Sample Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

Going in for an interview can feel like a daunting task. The best way to prepare for an interview is to practice your answers, but how do you know what they will ask you? Here’s a list of common interview questions and how to answer them using the STAR method.

How to Answer an Interview Question Using the STAR Method

A photograph of a woman posing in a yellow two piece suit. She has her jacket thrown over her right shoulder.

What is the STAR Method? The STAR method is an interview technique that gives you a straightforward format you can use to tell a story by laying out the situation, task, action, and result.

  • Situation: Set the scene and give the necessary details of your example.
  • Task: Describe what your responsibility was in that situation.
  • Action: Explain exactly what steps you took to address it.
  • Result: Share what outcomes your actions achieved.

Additional information about how to use the STAR method can be found here.

Common Interview Questions

  1. Tell me about yourself.
  2. Why do you want this job?
  3. What is your ideal work environment?
  4. Why should we hire you?
  5. What are your weaknesses?
  6. What are your strengths?
  7. How would your boss or peers describe you?
  8. What is your greatest accomplishment?
  9. How do you balance multiple projects?
  10. What questions do you have for us?

For Job Interviews: If the potential employer does not offer information about salary and benefits, it is inappropriate to ask questions regarding compensation until you are actually offered the position. Go into an interview with the assumption that the potential employer is competitive with others in the industry or field.

What are Behavioral interview questions? Behavioral interviewing allows the interviewer to get an understanding of how you, the interviewee, actually reacted or behaved in various situations. Behavioral-based questions are likely to begin with some variation of:

  • Give me an example of a time when…
  • Describe a situation where…
  • Give me an example of how you…
  • Tell me about a time when you…

Typical Behavioral Questions (and what they address) include:

  1. Describe a disagreement you had with a supervisor, how it evolved, and how you resolved it. (conflict management)
  2. Describe an experience when you were part of a team, the part you played on the team and how you handled team members who were not contributing. (teamwork)
  3. Describe a situation where you assumed responsibility for getting something fairly complicated or important done and how you went about it. (planning/organizational skills)
  4. Describe a time when you encountered an obstacle you could not overcome and how you dealt with that situation. (persistence)

Caryl Rae Krannich and Ronald L. Krannich, Ph.D.s, authors of, Interview For Success: A Practical Guide to Increasing Job Interviews, Offers, and Salaries, 7th Ed., offer the following information about answering questions related to negative past experiences or weaknesses: You will want to select examples that promote your skills and have a positive outcome.

For example, if asked, “Tell me about a time you made a bad decision.” Try to identify an example where:

  • Even though it was not the best decision, you were able to pull something positive out of the situation
  • Though it was a poor decision, in the next similar situation you made a good decision or you learned from it and have identified how you will handle it differently the next time a similar situation arises
  • It was a bad decision but the negative outcome had only minor impact. In other words, try to pull something positive.

  1. Can you describe a typical day for the person in this role?
  2. What are some of the first projects the person in this role will work on?
  3. What are the most important company values?
  4. What are the biggest goals for the company?
  5. Can you tell me more about the team? My Manager?
  6. How would you describe your management style? (If you are meeting the person you’d report to)
  7. Why did you come to this company?
  8. What is your favorite part about your job? This company?
  9. What professional development opportunities are available to employees?
  10. How do you measure success in this role?

Additional follow-up questions can be found on the Handshake blog post here.

Ready to Practice Your Interview Skills?

Practice on your own with Big interview
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Some information adapted from St. Olaf College, The Piper Center for Vocation and Career