Good Answers to Interview Questions, Especially the Tough Ones

Getting thrown off by a question at an interview can be an extremely stressful and frustrating situation. Despite being well prepared to discuss your work history, personality traits, and what you can bring the company, sometimes an interviewer may ask open-ended questions to which they are no specific “correct” answers or ask direct follow-ups about how your work experience will be relevant to the position to which you applied. Keeping your cool is key—but, it also might help if you tried to anticipate some of the tougher questions that may be thrown your way. Here are good answers to interview questions

“Where do you see yourself in a year? 5 years? 10 years?”

This question seems a bit cliché, but that’s because it does get asked a lot on interviews. Ahead of the interview, try to generally outline where you see your career going in the near and distant future. There are no wrong answers here, but try to frame your answer in a way that may be relevant to the company. Use this opportunity to find out more about the company. If you see yourself in higher roles or more supervisory positions down the line, ask the interviewer about opportunities for growth, higher positions that may be available to you within the first few years, as well as their retention rate. It will show you’ve thought about your future in general, but also how your goals may fit in with the company. It’s also a good way to create a dialogue with your interviewer, as opposed to simply having a Q&A session.

“What are some of your shortcomings?” or “In what areas do you think you need improvement?”

You’ve just spent the last 20 minutes describing how experienced and diligent a worker you are, detailing your many skills and talents—and then you get hit with this. Honesty is the best policy here. Interviewers ask this question not necessarily to discover negative things about you, but to gauge your self-awareness and how the company might actually help you grow. But while being honest, make sure to frame your answers in a positive way. Say, “I would like to get better at…” as opposed to “I’m really bad at…” You can also target your answers specifically toward what you’ve learned about the position or the company itself. For example: “I’ve been successful working independently, but I would welcome the opportunity to work in a more team-oriented setting, like the one you have here.” The one thing you don’t want to do when asked about your shortcomings is say, “None that I think of.” It will appear disingenuous and might also tell the interviewer that you’re not open to constructive criticism or to bettering yourself.

“Why are you leaving your current position?”

Again, honesty is always the best approach; however, you don’t want to be too truthful if you’re coming out of a negative situation. Bad-mouthing your present employer is never a good idea. Frame the answer more toward the better growth opportunities available at the company you’re interviewing with. Bring it back to why you applied in the first place and what drew you to the company. If the reasons for leaving are more practical (e.g., distance, downsizing, change of roles), simply give those reasons. Employers know people apply to jobs for different reasons.

“Why should we hire you?”

A general answer about your skills and experience won’t quite cut it here. Hopefully by the time this question comes up, you have already had a dialogue about the position and the company itself. Tie those skills and experience directly to the company’s goals and expectations. Explain the value you would bring to the company. Detail talents you have that aren’t necessarily essential to the position but that would make you a versatile employee, able to thrive outside of your comfort zone, in different roles than you’re applying for.

“Is there anything else you want to ask me?”

You should have a number of targeted questions in your mind to ask the employer during the interview. Ask specifics about workflow process, growth opportunities, work-life balance, and even questions about salary and benefits. You should be curious about the company. Think about the things you wish you’d known about your present employer before you were hired and craft questions to ask on your interview.

Interviews can be a nerve-wracking experience. But, if you approach the interview as an opportunity to detail your strengths as a candidate and to find out pertinent information about hiring companies, the hard questions won’t seem so daunting. Rather, they’ll challenge you to think about your approach to work and what you value in yourself and a potential employer.