Interviews vary by company, but the core of them does not. Across ninety-seven US corporations whose interviews we studied, the same fifteen questions kept coming up, in the same order, for the same reasons. Below is each one, with what the interviewer is actually trying to find out when they ask it, what to focus on, and sample answers you can adapt to your own situation. Every question here also shows up, in some form, in our company-specific interview guides.
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The 15 most common interview questions
- Can you tell me something about yourself?
- Why did you apply for this job?
- Why did you leave your last job? (Why do you want to leave your present job?)
- Can you tell us something about your education?
- Can you tell us something about your working experience?
- Why should we hire you?
- What are your strengths?
- What are your weaknesses?
- What are your goals?
- What are your biggest achievements?
- What characterizes a good boss or colleague, from your point of view?
- What motivates you?
- What are your salary expectations?
- When are you able to start?
- Do you have any questions?
Each question, with what they want to hear
1. Can you tell me something about yourself?
Usually the first question. It gives the interviewer a first read on your communication skills, motivation, and interests, and it is an ice-breaker meant to relax you. They do not ask about anything in particular, so what you choose to say tells them what matters to you. In a job interview that should be education, experience, and skills, with one or two lines of hobbies to show you are human. Keep it brief; if they want details, they will ask.
Sample answers: “I am Mario, twenty-five, and I have just finished my master’s in economics. I enjoy teamwork and I am looking for my first job, ideally at a larger company where I can learn and meet like-minded people. Outside work I run, read, and see friends.”
“I am Michaela. I worked as a secretary before my maternity leave, and now that I am returning to work I am looking for an office manager role or something similar. Combining being a mother with being an employee is not always easy, but I enjoy it.”
“My name is Ron and I am a programmer. I love designing games and I want a job that lets me do that. I am creative, I also draw, and I have a family with children in college. Though I am in my fifties, I keep improving my programming skills and I know I have something to offer.”
2. Why did you apply for this job?
Motivation is one of the deciding factors in every interview. Are you here for a paycheck, or because you want this job? Research gives you the reason: company culture, vision, what they do for customers, something you can genuinely compliment. Talk about them and how you can help them, not only about what you want.
Sample answers: “I like the job description and I believe I can add value to your team of financial analysts. I have the right experience for the role and I would enjoy working in an international environment.”
“Your store is a ten-minute walk from my apartment and I shop here regularly. I like how the staff treat customers and I would be proud to join them. I like the way the store is run and I have a good feeling about the place.”
“This is my first job search and your posting stood out on the job board; reading it, it felt like the right opportunity. A few friends from college work here and have said only good things about it.”
3. Why did you leave your last job? Why do you want to leave your present job?
Changing jobs is normal. Employers want to know whether they can count on you long term, and whether you look for the good or the bad in a job and in colleagues. Speak well of former employers even if they fired you; nobody hires a complainer. Focus on the future, and do not say you are leaving for more money even if it is true; say you want a new challenge, a different environment, a chance to learn.
Sample answers: “I spent four years in a restaurant. I enjoyed my colleagues and I think I made guests feel welcome, but the duties were repetitive and I was not moving forward. That is why I left, and why I applied here, where I see room to learn and grow.”
“They let me go because I disagreed with the director; we had different philosophies of leadership and different ideas of where the business should go. Maybe he was right, maybe I was. I wish them well, and I am here now looking for a new challenge.”
“I have been with my current employer only a few months and I realized it was a poor match. Looking at your job description, this suits me better and I can see the value I would bring, which is something I no longer see where I am.”
4. Can you tell me something about your education?
A degree never made anyone a good employee, but the question reveals your attitude to learning. Talk about what you learned, the practical skills, not the names of institutions. If you have little formal education, own it: you preferred the school of life.
Sample answers: “At ABC University I studied statistics, project management, and accounting, and I always looked for ways to put it into practice through projects and competitions. Together with my internship, it prepared me well for a project manager role.”
“I recently completed the medical assistant course with AMMA, which I had always wanted to do. I learned both the administrative and clinical side, and I keep reading on communication and psychology because it is relevant to the work.”
“Honestly, I have always preferred the school of life. I learned by doing and by listening to more experienced colleagues, and I believe that if you can work with information you can learn any subject without a university.”
