6 Common Interview Questions For Experienced Candidates with Sample Answers

1. Tell me about yourself

Yes, nailing the first introduction is so important. It sets a positive tone for the entire interview. Your first impression starts here so ensure that you get it right. You can talk about skills, achievements, experience, educational qualifications, certificates or awards, but specify only relevant ones that you believe the hiring manager will value. You can also talk about your hobbies. Just make sure to showcase your qualities and personality while mentioning your hobbies.

Sample Answer

First of all, thank you for giving me this wonderful opportunity to introduce myself.

My name is Pradeep Singh. I completed my B.Tech in Computer Science in 2010 from Pune University. In my 10 years of experience, I have worked as a software developer, senior software engineer and team leader. I have acquired experience in all aspects of the software development lifecycle.

Currently, supervising and leading a team of 8 developers who are working on the multiple software projects simultaneously.

I have an excellent ability to read code and suggest changes to make the project error free.
I have been recognized consistently for leadership with reputation for innovative and creative problem solving skills.  

I believe, my skills can be valuable to your company.

2. What challenges are you looking for in the position?

Now first understand well the purpose of asking such question. The interviewer wants to analyze your capacity to tackle complex work by asking about the challenges you prefer. Employers are constantly on the lookout for candidates who can help them progress and succeed in a challenging environment. So, you have to demonstrate that you are actively seeking challenges, you are willing to learn new things, you can adjust to new working environment. Your answer should include that obstacles motivate you. And remember, your response should include the challenges you expect to face in the position for which you are applying. So, understand the requirements well before an interview. It is imperative to demonstrate that you have read the job requirements well.

Sample Answer

As a senior advertising manager, I'm ready to take on more leadership responsibilities.
As per your requirement, this role requires leadership and advertising skills. As soon as I read the description, I knew it was a perfect match for me.

I'm looking forward to combining my advertising expertise with my recently acquired team management skills.

It would give me the opportunity to train my own team, which would be a fascinating challenge for me.

Keeping employees motivated in all situations is one of the most difficult tasks for a manager. And I'm really excited to motivate them to perform better.

3. Describe a time when your workload was heavy and how you handled it.

This question is asked to probe your past behavioral traits. The interviewer wants you to describe a previous incident when you faced a heavy workload, including what caused the problem, how you handled it, and what happened as a result. The hiring manager wants to understand how do you deal with stressful situation. Now to answer such question, you can use STAR Technique. In this technique you would have to describe a situation, outline the task involved and the actions taken by you and the positive results you achieved. Make sure you emphasize on the result what you achieved. And yes, avoid playing the blame game, instead show your enthusiasm, willingness, and ability to deal with critical workplace problems as they arise.

Sample Answer

Recently, we received an unexpected order for our new product at ABC company. Having consulted with the project manager, our supplier, and the operations manager, we made a slight adjustments and we were able to design a realistic plan that not only reduced our production costs, but also ensured material availability and met the production deadline. Despite the fact that it was a time-consuming and difficult process, the end result was a signed contract with a new customer who became a long-term client.

So, that was an example with Situation, task, action and result.

4. How do you describe your work style?

This question determines whether you would fit into the culture of their company. The interviewer will expect you to highlight your skills, self-awareness, industry knowledge, and the responsibilities of the position. This determines whether or not you are capable of changing and adapting to a new working style if necessary. It also demonstrates how you will collaborate and participate as part of a team. So make sure your response demonstrates your ability to work both independently and collaboratively.

Sample example for an experienced professional

I believe I'm versatile and flexible at work. I can operate independently as well as in a group setting. I've worked with members of my team as well as those from other departments. Even when confronted with unexpected problems, I aim to remain cool and effective. In my previous role, there were a lot of unanticipated complications; it was a little stressful, but I took it as a challenge and stayed motivated.

5. What is your greatest accomplishment?

While answering, you should talk about work related achievements. Don't talk about social, family, school or college level accomplishment, it would reflect as if there aren't any professional achievements. And yes, you can talk about challenges and responsibility. And also, explain the action you took to address the challenges. Describe the kind of outcome you achieved and try to make quantifiable results if possible. For example, you can say, my effort helped increase overall productivity by 25%.   

Sample Answer

Well, I think my biggest achievement was during my last job as a lead developer. Our team were working on an app. We were already finding difficult to meet the deployment date. And unfortunately, one of the important member of the team left the company abruptly. Instead of getting tensed, I took the challenge and worked over time on his module along with mine and we could finish the project on time. And guess what, the app has gained more that 450 positive reviews and adding good sum of revenue for the company.

6. Why should we hire you?

This is again a tricky question. Let's not take this question lightly. By asking this question, the hiring manager wants to find out why they should hire you over the other candidates. So, this question allows you to sell yourself. But while making case for yourself, don't brag too much. Your answer shouldn't sound like a show-off. Just build your answer strategically and sum up why you’re a good fit for the position. Don't bring something like 'I'm hard working, smart, talented etc. Don't answer in a generic way, instead, be authentic and genuine. Just highlight those skills that align to the job requirement. So, if you want to frame an effective answer, read the job description and requirements carefully. And, avoid talking too much, be concise but effective.

Sample Answer Sales Manager Role

As per your job advertisement, you need a sales manager with leadership qualities and great communication skills. As a senior sales manager,  I have effectively managed teams of over 20 people. Recently my team has developed a new system for generating sales leads and that resulted in a 30% improvement in sales performance. I have also trained a total of 150 sales officers and support staff members. And I will bring those leadership abilities to this position.