It is always a good idea to arrive at a job interview with prepared answers for the most commonly asked interview questions.  While you certainly can’t know what will be asked specifically, you can minimize your chances of being caught without a good answer by covering some of the basics in advance.

Be sure to avoid the most common interview mistakes, and think about a few specific stories that you can use to demonstrate your skills and abilities.


  Some stories might be useful in answering multiple questions, so it is a good idea to have several well thought out examples that are ready to use if the situation calls for it.  Be sure to identify the key points of each story, keeping it concise and to the point without rambling.

There are three major types of interview questions that a candidate should become familiar with: experience questions (detailing education and past work duties), technical questions (industry specific queries), and behavioral questions (how you handled specific situations at work).

Here is a list of 30 of the most commonly asked interview questions.  You should expect to be asked several of these questions when you are interviewing for a position.

1. Why should we hire you for this position?
2. Why are you leaving your current employer?
3. What are your responsibilities at your current (or most recent) job?
4. What kind of work environment are you seeking?
5. Can you tell me about a time when you had a disagreement with your boss?

1. What salary expectations do you have?
2. What are your strengths and what are your weaknesses? 
3. How do you describe your work style?
4. Why do you want to work here?
5. Can you tell me about a time when you made a mistake on the job?
6. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?
7. Can you tell me about a time that you took a leadership role?
8. Do you know who our CEO is? 
9. Do you know who our competitors are?
10. What do you know about our company and our products or services?
11. How did your educational background prepare you for this position?
12. What are your career goals over the next five years? Ten years?
13. What did you like best or least at your last job?
14. What is your best quality?
15. What are the positive and/or negative things your last boss would say about you?
16. Why did you choose your college major? 
17. Are you willing to travel as a part of this position?
18. Are you willing to relocate so that you can take this position?
19. Can you explain the gaps of employment on your resume?
20. What are your hobbies and interests outside of work?
21. Can you sell me this pencil (or other object on the desk)?
22. How do you deal with conflict in the workplace?
23. Can you tell me about one professional success and one failure?
24. What is your biggest professional achievement?
25. What questions do you have about our company (or for me)?

A final note: you should always have questions ready to ask your interviewer at the end of your meeting.  This is a very important part of the interview process that many candidates unwisely brush off.  Instead, view this as a valuable opportunity to ask intelligent questions that show you have studied the company and have relevant questions as a result of that investigation.

Also be sure that you have thoroughly researched the company before attending your first interview.  You should know all the major facts with regard to its history, leadership, and products.  Don’t be uninformed when you walk through that door.