What are commonly asked questions?
If you think through and practice interview questions ahead of time, you will be more poised, confident and prepared. Here’s a list of common interview questions broken out by theme. At the bottom, you’ll find a list of possible questions for you to ask an employer.
QUESTIONS AN EMPLOYER MAY ASK YOU
Personal assessment and career direction
- Tell me about yourself.
- What are your long- and short-range goals? How have you prepared to achieve them?
- What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
- How would someone who knows you describe you?
- What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort?
- Why should I hire you?
- What qualifications do you have that will make you successful in this field / position / organization?
- In what kind of work environment are you most comfortable?
- Describe how you work under pressure.
- How would you describe your ideal job?
- What two or three things are most important to you in your job?
- What are some examples of your creativity?
Work attitudes
- How do you define success?
- What qualities should a successful manager possess?
- Describe the relationship that ideally exists between a supervisor and supervisee.
- What criteria are you using to evaluate the company for which you hope to work?
Academic assessment
- How has your college experience prepared you for a career?
- Describe your most rewarding college experience.
- What changes would you make in your college or university? Why?
- Do you have plans for continued study? An advanced degree?
Knowledge of the employer
- What do you know about this organization? Where did you find this information?
- What contributions do you think you could make to this organization?
- If you were hiring a graduate for this position, what qualities would you look for?
- Why did you decide to seek a position with this organization?
Other interests and experiences
- What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction? Why?
- What major problem have you encountered and how did you deal with it?
- What have you learned from your mistakes?
Situational or behavioral questions
- Describe the most difficult interpersonal situation you’ve had with a professor, supervisor, supervisee or colleague. How did you handle it?
- If your supervisor were setting impossible deadlines, what would you do?
- How would you handle a situation where your direct supervisor asked you to do something that was not consistent with your professional judgment?
Sensitive issues
- How did you get along with your last supervisor?
- You seem overqualified for this position. Can you explain why you applied?
- What is the hardest job you have ever performed?
- How much do you think this position pays?
- Tell me your position on drug testing.
QUESTIONS TO ASK THE INTERVIEWER
- What qualifications do you expect the successful candidate to have?
- What are the main issues that need immediate attention?
- What resources are available to solve these issues?
- Do you support professional development? How?
- What are the established guidelines and procedures for making decisions in this position?
- What are the reporting relationships of this position?
- What are the short-term and long-term goals of the department and how are they set?
- How would successful performance be measured in this position?
- How often is performance reviewed in this position?
- What is culture of this organization?
- Describe the interdepartmental relationships.
- What has the turnover rate of the department been?
- What happens next?