How To Answer 23 of The Most Common in

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How to Answer 23 of the Most Common

Interview Questions
By Paul Michael on 4 October 2007
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Let's face it; no one likes the interview process. Well, certainly not the people
being interviewed anyway. You have to be on your best behavior, you only get
one chance to get it right, and it's like taking your driving test all over again.
Over the years I've been to countless interviews. To get my first job out of
http://www.wisebread.com/how-to-answer-23-of-the-most-common-interview-questions 4/12/2016
college I attended some 15-20 interviews a week. Whether it was in Britain or

over here in the States, the questions never really seemed to change from job
to job. Not only that, but the answers to them are usually the same, with your
own personal interpretation of course. Here I present 23 questions you're likely
to be asked, and how I have learned to answer them. Why 23? Because I had
more than 20 and less than 25. Remember, being interviewed is a skill, and if
you do the preparation you should ace it every time. (See also: 12 Unique Ways
to Score a Job Interview)
1. So, tell me a little about yourself.

I'd be very surprised if you haven't been asked this one at every interview. It's
probably the most asked question because it sets the stage for the interview
and it gets you talking. Be careful not to give the interviewer your life story
here. You don't need to explain everything from birth to present day. Relevant
facts about education, your career and your current life situation are fine.
2. Why are you looking (or why did you leave you last job)?
This should be a straightforward question to answer, but it can trip you up.
Presumably you are looking for a new job (or any job) because you want to
advance your career and get a position that allows you to grow as a person and
an employee. It's not a good idea to mention money here, it can make you
sound mercenary. And if you are in the unfortunate situation of having been
downsized, stay positive and be as brief as possible about it. If you were fired,
you'll need a good explanation. But once again, stay positive.
3. Tell me what you know about this company.

Do your homework before you go to any interview. Whether it's being the VP of
marketing or the mailroom clerk, you should know about the company or
business you're going to work for. Has this company been in the news lately?
Who are the people in the company you should know about? Do the background
work, it will make you stand out as someone who comes prepared, and is
genuinely interested in the company and the job.
4. Why do you want to work at X Company?

This should be directly related to the last question. Any research you've done on
the company should have led you to the conclusion that you'd want to work
there. After all, you're at the interview, right? Put some thought into this answer
before you have your interview, mention your career goals and highlight
forward-thinking goals and career plans.
5. What relevant experience do you have?

Hopefully if you're applying for this position you have bags of related
experience, and if that's the case you should mention it all. But if you're
switching careers or trying something a little different, your experience may
initially not look like it's matching up. That's when you need a little honest
creativity to match the experiences required with the ones you have. People
skills are people skills after all, you just need to show how customer service
skills can apply to internal management positions, and so on.
6. If your previous co-workers were here, what would they

say about you?
Ok, this is not the time for full disclosure. If some people from your past are
going to say you're a boring A-hole, you don't need to bring that up. Stay
positive, always, and maybe have a few specific quotes in mind. "They'd say I
was a hard worker" or even better "John Doe has always said I was the most
reliable, creative problem-solver he'd ever met."
7. Have you done anything to further your experience?

This could include anything from night classes to hobbies and sports. If it's
related, it's worth mentioning. Obviously anything to do with further education
is great, but maybe you're spending time on a home improvement project to

work on skills such as self-sufficiency, time management and motivation.
8. Where else have you applied?

This is a good way to hint that you're in demand, without sounding like you're
whoring yourself all over town. So, be honest and mention a few other
companies but don't go into detail. The fact that you're seriously looking and
keeping your options open is what the interviewer is driving at.
9. How are you when you're working under pressure?

Once again, there are a few ways to answer this but they should all be positive.
You may work well under pressure, you may thrive under pressure, and you
may actually prefer working under pressure. If you say you crumble like aged
blue cheese, this is not going to help you get your foot in the door.
10. What motivates you to do a good job?

The answer to this one is not money, even if it is. You should be motivated by
life's noble pursuits. You want recognition for a job well done. You want to
become better at your job. You want to help others or be a leader in your field.
11. What's your greatest strength?

This is your chance to shine. You're being asked to explain why you are a great
employee, so don't hold back and stay do stay positive. You could be someone
who thrives under pressure, a great motivator, an amazing problem solver or
someone with extraordinary attention to detail. If your greatest strength,
however, is to drink anyone under the table or get a top score on Mario Kart,
keep it to yourself. The interviewer is looking for work-related strengths.
12. What's your biggest weakness?
If you're completely honest, you may be kicking yourself in the butt. If you say
you don't have one, you're obviously lying. This is a horrible question and one
that politicians have become masters at answering. They say things like "I'm
perhaps too committed to my work and don't spend enough time with my
family." Oh, there's a fireable offense. I've even heard "I think I'm too good at
my job, it can often make people jealous." Please, let's keep our feet on the
ground. If you're asked this question, give a small, work-related flaw that you're
working hard to improve. Example: "I've been told I occasionally focus on
details and miss the bigger picture, so I've been spending time laying out the
complete project every day to see my overall progress."
13. Let's talk about salary. What are you looking for?
Run for cover! This is one tricky game to play in an interview. Even if you know
the salary range for the job, if you answer first you're already showing all your
cards. You want as much as possible, the employer wants you for as little as
you're willing to take. Before you apply, take a look at salary.com for a good
idea of what someone with your specific experience should be paid. You may
want to say, "well, that's something I've thought long and hard about and I
think someone with my experience should get between X & Y." Or, you could be
sly and say, "right now, I'm more interested in talking more about what the
position can offer my career." That could at least buy you a little time to scope
out the situation. But if you do have a specific figure in mind and you are
confident that you can get it, I'd say go for it. I have on many occasions, and
every time I got very close to that figure (both below and sometimes above).
14. Are you good at working in a team?

Unless you have the I.Q. of a houseplant, you'll always answer YES to this one.
It's the only answer. How can anyone function inside an organization if they are
a loner? You may want to mention what part you like to play in a team though;
it's a great chance to explain that you're a natural leader.
15. Tell me a suggestion you have made that was

implemented.
It's important here to focus on the word "implemented." There's nothing wrong
with having a thousand great ideas, but if the only place they live is on your
notepad what's the point? Better still, you need a good ending. If your previous
company took your advice and ended up going bankrupt, that's not such a great
example either. Be prepared with a story about an idea of yours that was taken
from idea to implementation, and considered successful.
16. Has anything ever irritated you about people you've

worked with?
Of course, you have a list as long as your arm. But you can't say that, it shows
you as being negative and difficult to work with. The best way to answer this
one is to think for a while and then say something like "I've always got on just
fine with my co-workers actually."
17. Is there anyone you just could not work with?

