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How To Answer “Why Are You Looking For a New Job” and Other Common Job Interview Questions
When it comes to your work, what is something you’re proud of?
Answered by Madelon Deming , Personal Development Coach at New Leaf Coaching with over 14 years of experience in hiring for global engineering and product teams.
Hiring Manager's Perspective: They’re evaluating your self-awareness, problem-solving skills, and how well your strengths align with the company’s values and culture. It’s an opportunity to demonstrate that you understand what matters to the organization and how your accomplishments can contribute to its success.
Tactical Approach: To craft a strong answer, focus on a challenge or project that relates to the role you're applying for. Provide context, describe the action you took, and emphasize the outcome—if possible, include a measurable result to strengthen your response. This is where you can highlight skills that are particularly relevant to the job. Use the job description as a guide to ensure you're selecting the most appropriate examples. For an added impact, tie your example back to the company’s mission, values, or goals to show alignment and cultural fit.
Example Answer: “I’m proud of leading the redesign of our team’s internal dashboard to improve performance monitoring. The old system struggled with real-time data tracking, so I researched new technologies and collaborated with engineers to implement a new solution. This reduced response times by 25% and cut downtime significantly. The project enhanced my technical and teamwork skills, aligning with your company’s focus on innovation and efficiency. I’m excited to bring that experience to [company name / role].”
What do you like to do outside of work?
Answered by Madelon Deming , Personal Development Coach at New Leaf Coaching with over 14 years of experience in hiring for global engineering and product teams.
Hiring Manager's Perspective: They are assessing your interests, personality, and potential cultural fit within the team. They’re also curious to see if your hobbies reflect transferable skills like creativity, discipline, or teamwork. It’s a way to gauge work-life balance and understand if you’ll bring positive energy into the workplace.
Tactical Approach: When answering, be authentic and highlight hobbies that demonstrate your skills or values that closely align with the role or company. Avoid overly personal or controversial topics. If possible, choose activities that reflect qualities like collaboration, problem-solving, or dedication, or link your interests to the company’s values or mission.
Example Answer: “Outside work, I enjoy solving puzzles and playing strategy board games with friends. It keeps my mind sharp and helps me think critically under pressure, which mirrors how I approach problem-solving at work. I also love contributing to open-source projects in my free time. It's rewarding to collaborate with a global community of developers, and it helps me stay updated on the latest tools and frameworks. These activities fuel my curiosity and commitment to learning while also reinforcing teamwork and communication skills—qualities I believe align with your company’s emphasis on innovation and collaboration.”
