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Top Interview Questions and

Sample Answers: A Complete
Guide
What do people in this job do?
Answer: Be sure to review the job description or job posting online in full detail. With this in-
terview question, you want to answer according to how that company treats the position. Some
positions at companies will vary from the baseline job description you would see online.

What do you know about this company?

Answer: State your understanding of the companies past. You should review the company
about page and research the company origins before answering. Take your time to understand
the companies overall direction. Use tools like Finviz or other Press Releases that can be found
online to help reiterate where you believe the company is heading.

Why do you want to work here?

Answer: State supportive cultural reasons as your passion. Reference why you feel the environ-
ment will help you develop as a professional and person. For example, “The way the company
embraces innovation makes me feel like every day I’m here will be a new learning experience.”

What can you contribute to this company?

Answer: State your previous work achievements in prior roles that are either similar or identi-
cal to the role you’re applying for. For example, “It was clear you want to see a revenue growth
you this year. Last year I was able to 4X inbound leads, which ultimately led to more than 10X
revenue growth. I’d like to bring those skills and talents to this business.”

What is the name of our CEO?

Answer: Be sure you familiarize yourself with the company about page before attending your
interview. It will protect you against trick questions like this, which challenge how prepared
you are.

How did you find out about this job?

Answer: Your answer should be straight forward and clear. If you found the job by an online
job listing, don’t hesitate to mention that. Honesty goes a long way here.

If you were hiring a person for this job, what would you look for?
Answer: Be sure to reiterate to your interviewer the qualities or qualifications that you read
in the job advertisement or job description. For example, “I noticed this job requires a lot of
cross-team collaboration. I would be looking for an adaptable candidate who is humble with
their work.”

What interests you about this job?

Answer: Mention four to five supportive reasons for why you feel you’d be interested in the po-
sition. These should be reasons that align with your own personal passions. For example, “I’m
interested in being exposed to the marketing department, being exposed to this type of indus-
try, being exposed to SaaS products, and being able to apply my sales abilities to drive success.”
Who are our competitors?
Answer: If you feel companies are potential competitors, you should list them. If you aren’t ex-
actly correct, that is okay. Be sure to spend time reading Press Releases and being familiar with
the business category before joining the interview. For example, in an interview at J.P. Morgan,
your answer would be Chase Bank and Bank of America.

Why do you want this job?

Answer: It’s okay to have some fun with your answer. If you want to say, “Why wouldn’t I want
this job?” That’s okay. Just be sure you and the interviewer are sharing chemistry in the con-
versation before doing so. List your supportive reasons and passions for the job. This interview
question is similar to what interests you about the job.

What other jobs are you looking at?

Answer: Never mention competitor names in particular. Mention your generic reasoning. For
example, “I’m looking at other positions that expose me to marketing and sales opportunities.”

What do you hope to get out of this job?

Answer: Your answer should be structured in a way that supports your potential career de-
velopment opportunities. Don’t focus your answer on what you may personally gain for the
position. For example, a bad answer would be, “I would gain an income.” A good answer would
be, “I get to learn more about marketing and sales automation.”

What would you do in the first 30/60/90 days on the job?

Answer: Your answer should be structured. For the first 30 and 60 days of your employment,
you should be focused on learning. For example, you would say, “For the first two months, I
want to learn what’s working and what isn’t. That’s going to take me some time.” Then say, “Af-
ter that, around the 90-day mark, I expect to be more involved in the role and not only be pick-
ing up where the previous colleague left off but advancing and optimizing my performance.”

What do you think we could do differently or better?

Answer: Your answer should be structured against competitors. For example, “I see your com-
petitors are focused on sales automation. But we aren’t. That’s an area where I think we could
use some improvement.”

How have your interviews been going?

Answer: Be honest and humble. An example answer would be, “I’m excited to be here. The
interviews have been going great, and I hope I’ve been answering questions in an informative
way for my interviewers.”

What is the difference between our competitors and us?

