance in this interview so far?
• How long would you stay with us?
• Have you ever had problems getting along with others?
• Tell me about the weakest argument in your writing sample.
• What can I tell you about my organization?
• Do you think the questions I’m asking you are fair?
• What can you bring to the table that someone else could not?
• The answer you just gave me was
• ridiculous. Tell me what you really think
• What outside interests do you pursue?
• Do you have any reservations about the job of the company?

Common goal setting interview questions

• By what date do you want to achieve your goal? 
• What (exactly) do you want to achieve?
• How do you know you are committed to achieving your goal?
• Who needs to be involved in this goal process in order to accomplish it successfully?
• Why invest time and energy into this goal?
• Why would this goal relate to purpose, vision, or organizational values?
• Finally one extra question; What day will you commit to, to start to achieve your goal?
• These stages are short term goals, which are integrated steps to achieving the long term goal. They're also a measure of progress to achieving the long term goal.'
• Who possesses the skills and talent necessary to meet the goal or do we need to train?
• What would change once you achieved your goal?
• Then I define what needs to be done, in working stages, to achieve that goal.
• 'I start with the big picture, and define what I'm trying to achieve on the long term as the strategic goal.
• Describe a difficult decision you had to make.  Would you make the same decision again faced with the same situation?

Common management skills interview questions

• What are your weaknesses/strengths?
• How do you motivate people?
• How do you react to pressure?
• How do you handle a subordinate whose work is not up to expectations?
• How do you coach a subordinate to develop a new skill?
• Explain a situation when you have had to deal with a difficult person.
• What have you done to develop the skills of your staff?
• When do you give positive feedback to people? Tell me about the last time you did?
• Give an example of how you handle the need for constructive criticism with a subordinate or peer?

Common conflict resolution interview questions

• Have you ever been deal with any difficult team member or worker? How did you do that?
• How do you go about problem-solving?
• What Is conflict resolution?
• Tell us about any experience of dealing with power struggle. What had you done to convert it to a win-win situation?
• Tell me about a situation when you were given job instructions and you were unable to comprehend the instructions. How did you go about completing the task?
• Describe the most difficult conflict you have ever had to deal with.
• What types of disputes can be addressed through conflict resolution?
• Provide any example for a successful solution you had brought to a conflict.

Common last job interview questions

• Why did you leave your last job?
• Tell me about your last position and what you did?
• If you don’t leave your current job, what will happen there? How far can you advance?
• What did/do you enjoy most/least about your last/p resent job?

Wage negotiation interview questions

• What kind of salary do you need?
• Do not be harsh during salary negotiations.
• Do not mention your expected salary on the resume?
• Let the employer first make the salary offer. Try to delay the salary discussion till the end.
• What kind of salary would you require to accept this position?
• What kind of salary do you believe you will be earning after five years?
• What kind of salary do you think you deserve?
• Do not lie about your previous salary. Employers can often verify your salary history by contacting your previous employers.
• Your own background and qualifications. If you are asking for an above-average salary, are you above average in your credentials?

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What are your tips for responding to these and other common interview questions?