The Definitive List of Every Question Ever Asked in an Interview
Successful managers have one thing in common, they take a proactive approach to hiring. They reach out for top talent. These questions are an aid in the selection process and are not meant to grill a prospective candidate. The last thing we want to do even in an employer-driven marketplace, where every company is going after the same "one candidate," is to interrogate a candidate. So how many manhole covers are in Los Angeles? Answer: A lot...
Are you currently employed?
Why are you considering making a change?
How did you do in relation to the other sales people in your firm?
How did you rank relative to your district or region?
How many other sales people were there?
What did you earn last year?
How would your manager describe you?
Why don't you tell a little bit about yourself professionally?
Tell me something about yourself that I wouldn't know by reading your resume.
What criteria are you going to use to evaluate the company for which you are going to work?
What is your family's or your spouse's chief criticism of you?
How did your previous employers treat you?
What two or three things are most important to you in your job?
What accomplishments in your last position are you most proud of?
Describe the best boss you ever had?
Why have you decided to leave your present position?
What qualities do you think a successful manager possess?
What makes you angry?
Tell me about a sales project that really got you excited.
What do you consider a good day's sales effort?
Tell me about a time when you exceeded both your quota and your goals.
When the pressure is on, where does your extra energy come from?
How often do you find it necessary to go above and beyond the call of duty?
Give me an example of your initiative in a challenging situation. What are some of the things in sales that you find difficult to do?
Tell me about a sale that was, for all intents and purposes, lost. How did you turn the situation around?
What are the three most common objections you face?
What would you say if the customer said, "It's too expensive"?
Tell me about your most difficult sale. How could you have prevented problems from arising?
It is sometimes difficult to get an immediate yes from customers. What do you do in these situations?
When do customers really try your patience?
Tell me about a sale you couldn't close because of lack of information. What did you do?
How do you feel when you get rejected?
Tell me about an important sale that went on the rocks. How did you weather the storm?
How do you react when you miss a sales quota?
Do you consider yourself successful?
What do you feel are your personal limitations?
What sales achievement are you most proud of?
What do you consider your greatest strength?
How do you rank among your peers?
What types of people do you sell to in your current job?
Tell me how you made an "impossible" sale.
Tell me about a time when your timing was good.
Tell me about a time when your timing was bad.
What do you do when you can't get a word in edgewise?
Give me a 2 minute presentation of your current companies or your prior company's product.
How do you get a fix on people in the first few moments of meeting them?
How do you turn things around when the initial impression of you is bad?
Tell me about how you dealt with an angry or frustrated customer. How often do you prepare sales reports?
How detailed are they?
When and where in the sales process have you found silence to be a useful tool?
How do you approach getting an understanding of a customer's needs?
What business or social situations make you feel awkward?
How many calls do you make in a day?
Time Management, Organization How much time do you spend doing paperwork and non-selling activities?
How do you organize yourself for day-to-day activities?
Describe a typical day. Tell me about the planning for an important project. Tell me about the problems you face in getting all the facets of your job completed on time. What are the component parts of your job, and how much time do you spend on each?
How many accounts do you like to handle at one time?
Do you set goals that are easy or difficult to reach?
Tell me about some long-term working goals and how you are getting along in achieving them. Market Penetration What steps are involved in selling your product?
How long does it typically take from initial contact to close the sale?
What percentage of your sales calls result in full presentation?
What kind of people do you like to sell to?
What kind of people don't you like to sell to?
Have you ever broken in a new territory for an employer?
How do you turn an occasional buyer into a regular buyer?
What was the most important account you have worked on?
Tell me about a difficult collection problem. What are you most proud of in your ability to develop a marketplace?
Sales Maturity What would you feel are the major personal characteristics of a successful salesperson?
What have you learned from the different sales jobs you've had?
What aspects of your work do you consider most crucial?
Why do people buy a product or a service?
What kinds of rewards are most satisfying to you?
What are some of the things you have found especially motivating over the years?
What do you dislike most about sales?
Problem Solving and Decision Making What kind of problems do you have to solve as a salesperson?
Do you regard them as complex or overwhelming?
Have you ever made a quick decision that cost you money?
What kinds of decisions are most difficult for you?
