What are the top 30 most common interview questions employers ask?
Answer: The top 30 questions cover introductions, strengths/weaknesses, behavioral examples, role fit, problem-solving, and candidate questions — prepare concise, example-driven responses for each.
Openers and fit
Tell me about yourself.
Why do you want to work here?
Why should we hire you?
What are your salary expectations?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Strengths, weaknesses, and motivation
What is your greatest strength?
What is your greatest weakness?
What motivates you?
Behavioral (past performance)
Tell me about a time you led a project.
Describe a conflict and how you resolved it.
Give an example of a failure and what you learned.
Tell me about a time you handled tight deadlines.
Situational and problem-solving
How would you handle a difficult client?
How do you prioritize competing tasks?
Describe how you would improve a failing process.
Role-specific and technical
Walk me through your technical/project experience.
Which tools and systems are you most familiar with?
How do you stay current in your field?
Team and culture fit
Describe your ideal manager and team.
How do you give and receive feedback?
How do you handle change?
Leadership and management (for senior roles)
How do you develop talent on your team?
Describe a time you influenced stakeholders.
How do you set priorities for your organization?
Logistics and background
Explain employment gaps or career transitions.
Why are you leaving your current role?
Are you willing to relocate or travel?
Closing and candidate questions
Do you have any questions for us?
When can you start?
Is there anything else we should know?
Top 30 common interview questions (grouped for faster prep)
Why this list works: These 30 questions appear across major interview guides and candidate reports because they probe fit, skills, and predict future behavior (see resources from ResumeGenius and Novorésumé for similar core lists). Preparation tip: craft one concise, 30–60 second answer and a longer STAR/CAR example for each behavioral prompt. Takeaway: Learn the list, write short scripts, and practice aloud to build confidence.
Sources: For expanded question sets and sample answers, see ResumeGenius and Novorésumé.
ResumeGenius: a practical list of common questions and model answers
Novorésumé: detailed guides on phrasing and structure
How should I answer "Tell me about yourself" and other opener questions?
Answer: Give a focused, 60–90 second narrative that connects your past experience, present strengths, and why the role matters to you.
One-line headline: role + years + notable area of expertise.
Example: "I'm a product manager with five years building B2B SaaS analytics features."
Quick evidence: 1–2 achievements (metrics preferred).
Example: "I led a feature that increased DAU by 18%."
Why now / fit: tie to the role or company.
Example: "I’m excited by your AI-driven analytics work and want to apply my product research skills here."
How to structure it
"I’m a customer success specialist with four years in SaaS. I helped reduce churn 12% by launching onboarding flows, and I’m excited to bring that process-driven approach to your team to scale retention."
Short sample answer
Why this matters: The opener sets the tone. Keep it role-focused, evidence-backed, and aligned to the employer’s needs. Takeaway: Practice a 60–90 second script and adapt it to each job posting.
How do I structure answers to behavioral interview questions?
Answer: Use a consistent framework (STAR, CAR, or SOAR) to deliver clear, evidence-based stories that show impact.
STAR: Situation, Task, Action, Result — Widely used and recommended for structured behavioral answers.
CAR: Context, Action, Result — Slightly shorter, useful when time is limited.
SOAR: Situation, Obstacle, Action, Result — Emphasizes hurdles and your problem-solving.
Quick frameworks
Situation: "On a cross-functional project, engineering pushed back on scope."
Task: "As PM, I needed to keep timeline and quality intact."
Action: "I organized a short working session, clarified priorities, and reallocated two sprint stories."
Result: "We delivered core functionality on time and reduced rework by 25%."
Example STAR answer (conflict resolution)
Quantify results whenever possible (%, $ saved, time reduced).
Keep the Action focused on what you did, not the team.
Have 6–8 STAR stories ready that map to common competencies (leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, initiative).
Tips to improve stories
Why use a framework: Interviewers use behavioral questions because past behavior predicts future performance. Using STAR/CAR makes your impact obvious. Takeaway: Prepare a library of STAR stories keyed to common competencies.