No. Well, unless you're talking about murderers, racists, rapists, thieves or
other dastardly characters, you can work with anyone. Otherwise you could be
flagged as someone who's picky and difficult if you say, "I can't work with
anyone who's a Bronco's fan. Sorry."
18. Tell me about any issues you've had with a previous

boss.
Arrgh! If you fall for this one you shouldn't be hired anyway. The interviewer is
testing you to see if you'll speak badly about your previous supervisor. Simply
answer this question with extreme tact, diplomacy and if necessary, a big fat
loss of memory. In short, you've never had any issues.
19. Would you rather work for money or job satisfaction?

It's not a very fair question is it? We'd all love to get paid a Trump-like salary
doing a job we love but that's rare indeed. It's fine to say money is important,
but remember that NOTHING is more important to you than the job. Otherwise,
you're just someone looking for a bigger paycheck.
20. Would you rather be liked or feared?

I have been asked this a lot, in various incarnations. The first time I just drew a
blank and said, "I don't know." That went over badly, but it was right at the
start of my career when I had little to no experience. Since then I've realized
that my genuine answer is "Neither, I'd rather be respected." You don't want to
be feared because fear is no way to motivate a team. You may got the job done
but at what cost? Similarly, if you're everyone's best friend you'll find it difficult
to make tough decisions or hit deadlines. But when you're respected, you don't
have to be a complete bastard or a lame duck to get the job done.
21. Are you willing to put the interests of X Company ahead

of your own?
Again, another nasty question. If you say yes, you're a corporate whore who
doesn't care about family. If you say no, you're disloyal to the company. I'm
afraid that you'll probably have to say yes to this one though, because you're
trying to be the perfect employee at this point, and perfect employees don't cut
out early for Jimmy's baseball game.
22. So, explain why I should hire you.

As I'm sure you know, "because I'm great" or "I really need a job" are not good
answers here. This is a time to give the employer a laundry list of your greatest
talents that just so happen to match the job description. It's also good to avoid
taking potshots at other potential candidates here. Focus on yourself and your
talents, not other people's flaws.
23. Finally, do you have any questions to ask me?

I'll finish the way I started, with one of the most common questions asked in
interviews. This directly relates to the research you've done on the company
and also gives you a chance to show how eager and prepared you are. You'll
probably want to ask about benefits if they haven't been covered already. A
good generic one is "how soon could I start, if I were offered the job of course."
You may also ask what you'd be working on. Specifically, in the role you're
applying for and how that affects the rest of the company. Always have
questions ready, greeting this one with a blank stare is a rotten way to finish
your interview. Good luck and happy job hunting.
Want more interview tips? Read up here:
How NOT to Answer 10 of the Most Common Interview Questions

5 Things Never to Bring Up in a Job Interview
10 Words to Never Use in a Job Interview
5 Questions You Should Ask at Every Job Interview
10 Body Language Mistakes That Sabotage Most Interviews
13 Ways to Make a Good First Impression at Your Next Job Interview
10 Things You Did Wrong at Your Last Job Interview
This Interview Technique Will Get You Hired
How to Answer Weird Interview Questions
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ALYA
There was once I missed on a big company because I fumbled with the term Healthcare Provider and
Healthcase Solutions Provider. I was doing fine with all the questions until he came to number 4. I had the
right words in my mind but the wrong words came out from my mouth. He felt I did not do my research
properly. The interviewer became angry and corrected me. I apologised but I could see he lost his interest.
This was way back after I graduated from college. Since then I became very cautious and I sit and practice
infront of the mirror, sometimes I even use the PC to record my voice as I am practising my answers so as I
can judge myself and be more careful. After that episode, I learnt to pass all my interviews!
REPLY
GUEST
I think your flub was a blessing in disguise. Any interviewer who would become angry is a poor
representative of a company or business. Imagine working in that climate....
HAHA
looks like you need to learn how to freaking spell, go back to college, dude!
GUEST
Hopefully you've learned to spell. Learnt?
FAYE
Uh, guys, "learnt" IS in fact, acceptable English. It is like "burnt," "knelt," "spilt," etc.
Perhaps research would be a good idea next time.
GUEST
nothin like bein a grammar nazi only to find out you're a jew.
GUEST
The interviewer sounds tightly wound, if you ask me - yikes! To most of the people making
comments about Alya's use of the term 'learnt' - why don't back off and retreat back to the
pedastal you came down from?
BEN
To everyone saying Alya has bad spelling, I'll just say this. I don't think she's spelling anything
wrong. I'd say she's British. "Apoligised...practising...learnt." That's how they spell stuff there.
Kind of like they use colour and favourite.
GUEST
Some people are obviously unaware that there are other countries in this world and that the
spelling of certain words varies. Ignorance!
HA
I agree..blessing in diguise! I wouldn't want to work for someone who is that anal! When I'm
being interviewed by a manager, I am also determining whether I want to work for them. It's
important to have the right fit!
GUEST
Agreed - lesson learned, but this interviewer seems like he was probably just nasty. Like some
faceless folk on the internet. It was probably better that you didn't get the job. What a work
environment that would have been.
GUEST
You know half of you guys shouldn't be allowed to post on here. It very much seems like Alya is
British as the spelling is perfect as far as I can see... and I'm British. Anyway, that's beside the
point, wasn't the main topic of conversation supposed to be the 'interviewer' and the method of
'practising' for the interview?! Stop being so anal people... god help anyone that's ever
interviewed by you!!
PAUL MICHAEL
Doing a dry run or practising in front of the mirror are both great ways to overcome any possible issues you
may have with certain questions.
REPLY
RYAN
No wonder you guys didn't get hired...
You don't even know how to spell
*practicing, not practising
SCOTTB
Maybe he's English, dude. They spell practice practise in England. Favor is favour. License is
licence.
GOPAL PAWAR
THANKSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
I got ur massage
BE NICE
Practise is a verb in Canada and England while practice is a noun. In US, practice is for both the
verb and the noun.
GUEST
Paul,
Regarding question # 23, from my understanding, the interview process is also for the potential
employee. Would it be advisable to ask questions like the following:
1- Can you tell me how many people have left your company in the last couple of years?
2- How do you choose your managers/supervisors? Is it by length of time they have been with
the company or is it because you see true leadership qualities in them?
3- Based on your experience with several employees, what were the specific qualities of the
employees that you truly enjoyed having worked and hopefully continue to work for your
company?
These questions to me says a lot about the organization.

