Every Job Interview Question You’ve Ever Had, Answered

You’ve spent years hard at work studying for tests and perfecting papers, and now it’s finally paid off. With your diploma secured, you’re ready to dive headfirst into the post-college world, which means going on job interviews (possibly a lot of them!). After scouring LinkedIn and Glassdoor for job opportunities, it’s time to update your resume and prepare for your first job interview. Prepping for these big life moments can feel overwhelming, which is why I tapped three experts to share their best tips to make yourself stand out as a job candidate.

Going from being a student to embarking on a career is a major change, and it can be a little nerve-wracking. To help you feel like you can take on any job interview and put your best self forward, I asked hiring managers and career coaches how to prepare for an interview for your first job. From which questions to ask to what you should definitely put on your resume, here’s what they say you should always do. 

When you’re a newcomer to the job market, it can seem intimidating to submit your resume as a contender against more experienced applicants. Lorraine Dooley, head of talent acquisition at Canva, recommends highlighting educational experience and previous work experience, including internships and personal projects. If you don’t have extensive internship experience, Dooley also suggests including volunteer experience as well as soft skills like leadership, communication, and adaptability. 

Most standard resume templates look nearly identical to each other: black-and-white one pagers. While there’s nothing wrong with the traditional route, zhuzhing up your resume might help you get noticed. According to Canva’s 2025 New Year, New Job report, 62% of hiring managers actually prefer resumes with pops of color. (Of course, a pretty resume isn’t what will get you hired, but it doesn’t hurt to try getting noticed.)

In addition to incorporating color, Dooley also recommends making your resume more interactive by including a link to an online portfolio to showcase all of your exciting projects and accomplishments. “The most important thing to keep in mind is that your resume should be a reflection of you — personality and spunk included,” Dooley says. 

In addition to not checking for typos, one of the most common resume blunders is being too text-heavy. While it makes sense that you want to showcase your experience, typing in nine-point font to keep from going over one page is not the answer. 

Instead of cramming in information, try tailoring your resume to highlight skills relevant to the position you’re applying for and cutting the sections that aren’t. As Dooley notes, “Your resume should be worth 1,000 words, not be 1,000 words!” 

With all the time you’ve spent fine-tuning your resume, it might not seem clear what a cover letter adds to your application. Dawid Wiacek, an executive career coach, sees it as “a way to make your resume come alive.” By including specific reasons why you’re enthusiastic about the position you’re applying for, a cover letter can help your personality shine through for hiring managers in a way that your resume might not. 

Though the cover letter shouldn’t completely rehash your resume, it can also be helpful to elaborate on projects and work experiences relevant to the position at hand. The most important thing to remember, Wiacek says, is to “avoid generic statements and get specific.” 

It can be tempting to leave this question blank or put down the first number that comes to mind. To avoid making either of those missteps, do some research on median salaries for the role you’re interested in. If possible, you can also talk to people in your network who have experience in or knowledge of the field, and ask if they have a sense of a reasonable salary range. 

“You don’t want to necessarily ask people what they’re making because that could put them on the spot, but you may find a way to ask them about benchmark salaries for the company or the industry as a whole,” Wiacek says.  

When in doubt, both Dooley and Wiacek agree that it’s preferable to list a salary range rather than a pure number, signaling to your potential employer that you’re open to communication and flexible within that range. 

With more and more companies using the internet to scout potential applicants, including your LinkedIn profile is an absolute must. Depending on the industry, Wiacek also recommends including links to other platforms that showcase your work, such as GitHub for coding developers or Behance for designers. 

When it comes to your personal Instagram or TikTok, though, it’s important to think twice before putting them on your application. “Ask your friends, ask your relatives, ‘Does my social media profile make me look good in the eyes of a hiring manager or is it going to raise some yellow flags?’” Wiacek says. 

The exception, Wiacek notes, is for certain marketing jobs that prefer candidates with social media skills. In that case, including your social media profiles can serve as proof of your talent, as long as they still convey the professional image you want to present throughout your application. 

