TOP Job Interview Questions & How To Answer Them in 2024

How to answer the most difficult question in a job interview. Tell me about yourself. Thanks for coming in for today's interview. So, tell me a little bit about yourself. Um... Oh, well, I'm a Leo with Virgo Rising, so that should tell you everything you need to know about me. You know what? I suddenly forgot everything about who I am as a person. Sure. I am video editor. Which means I edit video. Okay, so they're not actually asking for your whole life story. They just want you to kick off the interview and tell them a story that makes them think, wow, they sound like they'd be a great fit for this role. So let's try that again. Thanks for coming in for today's interview. So, tell me a little bit about yourself. Sure. So, I grew up right outside of Washington, D.C. in Silver Spring, Maryland, and I've always known that I wanted to work in the film industry. I went to film school, and throughout college, I worked on a variety of sets, and I interned at companies like NPR and National Geographic. In May, I graduated cum laude with dual degrees in film and marketing, and I've been working as a freelance video editor for production companies in the area. But now I've reached a point where I'm looking to work with a team of robust creatives who I can collaborate with on a daily basis. I've been following Production Studio for a while, so when I saw that you had an opening for a video editor, I knew I had to apply. You got this! And follow for more. How to answer walk me through your resume in a job interview. Hi, thanks for coming in today. So, can we start off by you walking me through your resume? No. Can you read or— Well, at the top of my resume, you will see my full name. Then underneath that, you will see my contact information, my phone number, my email, my LinkedIn URL. And then underneath that— Hi, thanks for coming in today. So, can we start off by you walking me through your resume? Sure, I'd be happy to. So, as you can see, I went to UMD for marketing. I got my bachelor's degree. And I was heavily involved in campus activities like student government and volunteering. In college, I worked at a restaurant since I put myself through school. And I did a couple internships at two marketing agencies. After school, I accepted a full-time position at a marketing agency where I focused on data analytics. And I've been there for about two years. And I also listed a skills section with some of the softwares that I'm familiar with, like Tableau, MATLAB, Metabase. Oh, and I'm fluent in Spanish. You got this! And follow for more. How to answer what is your greatest strength in a job interview without sounding cocky. So, next question. Um, what would you say are your greatest strengths? Well, I'm smart, likable, highly intelligent, decisive, intellectual, clever, confident, humble— Did I already say software? —people person. Um, I'd have to say, like, I don't know, something like, uh, communication. Communication. Oh, you know, I'm just, like, chill. You know, down to hang, super easy to be around, you know, down for anything. So, next question. Um, what would you say are your greatest strengths? My previous manager would oftentimes compliment me on my dependability, which always meant a lot to me. I value integrity and being someone that you can trust with important tasks. I'm the type of person that you can count on, and that's something that I really take pride in. One of the best things that I bring to the table is my attitude. I'm not one to complain or give up or despair when something goes wrong. I'm solution-oriented. I can get over obstacles. I can get over hurdles. And I know that some things just take time and communication. My greatest strength is my background in teaching. I developed incredible patience, a strong work ethic, and solid communication skills. If I can keep a classroom of 30 13-year-olds in check while creating engaging ways to teach about the Revolutionary War, I can handle anything. You got this! Follow for more. Thanks for coming in today. So, what would you say is your greatest strength? Um, well, I'm, like, a good employee. I mean, I show up on time. I'm extremely intelligent. Not me blinking on an answer. Time management. Is that right? That's what the internet told me to say. Thanks for coming in today. So, what would you say is your greatest strength? I've had previous managers tell me that I'm really dependable. They can always count on me to get the job done right and on time, and that always means a lot to me when I hear that. One of my greatest strengths is tenacity. If I have a goal, I will do whatever it takes to get there, and I always believe that there's a solution. I'm resourceful, I'm scrappy, and I'll never give up without a fight. Something that I've been complimented on in the past is my attitude. No matter what's going on, I always try to bring positive energy to the team, and I've been told this is something that people really appreciate. You got this, and follow for more. What would you say is your greatest weakness? Hmm, I'd have to say... I'm a perfectionist. Ooh, wrong answer. What? Why? I actually am a perfectionist. I get so obsessed with the little details, and I can't finish a project until it's absolutely perfect. So, the problem with that answer is that you're describing a character flaw. What? So, you're saying, I'm a perfectionist. That's like saying, I'm a kleptomaniac, or I'm a narcissist, or I'm a burden to my parents. You okay? Yes. What I'm trying to say is, you have to separate the weakness from yourself. So, instead of saying, I am a perfectionist, which, by the way, is never a good answer to this question, say you're going to want to say something like, I'm currently challenging myself to not get too attached to the details of a project. I tend to get bogged down by the small details and forget to zoom out and see the bigger picture. So, to combat this, I keep a little sticky note next to my desktop to remind me to zoom out. Wow, that makes a lot of sense. Thank you. So, do you want to talk about the whole parent thing? That's okay, I'm working through it in therapy. Follow for more. So, next question. Can you tell me about a time that you failed? Uh... Tell me about a time you went above and beyond for a client. Uh... Tell me about a time you showed leadership. Well... What about a time you disagreed with your boss? Erin, I need your help. Oh, don't worry, I got you. Okay, so these are called behavioral job interview questions. And they're really difficult to answer because they want a very specific story type right on the spot. They're not going to, like, fact check the story. They just want to get a good sense of your character and professionalism. And most of these questions are asking the same thing, which is basically, how have you dealt with conflict and difficult situations? And if you're stuck, just use the STAR method. Let's try it again. So, can you tell me about a time that you disagreed with your boss and how you handled that? Sure. So, in my previous role, I was working as a marketing associate for a tech startup and my boss and I had a really great working relationship. We were working on a marketing campaign for a new product and my boss wanted to take a more traditional