What is the biggest mistake you have made in your career?
Do you discuss important decisions with anyone? Teamwork Explain your role as a group member of a sales force. How would you define a conducive work atmosphere?
How do you deal with disagreements with others?
Have you ever had to change your behavior to work successfully with others?
Have you ever been with a sales team that fell apart?
How does your boss get the best out of you?
How do you get the best out of your boss?
Describe the best manager you ever had.
Describe the worst manager you ever had.
Tell me about the last time you really got angry about a management decision.
If you could make one constructive suggestion to your current management, what would it be?
How do you take direction?
How do you take criticism?
What are some of the things your boss did that you disliked?
What types of decisions are beyond your level of authority at your current job?
It a co-worker came to you with a complaint about the job, how would you react?
Do you feel you are adequately recognized for your contributions?
Tell me about yourself.
Tell me something about yourself that I wouldn't know by reading your resume.
Why do you want to work here?
What do you really want out of your next job?
What are your salary goals or expectations?
What new skills or ideas do you bring to the job that internal candidates might not offer?
What would you like to accomplish that you were not able to accomplish in your past job?
What have you learned about our company from employees, customers, or someone else?
Why should I hire you?
What brings you to this point in your career?
Why are you ready to leave your current job?
What is your motivation to do this kind of work?
What interests you least about this job?
What interests you the most about this job?
What are your impressions of our company and its reputation?
We have a number of applicants interviewing for this position. Why should we take a closer look at you?
Prove to me that your interest is sincere.
How have your career motivations changed over the past few years?
Tell me about your most difficult work or personal experience.
Give me an example of how you completed a project despite obstacles.
Give me an example of your determination.
Describe a time when you tackled a tough or unpopular assignment.
Would your current boss describe you as the type of person who goes that extra mile?
Tell me about a time you didn't perform up to expectations.
How have you handled criticism of your work?
People tend to be concept-oriented or task-oriented. How do you describe yourself?
What would your colleagues tell me about your attention to detail?
How do you manage your work week and make realistic deadlines?
Tell me about a time you had to extend a deadline.
What personal skill or work habit have you struggled to improve?
How do you manage stress in your daily work?
How do you regroup when things have not gone as planned?
How have you prioritized or juggled your work load in your current job?
Describe a professional skill you have developed in your most recent job.
When have your skills in diplomacy been put to the test?
What were the most rewarding aspects of your previous job?
What has frustrated you about your current or previous job?
Describe your ideal job.
What are the limitations of your current job?
What do you want to achieve or develop in your next position?
What interests you the most about this job?
What interests you the least about this job?
What concerns you the most about performing this job?
Looking at your own resume, what do you think your weaknesses are regarding this job?
How did the realities differ from your expectations in your previous job?
Would you be able to travel or to work extended hours necessary to perform the job?
Do you prefer continuity in structure or frequent change in your daily routine?
What aspects of the job give you the most confidence?
What skills do you offer that are most relevant to this job?
How would you enrich your current or most recent job?
Why is this job a particularly good fit for you?
What is your most productive or ideal work setting?
Tell me about two or three aspects of your last job that you would never want to repeat.
Tell me about your least favorite manager or professor.
What type of management style do you think is particularly effective?
Tell me about your personal management style.
What are some of the things your previous supervisor did that you disliked?
How do you organize and plan for major projects?
Tell me about a time you had to work under intense pressure.
How do you handle tension with your boss?
Tell me about a time you had to defend your idea to your boss.
Tell me about a learning experience that affected your personal management style.
What personal characteristics add to your effectiveness?
Tell me about an effective manager or professor you have known.
What type of people do you work with most effectively?
In your last job, what projects did you prioritize?
Describe a time when you acted on someone's suggestion.
What aspect of your management style would you like to change?
Have you ever felt defensive around your boss or peers?
Have you patterned your management style after someone in particular?
Describe a leader you admire.
Why do you want this job?
Why do you want to work for this company?
What excites you about this industry?
Describe our competition as you see it.
Tell me what you know about my company.
Tell me what you think are our distinctive advantages within this industry.
What are your major interests in our company?
Why would you be especially good working in this business?
What would you do differently if you ran this company?
