The top 10 questions and answers in job interviews – and how to master them with ease!

You got a job interview? Yay!!! But the rumination is probably only just beginning – because how are you supposed to know what answers you should give to the recruiter’s questions? And how can you best prepare? Don’t worry, in this article we explain the top 10 questions and answers in job interviews – and how you can master them!

HR managers love these questions – we give them even better answers!

Question 1: Tell me something about yourself!

Yay, that’s the classic opening question that every recruiter likes to start with. Why? First and foremost, it serves as an ice-breaker and helps candidates to get into the conversation after the small talk. Here are a few things you should bear in mind when answering this question:

Your answer should consist of three parts, which you can easily prepare:

• Who am I?
• What have I achieved so far?
• Why am I here?

Your answer should also be relevant, i.e. personal anecdotes or statements about your character are out of place here. Don’t forget your name, tell us how long you have worked in this field and what your top 2 to 3 achievements are that are important for this application. 

Make sure that your answer does not take longer than four minutes in total!

Let’s get started:

Who am I?

Describe your current professional role in one sentence.

For example: I have been working in the financial sector for 7 years and am currently working as a User Experience Manager at FinTec company XY.

What have I achieved so far?

Describe 2-3 points that make you shine. Important: They should relate to your job and not be older than three years. Nobody is interested in what you did as a working student 20 years ago! ☺

Example: In the entire history of the company, I was the one who was promoted the fastest!

Example: I have developed various tools, from the planning phase to the go-live – which are now being used at XY Bank.

Question 2: How did you hear about this job?

This is about showing enthusiasm for the company (do you know someone who already works there and told you about the job?), have you been following the company for a while and found out about it via LinkedIn, for example?

It’s best to say a sentence or two about it!

Example: When I saw the job advert, I had to apply straight away – not only does it match my experience, it also fits perfectly with my passion for XY. I’m really confident that my skills will make a lasting and positive impact on the company’s goals.

Caution: Be honest when you answer the questions! Avoid inventing impressive (and unrealistic) hobbies or professing your passion for something you really can’t stand! But always be honest – recruiters quickly realise when they’re being played! You should also avoid discussing sensitive topics such as the current political situation or religion.

Question 3: Why are you the right person for this job?

Explain what motivated you. Go into detail about the requirements and explain why you are the right person for the job. Check in advance which skills will be used.

These questions will help you:

• How do I know that I can fulfil this task?

Example: In my last position, I was responsible for creating content for various marketing channels and interacting with the community.

• When were these skills really used?
• How successful was I in completing the task?
• What examples can I give to show that I am the right choice?

Put everything together into a story – and focus only on the requirements that the new job entails.

Be honest. You can adapt your previous areas of responsibility somewhat, but inventing new ones is not a good idea!

Question 4: What major challenges have you had to overcome so far and how did you deal with them?

This is a typical “behavioural question” in a job interview – very popular☺! Recruiters use it to find out how you behave in certain (stressful) situations. But don’t worry, these questions are easy to answer as they all involve the same technique. Your answer should always consist of these four parts: First, you describe the situation at the time, then you highlight the challenges and your responsibilities and how you dealt with them. Finally, you present the results of the situation at the time.

1. Describe the situation in which you found yourself.

Example: “The biggest challenge in my last UX role was the actual workload, which could increase sharply, especially during busy project phases.”

2. Describe what you had to do.

Example: Compared to my studies, the speed and demands were much higher. I first had to adapt to that.

3. Describe your tasks in detail.

Example: I first filtered my tasks according to priority and optimised my time management. I also spoke to senior consultants and asked them for tips on what I should focus on first. As a result, I had a plan that utilised my working time efficiently.

4. Describe the end result. What have you achieved?

Example: This method enabled me to exceed my KPIs by 64%, even though I was taking part in internal training at the same time to improve my English skills.

It’s the soft skills that count!

You may be wondering how you will know if your answers are good enough. Focus on the soft skills that are in high demand from employers. If your answer emphasises at least three of these soft skills, you can be sure that it matches what potential employers are looking for!

Here are a few examples of soft skils:

• Strategic planning
• Problem solving skills
• Showing initiative
• Communication skills
• Organisational skills
• Time management
• Willingness to learn
• Ability to give and receive constructive feedback

Honesty is also the most important thing here – limit yourself to 3 that are directly related to the job and 1-2 that are more personal in nature.

Use a past example to show how this strength was used.

Question 5: Why do you want to leave your current employer?

Eeek, this question is a challenge – and one of the top 10 job interview questions! Make sure your answer here is clear, polite and always positive. Avoid negative comments about your last or current employer. Also, the topic of a higher salary is not necessarily something you should bring up here.

Your answer should also consist of three parts:

1. Tell something positive about your current/last employer.

Example: I have learnt so many new things / I had a really good time at company XY. In my last position, I was jointly responsible for a successful product launch in the DACH market….

2. Now explain why you want to change position.

Example: I am currently looking for a new challenge where I am not only responsible for XY, but can also be more involved in product development … (refer to something in the job description – but not a higher salary ☺ )

Can’t think of anything? Here are a few possibilities why someone might want to change jobs:

More room for development and training/Maybe you have a strong interest in what the company does and want to be a part of it / Maybe you want to gain experience in a different industry and learn new skills / Maybe you like the opportunity to work remotely or agile processes that you didn’t have in your previous position.