Answer: Mentioning some qualities would be great here. For example, “I see our branding is
much better than our competitors.” Or, “We seem to comprehend marketing better than our
competitors.”
What do you think you’ll be doing daily?
Answer: A good answer will contain a reiteration of the job requirements and duties. For ex-
ample, “A lot of my role will be around collaboration, communication, and ensuring that the
expectations and outcomes of the role and being facilitates.”

Ask for their views on an industry trend.

Answer: A good answer for this would be an opinionated one. Something like, “I feel like sales
automation is the new normal. And we should expect it to stay”

Ask for their views on a product or service for which you are well known.
Answer: A good answer would be one that outlines a product or service and why it is “good.”
For example, “The iPhone is an incredible tool. We use it daily. It is our lifeline to information
and knowledge. It changed our world.”

Who have you spoken with at our firm?

Answer: An answer to this is one that is affirming the interview process. Simply mention the
names, if any, of the people you’ve spoken with at the business or firm.

If you were running the firm or business, what direction would you take it in?
Answer: This answer should be made carefully. Be sure to speak to the qualities that you feel
the CEO is doing well. For example, “I’m very proud of the fact that your company embraces
diversity. That would be a quality I would keep. Aside from that, I might focus more on small
and medium-sized businesses.”

What applicable attributes/experience do you have?

Answer: Your answer should contain a reiteration of achievements that align with the job
duties and responsibilities. For example, “I’m great at driving revenue. I see that is a big part of
this role.”

What changes would you make if you came on board?

Answer: Your answer should tread carefully. It is impossible to know what you would change
without being in the role for at least 90 days. An example answer would be, “It’s tough to know
what’s working well and not working well. But I would hope I can improve communication, as
there’s always room for improvement in that department.”

How would you go about building business relationships within the company once hired?
Answer: You should follow this one, “I would aim to meet with department heads and employ-
ees with who I will have close contact. Then I would aim to meet with executives to learn more
about their vision for the company and how I could drive that forward.”

Tell me something negative you’ve heard about our company.

Answer: An example answer would be the following, “I have heard that the environment can
sometimes be difficult for those who can’t perform. And that they feel they might be let go
because of it.”
Are you overqualified for this job?
Answer: An example answer would be, “Absolutely not. My qualifications and the potential for
me to learn in this role are separate from one another. And you’ve shown me what I can learn
and gain from this role, and that’s why I’m here.”

Is there anything I haven’t told you about the job or company that you would like to know?
Answer: This is a question where having at least one to four questions prepared to ask when the
interview is complete is important. You might have questions regarding the role. Be sure to ask
them when you hear this question.

What challenges are you looking for in a position?

Answer: It’s important to mention your own personal desired challenges. For example, “I’m
looking forward to being exposed to marketing automation, sales automation, and sales goals.
These will be healthy new challenges for me.”

Tell me a time when you faced a major challenge or obstacle. How did you handle it?
Answer: It’s important to mention an obstacle that is related to the job function. For example,
learning to program. Or learning what content marketing means. Mention a story that relates
to the type of desired qualities you might picture your hiring manager wanting to see.

Describe a major change at work. How did you adapt?

Answer: A great major challenge is when the team changes. For example, “My team was dis-
banded last year, and it was a big change. We had worked together for a long time, and it
required me to rethink my approach to work. But later, I realized this change helped me to
become a better employee.”

Tell me about the most boring job you’ve ever had.

Answer: Your answer should contain a reference to what aspects of the job you found boring,
not the job itself. For example, “I was never bored with my last job. But when I was working at
a Coffee Shop, it was hard not to have customers to talk to and make an amazing experience
for.”

What would you do if a fellow executive on your own corporate level wasn’t pulling his/her
weight and this was hurting your department?
Answer: Your answer should look like the following, “This can be a difficult situation. For the
most part, I have to trust that it may be me if I am feeling this way. Or if it a quantitive piece
of feedback, that I should bring it up to our CEO. But when or if I did, it would not be in an
attacking way. I would aim to learn from the situation and ensure we’re on the right track.”

