The 40 Most Common
Job Interview Questions
Researching the 40 most Common Interview Questions will provide good interview tips and advice to help you stay ahead of the pack and maximise your interview performance. I have listed these questions below for your convenience.
Although these are common interview questions, there are many questions that derive from these questions, so you should consider as many variations as possible. Think of how you can connect these questions to real life examples of your performance in previous positions to sell your skills. Ask yourself how you can add value to the role; perhaps you could illustrate how you would change a particular system, or save money/generate revenue for the organisation. This should be illustrated using practical examples.
40 Most Common Job Interview Questions
1. What are your career goals?
2. How have your career goals changed over time?
3. If offered this position, how long would you plan on staying with our company?
4. What's your understanding of the job?
5. What could you bring to this position and to this company?
6. Why do you think you are more qualified than other candidates for this position?
7. Why do you want to work at this company?
8. What salary are you expecting?
9. What would you do differently if you were in charge of this company?
10. Name one of your weaknesses.
11. Name one of your strengths.
12. Which areas of your work are most often praised?
13. Which areas of your work are most often criticized?
14. How do you think your last boss would describe you?
15. How do you think a colleague would describe you?
16. How do you think a subordinate would describe you?
17. Walk me through the important points on your resume.
18. Explain to me how your work experience is relevant to this position.
19. Why did you leave your last job?
20. What other companies are you considering?
21. Tell me about your work style.
22. Tell me what your ideal job would be like.
23. What criteria do you use for evaluating success?
24. Do you consider yourself a leader? What qualities make a good leader?
25. Tell me about a problem you've encountered on the job and how you dealt with it.
26. Tell me about a situation in which you failed to resolve a conflict.
27. Tell me about an occasion when you acted on someone's suggestion.
28. Are you willing to travel for this job?
29. Are you willing to relocate for this job?
30. Describe a project that you're especially proud of. What was your role in this project?
31. Why did you choose your college major?
32. How do you spend your spare time?
33. How do you stay current or up-to-date in this industry?
34. Tell me about a time when you used your creativity to overcome a problem.
35. Which of your skills, technical or otherwise, has most helped you on the job?
36. What new skills have you learned or developed recently?
37. Have you made an oral or written presentation recently? Please describe it.
38. What else should I know about you?
39. What questions do you have for me?
40. Why should we hire you?
See also Five Interview Questions You Should Always Ask, as well as Behavioural Style Interviews, and Mature Jobseekers Interview Tips for more indepth information to help you answer tricky questions tactfully.
Go to How to Build a Good Relationship With Your Boss
Go to How to Deal With Difficult People
Go to Personal Assistant Coach/Mentor
Go to Optimizing Your Performance Appraisals
Go to How to Request a Pay Rise
Go to How to Write a PA Resume
Go to Tips For Dealing With Job Loss
Go to How to Prepare For an In-tray Exercise
Go to 5 Interview Questions You Should Always Ask
Go to Interview Clothes for Successful Interviews
Go to Mature Jobseekers Interview Tips
Go to Writing Minutes of Meetings
WEBSITE TESTIMONIAL
"Dear Ms King, CONGRATULATIONS for your FANTASTIC website! I am absolutely impressed of the quantity and the quality of sound, useful advice you give here. Your website is referenced in a topic discussion in the LinkedIn website.....It is really a VERY, VERY GOOD JOB the one you have done here. CONGRATULATIONS and keep up the good job!"
Damian, PA, France