5 Most Common Interview Questions & How to Answer

Are you ready for your upcoming interview? One of the most important aspects of interview preparation is being ready to respond effectively to questions interviewers ask. Your best chance to wow interviewers is by practicing interviewing techniques.

Here is how to answer 5 Difficult and Common Interview Questions to secure you continue through to the next stage of the interview process. Since these occur frequently, you should be prepared to walk into any interview with the ability to answer them.

1. Tell Me About Yourself

   This is likely one of the first questions you will be asked in interviews. The goal of this question is for the interviewer to learn a summary of your background and why you would be excellent for the job. While this question appears to be open and personal, stay on track by discussing your professional experience and not covering frivolous personal details around hobbies, personal life etc. Your answer to this question sets your impression for the interview and should be focused on why you’re an ideal candidate.

   
   One framework for answering this question is covering your past, present and future career. You start off by discussing your time working in the field and an early position or career transition into the field. A few points to comment on could be what you learned early on, the type of companies you supported and a quick review of major projects you owned. Next cover your most recent position, how you’ve grown as a professional and add details that highlight how your current position has prepared you for the position you’re interviewing for. Finally, look to the future and why you’re currently interviewing. Discuss how the position you’re interviewing for aligns with your background and where you see your career in the next few years.

   
   You can showcase your personality and fun facts throughout answering this question. However, it is most impactful while also discussing your professional experience. This question should take no longer than 1-2 minutes to answer depending on how senior your experience is.
   

2. Why Did You Leave Your Last Employer?

   Be prepared with a response to this question regardless of why you are looking. It’s important to be both honest and positive about your circumstances. 

   When asked about why you are moving from your current position, stick to the facts and focus on the future, not past challenges. This is especially important if you’ve been through a layoff or other challenging departure reasons. 

   
   A recently laid off employee might answer this question by saying:
   “I worked at X company for 2 years and enjoyed being there during it’s growth. Unfortunately, the company hit financing issues and restructured leading to 20% layoffs across the company. I enjoyed working with X Company but now I’m really excited about how I can bring all of my learnings to build a similar company like yours.”
   
   This answer focuses on facts and takes away extreme emotions in the situation of the layoff. Additionally, the answer starts and ends with positivity and highlights the interviewers desire to move on to new challenges.
   

3. How Has Your Experience Prepared You for This Role?

   This question is used to directly understand how your professional experience and education fit the job. In order to prepare your response, list all of your qualifications and how they match the requirements from the job description.  Your goal is to explain how your experience will be applied to solve employer problems should you be hired. 

   Utilize the STAR interview method to help you prepare examples in advance.  STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result.

   Situation: Set the context and give necessary details of your example. 

   Task: Describe what your responsibility was in the situation.

   Action: Explain exactly which steps you took to solve the problem or task. 

   Result: Share the outcomes your action achieved, including impact and metrics.

   Using these four components to share your anecdotes will help you share a focused answer and story about your experience. The STAR method also allows the interviewer to understand a digestible narrative of what you did, how you work, and how you will create impact in your future role.

4. What Are Your Salary Expectations?

   
   Questions around salary can be tricky to answer. It’s a balance, because you don’t want to aim too low, but you also don’t want to price yourself out of a position. In some states, it’s illegal for employers to ask you about your salary history. There are several states that have passed pay transparency laws that require employers to post salary ranges so that you will have an understanding of the pay range. 

   Do your research before the interview so that you’ll be prepared to provide a salary range. There are several online resources that provide ranges like LinkedIn, Glassdoor and Levels.fyi. 

   You can answer this question directly by stating:
   “I’d like to learn more about the position requirements during the interviewing process. However, based on my experience/research/other companies I’m interviewing with, I’m expecting a pay range in the $X to $Z region. Is this within the position pay range? What is the salary range for this position?”

   You can answer this question indirectly using this example:
   “My salary expectations are flexible and I would like to be compensated based on my significant experience in the field that will bring a lot of value. I look forward to discussing more details as we discuss my responsibilities.”

   Depending on your approach, field, and personality, either of these options can be beneficial to you. Also note that the first salary discussion isn’t final, so as you learn more about the position you will discuss compensation again during the final parts of the interview process. 

5. What Are Your Goals for the Future?

   
   How long do you plan to stay with the company? Are you a job hopper? Employers want to know that your goals align with theirs and use this question to gauge if your career path will match someone who they typically hire for this position.

   
   Make sure your answer is focused on the company, job, and your growth within it. Reiterate how this position aligns with your long term goals. This can be an exceptional time to remove any doubt interviewers have about you and also further sell why you’re the right person to solve the company’s challenges.
   

The more time you take to prepare for an interview, the better your chances are of acing it. Rehearsing your answers and using the STAR method will help you comfortably speak to interviewers at all stages. For more interview practice questions watch this video on how to use ChatGPT to create tailored interview questions for your specific role.