What do you think?
GUEST
@Ryan how about you stop being the spelling/grammer police!
GUEST
His spelling is perfectly fine. "American-English" is the distorted version of the correct English
language.
DEBBIE M
My worst answer was "I don't know." I've since learned that "it depends," with a couple of examples, is
perfectly appropriate. And that's how I'd answer this one:
Are you willing to put the interests of X Company ahead of your own? It depends. I would put important
interests of the company over minor interests of mine and I would put important interests of mine over minor
concerns of the company.
Of course then they will ask what if both are important. Then I hope I'd say that maybe the the job and I aren't
a good match. I try not to get into situations where that would happen. And can they give me examples of
where this has happened before?
I'm to the point now where I'm always trying to guess what their real goal is. If anyone even asked me illegal
questions like "Are you planning to have children?" I'd just say something like, "It sounds like you're worried
that an employee might quit just when you finally got them trained. I wouldn't take this job if I didn't think I'd
be wanting to stay a while."
And if anyone asks me those evil "worst weakness" types of questions, I ask a similar one right back, like what
is the worst weakness of the company or section of the company. Or just give a brief answer: Has anything
ever irritated you about people you've worked with? "Of course."
REPLY
MIKE J
Absolutely beautiful answer. Honest and classy. Will make me much more comfortable at an
interview.
PAUL MICHAEL
Some good advice there. I have also tried "it depends" but have been asked too many time "yes, but if you HAD
to choose" so now I make a firm choice.
REPLY
DEBBIE M
I did have one interview that was really terrible in this way. I had real trouble not rolling my
eyes. I ended up getting the job. It turned out the people asking the questions also hated them,
but they had to ask them because there was an HR spy--ahem--representative in the room.
KEVIN
I answer this question with, "With few exceptions, yes"....
and if asked what the exceptions are, provide a small list of exceptional events, such as a family
member in trouble/ill or the wedding day of my daughter.
GUEST
I would say: "I would plan ahead both my work and my personal life to avoid any conflicts. Of
course I can understand emergencies, and an emergency in both sides are important. But none
your life or you job should be full of emergencies unless you are a doctor at the hospital.
Otherwise something is worng with the company or with yourself!"
TIMMY
I sometimes get stuck on the question, "So what are your short/long term goals?" or "Where do you see
yourself 5-10 years down the road?" I always try to say something along the lines of "in a position that is still
challenging with room to still grow". What do they want to hear? I stumble on this question time and time
again.
REPLY
GUEST
Where do you want to be in 5 to 10 years? They dont want to hear in the same job you are
interviewing for. Ultimately, the HR people are searching for someone who can handle the job
now, and has the potential to grow into a high level management job in the future. Do you have
those goals too?
In other words....are you looking for a career, or a job? (MakkyD's is hiring).
ARUN BAMANIA
Hi Timmy,
It is really a tough question to answer. By asking such questions, the interviewer tries to judge
whether your primary aim is to gain a specific designation, that is, are you over-ambitious.
Answer such questions in a way that you do not reveal any specific designation, for example,
Manager, Director, Vice President, or CEO. If you specify any designation, it may appear to the
interviewer that you are over-ambitious. Also, the interviewer may feel that if you could not
achieve the desired position, you may leave the organization.
Maybe you can answer such questions as, "Five years down the line, I want to be among the best
performers or best employees of the organization."
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Arun Bamania
PREETI
Hi Arun,
Good advice.
Keep helping the people who really need such advices.
Thanks
Preeti
GUEST
I was asked that, and my answer to the interviewer was, " Hopefully,I would like to be sitting in
your position", understandably, I did not get a call back. So I guess that was too overly
ambitious?
GUEST
oh
GUEST
oh
KIM
I feel if your answers are honest, you stand a good chance on giving the interviewers what they
want to hear. And going online and looking up 'questions and answers on a interview' and
practicing the answers with a friend or spouse really does help with being nervous on said
interview. And ask the interviewer similar questions are a very good idea as well. Good luck on
your next interview.
JAMIE
"I would like to be sitting in your position" can be a tricky response. Think of being in a court of
law, if you do not know the answer to the question, then don't ask it?
a) Maybe the interviewer got your position 6 months ago, and are now in that position: So in 5
years you want to be where I got in 6 months? That's under-ambitious.
b) Perhaps the Interviewer was hired as that position; maybe it's not an available option for you;
maybe it's a department the company would just not promote to from your position? That's
ambition in ignorance.
c) Perhaps it took the interviewer 15 years to get that position, but you want it in 5? Over-
ambitious.
Sticking with "leading my field within this company" (in a prettier way) is usually the best
option.
Being vague in an interview is not always bad, so long as you punctuate that vagueness and don't
try it every question. As an interviewer I love it when someone says, "I don't know". It means my
company can still teach them a thing or two, and they are willing to throw their hands up instead
of procrastinating a solvable issue in fear of "getting it wrong". Knowing when to ask for help is a
rare skill few are willing to divulge during the interview process.
Instead of just hoping your answer is what they are looking for, you're allowed to ask questions
too. Opening a question into a discussable topic during an interview is gold at an interview.
"Before I answer that question, can I ask what the promotional opportunity, or expectations, are
within this company?" You also just answered the question. You want a job that offers
opportunity to climb the ladder. A perfect answer, and you are satisfying the last question, "do
you have any questions for me?"
And when they do ask that question, it's ok to recap the questions you have asked during the
interview process: "Let's see....do I? We covered promotional opportunities and X Y and Z
questions I had earlier, so I think I'm all set!"
-Jamie
GUEST
Jamie. The response is intended to show ambition, however is aggressive, and that is why the
interview was failed.
GUEST
When I got asked this question my response was:
There's no telling where I'll be in 5 years. I am ambitious, yes, but people learn in different rates.
I want to take my time to learn and experience what this field has to offer me. No one can do
everything perfectly. I'm not perfect myself, but I want to be as close to it as possible and that
takes time. If I receive this position, I'll do all that I can to be the best at it.
They gave me the job because they saw how eager I was and that I was willing to humble myself.
GUEST
At my last employer there was two types of career paths within engineering, management and
technical expert. I would think the most benign answer to the question would be something
expressing interest in mastering the technology and becoming an expert, ie. "The xxxx field is
highly specialized. I am looking forward to continuing my research in yyyy being an industry
expert in zzzz". etc... The goals and timetable should be vague and non threatening but makes
the candidate look like he work hard and problem solve for the company.
DAVE
The answer to 18 is completely wrong. I am a director at a major media company's interactive division. Our
company is expanding and I am almost in a constant state of hiring. I ask a variation of this question in every
single interview and if a candidate has never had one issue or disagreement with anyone, (I stated a variation:
I ask if it has happened with anyone in the workplace) I peg them as a liar and reject them immediately.
REPLY
GUEST
That's b/c you're small minded and assume, so wrong. How do you know that that's not true. So
you mean to tell me out of everyone alive that's in the working field, no one can have a smooth
ride? You're full of crap, b/c I've never had any problems with anyone at the job and I've been
working since 1994.
SIJU
The answer to Q18 can be right as well. I am working with my boss for the past 3 years, without
no grudge at all. I never let an argument last to an extent that leads disgruntlement. It all starts
when you ain't flexible. My answers would be "No" to Q18 and still I am not a liar.You may have
to rethink on the same, I request.
GUEST
If your company is always hiring, then chances are you are losing employees faster than you can
hire them. Maybe check your interviewing tactics.
JAMES
This isn't about the truth, it's about getting a job. I fabricate a minor disagreement that had a
positive outcome. Max points on the HR interview question point scale.
JANIN
That's a tough statement i would say.. no wonder you get mouth shutting replies.. But i do agree
with you. it's no good in the ear that you have had enter into dispute with your past employer/co
worker but reality check,BIG companies don't want employees who are like dogs, because if
that's the case there's no room for improvement. if you had bad shots with your boss that's
because you know your rights, and in the business world those who made it to the top are those
who knows how to fight for the right cause.
SHANIQUE
I have to agree with you Dave thats why when I was writing my response I stated something like.
We are both humans its likely to happen.... and then focus on something more positive like...but
my boss was a great motivator who encouraged good performance and constructive critisisms,
so I would much rather focus on that than pointless conflicts.
---even if your boss was count dracula you get to admit that there have been conflicts but you
come off looking good saying so.
ARUN PATHAK
Thanks Mr Dave. Appreciate your feedback.

