13 Second Interview Questions You’ll Likely Face—and How to Prep for Them

As a candidate for a new job, you’ll likely face several rounds of interviews. The first one is usually a screening interview where you'll answer basic questions, and it may not be in-person. The second interview typically lasts longer and is more focused on your experiences and capabilities. 

A second interview is often conducted by someone from the team that is hiring for the position, making it a more in-depth conversation. You'll be asked specific questions that assess your behavior, self-awareness, and how well you fit within the workplace.

13 common second interview questions

The only way to ace job interviews is by thoroughly preparing for the potential questions. Here’s what to expect in a second interview—with example answers:

1. “Walk me through your resume”

This is an opportunity for you to add context to the resume you’ve painstakingly prepared. A good resume walkthrough will be succinct (around three minutes) and both start and end with how your experiences fit with the role. Share your biggest accomplishments and include the results of your actions, providing metrics, feedback received from leadership, and quantifiable results wherever possible.

Example answer:

To start, my experiences in my last position included X, Y, and Z, which I believe will be very helpful in working here. Some of the biggest accomplishments that I am most proud of include X, Y, and Z, as well, which speak volumes about my work ethic.

2. “What attracted you to this role and company?”

Show you’ve done your research by highlighting specifics about the company’s unique position in the marketplace, recent accomplishments, cultural values, and reputation. Mention any connections you have at the business, and other research you’ve done to confirm it is a good fit for you.

Similarly, you’ll want to articulate how the role will both take advantage of your skills and experiences while affording you an opportunity to develop further. Be prepared to highlight how selecting you will be a win-win for your own career and the company’s objectives.

Example answer:

I am interested in working at this company because I really value your leadership and innovation, as well as X, Y, Z. A dear friend, [name], has been working here for several years, and she's spoken very highly of the opportunities to learn and grow with a big support system here. I'd look forward to working with the creative minds at your company and expanding my own skills.

3. “What are your career goals in the short- and long-term?”

Your short-term career goals (typically within the next one to three years) should align well with the immediate opportunity you are interviewing for.  Share your objectives and communicate how you think the position may help you achieve those goals. 

Longer-term goals are typically five or more years out and require a more careful balancing act. Interviewers understand that employees today are more likely to switch jobs, but still remain wary of hiring someone who is eager to switch jobs. 

If you don’t have a very specific long-term goal in mind, focus on the skills you plan to be utilizing and experiences you aim to have in that timeframe. This may include leading a larger team, working in an international assignment, or serving a different type of customer, for example.

Example answer:

In the short term, I would love to really learn the ins and outs of this company and be able to further develop my X, Y, Z skills through helping you solve X, Y, Z challenges. In the longterm, I see myself as a leader. Your leadership team really inspires me, and I feel excited about the growth and development opportunities here.

4. “Why are you looking to leave your current position?”

Remain positive and future-focused when you respond to this question. Your interviewer is likely both genuinely curious and interested in the elements that you’re not excited about in your current role. Don’t disparage your current employer—however difficult the situation might be.

Instead, focus on what you’re seeking to gain in the new position, highlighting the new skills, experiences or knowledge you’re interested in attaining.

Example answer:

I am leaving my current position because I am looking for a new challenge.

5. “Tell me about a time when you worked as part of a team”

This question is typically seeking to understand your ability to work in teams, the role you often play in teams, and how effectively you describe projects and situations. In your response, share context before you dive into details. What was the team tasked with achieving? How was success measured? What was your role?

As you respond, offer a brief summary of the role you played, how you interacted with others, and whether the team achieved its objective. Share what you learned from the experience, and briefly highlight other team experiences the interviewer may want to hear about.

In experiential questions, you can generally offer a fairly brief summary. When you conclude, you can always ask the interviewer if they’d like to hear more. For example, you can inquire, “Would you like me to share additional details about our team report, or how the team interacted?” This is generally better than preparing a lengthy, detailed, overview that is far more than the interviewer needs.

Example answer:

I loved working as part of the X team with my last company. We were a team of diverse professionals, and I was always interested to hear the different ideas and perspectives that each of us brought to the table.

6. “Tell me about a time when you had to deal with conflict at work”

Your interviewer knows you are eager to put your best foot forward—but they also recognize that the workforce involves conflict. Your answer to this question provides clues about your personality, self-awareness, and how effectively you manage challenging situations.

