TOP 50 Popular Job Interview Questions You Should Prepare For

When a company interviews potential applicants, they are not only looking for someone who has the skills needed for the position but also have the personality traits that will make them a good fit for the company in the long-term. Job interview questions are designed to determine if you have all the competencies needed for the job for which you are applying for. So when you answer these questions, your goal is to show that you are the best candidate out of all the applicants being interviewed for the job.

With that in mind, here are the 50 target job interview questions commonly asked to applicants. Granted, hiring managers are not going to ask you all of these 50 questions in your job interview, but it helps to formulate answers for all of them in your mind so you can feel confident and articulate with your answers. Both of these qualities are highly valued in the workplace, and they help ensure your job interview is a memorable one in the eyes of a recruiter or hiring manager.

Job Interview Questions about You

1. Can you tell me more about yourself?

2. Can you describe yourself in three to five words?

3. What do co-workers say about you?

4. Do you consider yourself successful?

5. Can you describe your working style?

6. Are there any professional aspects that you feel you need to improve on?

7. Are you a team player?

8. What is your philosophy towards work?

9. What motivates you?

10. What irritates you about your colleagues?

Job Interview Questions about Your Work Ethic

1. What would your direct reports say about you?

2. Could you tell us about your career to date?

3. Has anyone given you difficult feedback? How did you handle it?

4. What have you done to improve your knowledge/skills/experience in the past year?

5. What would you (or your old boss) say are your strongest points?

6. What would you (or your old boss) say are your weakest points?

7. Have you had any problem with your previous boss/manager? What is it and how was it resolved?

8. Can you explain the gap in your employment (if any)?

9. How do you fit with company culture?

10. How would you handle it if your boss was wrong and you were right?

Job Interview Questions about Your Previous Work Experience

1. Why did you leave your last job?

2. When where you most satisfied at work?

3. What are the useful lessons you learned at your job?

4. What are the mistakes you learned from?

5. Have you ever been fired or forced to resign?

6. Can you tell us about a time when you helped resolve a dispute between co-workers?

7. Can you tell us about any suggestions/solutions you gave? How did your previous company use it?

8. What has disappointed you at your old job?

9. How does your past work experience prepare you for the job you’re now applying for?

10. Do you think your previous work experience matches the needs of this new role?

Questions about the Job Position

1. What experience do you have in this field?

2. How long would you expect to work for us if hired?

3. If hired, can you describe your strategy for the first 90 days?

4. How do you plan to establish yourself quickly in the team?

5. What are the strengths that you bring to the team?

6. What do you see are your weaknesses?

7. What kind of salary are you expecting?

8. Are you willing to relocate?

9. Are you willing to travel?

10. Are you okay with working overtime/weekends/holidays?

Questions about the Company You’re Applying For

1. What do you know about our company?

2. What do you know about our industry

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

4. Do you know anyone who works in our company?

5. Do you know who our competitors are?

6. Do you have any idea how we can overtake our most successful competitors?

7. Are you willing to put the interests of the company before your own? What are the situations that you would say no?

8. What position do you want to take on a team? Leader or follower?

9. Do you have any areas of concern we should know about?

10. Do you think you are overqualified/underqualified for this position?

Questions about Your Future Plans

1. Are you applying for other jobs?

2. What are you looking for in this job?

3. What are you looking for in your next job?

4. What are your long-term goals with your career?

5. Where do you see yourself in three/five/ten years?

6. How do you want your career to progress?

7. Can you tell us about your dream job?

8. Do you think you would do well at this job?

9. What is more important to you: the money or the job?

10. What will you do if you don’t get the job?

Aside from answering these best job interview questions to ask in your mind, it also helps to practice answering them aloud. This way, you’ll observe if you convey the right amount of confidence, energy and ambition in your replies.

Need More Job Interview Tips?

Want to know more tips relating to job interview questions and answers? Or perhaps you’d like to know the right questions to ask a CEO in a job interview (Wiki)? Our Career Advice section offers plenty of valuable insights about these topics and many others. Also, feel free to send us your resume for a free, no-obligation evaluation. Let us help you land that elusive job interview and get hired.