But its 70% true only , sometime we also dont have any issue with employer.
MATTHEW
I mean obviously there's always that one guy at every job you could live without. He's at every
job!! haha. If you say you've never had problems with anyone, you're being dishonest. I simply
say "there's people you don't get along with but I don't let that effect my work". I try to keep my
opinions of people to myself and make the best of it :)
LKANONY
And what if IN FACT the person HAS NOT had an issue or disagreement with anyone? I mean
frankly, NOT everyone is interested in raising hell or getting their feet wet in a childish back and
forth debate (read argument) IN THE MIDDLE OF WORK. I'M PERSONALLY ONE OF THEM.
I HATE AND AVOID CONFLICT.....THUS, I start no trouble so there wouldn't BE any trouble.
Some people just like to pick a bone with others for the most petty reason(s) and believe me,
those reasons may not necessarily be anything in relation to work...just superficial things. In
other words, SOME employees let their personal insecurities get the best of them when they
come in contact with other employees that seems to be doing better or who are always
bettering/enhancing themselves OUTSIDE OF WORK....NOTHING WORK RELATED. Why
humor that? The ONLY conflict I generally have with co-workers have all been scheduling
conflicts and well.....IT IS THE TRUTH. My professionalism, maturity, work ethic and on and on
should NOT be compromised because of someone else's professional and/or personal issues. I
have and DO tune these types of individuals out because they are distracting to me and I LOSE
MY FOCUS and purpose for being at the job. I don't need it. Perhaps the media world is another
ball game BUT perhaps giving people the benefit of the doubt (for reasons I've noted with my
own observations, experiences and mindset) won't be such a bad idea.
GUEST
Another take on question #12 is "What was your greatest disappointment?" One answer, "That I haven't had
the time to work on completing a PhD in Business (or something related to your work). And, it's not a lie, for
me at least. Here, your disappointment should be admired by the interviewer and turns a negative into the
opposite.
REPLY
J. LIN
I absolutely agree with Dave @ Major Media Company up above.
I may or may not immediately reject the person as a liar (some people really are laid back and easy to work
with). I'd put it together with other clues I have about them. But generally, there are always conflicts with
other people, even if it's minor. For someone to say they've never had conflicts with anyone, is suspicious.
When I ask this question of a candidate, I want to see how they resolve interpersonal conflicts. I want to see
how they work in a team. I want to see how creatively they make the most of what they have.
Fortunately for me, _I_ can be honest about it. =) I think I've been quite successful at working out more
difficult work relationships. An essential part of it is, of course, to actually try to get to the heart of the conflict
and do my best to resolve my portion of it.
Companion to that, I crack jokes that deride and make fun of myself first. I will make jokes about the other
person too, just much more benign jokes and only after I've gotten to know them.
I think this serves several purposes: 1) laughing makes everyone relax; 2) it's safer to make fun of myself than
someone else; 3) I cannot be hurt by negative comments about me because I've already said it; 4) most
importantly, I show that I understand their point of view which makes compromising and meeting in the
middle easier.
I have never known this approach to fail with reasonable people, which most co-workers are (I'm in
IT/Software).
-- J.
REPLY
JAMIE
Paul Michael's suggestion along this vein may be the most appropriate from an interviewer's
point of view.
All people have had strife, even those who have said they "have had no problems that have lead
to any actual disgruntlement", is a MUCH better answer than, "no, no problems"
Those of you that say you may have never let anyone bother you in the workplace, may be
accurate; but that doesn't your actions weren't ever an issue (voiced or not) to a previous boss or
co-worker. In short, unless your name is Jesus Christ, (and even then, Judas) you've been
involved in workplace disruptions.
"Sure, I've had issues with my past employers, employees and customers (well the customers
have an issue with the company, but it's me they are talking to nevertheless...from time to time,
who hasn't? The important thing I would like to stress however is I've never knowingly allowed
an issue to become more than just that; it's how we handle those issues that separate us, and I'm
a professional."
PAUL MICHAEL
I talked to several HR employees before I wrote the article, and also based this on my experiences. I found that
bringing up disputes with prior bosses never went across very well at all, but when I said "I never really had a
problem, nothing worth talking about anyway" I was always greeted with acceptance and the next question.
But it's good to know that opinion, thanks so much.
REPLY
GUEST
I think the best response would be a fellow co-worker putting other co-workers down, and not
fostering their development. I think that within a company's environment, everyone should help
to foster everyone's growth and development and not hinder them. To which you then resolved
the situation by drawing attention to teamwork and the need to work together and conhesively.
No idea is a bad idea and no question is a bad question.
OMAR
"What Are Your Major Weaknesses?" is also a very important question. What would you answer?
Omar
REPLY
GUEST
Omar- I agree with the article about the weaknesses question. You need to be able to list a few
small ones that are easily fixed. I always say I get lost in the details so now I am more focused on
the bigger picture. I can tell you another thing I have learned from this question is whether or
not they like you. If they ask you to list one, they are just asking to ask and see what you will say.
I know my husbands friend was actually asked to list seven of them, so the number is a good
gage.
GUEST
These are all stupid questions that are only asked by idiots in HR. If a company is asking these kinds of
questions, they don't really need me. If they really NEED me, then they are going to be in a panic and asking
technical questions about how I can bail them out of their predicament.
Also, companies who are desperate pay a lot.
REPLY
D.WEBB
Brother are you egotistical! I've been a Controller, HR Mgr. for 20 yrs. and these are the type of
questions for insight into character flaws and problems. With this knowledge companies can
help to eliminate problem candidates with the potential of becoming problem employees.
Problem employees are those that companies can't legally terminate without just cause. These
types of employees are most often the cause of EEOC and frivolous lawsuits. Nowadays
companies can and do loose thousands of dollars through these procedures.
It is much easier and safer to hire a candidate with much the same skill set and fewer character
flaws. Companies would rather pay the tuition to develop a good employee with the skills
needed. We do it all the time. Companies don't like to pay profits to attorneys. Good luck with
your job search....sounds like your going to need it.
FITT
DO NOT answer "21. Are you willing to put the interests of X Company ahead of your own?" like the writer
suggests by saying 'yes,' that is not a good response at all. In every single instance, this is pure HR bait to see
how spineless you are. Saying yes to this question says two things a) you're spineless b) you're lying, and
probably about other answers you've given.
The best bet is to say something like "It would be situational. If you're asking am I willing to work until 3am to
get a project out the door, then absolutely, but if you're saying will I come in to work on a project when, for
instance, a family member is on their death bed, then absolutely not. I'm ready to work extremely hard for X
company, but there are a few things that are more important than work." It shows you have a spine and are at
least somewhat honest.
Otherwise, a good read! =)
REPLY
DJNIO
I just wanted to say that you are totally right and you got a good point!
Its very important for someone not to "asslick" their bosses by saying things "I would give
everything to be perfect in my job and stop living.." becouse its really annoying! Personally its