Why do you think this company or industry can hold your interest over the long haul?
Tell me where you think you'd like to be in five years?
What would you do if one of our competitors offered you a position?
Tell me what you know about the industry.
What is your favorite product made by our company?
Where do you think we are the most vulnerable as a business?
What do you think of our newest product and ads?
Describe your ideal career.
How do you stay current?
If you had unlimited time and financial resources, how would you spend them?
Outside of work, tell me about an activity you've remained interested in over the last several years.
What outside activities complement your work interests?
What do you do in your spare time?
If you had unlimited leisure time, how would you spend it?
If you found yourself getting burned out, what might you do to revitalize your energy?
Do you have a balanced lifestyle?
Tell me about a time you were in a relaxed setting away from work and got an idea that helped in your work.
How is your personality reflected in the kinds of activities you enjoy?
What kinds of leisure activities or methods help you perform your work better?
Our company believes that employees should give back to the community.
What community projects that can use your professional skills are particularly interesting to you?
Describe how a sport or hobby taught you a lesson in teamwork or discipline.
Tell me about an interest that you outgrew.
What do you do to relax?
When you aren't at work, do you prefer an agenda or are you spontaneous?
Tell me about a recent book or movie that you identified with.
What is the most creative or innovative idea you have ever had?
Give me an example of how you have overcome an obstacle in a creative way?
Why do you think that some companies with good products fail?
Describe a time when an existing process just didn't work.
How would a former subordinate or associate describe your leadership style?
Describe an improvement you personally initiated.
Tell me about a time you had to persuade others to adopt your idea.
What would your last supervisor say about your initiative?
Have your past job appraisals adequately portrayed your leadership abilities?
Tell me about one of your projects that failed.
How resourceful are you?
Give me proof of your persuasiveness.
How have you demonstrated leadership by example?
Describe situations in which you are most comfortable as the leader.
In what situations are you a better contributor if you are not the leader?
Describe your comfort level working with people of higher rank and people of lower rank.
Tell me about a time you had to alter your leadership style.
Tell me about a good process that you made even better.
What sets you apart from the crowd?
What are the weaknesses in your skills relative to these job requirements?
Tell me about your strengths?
What are your weaknesses?
How is your experience relevant to this job?
What is your dream job?
What skills do you think are most critical to this job?
Compared to others with a similar background in this field, how would you evaluate yourself?
Have you ever been fired or asked to resign?
What are your key skills?
What one weakness or bad habit would you like to work on first?
What skills would you like to develop in this job?
If you had to stay in your current job, what would you spend more time doing?
How did you enrich your current or past job?
To what do you attribute your job successes?
Tell me about a project in which you were disappointed with your personal performance.
What aspects of your work earn the most respect?
What aspects of your work are most often criticized?
Does the frequent travel required for this work fit into your lifestyle?
Why have you changed jobs so frequently?
Where do you want to be in five years?
Tell me about your long-term career goals?
Why is this job the right one for you at this time in your career?
If you could start all over again, what career direction would you take?
What achievements have eluded you?
How would you compare this job to others you are pursuing?
Have you progressed in your career as you expected?
Tell me about your salary expectations.
Why did you stay in your last position so long?
Have you ever been passed up for a promotion that you believe you were qualified for?
Since this will be your first job, how do you know you will like the career path you choose?
What are your aspirations beyond this job?
What new challenges would you enjoy?
How long do you think you would continue to grow in this job?
What career path interests you within the company?
I see you've been out of work for awhile. What difficulties have you had in finding a suitable fit with your interests?
What do you reasonably expect to earn within five years?
Have you ever taken a position that didn't fit into your long-term plan?
How do you value or measure the success of your work?
How pragmatic or practical are you?
How do you balance your reliance on facts vs. intuition?
What was your greatest problem in your last job?
Tell me about a problem that you were unable to anticipate.
Tell me about a time you felt it necessary to act on an unpopular decision.
Describe a time when a problem was not resolved to your satisfaction.
In what situations do you have difficulty making choices?
Describe a situation in which you felt the risks far outweighed the rewards.
How have your technical skills been an asset?
Describe a situation in which you applied technical skills to solve a problem.
