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Tackle 5 tough job interview questions

Preparing for these popular but tricky questions can help you impress interviewers.

By Stephanie Vozza

Please note: This item is from our archives and was published in 2021. It is provided for historical reference. The content may be out of date and links may no longer function.

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Looking for a new job is stressful enough, but to make matters more challenging, some interview questions seem like minefields. However, understanding more about what hiring personnel want to know when asking these questions can help you prepare. You can then formulate an answer ahead of time, which can help calm your nerves and allow you to tackle the challenge with insight instead of guesses.

We asked human resources experts for their insider knowledge on traditional but tricky interview questions. They shared what these questions are designed to reveal about a candidate, good ways to reply to them, and mistakes you should avoid in your answer.

‘What can you tell me about yourself?’

What the hiring manager wants to learn

Your answer to “tell me about yourself” gives an interviewer a first impression of your communication style, confidence level, understanding of the position, and personality, said Sue Arth, a San Diego-based career consultant who coaches professionals in accounting and other fields.

This question is also designed to reveal clues about your emotional intelligence, said Tom Gimbel, founder and CEO of LaSalle Network, a national staffing, recruiting, and culture firm that specializes in accounting and finance recruiting. “This is about whether or not you’re a fit for their cultural environment,” he said. “Your answer should share information beyond your résumé about how you view yourself and how ultimately that can relate to your job.”

Good strategies for answering the question

Arth suggested starting with general information about your education and experience and moving into how the strengths you’ve acquired relate to the position, using the “STAR” structure to formulate your answer:

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  • Share a “situation” you experienced.
  • Describe the “task” you were assigned.
  • Detail the “action” you took.
  • End with the “result” you achieved.

“This format will increase your confidence, make you appear more professional, and lead into a good conversation of the job and your qualifications,” Arth said.

What not to say

While it’s tempting, don’t summarize your résumé word for word, said Sarah McEneaney, CPA, a partner and U.S. digital talent leader for PwC, who is based in Chicago. “Instead, discuss highlights that are relevant to the position and come with examples of your best qualities,” she said.

Avoid getting too personal, said Arth, who noted, “This is about your professional history, not family, friends, and relationships.”

‘Why are you leaving your current employer?’

What the hiring manager wants to learn

Hiring managers ask this question for two reasons: to learn why you are looking for a new job and to see how you choose to talk about your current employer, said Michelle Armer, chief people officer at sales and marketing firm C.A. Fortune, located in Chicago.

“If you bad-mouth your current employer, it is a red flag for hiring managers; whereas if you speak highly of them but simply talk about how you’re looking to take the next step in your career, it shows that you are mature, professional, and goal-oriented,” she said.

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Your answer may also provide clues about your goals, said Gina Curtis, executive recruiting manager and career coach for the career coaching firm Employment BOOST in Troy, Mich. In some cases, those goals indicate that you might not be the best fit — for instance, if you say you are looking for advancement but are interviewing at a smaller organization that can’t offer you as many opportunities.

Good strategies for answering the question

Lindsay Gaal, COO/chief human resources officer at accounting firm Friedman LLP in New York City, suggested researching the organization you’re interviewing with and using what you’ve learned to frame your answer.

For example, you might say something like, “I want to join an organization that is growth-oriented and innovative. I see that in the past year your firm grew its employee numbers by 15% and expanded to new practice areas.” That response is “not about the past; it’s about the future,” Gaal said.

Another strategy for answering the question is to share the kinds of tangible changes you want to make in your career, such as opportunities to take on more responsibilities or work with different types of clients, Armer suggested.

What not to say

An honest answer to this question may include some negative reasons for leaving, such as a difficult boss or demanding schedule, but Armer said candidates should not share that type of information with the hiring team.

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“Instead, focus on positive ideas first,” she said. “And if asked directly, you can speak lightly about areas for improvement.”

‘What’s your greatest weakness?’

What the hiring manager wants to learn

By asking this question, “the interviewer is likely interested in hearing about your personality traits,” McEneaney said. “This answer can give potential employers quite a bit of insight into your level of self-awareness and commitment to professional growth.”

The question also reveals potential obstacles the candidate might bring to the position, Arth said.

