A tough interview question can quickly transform you from a strong applicant into a befuddled mess—if you’re unprepared for it. But when you plan ahead for answering these tough questions, you can sail through them and wow your interviewer.
Here are five common but tough interview questions, and plus tips on how to answer them.
1. What is your greatest weakness?
Everyone’s least favorite question. You don’t want to share anything that could make the hiring manager doubtful about you. But if you don’t have a good response, you appear to lack self-awareness.
How to answer this tough interview question:
Skip answers that are positives-in-disguise, like “I care too much about my work.” Come prepared with a genuine-but-solvable weakness, along with how you’re working to improve it.
Example: “I’m a very independent worker, which means I sometimes have trouble asking for help or letting go of tasks. To combat this, I started doing a daily check-in on the status of all my projects and upcoming deadlines. That way I can always keep track of what’s on my plate, and I can communicate before I’m running behind.”
2. Why are you leaving your current job?
This question can be easy to answer if you’re simply looking for a new opportunity. But if you had a toxic work environment or a terrible boss, it gets a bit murkier. While it can be tempting to share all the dirty details, it never looks good to bad-mouth your former employer—even if it’s well-deserved.
How to answer this tough interview question:
Focus more on yourself than on the employer. Maybe you had a bad boss who micromanaged everything you did. Without throwing them under the bus, how are you turning that experience into a growth opportunity?
Example: “I really enjoyed the work and had great coworkers at my previous job. But my opportunities to take work independently and take on more responsibility were limited. So I’m looking for a position where I can make valuable contributions in my work and have a bit more autonomy.”
3. Why do you want to work for X Company?
Employers are looking for enthusiastic employees. While they know that pay and benefits are important, those shouldn’t be the primary reason for your application. Interviewers want to hear that you want to work at their company specifically, not just that you want any old job.
How to answer this tough interview question:
Here’s an opportunity to show that you’ve done your homework. What do you know about the business that you can share with your interviewer? But don’t lie! You don’t want to say “Oh, this is my favorite restaurant in town!” if you’ve never eaten there.
Example: “I read in a recent article that this hotel was one of the first in the area to adopt smart room technology. I think these upgrades are the future of hospitality, so I’m really excited to work for a forward-thinking and innovative company.”
4. Where do you see yourself in five years?
People change jobs frequently these days. So it’s very possible to see yourself having moved on from this company in that timeframe. At the same time, employers value loyalty and longevity, especially for management positions. It doesn’t look great to say that in five years, you see yourself working for another company! But you also don’t want to imply that you’re after the interviewer’s job.
How to answer this tough interview question:
Focus on the work you hope to be doing, rather than where you would be doing it. And tie in how this position can help you to get there.
Example: “I see myself as an experienced manager in this industry, and I think this position has the right requirements to help me get there.
5. How do you deal with difficult customers?
In the hospitality business, unhappy customers are part of the daily routine. If you’re in a customer-facing role, or if you manage others who are, you’ll need to be adept at smoothing conflict while also protecting your team and the company.
How to answer this tough interview question:
There isn’t always a one-size-fits-all approach, but you can start with a basic framework that includes active listening and always keeping your cool. And if you can tell a story about how you turned an unhappy customer into a loyal one, then you’ve really upped the ante.
Example: “I always try to put myself in the customer’s shoes and approach them from a place of collaboration, instead of defensiveness. Recently, there was a group at my restaurant whose name had been lost somehow on the seating list. They waited for over an hour, just to be told they weren’t on the list. I got involved, personally apologized, and got them sat right away. We sent complimentary appetizers, and I asked the chef to introduce herself after they’d received their entrees. With personal attention, we were able to turn the experience around and even get a good review on Yelp.”