# Collection of Interview Questions ## Technical Questions * Describe the most difficult project you’ve worked on to date. * You’re tasked with explaining the basic coding principle `XYZ` to a group of kindergarteners. You can use any supplies in the classroom. How would you do it? * How does the web work? * What’s your favourite software and why? * Explain in detail your *opus magnum* as if I’m a businessperson. * What does the future look like for our tech? * You type our company name into the address bar of your browser and press Enter. What happens next? * What’s your best prompt and why? * Do you have a favourite technical tool that you feel is underrated? * How easy or difficult is it to change a single field's type, add/remove fields at the platform level? Would clients break? Explain the cascading effects at the platform and client levels. ## Logical & Problem-Solving Questions * If you look at a clock and the time is 4:17, what is the angle between the hour and the minute hands? * How would you figure out the weight of a commercial airplane without a scale? * How would you escape if you were trapped inside a washing machine? * How would you sell ice cream in Alaska? * Why do Weetabix come in packets of 12 or 24? ## Behavioral Questions * How do you learn? * Tell me about one professional achievement you’re particularly proud of. * Tell me about a mistake you made and how it affected your team or organization. * How do you handle unexpected changes or setbacks in a project? * Can you provide an example of a time when you had to adapt to a significant change in the workplace? * How do you handle constructive feedback from colleagues or supervisors? * Tell me about a time when you overpromised and underdelivered. * What do you do if you realize you’re not going to meet a deadline? * Describe a time when you had to learn something complex in a very short period. * Tell me about a time you took unexpected initiative. Can you tell me about another? * What's the fastest you've shipped something? * What is a piece of critical feedback you've received that was hard to hear? * If you were the CEO of your previous company, what would you do differently? ## Leadership Questions * How do you inspire and motivate your team during challenging times? * Can you describe a situation where you successfully led a team through a challenging project? * As a leader, how do you know if you’re being effective or having an impact? * Based on that, how do you prioritize your time? * As you step into this position, what roles, skills, or personalities do you need around you to ensure success? * How do you build relationships and trust with people on your team? * Among the people you've worked with, who do you admire and why? ## Creative & Critical Thinking Questions * How do you approach solving problems that have no clear solution? * Describe a project where you had to think creatively to overcome a challenge. * What skill have you always wanted to learn but haven’t had the chance to? * How would you explain your job to a five-year-old? * Describe the color yellow to someone who is blind. * If you could invent a new ice cream flavor, what would it be and why? * Convince me to move to your city. * What is the biggest problem the world is currently facing, and given limited resources, what steps would you take to solve it? * Pitch my business to me as if you were me, and I was an investor interested in buying the company. * In five minutes, explain something to me that you know really well. * Pick an area you know very well, take 5 minutes to prepare, and then teach me everything I should know about it. * Teach me about your favorite topic in the world. * Our company values are `XYZ`. We’re thinking of dropping one. Which would you drop and why? * Show me an example of your written work. Or, take 5 minutes and write down your response to this email. * If you could replace the office coffee machine with any other dispenser, what would it be? ## Personal Insight Questions * What is the next thing you want to learn? * What is the hardest problem you’ve faced in both personal and professional life? How did you handle it? * What’s your superpower? * What energizes you at work? * What kind of work makes you lose track of time? * What are your weaknesses? (e.g., "If I were to complement you with another teammate, what skills or traits would balance yours?") * Vis a vis other smart, talented people with similar backgrounds, what are your strengths and weaknesses? * Which constructive feedback have you received more than once? Did you change based on it? Why or why not? * Tell me about something you recently changed your mind on. * What’s the boldest decision you’ve made in the past year that involved a leap of faith? * What’s the most difficult feedback you’ve ever received, and how did it change you? * What’s important in your life? Why? * What does resilience look like for you? * Who was the best manager you’ve ever had, and why? Who was the worst, and why? * What’s a commonly accepted truth in your industry that you strongly disagree with? * What’s a view you hold almost irrationally? * If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be? * What’s the hardest professional decision you’ve ever had to make? * If you look back at your time at `[X company]` or `[X project]`, what would you have done differently? * What did you learn at `[X company]` or `[X project]` that you didn’t know before? * Could you walk me through the most important life and career choices that led you here? * Tell me something you believe to be true but most people would disagree with. * What gives you energy? * What’s the thing you’ve read that influenced you the most? * If I were to talk to people who have a low opinion of you, what would they say? * What are you good at? * What do you aspire to be the best in the world at? * How do you want people to describe you? * What is the most valuable lesson you've learned from a colleague? * What distinguishes someone who is good from someone who is exceptional in your role? * What’s the skill you need to improve on the most for this role? * What do you want to do with your life? * When was the last time you changed your mind about something important? ## Cultural Fit & Values * Describe the work environment where you thrive best. * What are the three most important attributes you’ll bring to our company? * How do you contribute to a positive and inclusive work environment, especially under pressure? * How will you continue developing your professional skills and knowledge? * Throw your résumé aside and tell me what makes you, you. * What’s something you’d be ecstatic about doing every day for the rest of your professional career? * What aspect of your previous company's culture would you like to bring to your next role, and what would you prefer to leave behind? * Who would instantly join us if you joined? ## Random & Fun Questions * Tell me about an adventurous thing you’ve done. * What was the last book you read, and what did you learn from it? * What’s your favourite fruit? Then, explain why. * What question would you have wanted me to ask? * What is the worst question I could ask you, and why? * Describe your favorite week at work. * What are some things outside of work that you’re irrationally passionate about? * What do people get wrong about you on first impressions? * What’s the thing you’re the most proud of? # Questions to Ask the Employer > It’s important to show interviewers **how you think**, break down your steps, and logically explain each decision. * A year from now, when you’re looking back on this hire, what would I have done to exceed every expectation? * What are the biggest challenges you expect the person in this role to face? * What qualities set apart the most successful employees here? * If you had a magic wand and could change anything about the company, what would it be? * How does the company measure success for someone in this role? * What is the biggest challenge your team is currently facing that this role could help solve? * What opportunities for growth and professional development does this position offer? * What does a typical career path look like for someone in this position? * How does the team celebrate successes and handle setbacks? * What are the company’s long-term goals, and how does this role contribute to them? * Can you share an example of a recent project where the team demonstrated strong collaboration? * What’s the most important thing I should know about the team dynamics? * What impactful projects or initiatives would I be involved in? * What are the key goals and deliverables expected in the first few months? * What level of autonomy and decision-making authority does this position provide? * What’s one tip you wish you had known when you first started working here? * What are your expectations for me in this role? * Which are the more immediate projects I'll take on? * What are the biggest challenges that I might face in this position? * What learnings and developement opportunities will I have in this role? # AI Engineering * https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shantanuladhwe_many-wouldnt-like-this-if-im-hiring-for-share-7436009377125425152-wNPc