Interview questions
Questions Asked by Employers
There are standard areas of questioning by interviewers. Review the following examples so you are prepared to answer the most common questions.
Personal
• Tell me about yourself.
• Why did you choose to interview with our organization?
• What do you consider to be your strengths? Weaknesses?
• Have you ever had any failures? What did you learn from them?
• Of which three accomplishments are you most proud?
• What motivates you most in a job?
• Have you had difficulty getting along with a former professor/supervisor/co-worker? How did you handle it?
• Have you ever spoken before a group of people? How large?
• Why should we hire you rather than another candidate?
• What do you know about our organization (products or services)?
• How do you think a friend, professor, or former supervisor would describe you?
• How do you think you can make a contribution to our company?
• How do you solve difficult problems?
• Give me an example of your experience working as part of a team.
• What are your career goals?
• Do you prefer to work under supervision or on your own?
• Do you prefer large or small organizations? Why?
• Describe how you are able to work on several assignments at once?
• How do you feel about working overtime?
• How do you feel about travel?
• How do you feel about the possibility of relocating?
• Describe your ideal job.Education
• Why did you choose your major? This university?
• Do you think you received a good education? In what ways?
• In which campus activities did you participate? What did you learn from them?
• Which classes did you like best? Least? Why?
• Do your grades accurately reflect your ability? Why or why not?
• Do you plan to return to school for further education?Experience
• What job-related skills have you developed?
• What did you learn from your work experiences?
• What did you enjoy most about your last employment? Least?
• Have you ever quit a job? Why?
• Give an example of a situation in which you provided a solution to an employer.
• Give an example of a time in which you worked under deadline pressure.
• What kind of boss do you prefer?The 26 Most Popular Behavior-Based Questions
Tell me about a time when you…
1. Worked effectively under pressure
2. Handled a difficult situation with a co-worker
3. Were creative in solving a problem
4. Missed an obvious solution to a problem
5. Were unable to complete a project on time
6. Persuaded team members to do things your way
7. Wrote a report that was well-received
8. Anticipated potential problems and developed preventive measures
9. Had to make an important decision with limited facts
10. Were forced to make an unpopular decision
11. Had to adapt to a difficult situation
12. Were tolerant of an opinion that was different from yours
13. Were disappointed in your behavior
14. Used your political savvy to push a program through that you really believed in
15. Had to deal with an irate customer
16. Delegated a project effectively
17. Surmounted a major obstacle
18. Set your sights too high (or too low)
19. Prioritized the elements of a complicated project
20. Got bogged down in the details of a project
21. Lost (or won) an important contract
22. Made a bad decision
23. Had to fire a friend
24. Hired (or fired) the wrong person
25. Turned down a good job
26. Tell me about a time your work was criticizedResponding To Common Interview Questions
• Tell me about yourself.
Remember to word your response in a business context. This is not a request to discuss your hometown or your childhood pets. The best way to answer this question is to discuss your skills and personal qualities leading to the ultimate conclusion that you should work for them.
• What are your strengths?
Similar question: "How do you describe yourself?" Describe your strengths relative to the ideal candidate, and in order of importance to the position for which you are applying.
• What are your weaknesses?
This is a bona fide trick question. Your weaknesses must be strengths in disguise. Here is an example: "I am very detail-oriented. Sometimes I'll spend hours getting something just right. But as you can see from my recommendations and transcripts, I still manage to get plenty of work completed, too. As a matter of fact..." Turn it into a positive! Or, site a minor weakness and explain how you are overcoming it.
• What are your career goals?
It is your job as a candidate to know what that typical career path is. Contrary to what some think, excessive ambition is not really impressive to employers. Saying, "I want to be making $250,000 within five years," is probably going to cause the interviewer to think you are naive or immature or both. Saying, "I want to be employed in a manufacturing environment and working part-time toward my Master's Degree," is probably a lot smarter.
Question You Can Ask During An Interview
Go to the interview prepared with some of the following questions:
The Job
• Can you tell me what a typical day is like for someone in this position?
• Will this position be assisting one of your staff or working on a special project?
• Will I move around during my co-op assignment to work in different positions or departments?
• What type of training is given to a new employee - on the job, classroom, and individual?
• Are employees ever transferred to other geographical locations or other fields?
• Who will be my manager and how much contact will I have with him/her?
• Is any travel expected?
• Why is this position open? (Fired, resigned, new…) Tell me more about this?
• What are the best aspects of this job? And the worst?The Company
• What are your most important product lines? (Be sure you've done your homework before you ask this question - don't ask the obvious)
• What positive changes have you seen company wide and what do you see for the future?
• What type of turnover do you see company wide?
• What is the company culture?
• Do you have co-op students working for you?
• How long have you employed students?
• Do you re-hire your co-op students for subsequent co-op work periods?
• What other jobs have you held within the company?
• What do you like most about the company and your job?The Geographic Area
• What is the housing market like in this area?
• What are the best features about the city/area? The worst?
• Is public transportation adequate?