Your Ultimate Guide to Job Interview Questions
Published: Sep 03, 2019 By Washington Post Jobs
There’s often no right or wrong answer when it comes to answering job interview questions, but it can be helpful to prepare in advance of your interview. Here’s our ultimate guide on how to answer every interview question.
How to Answer: “What’s The Best Piece of Career Advice You’ve Ever Received”
Let’s face it: There’s plenty of career advice to go around. Some pieces of it are more relevant than others, but for many people it’s almost impossible to sort through the number of well-intentioned career tips they’ve heard throughout their lives to highlight just one.
How to Answer: “What Makes You Unique?”
You don’t want to seem painfully abnormal or bland and unoriginal—how do you let your potential employer know you’re unique (in a good way)? Here are our tips for striking that all-important balance.
How to Answer: “Tell Me About Yourself”
It seems like such a simple question, but “tell me about yourself” is notorious for wrecking many interviewees’ chances to make positive first impressions. Turns out there’s a simple formula, and we’ve got you covered.
How to Answer: “What Are You Passionate About?”
When you go to an interview, you expect questions about your work history, skills, and drive to succeed. The last thing you expect is for the hiring manager to ask you a personal question like, “What are you passionate about?”
How to Answer: “What Should We Know About You That’s Not On Your Resume?”
You’ve spent so much energy constructing a succinct, yet informative resume, but now you have to cast it aside and hope an improvised answer makes you shine. Tricky? Yes. Impossible? Not if you’re prepared.”
How to Answer: “Tell Me About a Time You Handled a Conflict”
Most interview questions ask you to discuss the positive aspects of your working life. But every now and then, a question takes a turn for the negative, potentially wrecking your whole enthusiastic vibe. “Tell me about a time you handled a conflict” is one such question.
How to Answer: “Tell Me About Your Leadership Experience in the Workforce”
When an interviewer asks you to tell her about your leadership experience, it’s important to have an answer ready. If you stutter at this question, you’re automatically putting yourself at a disadvantage when it comes to convincing the interviewer you’re a strong, confident leader.
How to Answer: “Why Do You Want This Job?”
When recruiters ask, “Why do you want this job?”, what they really want to know is, “What is it about this company and position that interests you, and what assets can you bring to us?” Here’s how you can answer that.
How to Answer: “Why Are You Looking to Leave Your Current Job?”
Most people’s biggest interview fears include having to respond to classic hard-to-answer questions, including “Why are you looking to leave your current job?” It’s a completely understandable query—after all, most people don’t leave positions they love, so the reason for your job search isn’t always going to be a pleasant one. Whether you can’t stand your boss or are uninterested in your day-to-day responsibilities, there are ways to answer without throwing anyone under the bus or burning any bridges—something you should avoid no matter how tempted you are.
How to Answer: “Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years”
At one point, “where do you see yourself in five years?” was a great question. It let interviewers gauge your ambition, or lack thereof, as well as your thought process. Slowly, it became a cliché. Yet, it’s still asked. Your challenge: to take it seriously and turn the predictable into an opportunity. Here are five formulas that can guide you toward a great answer to “where do you see yourself in five years?”
How to Answer: “What is Your Dream Job?”
What is the best way to answer, “What’s your Dream Job?” While you don’t want to set the bar too high, setting the bar too low can make it sound like you don’t have goals and aspirations. So how do you find that middle ground between “I want it all” and “anything will do?”
How to Answer “Why Should We Choose You Over Someone Else?”
One day you’ll face a recruiter asking, “Why should we choose you over someone else?” Here’s how to prepare the best answer to this question.
