Interview Questions You're Likely to Encounter

Every interview will be different, but there are some questions that you can almost guarantee will be asked (after all, everyone reads the same books on interviewing). You'll find these questions below, along with some guidelines for your answers. As always, be honest in all your answers, but it's ok to put a good "spin" on them as well.

Why are you leaving your current position?

Whatever you do, don't criticize your current company. No matter the circumstances behind your leaving, try to find a positive way to express you desire for a new challenge. "While I've enjoyed my time at Smith and Associates, I feel that it's time for me to broaden my skill set and business experience by going to a smaller company where I will have a greater range of responsibilities."

What can you bring to this organization? Or, more bluntly, Why should I hire you?

Here's where your company research pays off. Make sure that you talk about the skills that you possess that will most help the company in achieving its goals, not your personal goals (although, ideally, these two things will coincide).

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

This is, admittedly, one of the toughest questions to answer, especially in this economy and with technology changing so rapidly. The interviewer uses this question to assess your ability to think strategically – do you have a plan for your career and the ability to set goals? It's usually better to speak in generalities: "In 5 years, I would like to have a more in-depth knowledge of this industry and to have earned the respect of my peers because of my continued striving for excellence."

What is your greatest strength?

Again, this is a tough one to answer. People generally don't like to appear as if they're bragging, but this is the time to do it. Make sure that you tailor your answer to the company that you're interviewing with. If one of your greatest strengths is your ability to lead a team, explain how that strength applies to and will benefit the company.

What is your greatest weakness?

This question is designed to test your ability to assess yourself, and there are two ways to answer. The first is one that you've probably heard recommended a lot – phrasing a strength so that it sounds like a weakness. "I sometimes get so caught up in my work that I forget to eat lunch and don't go home until 10:00 at night." The other way is to describe an actual weakness and the steps you've taken to overcome it. "Like most people, speaking in front of large groups of people makes me uncomfortable. Early on, I recognized that this could hinder my career growth and I decided to take classes on public speaking from the local community college. While I still don't love to speak to an auditorium full of people, my presentation skills have improved quite a bit." This approach demonstrates your ability to face a challenge, determine a course of action, and take steps to remedy the problem.

What are you looking for in a new position?

This is the question that you should have asked yourself before you began your search for a new position. Describe the type of challenges you are seeking, the types of skills that you would like to learn or refine, the responsibilities you would like to take on, and the type of environment that you prefer to work in.

What accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction?

The interviewer asking this question is trying to find out about both what motivates you and whether you have accurately portrayed your worth to your current employer. Think of something that you did at work that you are really proud of, and tell the interviewer about the experience, including why the accomplishment was significant for you and your employer and what you learned from it.

What's the worst mistake you've ever made at work, and what did you learn from it?

Whatever you do, don't say that you've never made a mistake – no one will believe you. Be honest, explain the situation, how you handled it, and the lessons you learned. If everything worked out ok, show a sense of humor about the situation. It may have seemed tragic at the time, but is probably fairly amusing in hindsight. Companies expect employees to make mistakes, the interviewer is trying to gauge your ability to respond to criticism, take responsibility, and learn from a difficult situation.

What did you enjoy least about your last position?

This question is hard to answer, because you want to try to avoid speaking negatively about your current employer as much as possible. Hopefully, you've applied to positions that don't require you to do tasks that you didn't enjoy at your last position, or to companies with a different corporate environment. Use this to your advantage: "At my last position, there was a lot of emphasis on working independently, and I prefer to work as part of a group. One of the things that attracted me to your company specifically was your emphasis on teamwork and collaboration."