11 Common Questions to Practice for Your Next Interview

There's a lot of research and practice that goes into preparing for a job interview, and that includes rehearsing your answers to common interview questions. While you won't know exactly what your interviewer will ask, it can be worthwhile to think through and rehearse your responses to the types of questions that tend to come up so you're more confident during the interview itself.

Learn about the different types of questions you may be asked during an interview, common questions to use for practice, and how you can frame your response.

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Types of interview questions

The kinds of questions you'll be asked during an interview will depend on the type of interview you're completing. For instance, a phone screen typically won't go as in-depth as a hiring manager interview and therefore likely won't involve as many detailed questions.

Generally, you can expect to answer questions about your previous experience, skill set, career goals, and how you'd address some of the responsibilities in this new role, among others. These questions tend to be framed in one of two ways:

• Behavioral questions: Ask about past experiences to predict future behavior.

• Situational interview questions: Ask about hypothetical scenarios to understand future actions.

Learn more: Signs You Will Get the Job After the Interview

11 common interview questions

Employers and hiring managers use interviews to learn more about your skills, experience, and goals to determine if you'll be a good fit. As such, they don’t simply want you to rehash your resume. Instead, you should expand on that document in a meaningful way, connecting your past experiences to the work you would do in this new position.

By thinking about your interview as an opportunity to tell a focused story about yourself, your experiences, and your future at the job, you’ll paint a more memorable picture of yourself to an interviewer. Let's review common interview questions you may face during a job interview.

1. Tell me about yourself. 

This initial question is pretty standard in job interviews. Consider it a chance to make an impactful first impression by telling a concise story about your professional past that connects to this new role.

Rather than deliver a straightforward chronological response that lists the jobs you've had and what you've done at each, identify the core attributes that make you a good candidate and then pick moments from your professional life that demonstrate these qualities in action. Keep your answer to two to four minutes.

How should I introduce myself in an interview?

It’s important to present a positive first impression to the person conducting your interview, so you might like to review the following tips when introducing yourself:

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• Put your phone away while waiting for the interviewer

• Smile and provide a firm handshake

• Say your full name with a confident tone

• Make regular eye contact

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Once the interviewer introduces themselves, you can respond with “It’s nice to meet you . . . , ” and then add the individual’s name at the end of the statement. Saying the name aloud will help you remember it. Finally, you can mention the title of the role for which you are applying during your initial greeting to confirm this with the interviewer.

2. Why do you want to work for this company?

Research the company before your interview to learn more about its business model, the products or services it sells, and its company culture. Then, reflect on why you want to work there and try to connect it to any relevant past experiences. For example, if the company is known for its collaborative culture, that would be a great time to mention any past success you've had collaborating and why you appreciate that particular work style.  

You'll find information about a company on its website, social channels, or through job sites like LinkedIn and Glassdoor. Pay attention to the company’s mission statement, values, and the ‘About us’ section. Explore employee-specific posts on social media to learn about the company’s culture or outreach programs. Combine this information with relatable skills to show your preparedness and enthusiasm for the company. 

3. Why are you leaving your current role?

Interviewers ask about your motivations for finding a new job for a few different reasons. They want to assess your professionalism and how you speak about your current company, understand your motivations, identify potential red flags, and evaluate if you're a good fit for their organization.

When asked about why you're seeking a new role, be honest and constructive. Take a look at some reasons for leaving a job:

• I’m ready to take on a new challenge with an innovative company. 

• I’m looking for a company that better aligns with my values. 

• I’m excited to find a company where I can grow my career. 

• I’ve decided to go down a different career path.

• My position was downsized, but I look forward to a new opportunity. 

• I’m excited to explore a work culture in line with my personality.

• I’ve aspired to work for this company and seized the chance to apply.

4. What is your biggest weakness?

The strengths and weaknesses question allows interviewers to assess whether you can honestly reflect on areas you need to strengthen and what you're doing to improve. And, really, it's that last part that's most important. Your interviewer will seek to understand what you've been doing—either through practice or professional development—to address the weaknesses you discuss.