Cite: The Interview Guys offers behavioral question guidance and uses the SOAR/STARR approaches for structured answers.
How do I handle situational and hypothetical interview questions?
Answer: Treat situational prompts like mini case studies: clarify the problem, propose realistic steps, and explain trade-offs and outcomes.
Clarify: Ask one or two brief clarifying questions to ensure you understand context.
Outline your approach: Describe immediate steps, stakeholders, and short-term wins vs long-term solutions.
Show judgment: Explain trade-offs and how you'd measure success.
How to answer situational questions
Q: "How would you handle a client demanding a feature outside scope?"
A: Clarify urgency and impact, propose a temporary workaround, evaluate cost and timeline, consult stakeholders, and present options with recommended next steps.
Sample situational question and response
Why interviewers ask these: Situational questions test problem-solving, judgement, and cultural fit without relying on past experience. Preparing scenario templates (escalation, prioritization, stakeholder buy-in) helps you respond quickly. Takeaway: Use clarification + structured approach + measurable criteria to answer hypotheticals.
Reference: Novorésumé includes situational examples and model answers to help structure responses.
What are the best questions to ask the interviewer?
Answer: Ask specific, forward-looking questions about role expectations, success metrics, team dynamics, and next steps that show preparation and interest.
Role clarity and success
"What does success look like in this role after six months?"
"What are the most important projects I’d start with?"
Team and culture
"How would you describe the team’s working style?"
"What’s one thing you wish incoming hires did differently?"
Manager and development
"How do you support professional development and career growth?"
"How frequently do you give feedback?"
Product, customers, and strategy
"Who are your biggest customers and how do you prioritize their needs?"
"What are the biggest opportunities or risks for the product this year?"
Practical next steps
"What are the next steps in the hiring process?"
High-impact questions to ask
Why these stand out: Questions that reveal expectations and show you think about impact make a strong close. Avoid questions about vacation or salary as the first closing questions unless prompted. Takeaway: Prepare 6–8 targeted questions and select 2–3 tailored to the conversation’s flow.
Source: The Muse’s guide to smart questions has many examples that help you stand out.
How should I prepare effectively for any interview (phone, virtual, in-person)?
Answer: Prepare with research, tailored stories, practice, and logistics checks — then rehearse both content and delivery.
Company research: mission, product, competitors, recent news, leadership.
Job analysis: match your resume bullets to required skills in the job posting.
STAR stories: prepare 6–8 stories mapped to key competencies.
Role-specific prep: technical tests, portfolio, case questions, coding practice.
Mock interviews: rehearse with a friend, coach, or record yourself.
Logistics and environment:
In-person: directions, arrival time, printed resume copies.
Phone: quiet room, charged phone, headset.
Virtual: camera framing, mute notifications, stable internet, test mic and screen-sharing.
Questions list: have 4–6 questions to ask the interviewer.
Interview preparation checklist
Two-minute elevator pitch for openers.
One 5–7 minute story for leadership or technical deep dives.
Quick 30–60 second answers for common HR questions.
Practice routines
Why this reduces anxiety: Preparation replaces uncertainty. Use rehearsal and specific examples to internalize answers without memorizing scripts. Takeaway: Follow the checklist, rehearse in the same mode as the interview, and arrive mentally ready.
Sources: ResumeGenius and industry guides on interview prep outline these core steps.
What interview questions should I expect by job type and level?
Answer: Interviewers tailor questions to skills and responsibilities — entry-level focuses on learning and fit; senior roles probe leadership and strategy; technical roles test problem-solving and domain expertise.
Entry-level / early career
Questions: "Tell me about a time you overcame a challenge in school or internships." "How do you prioritize tasks?"
Prep: emphasize learning, initiative, and transferable achievements.
Technical and engineering roles
Questions: coding challenges, system design, debugging, and "explain your architecture decision."
Prep: practice coding problems, whiteboard explanations, and past project trade-offs.