5. Can you tell me something about your working experience?
They have your resume; they want to hear what mattered to you and how you talk about past jobs. Pick two or three relevant roles and describe duties, achievements, and lessons. If your only job was unrelated, say it taught you basic working habits. First job? Volunteering, or anything that shows you know what it means to work for someone.
Sample answers: “From 2001 to 2004 I was a project manager at Siemens on smaller energy projects, and I learned to lead a project from scratch to delivery. Before that I was a marketing manager at CDE, and later I freelanced for five years. Would you like more detail on any of those?”
“I have only worked at Walmart so far, but I learned a lot: how to approach customers, how to work with people. It is harder than it looks and the workload is heavy, but I do not complain. I am ready for something new.”
“This is my first application, as you can see. But I volunteered with the Red Cross and I worked alongside my father when we built our house, so I know what a day’s work is, and I am eager to finally start.”
6. Why should we hire you?
Whoever hires you pays a salary every month. Will you be an expense, or an investment? Name something unique you bring, ideally something that sets you apart from other applicants; if you cannot, list the relevant skills. Do not say you are the best candidate: you have not met the others, and humility reads better.
Sample answers: “I did the same job at one of your competitors, so I bring an outside perspective. We can talk about what they did better, and I think my experience can improve your results.”
“I am good at uncovering what people need and selling them what they actually want. It is my passion; I study personality types in my free time to understand how to approach them. I have spent years getting ready for a personal banker role, and that is why you should hire me.”
“I am young, eager to learn, and motivated to work hard, and I have a real passion for numbers. I have not met the other applicants, and they are probably motivated too, but I believe I would be a good choice.”
7. What are your strengths?
Your answer has to match your presence in the room. If you claim great communication skills while struggling to string a sentence together, they will doubt everything else you say. Pick relevant strengths and, if possible, show how you used them. If nothing else, fall back on strengths every job needs: responsibility, loyalty, treating setbacks as lessons.
Sample answers: “I like talking to people and I understand what they need. It helped me in my volunteering at a nursing home, and I hope to use it in social work.”
“Responsibility. My job is my first priority; I have never come to work late or missed a deadline.”
“Experience. I have worked in this field for years and tackled most of the challenges it throws up, so I work quickly and independently and know how to get results.”
8. What are your weaknesses?
Good interviewers spot your weaknesses in five minutes; the question is about whether you can admit one and whether you are humble. Everyone has weaknesses; what matters is your attitude, so name one and say how you are working on it. Pick something that will not disqualify you: a cost accountant should not say their accounting is weak, but “I struggle with managing people” is harmless for a role that manages nobody.
Sample answers: “I am not very patient. That is a real flaw. I work on it, staying tolerant with colleagues, and I have improved a lot in recent years.”
“Sometimes I struggle to focus. I practice daily at cutting distractions and my concentration has improved, though I keep working on it.”
“I trust people too much. It is a nice way to live, but it has caused me trouble. With age I am getting better at telling who deserves it.”
“I struggle with computers, so I take evening classes and practice at home with the common office software.”
9. What are your goals?
First they want to hear that you have goals at all. Second, your goals should relate to their business, or at least not conflict with it: do not mention plans to start your own business or travel the world for a year. No professional goals? Personal ones are fine: a family, a balanced life.
Sample answers: “I would like a management role in five years. I know I have a lot to learn first, and this position is the right starting point.”
“I do not dream far ahead. If I have a teaching job, do it well, and get good feedback from my students, that makes me happy. My goal is to do my best at work and at home.”
“I plan to start a family in a few years and to be a good mother. That is not an easy goal these days, but I want it, along with a steady job I enjoy.”
10. What are your biggest achievements?
Did you just show up, or did you try to achieve something? Frame achievements from the employer’s side, new customers, better reputation, a better atmosphere, rather than your own promotions or certificates, though those work if you have nothing else. First job? A personal achievement that shows determination, like finally quitting smoking, counts.
Sample answers: “As sales manager at ABC Inc., my volume grew by twenty percent or more every year. Nobody else on the team matched it.”
