Sample Interview Questions Asked By Employers

Below are some example questions an employer may ask.

Interest in Organization/Position:

Why would you like to work for our organization?
How did you become interested in this field?
What interests you about this position?

Personal Questions:

Tell me about yourself.
What are your hobbies?
Why did you choose to interview with our organization?
Describe your ideal job.
What can you offer us?
What do you consider to be your greatest strength?
Can you name some weakness?
Define success. Failure.
Have you ever had any failures? What did you learn from them?
Of which three accomplishments are you most proud?
Who are your role models? Why?
How does your college education or work experience relate to this job?
What motivates you most in a job?
Have you had difficulty getting along with a former professor/supervisor/co-worker and 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)?
Where do you want to be in five years? Ten years?
Do you plan to return to school for further education?
What do you think it takes to be successful in this job?
What skills have you developed that would prepare you for this job?
In what ways could you make a positive contribution to our organization?
What special skills could you contribute to our company?

Education Questions:

Why did you choose your major?
Why did you choose to attend your college or university?
Do you think you recieved a good education? In what ways?
In which campus activities did you participate?
Which classes in your major did you like best? Least? Why?
Which elective classes did you like best? Least? Why?
If you were to start over, what would you change about your education?
Do your grades accurately reflect your ability? Why or why not?
Were you financially responsible for any portion of your college education?

Experience Questions:

What job-related skills have you developed?
Did you work while going to school? In what positions?
What did you learn from these 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.
Have you ever done any volunteer work? What kind?
How do you think a former supervisor would describe your work?

Career Goal Questions:

Do you prefer to work under supervision or on your own?
What kind of boss do you prefer?
Would you be successful working with a team?
Do you prefer large or small organizations? Why?
What other types of positions are you considering?
How do you feel about working in a structured environment?
Are you 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?
Are you willing to work flextime?

Behavioral Interview Questions:

Past behavior predicts future behavior, so be specific. Remember to use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) when answering these questions.

What was the toughest decision you had to make at a previous job?
Tell me about the most difficult person you've had to communicate with.
Tell me about a group project you were involved in. What was your role?
Describe a recent work related problem and the actions you took to solve it.
What is the biggest challenge you've faced in college and how did you deal with it?
Tell me about a time when you had to resolve a conflict in a group situation.
Tell me about a time when you followed through on a commitment, despite difficulties.
Describe a situation where you had to do several tasks at the same time.

Other Resources

glassdoor.com - a free jobs and career community that offers the world an inside look at jobs and companies. What sets them apart is their "employee generated content" – anonymous salaries, company reviews, interview questions, and more – all posted by employees, job seekers, and sometimes the companies themselves. Great place to find actual interview questions asked by specific companies and for specific job titles.

Ready Prep Interview - free site with thousands of job interview questions that are position specific.

How to Ace the 50 Most Common Interview Questions

In summary, always be positive in your answers. Emphasize your accomplishments and qualifications. Be prepared to give concrete and/or quantifiable examples that support and illustrate desirable personal attributes.

If weaknesses exist in your experience or academic background, don’t try to hide them if questioned directly; mention them in context with or relate them to factors of strength. Never provide excuses or apologies.

If you don’t know the answer to a particular question, say that you don’t know. You will at least be thought of as honest. No matter how frustrated and flustered you feel, don’t panic. Remain honest and calm. Keep in mind the most important things you have to offer: your education, skills, talents, and abilities. No one can take them away from you.

What employers seem to be seeking is a combination of personal and intellectual qualities that indicate potential for competence on the job, a strong motivation and desire to achieve, and the ability to work cooperatively with other people in the working environment. The candidates who have the best chance of landing a “good” job in a competitive job market are those who are most successful in convincing employers these requirements are met.

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