Product / design / data roles
Questions: product sense, user research, A/B test case, portfolio walkthrough.
Prep: bring case studies and show measurable impact.
Management and leadership
Questions: "How do you develop team members?" "How do you balance strategy and execution?"
Prep: prepare narratives on hiring, scaling, and stakeholder influence.
Customer-facing / support
Questions: conflict resolution, empathy examples, process improvements.
Prep: emphasize customer outcomes and problem triage.
Examples by job type
Why this matters: Knowing the question types by role lets you prepare the right stories and technical depth. Takeaway: Map your experience to role-level expectations and practice the right problem types.
Reference: Role-specific guidance appears across career guides and job boards (see aggregated examples on Indeed and Novorésumé).
How do I handle difficult or negative interview questions (weaknesses, gaps, being fired)?
Answer: Be honest, brief, and reframe negatives into growth stories that show learning and measurable improvement.
"What is your greatest weakness?"
Script: Name a real, non-essential weakness, explain steps you’ve taken to improve, and show measurable progress.
Example: "I used to struggle with public presentations, so I completed a communications course and led three demos last quarter with positive feedback."
"Why did you leave/gap in employment?"
Script: Give a concise reason (personal development, caregiving, role mismatch), emphasize productive activities during the gap, and pivot to why you’re ready now.
"Why were you fired?"
Script: Don’t badmouth former employers. Briefly state facts, take responsibility where appropriate, explain what you learned, and how you’ve changed behavior or processes since.
"Tell me about a big failure."
Script: Use STAR; focus on what you changed and the measurable result of that learning.
Common difficult questions and scripts
Own it: Avoid blaming others.
Be concise: Don’t dwell on the negative.
Show outcome: Emphasize what you learned and how you improved.
Flip to relevance: Connect growth to the role you’re interviewing for.
Key principles
Why this works: Interviewers want to know how you handle setbacks. Demonstrating accountability, learning, and measurable improvement restores confidence in your candidacy. Takeaway: Prepare two solid growth stories and rehearse short, honest responses.
Reference: Novorésumé and ResumeGenius include model responses for weakness, gaps, and failure questions.
How Verve AI Interview Copilot Can Help You With This
Verve AI acts as a quiet co-pilot during interviews — it listens to context, suggests structured phrasing (STAR, CAR, SOAR), and nudges you toward concise, high-impact answers when you need them most. Verve AI analyzes the job description and previous answers to recommend examples that match the interviewer’s focus, helping you stay on message under pressure. Use the onboard prompts and calming pacing cues to reduce anxiety and deliver clearer, more confident responses with Verve AI Interview Copilot.
What Are the Most Common Questions About This Topic
Q: Can Verve AI help with behavioral interviews?
A: Yes — it uses STAR and CAR frameworks to guide real-time answers.
Q: How many STAR stories should I prepare?
A: Aim for 6–8 stories covering leadership, conflict, initiative, and problem-solving.
Q: Should I memorize answers word-for-word?
A: No — memorize frameworks and key facts, then adapt naturally to each question.
Q: How should I handle salary questions early in the process?
A: Give a range based on research; pivot to role fit and responsibilities if possible.
Q: Are virtual and in-person interviews different?
A: Core content is the same; test tech and body language for virtual formats.
Q: How long should my answers be?
A: Keep most answers 60–90 seconds; use longer detail only for major examples.
(Each answer is concise and focused to give a practical next step.)
Conclusion
Preparing for the top 30 common interview questions is a mix of mapping your experience to role needs, practicing structured stories (STAR/CAR/SOAR), and rehearsing delivery in the format the interviewer will use. Use the question categories above to build a targeted prep plan: write concise openers, stock a library of measurable STAR stories, rehearse situational approaches, and prepare sharp questions for the interviewer. Preparation reduces anxiety and increases clarity — and the right tools can help you practice and stay present. Try Verve AI Interview Copilot to feel confident and prepared for every interview.
