Whether you are unemployed or seeking career advancement, job searching can be very stressful. Although it’s natural to feel anxious when you’re “in the hot seat,” being prepared for that interview can go a long way towards making you feel more confident and presenting yourself in a polished way. Even though you don’t know in advance what the interviewer will ask you, if you consider how you’ll answer the most typical questions, you’ll be well on your way.

As a Certified Employment Interview Professional, I’ve found that clients who are ready to respond to the following questions tend to be most successful.

1. Tell me about yourself.

2. What would your current and past managers identify as your greatest weakness, and what would you identify as your greatest weakness?

3. What would your current and past managers identify as your greatest strength, and what would you identify as your greatest strength?

4. Tell us what you know about our company.

5. Why do you want to work for us?

6. Why are you leaving your current position or why did you leave your last position?

7. What career accomplishment are you most proud of?

8. Where do you see yourself in five years?

9. If you were unable to meet a commitment or deadline, what would you do?

10. Why do you think your qualified for this position?

11. Tell us about a time you didn’t meet a company goal/objective/timeline.

12. What did you most dislike about your last (or current) job?

13. What motivates you to do a good job?

14. Tell me a suggestion you made that was implemented.

15. Give me an example of a time when you had to think “outside the box.”

16. How do you differ in what you can provide our company from other candidates?

17. Do you prefer to work in a team or individually? Why?

18. Tell me about a time you failed.

19. What book(s) are you currently reading?

20. How do you manage conflicts with a coworker? With a manager? With a client?

21. Describe/define your work style (or management style).

22. What new skills or abilities have you developed recently that you can apply to this position?

23. What do expect from this job?

24. What have you learned from your past jobs?

25. What questions do you have for me?

Be sure to bookmark this blog, as I’ll be offering some tips on the best way to deal with these questions in future posts.