Good strategies for answering the question

“Candidates mess this question up the most,” Gimbel said. “They say, ‘I’m a perfectionist’ or ‘I care too much about work.’ They try to turn a positive into a weakness to look good, but that’s not helpful.”

The most important way to answer the question is to be honest, he said. “Share a mistake you’ve made,” he suggested. “For example, you could say, ‘I used to take criticism personally, but I’ve been working on this with my manager.'” This type of answer is best because it presents a real weakness as well as a plan on how you’re working to overcome it, he said.

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What not to say

When answering the question, don’t point out that you lack skills that are needed for the position, Arth cautioned. Also, don’t say you don’t have the temperament for the position or that you have issues that directly contradict workplace expectations. For example, she said, avoid saying something like, “I have issues with authority and don’t feel I need to be managed.”

‘What salary are you looking for?’

What the hiring manager wants to learn

Unlike many challenging interview questions, this one is pretty straightforward, Armer said: The hiring team needs to know how much money you want to make if you are offered the job.

They also want to learn if your salary expectations are a match with what they are offering and with your level of experience, Curtis said.

Good strategies for answering the question

Formulate a good answer by doing your research, Curtis said. Websites such as Glassdoor, Salary.com, PayScale.com, and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics offer salary ranges that can be helpful. You can also consult accounting-specific salary guides such as the ones produced by Robert Half and Accounting Principals.

You can then take a couple of different approaches to answer the salary question.

“If you are being underpaid in your current role, you may want to give a target salary and not share your current compensation,” Curtis said. “If you feel like you are being compensated well and are looking for something competitive, then it may be appropriate to share your current salary.”

Armer suggested providing the hiring manager with a salary range that would be acceptable to you. Once you state a range, you can follow up by asking if it falls within the organization’s target, Gaal said. “If the answer is ‘no,’ ask what they were thinking” of offering, she said.

If you are offered a salary at the top of your range, “you should be willing to accept that offer,” Armer said.

What not to say

It can be tempting to answer by simply saying, “It’s negotiable,” but Curtis advised against that tactic. “It can be very hard for hiring managers to move you forward in the process if you do not give a specific answer,” she said.

Avoid giving a flat number; it removes the opportunity for negotiation if your target is met from the get-go, Armer said. And while it’s a good strategy to provide a salary range, make sure the range is not too large, Curtis said.

‘Why should we hire you?’

What the hiring manager wants to learn

The main reason hiring managers ask this question is to determine your fit, said Michael Steinitz, Washington, D.C.-based senior executive director for accounting staffing firm Accountemps, a division of Robert Half.

“Overall, they want to see how you are able to articulate your strengths and what you bring to the table,” he said. “They want to see how well you think on your feet.”

The question can also be a test of your confidence and poise, according to Nicole Gable, chief of sales for Accounting Principals, a national accounting staffing firm based in Jacksonville, Fla.

“Answering it takes self-awareness and the courage to self-advocate in a professional manner,” she said.

Good strategies for answering the question

“You can tailor your response to show that you’re not just a fit for the position, but for the organization as well,” Steinitz said. “It’s a sales pitch to some extent.”

The best strategy for crafting your answer is to identify the qualities and skill sets that would be key to success in the role and to hit those points with anecdotal examples to back up your assertions, Gable said.

For example, if you believe the ability to work in a fast-paced environment is a key requirement for the employer you’re interviewing with, talk about your experience in similar roles and give examples of how you have shown agility and quick turnaround, she said.

What not to say

Remember, you’re not being asked why you want the job, Gable cautioned. If you talk about why the job will be great for you as opposed to why you are the right choice for the employer, “you will miss an opportunity to solidify that you are a candidate well worth their investment,” she said.

One way to keep from sounding arrogant when talking about why you’re a good candidate is to mention others who helped you achieve your successes. “No one accomplishes anything 100% on their own, and demonstrating that you are a person who recognizes this and is openly grateful for that is a differentiator,” Gable said.

About the author

Stephanie Vozza is a freelance writer based in Michigan. To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact Courtney Vien, a JofA senior editor, at Courtney.Vien@aicpa-cima.com or 919-402-4125.

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