When responding to this question, share a genuine conflict—not something minor or inconsequential. Avoid situations where the other individuals were clearly in error and select a conflict where there’s a genuine difference of opinion and neither party is objectively “right” or “wrong,” which is more authentic.

In your response, don’t disparage the other individuals involved in the conflict. Provide context, so the interviewer understands the situation and why there was a difference in opinion, and share how you evaluated the conflict, how you addressed it, and the ultimate resolution. Highlight any lessons you learned, or things you’d have done differently if the situation arose again.

Example answer:

I once had a colleague whose workflow affected mine. When their work was not done on time, I could not start mine—since I had to wait on them for specific information to do my job. But they were consistently late for weeks on end. 

I had gently reminded them of the deadline each day, but when they still didn't meet the deadline due to being too busy with other stuff, I eventually scheduled a video call to talk more. 

I knew that talking face to face would help us get to the root of why the current flow was not working. And we were able to come to a conclusion on a schedule that would work for both of us. Sometimes all you need is clear communication.

7. “Tell me about a time when you failed at work”

This is an opportunity to understand your self-awareness, candor, and resilience. Talking about our successes is fun, but we learn much more from our failures. With this in mind, select a significant example. Downplaying your failures, or selecting a minor issue, indicates that you aren’t being candid or might not learn from mistakes. Ensure to highlight how you took ownership of the failure and sought to learn from the experience.

Example answer:

I once missed a deadline for work because I had marked the date wrong on my calendar. While no clients were waiting on me, and it was just a personal deadline that I set for me and my boss, it still was not a good look or feeling. Better late than never—I worked through the night to finish the assignment. And I learned from that mistake by always double checking deadlines and working to get things done early.

8. “What is your biggest professional accomplishment?”

Here is an opportunity for you to shine, so prepare at least three major accomplishments that you’d like to share in the interview process, and prioritize them. For some, it can feel uncomfortable sharing your successes, but if you don’t communicate these to the interviewer, they won’t fully understand your fantastic achievements.

For each accomplishment, focus on the role you played as well as the results or benefits that resulted from your efforts. Benefits come in many forms and they may include quantifiable business metrics, but articulate other benefits like company reputation, team morale, and client satisfaction. 

Like other questions, this one is also an opportunity to highlight skills you developed or lessons you learned as part of the success you achieved.

Example answer:

My biggest professional accomplishment was winning X award because, to me, it means Y.

9. “What are your biggest strengths and weaknesses?”

This question is often checking for both information and your own self-awareness. Candidates that brag about a strength without much evidence, or share faux weaknesses like perfectionism, can cause the interviewer to question the validity of other responses.

Your best preparation is a strong view of your own skill set. If you don’t have this already, enlist a trusted colleague or friend to list your top three strengths and weaknesses that you can back up with brief examples.

When listing your weaknesses, offer one that is genuine but that wouldn’t be detrimental to the role. Your interviewer may ask for more so you’ll want to have at least three prepared that are truly opportunities for development but wouldn’t rule you out for the position you’re applying for. For example, if you're applying for a sales position, you wouldn’t want to say you have bad communication skills, as this is vital for the role.

Candidates often elect to highlight gaps that result from lack of experience (e.g. haven’t managed people, haven’t served in an international position) versus lack of skill. A final tip is to spend more time outlining your strengths, and less time on your weaknesses when answering a question like this.

Example answer:

My biggest strength is my ability to collaborate and work well with others, even if we do not always see eye to eye. My biggest weakness, however, is delegation. I have a hard time giving up responsibility, but I am learning that delegation is key. Finding people who I can trust to get certain jobs done well has been hugely beneficial.

10. “Why should we hire you?”

This question is at the heart of the interview process, and you should spend extra time preparing to answer it. When this question is asked, your reply should be delivered with confidence, include specifics, and be succinct. You should signal that you welcome the question, with something along the lines of, “I’m so glad you asked. As you can imagine, I’ve been thinking about that question a lot myself.”

The content of the response is also critical. When crafting your reply, prepare to address three things: 

1. Your skills

2. The company’s goals

3. Your interviewer 

Your skills include the capabilities you’ve developed that prepare you for success. Linking these to company goals demonstrate your understanding of the position and wider business. Finally, tailoring your response to your interviewer acknowledges that you’ve done thoughtful research on them in advance of the discussion.

Example answer:

You should hire me because I believe I have the right skills and capabilities to do the job right, including X, Y, and Z. My values align with yours, as well, including X, Y, Z, so I would make a great cultural fit, as well.