really "Not MY TYPE" and I would suggest everyone not to be "such nerd" too as well! =P
So -> #23 Is here! :))
Regards,
DeeJayNio..
PROBONO
The only reason why you are asked questions is for them to gage your reaction and to see if you can handle
pressure well. Everyone knows you're BSing as much as they are.
The jobs I got are the ones where I walked in with a great attitude, relaxed, and sound useful. Answer what
they want, but not necessarily what they ask.
REPLY
OPHIE!
I've botched every question and gotten some right but this is a great guide, I get nervous reading the questions
right now.
Good question: would you rather work for a big company or a small one? Favorite answer: I'd treat any
company like it was my own regardless. Total ownership of the situation can get you a long way.
REPLY
OPHIE!
I've botched every question and gotten some right but this is a great guide, I get nervous reading the questions
right now.
Good question: would you rather work for a big company or a small one? Favorite answer: I'd treat any
company like it was my own regardless. Total ownership of the situation can get you a long way.
REPLY
SHAHZAD
Hi All..
Am having interview at macdonalds and itz my 1st interview. can any body help me to answer questions
1,2,4,9,11,12,14,22 plz.Some sort of general answers
thnkz
REPLY
GUEST
In case you are not joking around you might want to start by checking how the company's name
is spelled. ;-)
GUEST
Sure, just show up for the interview.
RIEKE INDRIANTY
Forget about looking for job, start your own business! Youll never get rich by being employee. Plus, you dont
have to go for interviews.
REPLY
GUEST
Really??? What an idiotic suggestion... If everyone were starting their own businesses where
would hospitals, schools, and -yes- big companies go? Would you start a hospital and a school
for just your family??? Everyone would love to have a financially comfortable life but some
occupations and professions are more about love for doing the job than financial gain because
they are underpaid and that's not going to change. One example is being a teacher or a nurse.
Obviously they can improve their incomes by continuous studying and becoming leaders in their
field but can you imagine a world of every single one of them founding schools and hospitals???
How would they even be able to open them if everyone just wants to be rich and not someone
else's employee??? How would you open a school or a hospital if no one wants to be an
employee??? Or better yet, are you going to invent a way in which these workplaces would
function with just you as a doctor, nurse, surgeon, manager, etc; or principal, teacher, bus
driver, cook, school nurse, etc all at the same time??? Having your own business is good if you
really believe in your product or service and have the skills to manage it on your own but we are
not islands and we need each other and fortunately we all have different skills to make our
society function. Whether that system is fair is an entirely different issue but the point is that
nobody can function alone. And your suggestion is about that: function alone and get rich
(which is ironic because you need others to get rich: you need other people to want or need
whatever it is that you offer). And yes, there are interviews: with your clients (or do you know
everyone on the planet who will buy your product or service?)
CATHERINE
I believe your adice is sound. I usually add a little humour depending my read of the room. It helps lighten
things up and demonstrates confidence
under pressure.
Your suggestion on projects implemented is good. I find most companies are looking for people who can
deliver outcomes in a timely manner and on budget.
REPLY
JAMIE
Absolutely! When asked if there is anyone you would not work with, I always jump on this.
Interviews are not just to see if you are a reliable person who will do your job well, but also, if
people will get along with you and vice-versa.
Have fun at your interviews, "Yes, I'm sorry to say that through past experiences I find that I am
unable to get along with Bears' fans.....[hahahahahaha].....no really, barring the obvious
murderers, rapists and thieves...I'll work with anyone and I'll sell to more!"
OBSESSION
You're making a basic mistake by looking for a job. You'll do better if you start your own business instead.
REPLY
GUEST
I think you should probably think about what you're going to say before you let your imagination
vomit all over the place. Imagine if all of your employees started their own business; who would
work for you? By all means, be the HR department, marketing, support, IT all rolled into one.
I'm sure you're an expert in all of these things that usually take a normal person a good four
years to get a degree for.
And this is just GREAT advice for aspiring astronauts. I just know they'll have fun sending that
rocket into space on their own.
SILK
Is that so, Obsession? If everyone did that, who'd work in your business?
REPLY
OBSESSION
The great thing is that not everyone has courage to start his/her own business, which is why I got people
working for me and I don't have to work myself. I was actually forced to start my own business because with
ADHD I have difficulty to finish any work on time, so the only solution was to find someone to do most of the
work. Now, I have several people working for me, I just check from time to time if everything is delivered and
that's all. PS: I do design, branding etc.
REPLY
WORK SMART NOT HARD
Awesome! I also suffer from ADHD and find it difficult to stay on task. The minute I get bored
I'm off on another project, never really completing the first one. As a manager its good for me
because I can then delagate it off to someone else to finish. Not a great quality to bring up in an
interview though.
RITTER
After a year of training in the secret underground of pick up artists I found out that you can use this stuff just
anywhere. I had a couple of job interviews lately and I did the exact same routines with the 3-5 people on the
table like I do with chicks at a club (or street/coffeeshop/bookstore, if it's for daygame). Works perfectly fine.
Tends to get boring though, so I picked a job I really like.
REPLY
GUEST
All of these questions and answers are great, but how do you get to the interview process?? I am looking for a
job in retail I see all theses places hiring on simply hired and career builder and I have applied and no one is
calling back. i have had 3 calls in 2 months for about 15-20 jobs I have applied for. Any suggestions to why??
REPLY
LORI
I would suggest that you contact the managers at the places you have applied in the past and ask
them if they received your application. Find out if they would be willing to spare you a few
minutes and discuss with you their reasons for not hiring you and if they have any suggestions
on what you could do to become hireable with them. It would be better if you could met them in
person to have this conversation.
It could be you do not have enough experience for the positions you have applied for, or it could
be your resume does not reflect your skills. Usually if you look good on paper, you have a great
chance at being called in for an interview.
I would strongly suggest that you apply for any retail positions in person to the manager, rather
than leaving, or sending in your application. I was in management in retail for many years and I
think you can represent youself better face to face. Often you may get an interview on the spot.
Also, apply at the companies you would like to work, after researching them first. Don't wait for
them to advertise a position. You might be surprised at how successful you will be.
SARA
The CV is so important, i have 2 CVs, one for Visual merchandising and one for retail
management. You need to look at the qualities they are asking for and put them in the key skills
section of your CV. I tailored them to the jobs and saved them under the company name with a
strong covering letter mentioning their company by name and complimenting them within it ...
so and so is at the forefront of design, i find your work very inspiring and i would love to be part
of your team.
When i started to do this, i was getting interviews for nearly every job i applied for compared to
the 10% i was getting before.
A really punchy statement at the start helps and not too long, mine is 2 pages
:)
GUEST
I've had a few jobs that I never would have gotten an interview for had I not called them first. It's
