Common Job Interview Questions and Answers to Help You Ace the Interview in 2024

How to prepare for a job interview

When it comes to acing a job interview, preparation is key. You can’t predict every question you’ll be asked, but one of the best things you can do to get started is rehearse some of your best talking points. Preparing for some of the most common interview questions with answers is a great way to start the interview prep process.

Entering the interview with a solid idea of some of the most common interview questions and how to answer them to sound professional will help take a bit of the guesswork out of the interview process and give you the confidence to have a relaxed and successful interview experience.

We’ll go over specific questions in a moment, but first, start by reviewing your resume and cover letter to determine:

Take notes on all of these items. Entering the interview with a few basic talking points in mind will help you get started. Then, research the position some more. Reread the listing and learn about the history of the company. Jot down some questions you have about the company and be prepared to discuss them when you get to the interview.

Even if you study all of the most popular job interview questions and come prepared with the perfect answers, there’s always a chance you’ll be thrown a curveball. Fortunately, all you need to answer an unexpected interview question is to study the position and be prepared to discuss your career story. Take a breath and answer honestly and even those unexpected questions aren’t so bad!

10 most common job interview questions and answers

Learning how to answer interview questions isn’t an exact science. There’s no “right answer” to any interview, but the more thought you’ve put into the role and your career, the better equipped you’ll be to tackle them.

To help get you ready for whatever the interview throws your way, here are some of the top interview questions and some sample answers that you can use to ace the interview.

Tell me about yourself.

The best answer to this common open-ended interview question should touch on who you are as a professional. Think about your career and the skills you use every day. These skills are what the interviewer wants to learn about. 

It helps if you’ve noted some of the key skills from the job listing. Those are often the skills that you want to draw the most attention to. Avoid going into too much detail on any one point and instead, provide a brief conversational overview of your professional journey. The point here isn’t to summarize your entire professional history, but to give the interviewer a sense of the most relevant ways in which your experience matches their needs.

What are your strengths?

For this interview question, we once again recommend looking at the job listing. Pay extra attention to the way the listing describes the ideal candidate. If the listing repeatedly mentions that they’re searching for a candidate with strong organizational skills and attention to detail, make sure you include these in your answer.

What are your weaknesses?

This intimidating but very popular interview question is often the most feared in the entire interview process.

Nobody wants to put themselves down in front of someone they’re trying to impress. The key is to be honest but still try to highlight the ways that you are working to overcome your weaknesses.

Being able to recognize your weaknesses and identify ways that you can address them is a strength in and of itself. You don’t want to panic and give a hasty answer to this question, so we recommend coming to the interview prepared with some weaknesses to discuss.

If you do draw a blank when asked about your weaknesses, don’t rush it! Take a breath and give the best answer you can, even if you need to think for a moment.

Why do you want to work for our company?

There are a lot of reasons why you might be considering this particular role. Whether or not you have a genuine interest in the organization itself, you should come prepared to discuss this question.

Research the company and the role and identify the things that excite you most about it. Even if you are really in it for the salary or benefits, it helps to have something to say about the organization and the role. 

Often, interview questions are designed to give you space to talk about yourself. This question allows you to provide an interview question answer that outlines all the ways that your interests and skills match the role.

It might seem like an intimidating interview question, but this one is also a great opportunity to expound on your strengths as a candidate.

Why should we hire you?

Ah, the dreaded open-ended sales pitch.

When a company asks you this interview question, they’re really giving you a chance to say anything that you think will help you land the role. It’s intimidating, but it’s another great opportunity to discuss any accomplishments or qualifications that haven’t come up yet.

If you’re really passionate about some aspect of the company or the role, your answer to this common interview question is a great place to describe that passion. If you’ve been acknowledged with awards or honors in the past and haven’t found a good opening to discuss them yet, this is your chance!

Can you describe a challenging situation at work and how you handled it?

This is a common behavioral interview question. Every role has hard days, so it’s no wonder that interviewers want to hear about your strategies for handling them.

Try to keep the focus of this conversation on the solution rather than the problem. To do this well, we recommend the STAR method; Situation, Task, Action and Result. STAR interview questions encourage you to guide the interviewer through your thought processes and methodologies for tackling challenges.

Tell the story of your workplace challenge in your answer while emphasizing your active role in problem-solving.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

This question might feel a little philosophical for a job interview setting. Just remember to keep the focus of your answer on your career aspirations.

It’s okay to touch on your personal life, but “rocking a really cool hairdo in a brand new Corvette” is probably not the answer the hiring department is looking for.

Try to keep the purpose of job interview questions in mind when formulating your answers. This question is intended to help the interviewer learn about your ambitions and career trajectory.

How do you handle pressure and tight deadlines?

Despite how often people say this in interviews, most people don’t “thrive under pressure.” This interview question aims to understand how you handle demanding work assignments.

Even if you find tight deadlines upsetting, you shouldn’t answer this question by explaining all the ways that too much pressure makes you sick. Instead, give a calm rundown of the coping methods you use to deliver work under less-than-ideal conditions.

What’s your preferred working style?

With this question, an employer may be trying to determine whether or not you’re a good culture fit for the role. Try to be honest with your answer, even if you aren’t certain it’s what they want to hear.

A working style mismatch can be difficult to overcome once you’ve settled into your new job. Remember that your interview question answers should help the interviewer decide if you’ll fit into the role well. This means that dishonest answers can make your life harder in the long run.

How do you handle constructive criticism?

Nobody loves to be criticized, but it’s an inevitable aspect of most jobs. Use this interview question as an opportunity to explain how you listen to feedback and allow suggestions to shape your work.

Bonus question: Do you have any questions for us?

You’ve probably heard the advice before that you should always come into a job interview with a few questions of your own. This is a good idea, not just because it makes you look prepared but also because it will help you understand more about the role and the organization.

Building a list of interview questions to ask will give you and the interviewer new insights. Even though you’re the one being interviewed, this process gives you the opportunity to “interview” the role and decide if you’re sure it’s the right place for you.

If you can’t think of anything to ask, we’ll help you out in the next section with some questions to ask the interviewer.

Questions to ask in an interview

Interviewing can feel like a total whirlwind. It’s hard to pinpoint specific questions to ask in an interview with so many unknowns flying around. That’s why we suggest arriving at your interview with a few thoughtful questions locked and loaded for this portion of the interview.

Of course, if you think of additional specific questions during the interview process, you should ask them. But with some sample interview questions ready to go, you won’t be grasping for something to ask.

Can you describe the day-to-day responsibilities of this role?

This is one of the best questions you can ask in an interview because it gives you additional insight into what your day-to-day experience would look like if you accepted the position. It also opens up opportunities for you to confirm with the interviewer that your skills and experience will come in handy for tackling the responsibilities of the job.

What does success look like in this role, and how is it measured?

This question demonstrates your ambition and eagerness to deliver. Even though you haven’t started yet, this question tells employers that you’re already hungry to deliver exceptional results.

What opportunities for professional development and growth does the company offer?

This question also demonstrates your commitment to success, but it is especially helpful because it can give you insight into the career progression that you can expect at the organization. If the interviewer doesn’t have an answer, it’s likely that the role isn’t very upwardly mobile. This is important to know if you’re aiming to advance your career.

What are the main challenges that this organization/department/team is currently facing?

This interview question demonstrates your interest in problem-solving while also giving you some insights into the challenges that you will likely face if you accept the role.

What is the company culture like here?

Even if all of your skills and experience are a good fit, if the company culture doesn’t work for you, the role may not be the right one. This is a great question to ask in an interview to try and understand the values and priorities of the organization that you’d be joining.