Common Interview Questions
There are several question types you should anticipate an employer asking at an interview. It is also common to receive questions related to skills important to the organization/position, such as decision-making, analysis/problem-solving, initiative, interpersonal attributes, teamwork, communication, and leadership development.
Although you can never anticipate the exact questions you will receive during an interview, the following list will serve as a general guide as you prepare:
Personal
Tell me about yourself.
What short term and long term goals have you set for yourself?
How are you planning to achieve them?
Who or what has had the greatest influence on the development of your career interests?
What two or three things are most important to you in a position?
What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
What has been your greatest challenge?
Are you willing to relocate or travel as part of your job?
Education
Why did you choose your major?
Do you feel your GPA reflects your academic ability?
How has your major helped you prepare for this position?
What is the most important lesson you have learned in or outside of school?
How do you think you have changed personally since you started college?
Knowing what you know now about your college experience, would you make the same decisions?
What has been your favorite or least favorite course and why?
Company
What expectations do you have for your future employer?
Why are you interested in this organization?
Why are you the best person for this position?
What can you contribute to this company?
What challenges are you looking for in a position?
How have your educational and work experiences prepared you for this position?
What do you expect from a supervisor?
Experience
What are your team-player qualities? Give examples.
Describe your leadership style.
What is your approach to handling conflict? Solving problems?
How do you motivate others?
Describe a leadership role of yours and tell why you’ve committed time to it.
What work experience has been the most valuable to you?
What was the most useful criticism you received and who provided it?
How did you decide which extracurricular activities to join? What did you gain from these experiences?
What contributions have you made to a group project?
What types of situations put you under pressure? How do you deal with the pressure?
What have you found most frustrating in your work experience?
Behavioral
Take me through a project where you applied __________skills.
Describe a situation when you displayed your critical thinking skills.
Describe the project or situation that best demonstrates your analytical skills.
Describe a situation where you had a conflict with another individual and how you handled it.
Give an example of a problem you solved and the process you used to arrive at the solution.
Describe an idea that you developed and implemented that you felt was particularly creative or innovative.
Tell me about a difficult decision you have made.
Tell me about a time you set a goal and failed to reach it.
Give an example of a situation in which you failed and how you handled it.
Tell me about a time when you had to persuade another person to your point of view.
Tell me about a project you initiated.
Tell me about a team project that you are particularly proud of and what your contribution was to the project.
There are several question types you should anticipate an employer asking at an interview. It is also common to receive questions related to skills important to the organization/position, such as decision-making, analysis/problem-solving, initiative, interpersonal attributes, teamwork, communication, and leadership development.
Although you can never anticipate the exact questions you will receive during an interview, the following list will serve as a general guide as you prepare:
Personal
Tell me about yourself.
What short term and long term goals have you set for yourself?
How are you planning to achieve them?
Who or what has had the greatest influence on the development of your career interests?
What two or three things are most important to you in a position?
What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
What has been your greatest challenge?
Are you willing to relocate or travel as part of your job?
Education
Why did you choose your major?
Do you feel your GPA reflects your academic ability?
How has your major helped you prepare for this position?
What is the most important lesson you have learned in or outside of school?
How do you think you have changed personally since you started college?
Knowing what you know now about your college experience, would you make the same decisions?
What has been your favorite or least favorite course and why?
Company
What expectations do you have for your future employer?
Why are you interested in this organization?
Why are you the best person for this position?
What can you contribute to this company?
What challenges are you looking for in a position?
How have your educational and work experiences prepared you for this position?
What do you expect from a supervisor?
Experience
What are your team-player qualities? Give examples.
Describe your leadership style.
What is your approach to handling conflict? Solving problems?
How do you motivate others?
Describe a leadership role of yours and tell why you’ve committed time to it.
What work experience has been the most valuable to you?
What was the most useful criticism you received and who provided it?
How did you decide which extracurricular activities to join? What did you gain from these experiences?
What contributions have you made to a group project?
What types of situations put you under pressure? How do you deal with the pressure?
What have you found most frustrating in your work experience?
Behavioral
Take me through a project where you applied __________skills.
Describe a situation when you displayed your critical thinking skills.
Describe the project or situation that best demonstrates your analytical skills.
Describe a situation where you had a conflict with another individual and how you handled it.
Give an example of a problem you solved and the process you used to arrive at the solution.
Describe an idea that you developed and implemented that you felt was particularly creative or innovative.
Tell me about a difficult decision you have made.
Tell me about a time you set a goal and failed to reach it.
Give an example of a situation in which you failed and how you handled it.
Tell me about a time when you had to persuade another person to your point of view.
Tell me about a project you initiated.
Tell me about a team project that you are particularly proud of and what your contribution was to the project.