risky, though, because you have to remember that these are busy people and bothering them
might make them resentful, but it's all in the way you present yourself. I usually say something
like "I think I may have experienced a minor power outage, so I wanted to make sure all my
information went through just fine."
GUEST
When I'm reading articles like this one, i tend to ask myself "what does this guy know that I don't, and why
should I trust him/her on the subject?"
"To get my first job out of college I attended some 15-20 interviews a week."
An HR-manager, or someone familiar with interviewing would have been a great resource regarding the
interview process. But one who has just been to several interviews? I'm just wondering, WHY have you been to
many interviews, because you are good at them? I'd doubt it.
REPLY
PAUL MICHAEL
haven't worked in advertising in London. When you're fresh out of college you have to go and see as many
agencies as possible, get your face known and interview with as many places as you can in order to increase
your chances of landing a job. Some of my friends were seeing 3-4 agencies per day for many weeks. You may
doubt my abilities as an interviewee, but I'm in a business that demands face time in front of agencies. It
comes with the territory, and you often have to take your book around even when you're not specifcally
looking for a job.
REPLY
BUSINESS LEARNING
From a small business owner's perspective, thank you. I'm doing my first interview for an office assistant next
week.
REPLY
GUEST
I've found the most killer way to answer the question "do you have any questions" is to ponder for a moment,
and then ask your interviewer "what aspect of your job do you find most challenging". Its a bit out the park
and really gets the interviewer to think (which is good) and their answer gives you a bit of an inner taste for
the company.
REPLY
GUEST
21. Are you willing to put the interests of X Company ahead of your own?
I'd say "my OWN interests sure, but my DOG'S interests are ahead of everything else."
REPLY
GUEST
I've started to look again for a job and keep hearing that the best way to get your foot in the door is thru
networking. Newpaper, Monster, Simply Hired, Recruiters, Network! - do them all.
REPLY
JOE LEVI
I applied for a position advertised as "Web Master" some years back. This was a new position for the company
and the job title and the description didn't match, so after we went over why I was on the market (had been
recently down-sized), what my education certifications were (associates degree from a local University, and
several industry specific certs), I interjected, asking about the position they were hiring for.
I mentioned that I didn't have much experience as a Web Master, per se, but that a web master was in charge
of maintaining the web server(s), installing updates/upgrades to the box, and ensuring the pipe to the web
server(s) was sufficient for current traffic without being limiting to the future.
I then defined the role of a Web Developer (someone who writes markup, code, and basically enables web-
based designs and applications to run on a web server), then asked which of the positions they were really
trying to fill.
Once we had determined they really wanted a Web Developer I was able to pull out my "Web Developer"
resume' and detail my experience.
I ended up getting the job, and getting $11,000 more than they were initially offering.
- www.JoeLevi.com
REPLY
GUEST
These questions all sound like they'd be asked of people in the services industry, like marketing, retail, sales,
management. The kind of questions HR would dream up for someone looking for a job in HR. All of these
questions and "right" answers amount to "how well can you BS?" It's a total shame that people on the
technical side should ever have to endure more than a couple of these questions during an interview. BSing is
not their skill, nor is it nearly so important to their job.
REPLY
GUEST
Now if I could only find an employer who agrees with you! I am very good at being an
accountant, I can wrangle numbers and balance books like nobodies business but I really suck at
sitting in a room being questioned in this manner. I am not comfortable sitting there giving a
cookie cutter answer that I have researched and know is the "right answer". I just want to
present myself nicely, meet the potential co-workers or supervisors, discuss my qualifications
and answer honest questions.
JAMIE
It's true, and it's not. Yes, they are cookie-cutter questions. The answers however, not so much.
1) Good interviewers do not ask all 23 of these questions. You're right, only half of THESE
questions are necessary, but they are still probably the 23 most asked questions.
2) Good interviewers also change up these questions requiring a different....Intro into the
answer.
"What strengths would you like to see your Supervisor so that he/she would best compliment
your weaknesses?
If you tell me your Supervisor should be patient, than you're telling me either you're not or
you're slow.... It requires thought and non cookie-cutter responses. It also measures an
importantly equal skill set in business: Listening skills. If you answer without listening to the
question merely thinking "oh this is an easy one" and spam out your cookie-cutter
response....well I won't be hiring you due to your inability to follow instruction.
3) I've never interviewed, or had an interview, that only contained these kind of questions; if you
have then you're either doing the interview an injustice, or you have an interviewer that just
doesn't care and you won't be hired anyway, or it is a "high school" job.
However as to the post being written, I've never been involved in an interview that didn't ask at
least a good portion of these questions.
Lastly, cookie-cutter questions allow an interviewer to pull out an interviewee from a nervous,
defensive position. I've used cookie-cutters to get people comfortable, had I gone straight into
my private list of questions...I promise you their stress level alone would have been an unfair
element that probably would have meant a lot of non hires that were ultimately (at first) too shy
to allow themselves to succeed...and are now some of our most valuable employees.
RUIAXE
Thanks!
This really sums up 99% of my interviews!
Nice to see I haven't made a lot of mistakes... :)
REPLY
FRIDA
Maybe it's cultural - I'm a European - but I certainly wouldn't hire someone who answered all the questions
just to give the 'right' reply.
When I've interviewed candidates for a post, it's been fundamentally uninteresting to speak to those who
follow this kind of advice and anxiously try to tell you what they believe you want to hear.
I'm no pro in being interviewed for jobs (finding and changing jobs has been relatively smooth) but I would
stress the following:
-- when interviewed, remember that recruitment is a two-way process: the company is also putting itself on
the market place. Therefore don't signal that you sell yourself at any price an in any way (the terrible response
to question 21!). I think the right answer should signal professionalism, work ethics and self-respect.
-- I tend to work much too much, but would never say that in a job interview. If asked about my availability, I
would say that occasionally I can put in a few extra hours if there is something unforeseen, but I prefer to work
efficiently during regular working hours and plan and manage the workload in a way that preempts the
emergencies. So far I have never had any negative reactions using this response, on the contrary, it has put the
company representatives a bit on the defensive and they have started to try to sell the post to me by making it
sound more manageable.
The idea is of course that a more demanding candidate tends to get more esteem. And to avoid having to work
for a company that has shows no consideration for the needs of the employees.
-- I would also say that your approach is more important than the reponses. The prospective new employer
does not give a toss about the conflicts you've had in your workplace, but needs to see if s/he can live with your
way of solving them. No conflicts means that you just go along with what everyone says, which signals
incompetence, or that you are covering up, which signals dishonesty.
REPLY
JUICY77
It's definitely cultural. A lot of American employers have misplaced priorities. They'd rather you
dazzle them with dishonest answers than be forthright and qualified. It's sad.
NICE BIKES
This is pretty much every job interview.