What’s some feedback that you’ve received that was difficult to hear but ultimately has proven
really valuable?
Answer: An example answer would be the following, “It was difficult for me to hear that it was
hard to take criticism and feedback. However, it is vital to my work. When I accepted what I
was doing, I advanced as a professional.”
Would you rather finish something late and perfectly, or on-time and imperfectly?
Answer: This is a difficult question and one that should be answered like the following, “I
would rather deliver something on-time and imperfectly because it will have initiated the proj-
ect. You have to get the ball rolling. Nothing is perfect.”

Give examples of ideas you’ve had or implemented.

Answer: Your answer should contain not only example ideas but ways that your ideas made an
impact or created a work achievement for you. For example, “I was able to bring awareness to
our sales team that we need a CRM. Once I did, we were able to turn over more than 25% of
our client base through this change.”

Describe a time when you worked as part of a team.

Answer: Your answer should contain a mention of how you collaborate with others. Think of
this as an opportunity to present your teamwork and collaboration skills. For example, “I loved
working with the innovation team. We would never say no. It was always an opportunity to
improve an idea. We embraced the notion that all ideas needed to be improved until we felt
comfortable deploying it.”

How would you go about establishing your credibility quickly with the team?
Answer: Your answer should contain verbal communication tactics. For example, “I would sit
down with each team member individually at my last job and understand what they felt could
be improved in the role. Then make my assessment from there.”

What type of work environment do you prefer?

Answer: Your answer should describe their work environment. For example, “I prefer a work
environment that strives for the best outcomes and that focuses on our customers. Doing this
through collaboration and driving success is what fuels the passion for the work.”

Tell me about a time when you motivated others.

Answer: Your answer should contain a summary of the work situation, what action you took,
and the outcome that occurred from your actions. For example, “Our team went through a lot
of changes last year. And it wasn’t until we decided to embrace solving one particular problem
for our customer that fueled our inspiration. We didn’t focus on ourselves but our customers.
And I was happy to be the one to emphasize how we needed to do that.”

Tell me about an experience speaking in front of/presenting to a big group.

Answer: If you don’t have the experience to share, you should mention that. But if you do,
describe the feeling you had: the uncertainty and the need to be prepared. And then what the
outcome was for you after the event.

What assignment was too difficult for you, and how did you resolve the issue?
Answer: An example answer would look like the following, “I was tasked with increasing rev-
enue through one of our online portals. It was something I was unfamiliar with. I tried a few
times but failed. Eventually, I realized that I needed some guidance. So I looked internally to
seek an apprenticeship with one of our better colleagues. From there, I learned and overcame
the information that I needed to succeed in the business.”

If you had to choose one, would you consider yourself a big-picture person or a detail-oriented
person?
Answer: Detail-oriented person. Companies don’t need big-picture people unless you’re the
CEO.

Give an example of a goal you set and how you achieved it.
Answer: Your answer should contain a reference to either a personal or work goal that shows
commitment. For example, “I wanted to be able to run a marathon. I decided to train for more
than a few months. I started small, kept a track record of my results, then moved upward. It
took me only a few months to realize that starting small, tracking my success was the key to
success.”

Give an example of managing multiple tasks and projects/responsibilities at once.

Answer: “We were nearing a deadline and one of our colleagues fell ill. I decided to jump in
and fill their responsibilities during this stressful time. I focused on only what was important
to accomplish out of that other role. And I was reminded to keep things moving forward in-
stead of trying to be perfect. Ultimately, we stayed on track, delivered our results, and retained
the client we were working with.”

What do you do when work interferes with your personal life?

Answer: Your answer should be honest. An example would be, “Sometimes I have difficulty
separating the two. Because I’m so passionate about my work, I’m constantly thinking about it.
For me, the way to resolve this is to be passionate about my work so that it feels close to home.”

Tell me about a time when you had to make a split-second decision.

Answer: Your answer should contain a work situation, your challenge, the action you took, and
the resolution that occurred from it. For example, “I had to decide to cut advertising spending
when our website went down. By doing so, I knew we would lose sales, but I also knew the web-
site could be down for a long time. It was the right thing to do. In the long run, we lost sales but
saved nearly $15,000 that day in advertising losses.”