approach, focusing on advertising. However, I felt that leveraging social media influencers and UGC would be more effective for this product. So, I approached my boss, I made my case, I showed all the research and data to support my suggestion, and in the end, we decided to split the budget and test out both methods. We reached a wide audience, we gained a ton of insights, and the campaign was a huge success. You got this! And follow for more. How to answer the most annoying job interview question ever. Tell me about a time you made a mistake at work. Thanks for coming in for today's interview. So, can you tell me about a time that you made a mistake at work? Hmm, I don't think I can think of any. Pssst, I don't make mistakes, bro. One day at a time. We're all evolving and growing. I don't make mistakes. Oh, this one time I made this accounting error and I lost a client a bunch of money, but you know, hindsight's 20-20, we can all laugh about it now. Can you tell me about a time that you made a mistake at work? Oh, oh yeah. I have a story for you. So, when I first started at my last job, I hopped on a call with my boss to present to a client. This is honestly so embarrassing, telling this back now. So, I get done with the client presentation, and my boss calls me. And he tells me that he was actually supposed to be the one to present to the client, not me. You know, that's what the client was expecting, and he just let me keep going because, honestly, I didn't give him a break to interrupt me. And he said I just seemed so excited. I was mortified. And I certainly now know to check in with my boss or my team before client presentations to make sure that everyone's on the same page. You got this! And follow for more. How to answer the most annoying job interview question ever. Tell me about a time you failed. Alright, next question. Can you tell me about a time that you failed? Oh, I failed my driver's license test like four times. At my last job, I lost this huge account, but it really wasn't my fault. My coworker just refused to do her job, and my boss did not believe me. Next question. You know, I don't really believe in the word failure. Everything is a learning opportunity. Oh, I failed econ in college. Okay, next question. Tell me about a time that you failed. In my previous role, I was in charge of this project that had a really tight deadline and a ton of moving parts. As the project manager, I was tasked with client communication, and I made the mistake of overpromising just to please the client. This led to the client being understandably irritated when I had to inform them that we were behind schedule. And as it turns out, the client chose to not renew their contract with the company. I take full ownership of my mistakes, and I use what I've learned to become a better project manager. I now know that being upfront and honest with clients is key to developing trust and fostering long-term relationships. You got this! Follow up your work. How to answer one of the most difficult job interview questions. Tell me about a time you disagreed with your boss or coworker. Hi, thanks for coming in today. So, can you tell me about a time that you disagreed with a coworker or your boss? Oh, buckle up. I have a story for you. Nope, I'm a pretty agreeable person. And this girl who sat next to me was always bossing everyone around, and I just told her she was annoying. Hi, thanks for coming in today. So, can you tell me about a time you disagreed with a coworker or your boss? Yes, I do actually have a story that comes to mind. So, my team was working on a campaign where the client really wanted to reference a particular TikTok trend. Everyone on the team, including my manager, was really excited about it, but I honestly had this gut feeling that it was inappropriate for this client to participate in that trend, and it might lead to backlash online. So, although I was just a junior account executive, I immediately brought up this concern to my manager because it was in the best interest of the company and the client. After I pointed out the issue, my manager immediately agreed and got on the phone with the client. We were able to pivot the messaging for the campaign, and it ended up being a huge success. You've got this, and follow for more. How to answer one of the most annoying interview questions ever. Where do you see yourself in five years? So, where do you see yourself in five years? Um, I don't know. Oh, you know, I like to go with the flow, not to put myself in a box of limitations. Well, ideally, I'd be working for your competitor. Oh, five years from now, I see myself traveling the world, enjoying life, drinking lots of wine. So, where do you see yourself in five years? It's hard to know what life is going to look like in five years. I mean, as we've seen, the world can be very unpredictable. But while I do like to maintain flexibility, adaptability, and an open mind, I do have specific ambitions and goals. Five years from now, I'd like to be in a role where I'm leading a creative team. I'd like to be working on projects that I'm excited about for campaigns that I really believe in. Becoming a creative director or having a senior leadership role is definitely a goal that I'm working towards. You got this, and follow for more. How to answer this tricky job interview question, why are you looking for a new job? So, why are you looking for a new job? Oh, I need to get out of my current company. My boss is a psycho, my co-workers are idiots, and the pay sucks. Wait, don't say that. Why not? It's true. So, this is kind of a trick question. They're not really asking, why are you looking for a new job? What they're really doing is asking, what's a deal breaker for you? What makes you want to leave the company? Are you going to quit after working here for a week? Are you a culture fit? Are you going to bring drama? Like, what's the situation here? And so, you want to design your answer in a way where they think, that's perfectly reasonable. So, of course, be genuine, but try to keep it positive and forward facing. So, why are you looking for a new job? I actually wasn't actively looking for a new job. I'm pretty content with the work in my current role. But a friend sent me this listing because they knew that I've been interested in this company, particularly since your acquisition of ABC. So, when I saw that you had an opening for a software engineer and I read the description, I knew I had to apply. In my current role, I work on the agency side, which I've thoroughly enjoyed. But after three years, I'm craving a switch to the client side. I want to work in-house with a single athletic brand like Nike. I've been so impressed with your in-house teams, campaigns, and strategies. I'm just eager to join the team and contribute my expertise. Honestly, I'm not just looking for any new job. I'm actively applying for this one. I'm very intentional about my career decisions, and I wouldn't be here if I didn't think that I was a great fit for this role. I've worked in customer success for three years, and I've met or exceeded my quota every single quarter. XYZ is a great product, and I know where customers' pain points are. I'm eager to join the team and contribute my expertise to the role. You got this! And follow for more.