Sample Interview Questions, Summaries of Job Interviewing Techniques and Skills

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Sample Interview Questions

See the Interviewing Tips and STAR Method handouts for more details about preparing for interviews, and schedule a practice interview with a Career Counselor to further prepare!

Questions Employers Might Ask

About Career Interests and Preparation:

• Tell me about yourself.
• How do you think your education has prepared you for this position?
• What are your five/ten year goals?
• Why are you interested in this industry/profession?
• What motivates you in your career?
• When comparing one company offer to another, what factors will be important to you?

About Skills and Qualifications:

• What unique qualities would you bring to this position?
• In addition to educational and professional experiences, what else would you like us to know about you?
• Provide an example of an important goal that you set in the past and how you reached it.

About Awareness of Strengths and Weaknesses:

• What is your greatest strength/major weakness?
• What has been your greatest accomplishment?
• Tell me about a time in which you failed, how you handled it, and what you learned.
• Tell us something about yourself that we have not asked.

About Past Experiences:

• What work experiences have been most valuable to you and why?
• Tell me about your toughest job assignment.
• What did you like most/least about your last job?
• Tell me about a project of which you are particularly proud and your contribution.
• Describe a leadership role you have held and why you committed your time to it.
• What have you learned from being involved in activities/community service/organizations, etc.?

About Interpersonal Fit and Skill:

• What qualities do you find important in a coworker?
• Describe a situation where you had to work with someone who was difficult, how did you handle it?
• What do you think makes you a good team player?

About Fit for Company:

• Why are you interested in our company/this job?
• Will you relocate? Do you have a geographical limitations?

• Are you willing to travel if needed to perform this job?
• What starting salary do you expect for this position?
• If you were to be hired here, what do you foresee being your greatest challenging upon starting?

Questions for Employers

Appropriate Example Questions to Ask Employers

• In reviewing your company information, I was very impressed with ______. Can you tell me more?
• How would I be trained or introduced to this job?
• How will my performance will be evaluated?
• Describe the type of person who does well here.
• How does this position contribute to the company?
• What are the department's goals for the year?
• What challenges do you see facing this department?
• How would you describe the management style of the company as a whole?
• What are the next steps from here in the interview process?

Inappropriate Example Questions to Ask Employers

• What would be my starting salary? (Money is not an appropriate topic during a preliminary interview. But, if the interviewer initiates the subject, then be prepared to discuss salary expectations.)
• What type of benefits (e.g., vacation time, medical coverage, sick leave) do you offer? (You should be concentrating on learning about the company and the position rather than fringe benefits. If not described in recruiting literature, the subject will be raised at subsequent interviews or at negotiation).
• Well, I can't think of anything right now. What do other people ask? (This weak response reveals lack of preparation, immaturity, and poor listening skills.)

Revised 08/