Top 5 Most Popular Interview Questions

Top 5 Most Popular Interview Questions

At MockQuestions, we help you land your next great role. We specialize in providing our users with rich questions, expert advice, and detailed answers ready to prepare you for successful interviews across a diverse set of industries, companies, maturity levels, areas of expertise, and educational institutions.

While we cannot read our user’s minds, we aimed for the next best thing. In the last year, MockQuestions visitors submitted over 112,000 searches and we noticed a pattern. Visitors come to us to learn how to properly address discovery questions in an interview.

What exactly are discovery questions? They are questions that allow you to elaborate on your skills, provide information that the interviewer won’t find on your resume, and offer memorable details likely to leave a lasting impression. Discovery questions can be open ended, focused on hard or soft skills, or cut and dry inquiries that help your interviewer weed out candidates that are not a fit for the role or their culture.

Discovery questions are a valuable tool for interviewers. When faced with the tough decision of deciding between otherwise equal candidates, the information gathered from discovery questions can help identify the best person for the job.

We believe your time spent preparing to answer discovery questions will serve you well in your upcoming interview and have prepared this guide to our top 5 most searched for questions to assist you in your journey:

Question 1 - Tell me about yourself.

Of all of the questions our visitors search for each month, this question consistently takes the top spot. It seems like such a simple question, but it is difficult for many candidates to answer. Why?

My career coaching clients have shared three common reasons for wanting to discuss a strategy for this question. First, the question is open-ended and candidates aren’t sure how much detail to provide. Second, there is no clear right or wrong answer. What may sound like an excellent answer to one interviewer may leave another unsure you are a fit for their team. Finally, candidates aren’t sure how much personal information to provide. They want to avoid exposing anything that might exclude them from further interviews, yet they want to stand out.

For four simple words, this question can be quite intimidating. That is one of the reasons why we cover it at length on our site. We have over 100 example answers to this question and a wealth of expert advice on how to craft a meaningful response that will contribute to a successful interview. Here are a few examples that cover key roles you might be interested in.

Interviewing for acceptance to an MBA program? Some programs such as UVA Darden ask you to walk through your background in detail. Here’s an example of how to answer a detailed background inquiry.

Finally, many candidates find success in using the Past, Present, and Future model. We walk you through the proper way to apply it in our How to Answer: Tell Me About Yourself guide.

Question 2 - Why should we hire you?

Another simple question, but MockQuestions users are constantly searching for great answers to this each month. In fact, this question regularly ranks second in our search count. It even ranks number one some months if we include similar questions such as: ‘Why are you the best candidate for this job?’, ‘Why do you want to work for our company?’, and ‘Why do you want this job?’.

This question can show up at any point in your interview and it is critical for you to be ready for it. Candidates that do not answer confidently, sound motivated, or provide a clear demonstration of the value they plan to bring to the hiring organization are unlikely to receive an offer.

Crafting a response that demonstrates your ability to holistically generate value really is the key to nailing this question in an interview. It is helpful to know what the company values, what the interviewer values, what the industry values, and what you value personally. That seems like a tall order, but savvy candidates research these areas ahead of time and ask questions of their interviewers to help them identify the rest.

The specific approach you should take to answering this question depends on the role, your career maturity level, and the company you are interviewing with. Here are some of excellent examples, but I encourage you to explore MockQuestions Q&A sets related to your specific target role to help you craft a variety of answers to use throughout your interview process.

Question 3 - Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

MockQuestions users are eager to learn what we have to say about this question. It shows up in our top ten most searched every month. I am not surprised. There is an art to answering this question and our users intuitively understand that.

The answer you provide needs to be confident and humble. It needs to make sense based on your current experience and llikely career path options. You need to show that you are ambitious, but are willing to commit to the role you are interviewing for. Finally, you need to demonstrate commitment to your vision while remaining open to possibilities.

Developing a balanced and artful answer may seem like a tall order, but we can help you make it look easy. Check out these Q&A sets that include professional example responses to this question:

General Examples: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Educational Example: Walk Me Through Your Long-Term Professional Goals.

Company-Specific Example: Amazon: Walk me through your professional goals for the next 5 years.

This question is so popular that we have an article dedicated to this topic. You can find it here: How to Answer: Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years.

Question 4 - What are your weaknesses?

I will be honest. I have an aversion to this interview question. I think most of you do too, and that is why you have come to us seeking advice. This question shows up repeatedly in our most searched list.

I will also disclose that I disagree with the popular advice of framing a strength as a weakness. Here’s an example ‘I am incredibly organized and I find myself frustrated at times with others who show up to meetings unprepared. It wastes time that could be spent in valuable discussion.’

While I understand the strategy, experienced interviewers know they are being manipulated when you frame a strength as a weakness. When I ask my clients this question, I ask because I want to know where they need to grow. Interviewers ask for the same reason.

Keep in mind that managers are also growing their skills and one of their main functions is to develop their staff professionally. Most hiring managers are not looking to hire someone that is already an expert at every aspect of their role.

My most successful clients are willing to demonstrate that they are humble, self-aware, and open to learning. I am not suggesting that you air out your worst professional traits to a stranger, but I do encourage you to prepare an authentic response. This approach is likely to make a more memorable impression.

Want to see how our experts tackle this question?

Check out question #12 on our list of 30 Common Interview Questions

Need more advice? This guide will walk you through the process of preparing an excellent answer: How to Answer: What Is Your Greatest Weakness?

Question 5 - What three words best describe you as a professional?

This is a tough question that shows up in a variety of formats within interviews. For some, being asked to communicate the essence of their professional persona in only three words feels intimidating. Others feel limited and struggle to brand themselves in a condensed format.

Interviewers know this question is a challenge and that is one of the main reasons they include it in an interview. They want to see how well you are able to present yourself under pressure. They may also use your response to help them navigate follow-up conversations with your references.

Regardless of your interviewer’s motivation, it is important to choose your words wisely. It is equally as important to provide a confident and authentic response. You may also choose to customize your response for the company you are interviewing with and the specifics of the role you will be working in if hired.

If the notion of crafting an excellent response to this question seems impossible, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. You can check out a variety of response examples here in this set of Tough Interview Questions and Example Answers.

You may also be interested in these variations to this tricky question:

What three words would your stakeholders user to describe you?

What three words would a friend use to describe you?

If you could sum up your customer service style in three words, which would you choose?

Summary

Discovery questions can be difficult to prepare for, but they don’t have to be. Try not to overthink your responses, be authentic, and align your words with the values and culture of the company you are interviewing with.

Preparing polished responses to the top 5 most popular questions covered in this article will pay off. Practice and make notes to help you remember what to say under the pressure of your interview. Finally, consider running your responses by a friend or a career coach for additional feedback.

Want even more? Join our user community and access over 60,000 professional interview answer examples.