Before trying on every outfit in your closet, career development coach Michelle Enjoli suggests researching the company that you’re applying to and considering what the standard attire is in the industry. For most professional industries, sticking with a blazer, a business casual top, and slacks or pants is the traditional option. As for virtual interviews, Enjoli notes that the same advice applies, though you can always stick to sweatpants in lieu of slacks (just make sure not to stand up on camera!).  

Often serving as the opener to the interview, this question is the perfect opportunity to wow the hiring manager with your experience. But you’re human, so there’s also a chance your mind goes completely blank. In order to avoid the latter, Enjoli emphasizes the importance of preparing “high-level information” ahead of time. 

“High-level information” includes details of your past work and internship experiences and also personal tidbits about your hometown, your education, and even your hobbies and sports you play — anything that can help spark an interpersonal connection with the interviewer.  

When it comes to strengths, Enjoli recommends tailoring your responses to the company or industry that you’re hoping to work in. “If you’re applying for a job as a reporter, then you can say that you’re a really strong writer or a really strong listener,” Enjoli says. “They have to obviously be true, but make sure that the strengths are relevant to the position,” she adds. 

While you’ve already showcased your best self through your resume and cover letter, explaining your biggest weakness is a significantly different task. It’s challenging to be genuine about your shortcomings while also presenting yourself as the optimal candidate. Enjoli suggests keeping a positive tone by coupling weaknesses with the steps that you’re taking to improve yourself. 

For example, if your weakness is feeling overwhelmed by complex assignments, it’s good to also mention strategies you use to break up your projects into manageable tasks. This type of answer can signal to hiring managers that you’re not only honest about your flaws but you also have a growth mindset when it comes to your work. 

When the tables turn at the end of the interview and you’re asked if you have any questions about the company or the position, it can be tempting to simply shake your head “no.” Instead of trying to think of something on the spot, Wiacek and Enjoli recommend preparing specific questions that highlight your interest in the company beyond the surface-level information included in the hiring listing. If you’re racking your brain for examples, here are some of the questions that they suggest. 

• What does success look like in this role in the next 90 days and the next year? 
• What are the biggest challenges that the company is facing at the moment?
• What are some of the biggest goals that the company has for the next year? 
• How do people handle the intensity of the first few months in the position? 

For an in-person interview, making an impression starts the second you enter the room. “Introduce yourself, give people eye contact, and start with a firm handshake,” Enjoli says. She also recommends bringing at least two copies of your resume with you, one for your interviewer to look through and one for you to reference throughout the interview. 

Though virtual interviews take physical contact off the table, you can mimic the feeling of eye contact by looking directly in the camera on your laptop. When interviewing in person or virtually, Enjoli advises new candidates to start off by thanking the interviewer for taking the time out of their day to meet with them. 

No matter how much you prepare, it’s always possible that you’re asked a question you simply don’t know how to answer. If you’re in that situation, the first step is to simply breathe. “Don’t think about your perfect answer, just go with the flow,” Enjoli says. 

If that feels easier said than done, Wiacek suggests asking for the interviewer to clarify the question; even if you’re not confused about the content of the question, asking for clarification can give you a few seconds to catch your breath and plan out your response. If you simply can’t think of a response to the question, it’s better to redirect the conversation to what you do know rather than stay silent. 

“It’s perfectly within reason to say, ‘That’s a solid question. I have to give it some thought. But these are the interesting skills or values that your question made me think of,’” Wiacek says. “Even if it’s not a perfect response, it’s still something of interest and value,” he explains. 

It’s common courtesy to send a thank-you note after important meetings or interviews. However, it’s important to note that some companies might discard messages from prospective applicants until a position is confirmed. 

The best course of action, according to Wiacek, is to ask your interviewer how they would prefer for you to reach out. If you want to leave a lasting impression rather than a simple one-liner, your thank-you note can include details about what you learned or appreciated about the company and follow-up thoughts on any discussions during the interview. 

“If there are three equally impressive candidates, it’s possible that you’ll get through to the next round because you followed up in a really thoughtful way versus other candidates who just said thank you or didn’t even follow up at all,” Wiacek says.