Just Practice and you'll do good!
REPLY
SOLAK
Re: question 23.

I would ask the interviewer, Why do you like to work here? or, if that has already been discussed, turn some
other question theyve asked back to them, preferring the job-related questions to the money or personal ones.
This is similar to response #30, (though I dont think its out of the park at all) in that youre showing more
interest in the job and the company, and the answer will tell you something about whether you actually want
the job if you do get an offer.
Reply #39 also raises this important issue not covered in the article: Just as much as they are trying to find out
about you, you need to find out more about the company and the job to decide whether it is a match. If your
response to #23 is, "When will I get reimbursed for my travel expenses?", you've blown it.
REPLY
GUEST
Thanks for this good article. I have frequently been on both sides of the interview table in my career, and it can
be a fascinating experience, especially for the interviewing team.
I too peg someone who admits no faults, or has never had a conflict in the workplace as either a liar
(depending on other factors) or seriously out of touch with the reality of the workplace(even the 'laid-back'
people have conflicts--they just may choose not to acknowledge their existence!)
I recently didn't hire someone, who otherwise had great qualifications, because they couldn't give the
interviewing team even a passing answer at 'your deficits as an employee'. It was embarrassing watching the
person struggle with the question, and that told me all I needed to know. How I read it: this person does not
know herself at all OR she has had major deficits as an employee and doesn't want to reveal them.
The better answer for this question for this potential employee would have been something like: 'In the
workplace there are always conflicts born from differing priorities, paradigms and practices. My style has
always been to steer as clear of conflicts as possible, but to take them on when I see that my integrity is being
put to question in some way. I suppose you could say that one of my growing edges as an employee is to learn
how to better know what conflicts I should engage and which I should look at as gossip-driven and have no
part in. I'm working on this." (Of course, only if this is true!)
Thanks again for a good article, particularly for those new in the job market. I will be using the article as
reference material for teaching interviewing skills in a local high school that my Rotary club has become
involved in as a project.
Beth
REPLY
TSPRACITCE.COM
Here is a great website that will help you answer all the real tough interview answers.
http://www.tspractice.com
REPLY
GUEST
It's a jungle out there, kiddies. Forewarned is forearmed. To understand today's hiring climate remember that
any large company (thousands of employess to hundreds of thousands of employees) has been sued for sex
discrimination, racial discrimination, age discrimination, employees who have gone Postal, embezzlers,
fraudsters, etc. etc. and any combination thereof and undoubtedly settled or lost in court along the way.
They are gun shy. The HR depts. in these companies have no other purpose than to follow the instructions of
the lawyers. In fact, today, in order to be an HR person you essentially are a lawyer and should be one.
In many of these companies, the HR dept. has the hiring managers on a very short leash.
Then on top of that, you have the companies that put all management through a Gallup interview, the type of
questions that #43 alludes to on their site. To understand this from the employers perspective, you should
read the Gallup books by Buckingham. This is the "past performance is the best indicator of future
performance" mentality - Gallup invented it, which may or may not be the correct way of evaluating job
candidates.
Basically, in order for this to work, the company has to profile the personality required of every position or key
role in the company and draw up a mix of personality characteristics of the employees who perform well and
have high job satisfaction. They are then engaging in a matching process to identify who has the best fit. You,
of course, do not have the benefit of seeing the profiles, so you are operating blind.
To understand this from your perspective (how to do the right thing even though you have no idea how), read
The Hero With a Thousand Faces and other books by Joseph Campbell which examine the human condition
throughout the ages across all religions and belief systems and the journey through life that we are all
compelled to undertake. You are on a journey whether you want to be or not and whether you realize it or not.
You may as well realize it. Campbell shows the way.
In this type of interview, no matter what you say, they will reply with something to the effect of these words,
"Can you give an example of a time when you..."
For example, they say, what would you say are your strengths. You mention something. They say, can you tell
me about a time when you used that strength.
Any claim of any sort that you make will be followed up with a question about specifics. So for any statement
about some wonderful thing you have on your resume, you need to be armed with a dozen examples that you
can supply to prove it is true.
What they "want" you to say is something along the lines of, "There was a situation in which..." or "I was given
a task to do..." After describing the situation or task, you then go on to say, "What I did was..." or "The action I
took was..." and then you say, "The result was..." or "This resulted in".
Thus, so-called the STAR approach (Situation or Task, Action, Result).
Your challenge is to couch your answers in this very robotized fashion without sounding like a robot. To
understand the essence of this, just watch any Proctor and Gamble tv ad for Tide-gets-the-dirt-out, Bounty-
the-quicker-picker-upper or any of their other products. They all use the same problem/solution/product-is-
the-hero approach. "Tide saved the day!" You're the product here, so be the Hero in your STAR stories about
yourself! Good luck!
Then, in addition to that, you have the Top Graders. These are managers that systematically lop off the 10% of
the lowest performing employees every year and recruit to replace them. The creates lots of opportunity for
aggressive newcomers to the organization, but hangs over the head once you are in.
Jack Welch and GE is a well known example of this. These managers think they are on a mission to hire "A"
players and will engage you in multiple lengthy interviews at multiple levels of the organziation - taking up
hours and hours of your time. Every time you make the slightest gesture or utter the slightest word they are
asking themselves whether you are an A, a B, or a C performer. Their mission - keep the A's, develop the B's
and re-position or fire the C's.
There is a book on this one, too, of course, Top Grading. Every management level employee should read this
because you will be subjected to this type of interview process somewhere along the line and in these
organizations, you will be expected to employ this method in your own hiring of staff. Remember this: the top
grade interview process is extremely difficult to conduct and you are as likely to be subjected to managers who
are "learning" or botching it as you are to meet those who get it right.
Of course, you should be using your own Top Grading process to find the best company to work for. (A book
on this one, anyone?)
Best defense - take the Force with you!
REPLY
MISS THRIFTY
Thanks for the article. I've had the experience of being both the interviewer and the interviewee, and somehow
I found both equally stressful. I think the key is to practice answering questions beforehand and to really play
to your strengths. Calm confidence is the key.
REPLY
MISS THRIFTY
Thanks for the article. I've had the experience of being both the interviewer and the interviewee, and somehow
I found both equally stressful. I think the key is to practice answering questions beforehand and to really play
to your strengths. Calm confidence is the key.
REPLY
GUEST
A previous post mentioned a question I KNOW I'm going to hear: Where do you see yourself in 5-10 yrs?
My problem: A little background info...I have a degree in Biology and 2 years in a doctor of optometry
program (it's a 4 yr program; I left b/c I decided I wanted to become a physician/ophthalmologist instead of
an optometrist). I have an interview for an ophthalmic technician position (requires a G.E.D. and certification
preferred; try getting a job w/ a B.S. in Bio and no work exp...it's hell! No one cares about all of my schooling :
() to hold me over until I get into medical; maybe 2 years from now. NOW...here's the problem: I know they're
going to ask about my future plans so what do I say? If I tell them I want to go back to school to be a physician,
they probably won't hire me b/c companies want long term employees. So, what do I say? If I tell them I want
to "grow w/ the company" (not quite sure where you can grow in the healthcare field if you're a tech...w/o
going back to school), they probably won't believe me b/c I have a bachelors and 2 years of graduate
education. Any suggestions? Thanks!
REPLY
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How to Answer 23 of the Most Common