3. Now make a specific reference to the company.

What I have read on your homepage / what XY has already told me about your corporate culture / I like very much. I can well imagine being able to make a contribution here and use my skills profitably.

Question 6: What are you most proud of in your career so far?

This question is basically exactly the same as “Why should we choose you?”. Except that it focuses on a specific achievement.

Basically, it’s quite simple. Think about what you have achieved so far and pick what you think is most important and most relevant to this job advert. But what if this is your entry-level job and you don’t have that much work experience yet? Never mind. Then think about what you have achieved during your studies.

Example: My greatest achievement to date is my university degree from University XY with a final grade of XY. As my family couldn’t support me financially, I financed everything myself. This also meant that I worked hard and had a part-time job alongside my studies, for example / worked in XY every summer holiday / received a scholarship for XY.

Question 7: Which working environment do you prefer?

You need to do your homework here! Research as much as you can about the company, the culture and the working conditions. (You can certainly find out a lot either on LinkedIn or on job portals: former employees who rate the company are a real treasure trove. If the company describes on the website that autonomy and flat hierarchies are very important to them, use these keywords in your answer. If the HR manager mentions something that is not visible from the outside, answer something along these lines:

“From the outside, the company seemed rather bottom-up to me, but in reality it seems to me to be a very flat hierarchy – something I prefer because it gives me the self-determination and flexibility I need to be creative.”

Or:

“I love working environments that are fast-paced, because then I feel like I’m constantly learning and developing! I’m most productive when I’m working with others in a team and we’re all working purposefully towards a common goal. This was the case in my last internship and I really enjoyed this mix of autonomy and collaboration.”

Question 8: Do you prefer to work alone or in a team?

Here, too, you should find out about the corporate culture beforehand. Most companies are sure to have some form of teamwork embedded in their processes, so you can’t avoid it.

However, there are also positions that place less emphasis on teamwork, so it all depends. When answering this question, emphasise your character traits and skills that contribute to this. However, think carefully about whether you prefer to work alone or whether you thrive in a team. Both are good and both have their advantages and disadvantages. You could also list these in your answer:

Example: My favourite thing is when I have a good mix of concentrated work alone and impulses from the team. I think teamwork is good for strategic planning, getting different ideas or feedback, for example. However, I also enjoy focussing completely on one task and working independently of others. I have found that I achieve the best results when I first work on a task alone and then get feedback from the team.

Question 9: If you manage several projects at the same time, what is the best way to organise yourself?

Employers want to know how you use your time and what you do to work productively and efficiently. But they also want to know to what extent you can fit into existing processes or whether you stubbornly stick to your own, for example.

Emphasise that you are good at sticking to deadlines and give an example from your past where you had to use these project management skills.

Example: I’m used to juggling different projects and requirements, for example when I have to switch back and forth between two different software projects. I use the Pomodoro technique to be able to work in one go and also block off different days each week to work on just one project or only have meetings. This helps me not to get bogged down and to achieve results that I can be satisfied with.

Question 10: What are your salary expectations?

Ok, we’ve all been waiting for this question, haven’t we? Is there anyone who reacts to this question in a totally chilled way? Probably only if you prepare really well ☺ So before you go into the interview, you should know exactly what the usual salary range is for this position on the market. Use sources such as Glassdoor or Stepstone, for example. You could also ask contacts on LinkedIn for an opinion on this, or start a survey in communities on LinkedIn.

Every employer will ask you this question. Why? Because they have a certain budget for the advert. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a little room for improvement. It is always best to suggest a salary range so that there is enough room for discussion. If you stubbornly cling to a fixed figure, you won’t be doing yourself any favours. On the other hand, it’s always better to play poker a little higher, because your counterpart will try to negotiate a little lower. We also recommend that you don’t discuss the subject of salary right at the beginning, but wait until your counterpart brings it up.

Example: Based on my skills and professional experience as well as the usual salary ranges on the market, I would like a salary of around XY euros (the value should correspond to your wishes but still be realistic).

Under no circumstances should you sell yourself short for fear of not getting the job. You will start the new position with a feeling of lack and this will affect your satisfaction and motivation. There are a few exceptions where it is okay to ask for less: If you don’t have any work experience yet, if you lack certain skills but are willing to learn them on the job or if you know that this job will take you where you’ve always wanted to be in 1 or 2 years. But that should really only be the absolute exception.

Your current salary is also a good guideline, and it’s a good idea to exceed it slightly.

Here are three points of reference for salary negotiations:

• What is the usual salary for someone with your skills? If your skills are above average, this should be reflected in your salary.
• What does the company pay employees at your skill level? Do you have any benchmarks, e.g. via Glassdoor?
• How much do you earn in your current position? In most cases, you should be able to expect a salary increase. If you also know the company’s figures and know that they can afford it, then ask for a little more than is usual on the market. Is it a start-up and the budget is not so loose? Have a look at the usual standard.

Wenn du all diese Punkte beachtest und dich gut vorbereitest, steht deinem Traumjob nichts mehr im Wege. Und vergiss nicht: Du und deine Persönlichkeit sind einzigartig. Jetzt geht es nur noch darum, dass dein potenzieller Arbeitgeber das genauso sieht! Good Luck!