Common Interview Questions and Answers (With Examples)
By Andrew Johnson · Updated
Classic questions about you
The opener-style questions almost every interview includes — about your fit, your strengths, and where you are headed.
Why should we hire you?
The interviewer wants a short, confident case that you can do this specific job, will do it well, and will fit the team — backed by one piece of proof.
What are your strengths?
The interviewer wants one or two strengths that matter for this particular job, each proven with a short real example of you using it.
What is your greatest weakness?
The interviewer wants to see that you know a real weakness of yours and are already doing something concrete about it.
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
The interviewer wants a balanced, honest self-assessment in one breath: a strength that fits the job and a real weakness you are actively improving.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
The interviewer wants to know that your goals point in a direction this job supports, so you are likely to stay, grow, and stay motivated.
How would you describe yourself?
The interviewer wants a quick, honest picture of your character and working style — and evidence that it fits this team and role.
Describe yourself in three words
The interviewer wants three honest words that fit the job, and a quick reason for each — it's a test of self-awareness and how concisely you think.
What makes you unique?
The interviewer wants the one combination of experience, skills, or perspective you bring that most other candidates for this job don't.
What motivates you?
The interviewer wants to know whether the things that energize you are things this job will actually give you every day.
What are your career goals?
The interviewer wants to see that your goals are realistic, that you have a plan, and that this job is a sensible step on the way rather than a detour.
Why are you interested in this position?
The interviewer wants evidence that you chose this specific role on purpose — because its work matches your skills and where you’re heading — not that you applied to everything.
Tell me about yourself
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Why do you want to work here?
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Behavioral questions (answer with STAR)
"Tell me about a time…" questions. The interviewer wants one real story: Situation, Task, Action, Result.
Tell me about a time you failed.
The interviewer wants proof that you can own a real setback without excuses and that you changed how you work because of it.
Tell me about a time you made a mistake.
The interviewer wants to see that you notice your own errors quickly, tell the right people, fix them, and put something in place so they don't happen again.
How do you handle conflict?
The interviewer wants evidence that you can disagree with someone respectfully, deal with the problem directly, and keep the working relationship intact.
Leadership interview questions
Leadership interview questions check whether you can get people moving toward a goal — taking initiative, making decisions, and helping others do their best work — whether or not you have a manager title.
Teamwork interview questions
Teamwork interview questions check whether you share the work, communicate, support teammates, and put the team's goal ahead of getting credit.
What is your greatest accomplishment?
The interviewer wants one achievement that shows what you value and what you'd likely deliver in this job — told specifically enough to be believable.
30+ behavioral interview questions with examples
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Situational and work-style questions
"What would you do…" and "how do you…" questions about how you work, prioritize, and handle pressure.
What is your work style?
The interviewer wants a concrete picture of how you organize your work, communicate, and collaborate, so they can judge whether it fits how this team operates.
Situational interview questions
Situational interview questions give you a hypothetical work scenario and ask what you would do, to see how you think through priorities, judgment, and ethics before you're on the job.
How do you handle stress?
The interviewer wants to know that pressure won't stop you from doing good work — that you have a practical method for staying organized and calm when things pile up.
How do you prioritize your work?
The interviewer wants to hear a clear, repeatable system for deciding what comes first — and proof that you communicate when priorities clash.
Closing questions
Money, motives, and the last question of the interview — where many candidates lose points they had already won.
What are your salary expectations?
The interviewer wants to know whether your expected pay fits the budget for the role, and whether you’ve based it on research rather than a guess.
Why are you leaving your current job?
The interviewer wants to hear that you’re moving toward something this job offers, not running from a problem you’ll bring with you.
Why did you leave your last job?
The interviewer wants a short, honest explanation of how your last job ended and reassurance that whatever happened won’t repeat in this role.
Do you have any questions for me?
The interviewer wants to see genuine interest and judgment — two or three thoughtful questions about the job, the team, and the next steps — never “No, I think you covered everything.”
How do you explain a gap in your resume?
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Smart questions to ask the interviewer
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How do you answer behavioral interview questions?
Use the STAR method — Situation, Task, Action, Result. MIT's career office suggests spending roughly 20 % of the answer on the situation, 10 % on the task, 60 % on your own actions and 10 % on the result: the interviewer is scoring what you did, so that is where the time goes. Prepare three or four true stories — a failure, a conflict, a time you led, a result you are proud of — and adapt them to whatever “Tell me about a time…” question comes up.
FAQ
What are the most common interview questions?
The questions nearly every interview includes are "Tell me about yourself", "Why should we hire you?", "What are your strengths and weaknesses?", "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?", "Why are you leaving your current job?", a few "Tell me about a time…" behavioral questions, "What are your salary expectations?" and "Do you have any questions for me?"
How do I answer common interview questions?
Behind every common question are three things the employer wants to know: can you do the job, will you do the job, and how will you fit the team (CareerOneStop). Answer with one specific example rather than adjectives, keep it to about a minute, and tie it back to the job posting.
What is the STAR method for interview questions?
STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result. Use it for "Tell me about a time…" questions: set the scene briefly, say what you were responsible for, spend most of the answer on what you personally did, and end with the outcome. MIT's career office suggests roughly 20 / 10 / 60 / 10 percent of your time across the four parts.
What is the difference between behavioral and situational interview questions?
Behavioral questions ask what you did in a real past situation ("Tell me about a time you had a conflict"). Situational questions ask what you would do in a hypothetical one ("What would you do if a coworker missed a deadline?"). Answer behavioral questions with a STAR story and situational ones with your reasoning, ideally backed by a similar real example.
How many questions are asked in a typical interview?
It varies by employer and interview type — a phone screen is short, a panel or final round runs longer. Prepare answers to the common questions on this page plus three or four real stories you can adapt to different behavioral questions.
Practice these questions out loud
Reading answers is not the same as saying them. Answer common questions in a live voice conversation with an AI interviewer that follows up and gives feedback.
Interviewing for a specific role? See interview questions by role — for example nurse, software engineer, customer service and project manager. Before the interview, tailor my resume to the job.