Think about some challenges you’ve had to overcome in the workplace. Maybe it’s difficult for you to take criticism, collaborate, or make public presentations. Take these challenges and frame them with a solution. For instance, you learned to take feedback to better a project, collaborate to elevate a product’s offerings, or use presentations to build your confidence. 

5. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

All companies want employees who create a positive impact. When discussing your past achievements, think of a specific example relevant to the new role, try to include measurable results, and frame your response using the STAR method.

• Situation: Set the context

• Task: Explain the challenge

• Action: Describe what you specifically did

• Result: Share the positive outcome

Here's what that might look like in the context of someone who led a project to improve customer service response times.

• Situation: Our team was receiving complaints about slow email response times, averaging 24 hours per inquiry, and customer satisfaction was dropping.

• Task: As team lead, I needed to reduce response times and improve satisfaction scores while working with the same resources.

• Action: I analyzed our workflow, implemented a new ticket prioritization system, created email templates for common issues, and trained the team on using them. I also set up daily team huddles to address complex cases together.

• Result: Within three months, we reduced response times to under four hours, increased customer satisfaction scores by 40 percent, and our approach became the new standard across other departments. For this initiative, I received our quarterly excellence award.

6. Tell me about a difficult situation you’ve faced and how you handled it. 

When you're asked to talk about a challenging situation in the past, think of this as an opportunity to detail your problem-solving skills and professionalism. If the challenge you discuss involved a difficult coworker or manager, it can also be a chance for the interviewer to learn more about your interpersonal skills.

Think about a situation that isn't controversial and had a positive resolution. Some examples could include: facing an impossible deadline, navigating interoffice turmoil, losing a valued account, handling a big mistake, or dealing with a demanding stakeholder. Explain the problem, any skills you used to stay calm and navigate it, and the resolution you reached at the end.

7. How do you prioritize?

Interviewers ask this question to assess your organizational skills, understand your time management abilities, evaluate your decision-making process, and gauge your ability to handle multiple tasks and meet deadlines.

Now is a great time to discuss how you evaluate competing priorities and any tools you use to stay organized. As with many interview questions, it's also helpful to illustrate your answer with a specific example from your past.

8. What motivates you?

In asking about your motivations, an interviewer wants to understand what drives your performance, determine your long-term commitment potential, and gauge if you'd be a good fit for the role and if the role would be a good fit for you.

Frame your answer by choosing an example that aligns with the role's goals or responsibilities, or the company's culture. If possible, try to include measurable results to show how your motivation has connected to impact. For instance, "I get energized when facing complex challenges. In my current role, I developed a new inventory system that reduced waste by 25%."

9. Where do you see yourself in five years? 

Another common interview question involves reviewing your five-year plan to understand your career goals and whether the role aligns with your career path. An interviewer may also want to determine whether you'll stay with the company long-term.

Craft your response by discussing any of the following:

• Position-related goals

• Potential experiences within the company over the next five years

• Possible certifications, skills, or achievements you might obtain

• Aspirations for growth within the role 

10. What are your salary expectations?

Questions about your salary expectations can be sensitive, but they’re necessary to see if you align with the company's budget for the role. Do market research using sites like Glassdoor or Payscale before your interview so you know what similar roles at comparable companies pay, and how your experience and skills fit into that larger picture.

If possible, try to avoid answering with a specific number. Instead, you can ask the interviewer if they're able to share the range for the role to determine if it aligns with your minimum expectations. You can also deflect the question until you learn more about the role and responsibilities.

11. Do you have any questions for us? 

Typically, this is the last interview question, and it might be tempting to say, “No. I’m all set.” However, this question allows you to show your interest in the position. Some questions you could ask in an interview include:

• How will you measure success in this role?

• What are some of the immediate goals you'd like this role to address?  

• What ongoing educational or training opportunities could I pursue in this role?

• What most excites you about working for this company?

• What do you enjoy most about the company's culture?

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