How do your technical skills, combined with other skills, add to your effectiveness on the job?
Describe how you've used a problem-solving process.
What is your logic or framework for solving a problem?
Have you ever resolved a long-standing problem?
Tell me about the most difficult problem with which you have dealt.
Tell me about a time there was not a set procedure or precedent to help you attack a problem.
Tell me about a time when you failed to resolve a conflict.
That's all I have. Do you have any questions for me?
Finally, is there anything else about your background that would be helpful for me to know?
Those are all the questions I have. Is there anything else you want to tell me?
As we wrap up this interview, tell me, do you really want this job?
Why are you ready to leave your current job after a relatively short period of time?
What do you want out of your next job that you haven't found yet?
How have your motivations changed over the last few years?
Why is this job an especially good fit for you?
Looking out over the next five years, tell me about your goals and objectives.
How can I be assured that you'll stay with us for more than a year or two if we hire you?
If we were to hire you and you ended up resigning, what would be the most likely reason?
What is the single most important lesson you have learned over your last three jobs?
Tell me about a contribution you have made to a team effort.
Give me an example of a time you delivered more than what was expected of you.
What accomplishment is your greatest source of pride?
What situations do your colleagues rely on you to handle?
Tell me about a corporate goal that you were able to support through one or more of your actions.
Tell me about a measurable outcome of one of your efforts.
Describe an ongoing problem that you were able to overcome.
Tell me about a major accomplishment.
If I were to hire you today, what would you accomplish first?
What accomplishment was the most difficult for you to achieve?
Tell me about a time you saved money for an employer or an organization.
What is your greatest achievement to date?
Tell me about something you accomplished that required discipline.
Tell me about a project you completed ahead of schedule.
Tell me about a person or group you had to work with to achieve something important.
Tell me about an organization outside of work that has benefited from your participation.
What would your friends tell me about you?
Tell me about your relationship with your previous bosses.
Describe your working relationship with your colleagues.
Tell me about a work environment that is ineffective for you.
What situations excite and motivate you?
Tell me about a situation at work that frustrated you.
Tell me about a problem you had with one of your work associates.
Can we check all of your references?
What would your last boss want to change about your work habits?
Are you most productive working alone or in a group?
Tell me about a situation where it was difficult to remain objective.
What is your real personality beyond your professional image?
What environments allow you to be especially effective?
How would your last employer describe your work habits and ethics?
Did your customers and primary constituencies enjoy working with you?
Will you complement this department?
Tell me what you learned from a recent book.
Tell me about a workgroup you really enjoyed.
Describe a time when you had to assist a co-worker.
What were your failures in your last job?
What do you think led to your company's downsizing?
Looking back on your past job, is there anything you would have done differently to avoid the possibility of an ultimate termination?
What do seek in your next job that was missing from your last one?
I notice from your resume that you've been out of work for several months. Why is it taking you so long to find a job, and what have you been doing?
Why were you fired?
Were you given a verbal warning before being fired?
What were the limitations in your past job, and what do you seek in a new one?
Your major client has an urgent need for you to be in Seattle tomorrow for a Board meeting. That is also the day of your daughter's big dance recital. You promised her you would attend. How do you handle this situation?
Tell me about a time you didn't perform to your capabilities.
Give an example of how you completed a project, despite major obstacles and disappointments.
An important report that required several weeks of your work has just been returned to you marked "rejected" with severe criticisms of your work. What is your first reaction when the boss hands it to you?
Sell me this pencil.
Why are manhole covers round?
Since you did so well in your past job, why weren't you promoted?
Why didn't you complete your formal education?
Tell me about the product you are currently selling.
How much of your time is spend cold calling new accounts versus servicing existing accounts?
How many new accounts did you land last year?
What is the most common objection you encounter, and how do you overcome it?
In an ideal job, would you like to spend more or less of your time cold calling?
What lead sources have you found most productive?
Tell me about some of the most extreme lengths you have gone in order to close a sale.
How have you performed relative to your goals or quotas?
What about your sales to existing accounts last year?
Did you meet your goal during the previous year?
How do you feel about overnight travel?
In comparison to other salespeople, what do you see as your strengths and what do you see as your weaknesses?