You can find countless pages of advice on the internet about common questions to prepare for during an interview – but what kind of answer should you prepare?
Below are five common interview questions and five common answers we get.
What is your ideal role?
Bad answer:
“I’m not sure there is one; it doesn’t need to be anything crazy or super well paid, but if I stay here for three more years, nothing will change about my job. I got my “dream job” now at such a young age, and there’s no room to go up, and I feel like I’ve already hit a point where I’m coasting. I wish I’d taken a job where I can move up a ladder or move within the company.”
- Why is this answer bad?
For one thing, it doesn’t answer the question. For another, it’s long, rambling, and focused on the past and the candidate’s insecurities and assumptions – not the future and what they want to move towards.
- What a good answer should include:
When interviewers ask this question, it’s usually to get a sense of the candidate’s ambition, their drive towards their future goals, and if the role they’ve applied for fits into that career path. Prepare for this question by thinking seriously about what motivates you at work. Are you primarily mission-driven? Do you want to lead a team? If you must address a former job for context, keep it brief.
Good answer:
“I’m still at a relatively early stage of my career and was lucky to start out with a great role in this field, so in some ways, my idea of a perfect role is still coming together – but I do know that I’m looking for a company to grow with, and want to lead my own team someday.”
Why are you looking?
Bad Answer:
“I’m always looking,” or any version of “My boss is terrible.”
- Why is this answer bad?
Giving either answer will almost certainly leave a bad taste in an interviewer’s mouth. The first implies that if they decide to hire you, you’ll still have one foot out the door, and the second one suggests you often blame others for your decisions.
- What a good answer should include:
Even if you do have a terrible boss or are always watching the marketplace to see what else is out there, don’t say that in an interview. Keep it light, brief, and focused on your future goals.
Good answer:
“I’ve been in my current role for X amount of time, and have enjoyed my time there/learned a lot for XYZ reasons – but I’m intrigued by the idea of doing ABC, and am interested in taking on a new challenge/taking the next step in my career.”
Tell me about a time you received constructive criticism.
Bad Answer:
“I don’t know, it’s part of every job, and obviously, I take what my boss says, and if I need to change what I’m doing, we have a discussion. But honestly, when I get criticism, it’s usually wrong because the people that I work with don’t know how to do my job better than me.”
- Why is this answer bad?
One of the things every manager dreads in an employee is someone who can’t take constructive criticism. If you can’t think of a single instance where someone has given you feedback you thought was fair and changed your work habits accordingly, that’s a huge red flag.
- What a good answer should include:
It’s uncomfortable to be open with a stranger about moments you haven’t done well at work, especially a stranger who will decide whether you will get a job you want. Still, if you tell them a story about how you handled getting corrected well, you’ll get a lot farther than if you pretend your work has always been flawless.
Good answer:
“A couple of years ago, when I had just started at X company, I was assigned a hefty project to tackle. I was honestly pretty confused about what they wanted me to do, but I didn’t want to ask any stupid questions and have my new co-workers think less of me, so I bulldozed through the project with what I thought my boss wanted. When he checked on my progress, it turned out I had created something that wasn’t even close to what my team needed. He told me I needed to ask way more questions at the project’s start, middle, and even end. I took that to heart on my next assignment, and I bombarded him with questions, and the result was much better.”
How would your previous managers/co-workers describe working with you?
Bad Answer:
“I just like being done; I don’t like to procrastinate; I like things done in a relatively timely manner. When I ask for things to be done, my co-workers think I’m harking on them, but really, I just want to get my side of the thing done. I’m very organized, and I like when people get things back to me the same way they did before instead of pieced together. I set expectations, but they’re often not met, so that’s fun; I just kind of deal with it.”
- Why is this answer bad?
While you may think you’re saying you’re efficient and detail oriented – you are describing yourself as someone who’s a nightmare to work with if not everyone is on your level.
- What a good answer should include:
This question aims to gauge whether a candidate is self-aware enough to evaluate themselves clearly – both the good and the bad. Your answer should showcase the qualities that make you a great co-worker without shying away from the feedback you’ve gotten. Remember that nobody’s perfect, and prepare an answer that plays to your strengths while maintaining a good sense of humor about the feedback you’ve received.
Good answer:
“My co-workers would say that I’m very detail-oriented and get my side of projects done quickly. They would also probably say that I’m a bit of a nag about project timelines for the whole team.”
Do you have any questions for me?
Bad Answer:
“I have no questions that haven’t already been answered.”
- Why is this answer bad?
This might be okay if you have gone through a long, arduous process and every person involved has answered questions. However, if you meet their top sales rep at the end of the process and she asks you if you have questions for her, and you say, “All my questions have been answered,” you are essentially saying, “I don’t know that I can learn from you” or “I don’t care about learning from you.”
- What a good answer should include:
This might be obvious, but always having a few questions if you’re talking to a new person is a good answer. Even if you have had many of your primary questions addressed in other stages of the interview process, you should have a few general questions for everyone you meet that speak to their experience.
Good Answer:
“Most of my general questions about the position and the company have been answered, but I’m curious about your personal experience here. Why did you decide to work for this company?”
We’ll end with some general advice. Keep all of your answers relevant! The last thing a hiring manager or recruiter wants to hear is an accounting of your life story if it has nothing to do with your qualifications and motivation for pursuing a specific job. They don’t want to hear about your ex, custody battles, or any other non-professional-related complaints you may have.
And for the love of all you hold dear, don’t answer “What’s your biggest weakness” with something like “I’m TOO efficient at my job.”