Most Common Job Interview Questions

The Prepped Team

November 12, 2019

4 minutes

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If you’re like most job seekers out there, the thought of sitting in front of an exec to answer questions about why you’re best fit for the position is kind of intimidating. Thinking of what to wear, making sure you get there on time, you can easily stress yourself out before the interview even starts.

But take a breath because Prepped is here to help. Our founders are HR pros and know exactly what questions most companies are asking. And since preparation is the key to doing well, this list will make sure you’re ready for anything an interviewer throws at you.

Interview etiquette  

We alluded to this a little bit already, but there are some things you should know aside from what questions you’ll be asked.

  • Dress code — We get it. We’re not in the era of wearing super formal clothes to interviews. But there is something to be said for looking professional. So while you don’t have to go full pantsuit or suit and tie, we’d suggest at least leaving the jeans at home.  
  • Get to know your potential employer — You should definitely do a Google search to find out what your potential employer is all about. Communicating some cool facts about the company during the interview is a good way to earn bonus points.
  • Make eye contact — Making eye contact is a simple way to show you’re engaged. Plus, when your eyes are shifting too much, it seems like you’re not confident in your responses.
  • Ask questions yourself — You shouldn’t be the only one being interviewed. Remember, you’ll be spending a lot of time at your workplace. It’s important you ask questions to make sure that the job is actually the right fit.
  • Get a feel for company culture — On that same note, it’s not a bad idea to ask to speak to other employees. They’ll likely give you better insight into what company culture is really like.

Here are the interview questions you’ll need to know

OK, now that that’s out of the way, let’s get to the questions. First, there are general questions that will likely be asked. These questions may include:

  • Tell me about yourself
  • What do you know about this company
  • What interests you in this role
  • What is your greatest strength and what is your biggest weakness

These questions are fairly straight forward and shouldn’t take to much preparation to answer.

The next group of questions will take a lot more thought. They’ll usually be grouped around teamwork, delivering under pressure, clients and customers, managing time and competing priorities, and leading people and teams.

Here are some examples of what you can expect to hear:  

Teamwork

  • Tell me about a time when...
  • You had to work with someone with a different style than you
  • Faced a conflict while working on a team
  • Needed information from someone who wasn’t responsive
  • Had to overcome pre-existing tensions with another co-worker to move work forward

Delivering under pressure

  • Tell me about a time when…
  • You had to deal with a significant change
  • Were under a lot of pressure to deliver
  • Had to learn something new quickly
  • Had to think on your feet to solve a problem quickly

These are just some of the questions you’ll need to be prepared for. Sign up with Prepped for a full list of what you can expect in an interview.

The best job candidates are not lucky. They prepare and practise so that they can feel confident during their interview. Record yourself and practise answering the most common interview questions with Prepped. You can also send your videos to family and friends for feedback.