Tell me about a time when you anticipated potential problems and took measures to prevent
them.
Answer: Your answer should contain a work situation, your challenge, the action you took, and
the resolution that occurred from it. For example, “I was prepared for our market to make a
change when I realized we were at all-time highs. When our market changed, I knew that our
business models would as well. So I decided to start expanding our business models and get out
of just a single revenue stream. The idea was to stay hedged and protected.”

Tell me about an accomplishment you are most proud of.

Answer: Your answer shouldn’t brag about your achievements. But it should reference one. For
example, “I was most proud of my accomplishment of increasing revenue for Apple last year.
It’s not just about the success I was able to create but also how it returned revenue to our com-
pany and kept jobs available. This is what made me proud, happy, and humbled to be part of
the business.”

Give a time when you went above and beyond the requirements for a project.
Answer: Your answer should contain a work situation, your challenge, the action you took, and
the resolution that occurred from it. An example answer would be, “I remember one of our
clients was asking for feedback on their project. And we didn’t really have the time to do so. But
I decided to stay late one night, get the work done quickly but effectively. Then deliver it to our
client. They were so happy that they referred us to another client for business. That was impact-
ful for me and the business.”

Have you ever mentored anyone?

Answer: Your answer should be made with honestly. If you have, mention why it was impactful
to you. If you have not, mention why you would love to do so.

What are some of your leadership experiences? Tell me about a time you were in a leadership
position.
Answer: Your answer should contain a work situation, your challenge, the action you took, and
the resolution that occurred from it. For example, “The time when our team needed to be re-
calibrated after a team member left was important. I could have felt sad and disappointed. But
instead, I focused on work and rallied our team around the problem and customer. It helped.”

Tell me about a time when you had to decide with imperfect or incomplete information.
Answer: Your answer should contain a work situation, your challenge, the action you took, and
the resolution that occurred from it. For example, “I remember deciding stopping our advertis-
ing revenue when the website was down. I wasn’t sure how long it was going to be down for. If I
stopped spending money on advertising, it would take a day to get back up and running. But I
knew if we kept it live, we would lose a lot of money. I decided to cut the advertising spending,
and it proved to be effective. The website was down for 24-hours, and we saved nearly $15,000
in advertising spend.”

Tell me about a time when you learned something new in a concise amount of time.
Answer: Your answer should contain a work situation, your challenge, the action you took, and
the resolution that occurred from it. For example, “I remember having to learn about content
marketing. It was because our traffic was dropping on paid acquisition channels. I spent nights
reading and decided to invest my time in writing articles versus anything else. It proved to be
fruitful over the next 6-months as our traffic and customer acquisition evened out.”

What do you do when priorities change quickly?

Answer: Your answer should be made with honesty and with your own personality in mind.
For example, “I try to keep a level head. Focus on the customer. Focus on our customer’s prob-
lems. Not my own.”

How do you set priorities when you have multiple urgent deadlines?
Answer: An example answer would be, “I try to think through the potential outcomes and pri-
oritize not based on time but impact. Both positive and negative impacts.”

What is the most competitive work situation you have been in? How did you handle it?
Answer: An answer should contain a work situation, action you took, and positive outcome
from that action. For example, “I recall competing with a colleague over an internal hire po-
sition. I wanted to make sure we didn’t lose chemistry working together when only one of us
would receive the job offer. I recall sitting down with him/her and discussing that we wouldn’t
lose our working relationship over the desire to fill the role. It was the right thing to do. And
tested my verbal communication abilities.”

Do you have a salary expectation for this position?

Answer: “Well, I’m asking for $120,000 to $130,000, and that’s because I did research and
found that it’s the average salary range for this role in that geography. Besides, I’d like to pro-
vide myself an 8% raise when I enter a new job. And so I feel like this is a fair ask that thinks
about the company instead of just myself.”

How do you keep a work-life balance?

Answer: I try to remind myself that there will always be another day tomorrow. And try to
stay focused on prioritizing the most important work first. This is where my prioritization and
research skills become a value to my own work.

What are your long-term career goals?

Answer: I aspire to be a leader. In whatever way that comes to fruition. Being able to serve our
customers through hard work, dedication, research, and seeing their needs be met. For me,
that’s the form of leadership I see myself being in. As to what position that means, that’s hard to
predict.