“I have become a better person. I learned to listen and to see the good in people, which I struggled with when I was younger. It made my life better, and I hope people enjoy working with me more now.”
“I have only done manual work so far, so big achievements are hard to name. But I was good to my colleagues in retail and I think I helped the store’s atmosphere, and the store benefited from that.”
11. What characterizes a good boss or colleague, from your point of view?
You will not work alone; they want to know if you fit a team. Do not get personal: saying you prefer young colleagues or an older boss can backfire the moment the boss is a young man. Stay neutral and stress you get along with anyone.
Sample answers: “There is no ideal boss and it does not matter to me. I focus on my duties and my attitude toward others, which are the only things I control, and I respect everyone’s individuality.”
“I get along with everyone. What matters is that colleagues try their best every day; whether they are old or young, whether they like dancing or football, makes no difference to me.”
12. What motivates you?
Do you work only for money, or is there something driving you from within? Your motivation is tested throughout the interview by your enthusiasm, but here you can say it out loud: a desire to help people, to support your family, to do meaningful work. Be honest and show you have plenty of reasons to work hard.
Sample answers: “The purpose of the job. I would be proud to teach young children and I want to be a good role model for them, so you can be sure I would give my best in every class.”
“People. I am very social and I enjoy talking to strangers, so the nature of this job motivates me by itself.”
“My family. I love them and I try my best to support them, and this job would help. It is not the most fascinating work, but even when it gets boring I try my best, because it is not for my own sake.”
13. What are your salary expectations?
Salary coming up is mostly a good sign: they are considering you. Say salary is not your deciding factor, and if they push for a number, back it up with data: average pay for the role, what you earned before.
Sample answers: “I like the job and your bank and I would be proud to work here. From what I could find, a teller here starts around $29,000, and I would accept that to begin with.”
“This is my first job and I am here to learn. I understand it is entry level and the offer will reflect that, but the room to grow is what matters, so I would accept your standard entry offer and earn a raise.”
“I make $70,000 now and I would prefer not to earn less for the same role, but I am open to negotiation and I would like to hear your thoughts.”
14. When are you able to start?
Most managers want you yesterday. If you can start immediately, say so and add that you are not waiting on other interviews. If you cannot, say clearly why and turn it into a positive: leaving your current employer without a handover would be irresponsible.
Sample answers: “As soon as possible. I have applied to two other places, but this is my first choice; if you need me tomorrow, I can be here in the morning.”
“I could start tomorrow, but I want to finish the project I am on; walking out would be unprofessional. Give me two or three weeks and I am yours, and I am ready to sign today.”
15. Do you have any questions?
Ask one or two; it shows you still want the job after everything said. Do not ask about anything already covered or written in the posting. Ask about the environment, next steps, culture, plans, products.
Sample questions: “What are the next steps in the process, and is there anything else I can do to improve my chances?” “I really like your product ABC; what are the plans for it?” “Do you set monthly targets for sales managers?” “People here look happy at work; how do you keep that atmosphere?”
How to use this list
Do not memorize the sample answers. Write your own version of each, in your own words, and practice them out loud with a friend playing the interviewer, then analyze what felt weak and rewrite it. Fifteen answers you can deliver naturally will carry you through most of any interview, and the company-specific rounds are covered in our guides for Starbucks, Walmart, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and many others. If your interview includes an assessment or test, see the tests employers use to assess new hires.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common interview questions?
Tell me about yourself, why did you apply, why did you leave your last job, your education, your experience, why should we hire you, strengths, weaknesses, goals, achievements, what makes a good boss or colleague, what motivates you, salary expectations, when can you start, and do you have any questions. These fifteen appeared most often across ninety-seven US corporations we studied.
How do I answer “tell me about yourself”?
Briefly: your education, experience, and skills, plus one or two hobbies to show you are human. Choose what is relevant to the employer, speak with enthusiasm, and let them ask for details.
What is a good weakness to say in an interview?
A real one that will not disqualify you for the role, followed by what you are doing about it: impatience you are learning to control, focus you practice daily, computer skills you are taking classes for.
Should I give a salary number when asked about expectations?
Say salary is not your deciding factor first. If they insist, give a number backed by evidence: the average for the role in your area or what you earned in your last job, and stay open to negotiation.