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college I attended some 15-20 interviews a week. Whether it was in Britain or

1. So, tell me a little about yourself.

3. Tell me what you know about this company.

4. Why do you want to work at X Company?

5. What relevant experience do you have?

6. If your previous co-workers were here, what would they

7. Have you done anything to further your experience?

is great, but maybe you're spending time on a home improvement project to

8. Where else have you applied?

9. How are you when you're working under pressure?

10. What motivates you to do a good job?

11. What's your greatest strength?

12. What's your biggest weakness?

14. Are you good at working in a team?

15. Tell me a suggestion you have made that was

16. Has anything ever irritated you about people you've

17. Is there anyone you just could not work with?

18. Tell me about any issues you've had with a previous

19. Would you rather work for money or job satisfaction?

20. Would you rather be liked or feared?

21. Are you willing to put the interests of X Company ahead

22. So, explain why I should hire you.

23. Finally, do you have any questions to ask me?

Want more interview tips? Read up here:

How NOT to Answer 10 of the Most Common Interview Questions

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Hopefully you've learned to spell. Learnt?

Perhaps research would be a good idea next time.

No wonder you guys didn't get hired...

You don't even know how to spell

*practicing, not practising

These questions to me says a lot about the organization.

@Ryan how about you stop being the spelling/grammer police!

I answer this question with, "With few exceptions, yes"....

In other words....are you looking for a career, or a job? (MakkyD's is hiring).

Hope this helps.

When I got asked this question my response was:

Thanks Mr Dave. Appreciate your feedback.

I absolutely agree with Dave @ Major Media Company up above.

Also, companies who are desperate pay a lot.

Otherwise, a good read! =)

So -> #23 Is here! :))

Sure, just show up for the interview.

WORK SMART NOT HARD

This really sums up 99% of my interviews!

Nice to see I haven't made a lot of mistakes... :)

This is pretty much every job interview.

Re: question 23.

Thus, so-called the STAR approach (Situation or Task, Action, Result).

Best defense - take the Force with you!