11. “What motivates you?”

Being a great candidate on paper is relatively easy, but staying motivated to do your best every day isn’t. When employers ask this question they want to know whether you care about your job and what drives to keep going besides a paycheck. So no, “paying my bills” is not a good answer. Instead, you want to highlight gratifying aspects of the position or the company's overall mission.

Example answer:

What motivates me to work is benefiting society in some way. That’s why I decided to pursue social work as a career. In my years of experience, I witnessed firsthand how a little support and guidance can turn someone's life around for the better, and consequently uplift our community.

12. “What management style works best for you?”

If you're applying for a management position, the interviewer wants to know if your management style fits in the company culture. If you're not, they're assessing if you'd work well with their existing team and their work style.

Example answer:

For me, a good manager gives clear directions, sets reasonable deadlines, and stays hands-off. In other words, a manager who trusts their team’s capabilities and expertise, while also being ready to jump in and offer guidance when needed. I always strive to work with the best professionals I can trust, and I make that my management style.

13. “What's your target salary?”

Generally, this question comes up in the final interview rounds, when the employer is considering an offer. However, some employers will ask this as early as they can, so they know whether your expectations lie within their budget. This is a common way to filter candidates.

Research the company's salary range using tools like Payscale and Glassdoor, then factor in your experience, current salary, and the job duties to come up with a number that you think is reasonable and fair. Keep in mind that some companies are willing to negotiate (if they really want to hire you), so ideally, you shouldn’t sell yourself short.

Example answer:

Based on my years of experience in sales and the job responsibilities we discussed, I would expect a salary around $78,000 to $88,000. I’m definitely open to talking about this in more detail later on.

How to prepare for a second interview

Here's some extra advice on how to prepare in the days leading up to your second interview to help calm your nerves and set you up for success:

Don't make assumptions—ask questions

Don’t assume anything good or bad about the process. Instead, inquire about the number of interview rounds you should expect and the types of interviews that the company uses to make hiring decisions. Further, the company should provide you with who is conducting the interview. This will allow you to research their background and come with your own questions tailored to their experiences.

Gather information about the company

Gathering any publicly available information about the company is a good way to prepare and predict some of the questions they may ask. Sites like Fairygodboss and social media make this easy by helping you understand company priorities, summarize employee feedback, and learn about executives that run the business. You should also always visit the company’s own website before an interview, and pay attention to recent press releases and statements of company goals and values. 

Network with people who work there

Bolster your preparation by connecting with your network. Look for alumni, former colleagues, and connections that work at the company on LinkedIn. Having a few, brief networking conversations in advance of your interview will provide you with valuable real-life perspective from current employees. 

Remember that these people are busy—reach out to them with a pointed, thoughtful set of questions and recognize that their time is valuable. If you impress them with your questions and insight, they may even bolster your candidacy for the job.

Come up with thoughtful questions to ask

Take time to prepare your own tailored questions to ask of your interviewers. A good interviewer will ensure you have time to ask questions about the company and role. This is an opportunity to demonstrate your preparation and real interest in the company. Thoughtful, specific questions illustrate that you are seriously considering the opportunity.

You’ve got this

Thoughtful preparation and practice will put you in a position to nail your second interview hopefully land you the role you’ve been working towards. Just remember to relax—it’s a two-way street. An interview is also an opportunity for you to figure out if this is a company you’d really like to work for.

FAQs

Is a second interview more difficult?

It can be, depending on your level of preparation. Typically, second-round interview questions revolve around your experience and capabilities. You can definitely expect questions about conflicts with coworkers, dealing with failure, and management styles, for example.

What are the odds of getting the job after the second interview?

Some companies have multiple rounds of interviews, while for others, the second interview is the real deal. So, depending on the company's internal procedures, it’s possible to get an offer after a second interview, but it’s not guaranteed.

Is a second interview a formality?

Generally, no. Every step of the hiring process, including a second interview, serves a purpose. For example, if your second interview is with a manager or leader, they’ll probably assess your skills more in-depth and whether you'd be a good fit for their team. So, always come prepared.

Is a second interview positive?

Generally, yes. It’s often an indicator that you made a good first impression, have the experience and skills the company is looking for, and they want to get to know you better.

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The Feminist Financier is on a mission to help women build wealth and own their financial independence, by improving financial literacy and taking the mystery out of money. Ms. Financier is also a shoe addict, travel fanatic, and wine enthusiast.

Amanda Cardoso contributed to the latest version of this article.